By Gwyneth Doland, VP-Development

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is offering 20 fellowships for an all-expenses-paid seminar on “Covering the Green Economy” (details here) June 28-30 in Phoenix. This three-day specialized reporting institute, combined with two follow-up Webinars, will arm attendees with information to help them recognize “greenwashing,” track federal stimulus dollars designed to create green jobs and answer consumers’ most frequently asked questions about leading environmentally sustainable lives.

Through the generous support of the McCormick Foundation, fellowships cover the full cost of training, lodging, materials and most meals. In addition, fellows receive a $450 stipend to help offset travel and other costs. The full schedule for the seminar, including speakers, will be available soon. Deadline to apply at BusinessJournalism.org is April 26. The selection process is highly competitive.

By Betsy Model, President

You asked, we delivered.  So many of you have asked for additional workshop and continuing education opportunities that we’re pleased to announce that June dates have been selected for David Cuillier, SPJ’s Freedom of Information Chairman, to come to the Land of Enchantment for an intensive, two-hour workshop on FOI and FOIA in not just one but two cities.

On Wednesday, June 9, Dave will be conducting a workshop in Albuquerque and on Thursday, June 10, he’ll head south to do the same in Las Cruces for our colleagues in the southernmost part of the state and  El Paso.  As many of you know (and is posted on this website) Dave is the co-author of a new book on FOI and we couldn’t be more pleased that he’s bringing his vast knowledge on the subject directly to us.

We’ll post more information as the logistics of time and actual location space is worked out but if you just can’t wait to see Dave in live action  well, sort of – catch this video of him, on behalf of SPJ, responding to reporters wanting to know journalists’ reaction to three states proposing a ban on the release of 911 calls.  Catch it here on  CNN video. You can also read Cuillier’s reaction to the question of whether 911 calls should be public on the FOI blog here on SPJ’s main website.  We’re working on a couple of other workshop possibilities for April and May so stay tuned.

We have two new job listing on our Jobs & Gigs page today. They are for a Director of Content and a Newscast Director, both at KTSM-TV in El Paso, TX. To read about these openings and others, go here. KTSM is an NBC affiliate covering the El Paso, Juarez, Mexico, and Las Cruces, NM markets.

16TH ANNUAL CASEY MEDALS FOR
MERITORIOUS JOURNALISM

Cover Children and Families?  The deadline for entering the 2010 Casey Medals competition has been extended one week. Entries must be received by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 12, 2010.

First-place winners receive $1,000 and will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Casey Medal winners are automatically considered for two additional $5,000 awards presented by JCCF’s partner, the America’s Promise Alliance.  To enter, go here.

By Betsy Model, President

Save the Date!  The 2010 Region 9 All-Star Conference is April 9 & 10

The annual SPJ Region 9 – New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah – conference is coming up soon and it’s the perfect opportunity to meet with hundreds of your peers from around the region to tell tales, swap stories, giggle at gossip and, uh, learn stuff.

Workshops ranging in subject from investigative reporting techniques and specialized beat reporting to trips and tricks both in front of and behind the camera are available as are subjects like embedding with troops, newsroom morale and a crash course on social media.  There’s an opportunity to have your resume critiqued by a panel of editors (gulp!) who’ll also share interviewing technique tips and in addition to the annual Mark of Excellence Awards, there will also be presentations by a wonderful line-up of  Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and this year’s 16th Annual Damon Runyon Award honoree is the famous political satirist P.J. O’Rourke.

The conference is open to all journalists from the four- state region (non-members can attend and they’ll get a one-year membership with their 2-day registration fee) and existing members – both Pro Chapter and Student Chapter – get some seriously deep registration discounts.  More news coming soon including hotel discounts at venues adjacent to the historic Denver Press Club, this year’s venue.  Additional info can be found online at our
host’s chapter site, here.

By Betsy Model, President

New Book By SPJ Advisor, FOIA  Expert David Cuillier
“The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records”

Even as the SPJ New Mexico chapter works on getting SPJ’s national FOI Committee Chair, David Cuillier,  out to New Mexico for a program workshop -tentative date June 9! – we also wanted to let all of you know that Dave’s new book – co-authored with SPJ’s other top FOIA expert, Charles Davis – is out and available for those of you who just can’t wait for the workshop or prefer an in-your-hand, 236-page desk reference.

