The SPJ News

September 28, 2023
SPJ President Claire Regan Reflects On Her Career
By James Naylor
“There are a lot of women in newsrooms [now], but they tend to be reporters and not newsroom leaders, so we have to work on that.”
September 28, 2023
Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest flattered to be named SPJ 2023 Fellow of the Society
By Uma Raja
Dana Priest is an investigative reporter for the Washington Post with a specialization in national security, United States intelligence agencies and military operations. She has won two Pulitzer Prizes for her work. “I keep gravitating towards the hardest things to write about,” Priest said.
September 28, 2023
Convention-goers explore the value of different perspectives within newsrooms
By Timia Cobb
Attendees of the “Build a Newsroom Culture that Values Differences and Dissent” session explored how embracing the cultures and values of journalists can positively influence their reporting and work environment. The session kicked off the 2023 Society of Professional Journalist convention.
September 28, 2023
Free press is ‘crucial’: Marvin Kalb named SPJ 2023 Fellow of the Society
By Kristine Weller
Marvin Kalb is recognized as a Fellow of the Society, among the highest professional honors awarded by the Society of Professional Journalists. He discusses how crucial journalism is to a free society.
September 28, 2023
Richard Drew named SPJ 2023 Fellow of the Society
By Rachel Andriacchi
Richard Drew, the photographer behind the infamous photo of a man falling from the towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11, is one of five journalists to receive the highest professional honor awarded by SPJ this year, which recognizes extraordinary contributions and commitments to journalism.
September 28, 2023
SPJ takes Las Vegas: What to expect at this year’s convention
By Tania Ortiz
As journalists from all over the country convene in the heart of Las Vegas for this year’s Society of Professional Journalists convention, the proceedings might feel a little different from previous years. This year’s convention will feel more intimate, according to SPJ interim Executive Director Jennifer Royer.
September 28, 2023
Incoming SPJ President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins hopes to provide support systems and representation
By Timia Cobb
"I realized that I have to be the change that I want to see in an organization..."
September 28, 2023
Society of Professional Journalists cancels 2024 conference
By Chinanu Okoli, James Naylor, Laura De la Garza Garcia, Rachel Andriacchi, Tianrui Huang
The Society of Professional Journalists board voted Wednesday to suspend the annual 2024 journalism conference, a move that SPJ President Claire Regan confirmed was made as a cost-cutting measure. Incoming President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins said it is no secret that SPJ is struggling financially.
October 31, 2022
SPJ announces 2023 conference
By eijnews
SPJ ended the final business of the conference by looking ahead to next year’s convention which will be in Las Vegas. And that’s a wrap on #MediaFest22! Thanks to @acpress and @collegemedia for partnering with us to make this a great convention.
October 29, 2022
Change to SPJ Delegate System Fails
By Megan Woolard
The changes would have established the membership as the legislative body and members would be able to ratify any proposed changes to the bylaws.
October 29, 2022
Reporter speaks on combating journalistic repression
By Olivia Cohen
Whether it is due to restrictive reporting laws abroad, publications based in news deserts or lack of funding, press freedoms are now threatened in more ways than one. Jessica Jerreat knows this first-hand. Working as a press freedom editor for Voices of America [VOA], Jerreat shed light on the realities of censorship and attacks that can happen to reporters covering stories around the world.
October 29, 2022
How to Avoid Jerks on Twitter as a Journalist
By Brooklyn Joyner
1.1 million “abusive or problematic” tweets were sent to women in 2017. Two female journalists refer to Twitter as a “hotbed of harassment.” After years of being journalists and being interactive with their followers through their social media accounts they insinuated that using the app is a skill that took them effort and time to master.
October 29, 2022
Deserting the Printed Past: Why College Publications Need to Adapt
By Sophie Schulz
The way students on college campuses consume media is changing – leading college publications to ask the question: how can we keep the audience engaged? This panel of university-based journalists came to argue that the problem is in the print. “Things have changed, and we need to change also,” said panelist David Simpson of Georgia Southern University.
October 29, 2022
OPENING KEYNOTE PRESENTATION HAS STUDENTS INSPIRED FOR THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM
By Jasmine Franklin
"It really inspired me to see women who are Black like myself working in the media. It showed me I can do this too...”
October 29, 2022
Journalists Should Think like Lawyers (Sometimes)
By Brooklyn Joyner
“I just think that if its a public record by law then it should be that police department has to put in a request to keep things away from the public record instead of us having to request to get the information.”
October 28, 2022
Defending Democracy
By Lexi Rogers
The clear attack on democracy should have been the main focus instead of involving political parties in the initial reporting.
October 28, 2022
Localizing Climate Change Reporting
By Sophie Schulz
The public’s trust in local journalists is exactly why they need to start reporting on climate change if there’s any hope of people taking it seriously.
October 28, 2022
The Filmed Blue Line: Teaching journalists about requesting police footage
By De'Vante Martin
The power of dash and body cam footage is undeniable. Joy Ramsingh, an attorney at Ramsingh Legal, spoke at MediaFest22 as a panelist teaching journalists how these record requests differ from others. She also gave practical tools to handle the requests.