Titled “The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records” and a CQ Press imprint, the book features not only the necessary step-by-step details on how to work your way through the maze of acquiring records and information from government offices but also features interviews and pertinent sound bites from such major names as Bob Woodward, Helen Thomas, Steve Doig, Pete Weitzel and Brant Houston.

The book is available through Amazon (here) and other online retailers and more information can be found at Cuillier’s blog, www.theartofaccess.com or at http://www.spj.org/foi.asp.

There’s good news to report. The chapter board is filled out at last, with key positions filled and ready to move ahead to make NM SPJ an important force in New Mexico journalism.

First, Gwenyth Doland, who had originally volunteered to serve as program chair, has agreed to step into the challenging position of Vice President-Development. In that role she will oversee membership growth, fund raising, job postings, and reach-out to other organizations. Gwenyth is the editor of the New Mexico Independent.

Next, board member Dennis Roberts has agreed to take over the Programs chair, with the support of other chapter officers. Dennis is a long-time member who served as president of the former New Mexico chapter, so he knows his way around the state’s journalism community.

Thanks to both of you.

By Betsy Model, president

Early birds know to tweet and the SPJ New Mexico chapter does too!  Want faster notice of the latest job postings, fellowship offers, contest opportunities and news critical to journalists in New Mexico?  Follow us on Twitter at @nmspj .  News and updates will continue to be posted here on the chapter’s website as well as weekly email blasts, but for instant news that can impact your career, look for Tweets that can change your paycheck.

Thanks for Gwenyth Doland for setting up this Twitter account for us. Gwyneth says that Tweeting will link our chapter with many journalists who are potential members, so it could be an important tool in the chapter’s progress to becoming a leading light in New Mexico journalism.

By David L. Brown, VP-communications

The board of the New Mexico Chapter met Thursday evening, February 25 via conference call. The board has set out on an aggressive path aimed at making our chapter a prime force in New Mexico journalism. A number of ideas were discussed, including strategies to expand membership, create worthwhile programs, raise funds, and generally increase communications between members and the journalism community.

The following members participated in the board meeting: Betsy Model,  David L. Brown, Gwyneth Doland, Staci Matlock, Dennis Roberts, Christina Durano, Dan Vukelich, Bill Diven, and Pilar Armstrong. Region 9 Director John Ensslin attended as a guest.

Betsy Model, president, announced that with the agreement of SPJ National, the West Texas media market is now considered part of our chapter’s territory. We announced here last week that veteran El Paso journalist Tim Roberts has joined our chapter, and we hope to attract many more members from the West Texas area. El Paso journalists are located a daunting 750 miles from their nearest Texas SPJ chapter in Houston.

Dan Vukelich reported on conversations he had with about 20 journalists in the state, both members and non-members, to explore how SPJ NM can best serve the needs of the profession. He said those he spoke with are interested in networking opportunities, a “bridge to the real world” as he put it. They also want continuing education programs, even simple “brown bag” lunch meetings to learn about tools, tips and trends. It was suggested that meetings could be recorded as videos and linked on our website to allow others to share the experience.

Dan is developing a survey based on his research. He said he wants SPJ NM “to be a hub, not a spoke in the wheel of New Mexico journalism.” This is a good metaphor for the goals the board is setting for our chapter.

The board also discussed the idea of developing a “co-op” advertising model, where ads could be traded between our chapter website and those of media and other organizations. This would benefit both parties and build awareness of SPJ NM. Gwyneth Doland, editor of the New Mexico Independent, offered her organization to become the first participant.

Gwyneth has also taken the lead to establish a Twitter account for our chapter. We can soon be Tweeting each other, an especially timely and valuable form of communication, especially for “Jobs & Gigs” opportunities. See details in the next post.

Bill Diven raised the point that there are a number of photojournalists in the state, and that many reporters are required to produce stills and even video when covering stories. He suggested that programs relating to these visual skills might be a good way to extend our reach into this area while helping non-photographer members cope with these new demands.

John Ensslin gave a brief Region 9 report, including a plug for the Regional Conference to be held in Denver April 9-10. More details on this will be coming soon, so watch this site and make plans to attend if you can.

John also announced that he is running for a seat on the SPJ national board as secretary-treasurer. Good on you, John! Voting will take place during the national convention in Las Vegas, NV later this year.

Our secretary, Christina Durano, has posted the minutes of the last board meeting here. The board will meet again telephonically on Thursday, February 25.