September 30th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
CUNY Professors Unleash the Power of Data at SPJ Convention

Two journalism professors at the City University of New York (CUNY) introduced the use of data through a few case studies during the one-hour interactive session “Power in Numbers: Building Compelling Data-Driven Stories.” Professor Sandeep Junnarkar, who’s also a consulting newsroom trainer at Bloomberg News, started off this session with an introduction to digital journalism.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Google News Initiative Workshop: what Google can bring to journalists

How can Google tools enhance your reporting? Amara Aguilar, a journalism professor at the University of Southern California, addressed this challenge during her two-hour training session. In this session, she delved into the specific features of Google tools, covering a range of topics from the fundamentals of Search to Trends and Maps.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Charting a Course: How Treasurer Candidates Plan to Navigate Financial Challenges

“As a working journalist, you were joining to support the first amendment to support the code of ethics, but that runs up against the money at some point.”

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Making a silent headline speak volumes

Society of Professional Journalists National President Claire Regan was well into her career before she mastered headline writing. At her “Headless Body In Topless Bar: Headline Writing 101” session, Regan revealed her best methods for writing a catchy and informative head.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Fight over slain journalist’s sources could set precedent nationwide

After seizing German’s devices, Metro and the district attorney’s office wanted to search them for evidence in the case against Telles. Both assured the Review-Journal from the beginning that the sources would never be shared, but they backtracked on that position as the case progressed.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
First Amendment advocates share secrets to successful FOIA requests

Speakers Richard Griffiths, Kirby Thomas West and Jason Leopold discuss federal and state level challenges to FOIA, providing journalists different ways to combat these challenges.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Journalists play a critical role in fighting misinformation

The “Media Trust and Democracy “Trustworthy” Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion,” drew a crowd of more than 100 journalists Thursday at the 2023 Society of Professional Journalists conference. Stephany Zamora, the executive producer of the film, which focuses on the American people’s trust in present-day media, hosted a panel with three journalists who appear in the 107-minute informational feature.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Learning to Care for an Aging Population

Yarbough started caring for her mother after she started having severe medical complications and could no longer live alone. The full-time journalist struggled with the everyday riggers of caring for her aging mother, from dealing with medical care, mobility and other errands.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Two longtime SPJ members vie to become the next President

With a new board of directors soon to take leadership, members are eager to see a change in the organization. Journalist Nicolle Praino has been deeply involved with SPJ. She’s held multiple positions within the organization including chair for the nominations committee in 2022, mentor for the SPJ Student News Team in 2022, and chair for the awards and honors committee in 2023.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Former NPR reporter discusses the impact of conflict reporting on journalists’ mental health

Whether it's covering war zones, natural disasters or mass shootings, a journalist’s mental health is impacted heavily—even if they do not realize it right away.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Society of Professional Journalists cancels 2024 conference

On Wednesday September 27, The Society of Professional Journalists board voted to suspend the annual 2024 journalism conference, a move that SPJ President Claire Regan confirmed was made as a cost-cutting measure. Incoming SPJ President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, speaks with Laura De la Garza Garcia at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino about the decision to not hold an SPJ conference in 2024.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Lisa Guerrero encourages journalists to be authentic and lead with empathy

“There are a lot of times when I've made choices that I regret now. People say you shouldn't live with regret, and I think regret is important because it informs us better about our next choices."

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
“We are having a budget crisis,” says outgoing SPJ president

Facing financial trouble due to losses in revenue, The Society of Professional Journalists works to correct the deficit and refocus goals for 2023, 2024.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
A robot wrote my article: Artificial intelligence in the newsroom and classroom

When fed bullet points of key facts, AI has the power to write a complete news story, although small details are often wrong and sentences are brimming with clichés.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Society of Professional Journalists board votes to cancel 2024 convention in Indianapolis

“If SPJ does not have a conference next year, I worry about the survival of the organization because if you fold up your tent, that is a sign to everybody else that you are in trouble."

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Journalists Learn How to Fund Their Projects through Spark

During Thursday’s “Funding Journalism Projects with Spark” session, attendees learned key strategies for funding their passion projects. Support for survivors and victims of tragedies. Mental health and suicide prevention for veterans. Fellowship programs for multimedia reporters. And more. Spark, a program under communications nonprofit, Wildfire Media, trains journalists and creatives and provides them with the tools they need to research, develop, and pitch their own fundraising campaigns.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Gio Benitez offers an inspiring start to SPJ 2023

"If they’re watching, I just want them to smile, and maybe that will turn around their day.”

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
The SPJ convention can ‘change the game’: What newcomers should know

New SPJ members and first-time convention goers gathered to learn how to get the most out of their experience with SPJ.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Finding the right expert: How to include science in any story

SPJ convention attendees learn how to find a science angle for any story and find the right expert for it.

September 29th, 2023 • 2023: Las Vegas
Panelists share tips on covering crime, courts

Covering crime and courts is one of the most important beats, yet it can be difficult to navigate. Journalists on this beat are on the frontlines of tragedies, like mass shootings, and shed light on systems failing kids or prisoners.