Aggressively covering local news, both on the scene in in-studio. If that fits your profile, click over to our Jobs & Gigs page here to learn about the latest job opportunity at KOAT-TV.

By Gwyneth Doland, VP-Development

KOB.com is seeking a senior online news producer to join the No. 1 online news source in New Mexico. For details, click here to visit our Jobs & Gigs page.

By Betsy Model, President

Dear SPJ Rio Grande Chapter Members:

Let’s face it; for most of us, our days and our jobs revolve around some form of investigation whether it be sources, facts, figures or leads for the next great story…

Michael Corwin, PI

Albuquerque-based private investigator Michael Corwin has investigated everything from campaign funding and murder cases to key figure background checks and negligence suits.  He routinely works with journalists and editors – often partnering with a news professional or team on in-depth stories – and his cases are routinely covered on the 5 o’clock news, the front page or on national news magazine shows like “Dateline.”   Michael is the author of multiple titles related to investigation – including academic titles related to law and investigation and the consumer title “The Everyday Detective Information System: How Using PI Techniques Can Save a Fortune, Protect Your Family and Empower You” – and is a regular lecturer at the University of New Mexico Law School, California’s Loyola Law School and continuing education workshops for Bar Association members, paralegals and journalists.

On Friday, August 27th, Michael Corwin will be teaching a 90-minute workshop on “Efficient Investigation” in Albuquerque that is specifically tailored to the needs of journalists.  The workshop will begin at 11:30 and include a traditional workshop format for the first hour followed by a thirty-minute Q&A session that will allow him to address specific needs, questions and commonly-held myths about investigation that may be slowing you down.   Michael will cover the essentials behind fact-based investigation techniques including how to organize and structure an investigation from first step to last, how to find and best utilize “walking/talking” sources, how to better utilize the Internet (including a collection of favorite websites that contain more information than most people realize…) and how social media has changed the face of investigation, both in data availability and in locating sources and source information.

A critical workshop for anyone whose job involves identifying, collecting, vetting and ultimately utilizing data – whether quotes, statistics, financial documents or paper trails – this event will allow both group and one-on-one opportunities to ask a professional investigator for inside tips that can lead to award-winning work.

On Thursday, October 14, Michael will teach the identical course in El Paso.

What:             A Luncheon Workshop on “Efficient Investigation” with Investigator Michael Corwin

Who:              All SPJ Rio Grande Chapter Members and a Special Invite to Non-Member Journalists from New Mexico and West Texas

When:            Friday, August 27, Albuquerque.   Thursday, October 14, El Paso.

Where:           Albuquerque =  Training room at The Zephyr Group, 6565 Americas Parkway NE, Suite 200, Albuquerque, NM  87110.  Free parking in parking structure, one block off of I-40 and Louisiana.
El Paso = Location TBD

Cost:               Students, $15;  SPJ Pro Members, $15; Non-Members, $20.  Lunch – pizza and drinks – in included in the workshop registration fee!    Registrations fees are, as continuing education, tax deductible and attendees will receive a receipt.

A “pretty” invitation will go out this weekend to non-member journalists but our members get priority reservations.  Since space will be modestly limited at each location, please check your calendar and RSVP to Betsy Model at 505-466-2770 or at bmodel@betsymodel.com

Looking  forward to seeing you all in Albuquerque or El Paso!

By Betsy Model, President

Note:  August 15 Deadline!

Mid-career radio, television and online journalists from around the world can apply for a broadcast course on sports and society. The course will be held over a 12-week period in Hilversum, Netherlands from January 31 to April 22, 2011. NOTE!  Deadline: August 15.

The course aim is to strengthen the capacity of broadcast journalists to research and report for broadcast and new media on sports and their place in society. It will be hands-on, focusing on the theory and practice of covering the genre for radio, TV and the web.

Applicants from 61 countries can apply for a Netherlands Fellowship, whereby travel, accommodation and the course fee are paid for by the Dutch government. The course is being offered by the Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC).

For more information visit this website.

By Betsy Model, President

Journalists, students and researchers from around the world are invited to take part in a training on the trafficking of women and children in Ghana.

The research program, from September 20 to October 5, will include field trips, interviews with law enforcement agencies and judicial representatives and more.  Participants will also attend a workshop with key stakeholders.

Registration costs US$550, which include travel during the program. Participants are responsible for the cost of transportation to and from Ghana.

For full details, click here.

By Betsy Model, President

Many of you know that SPJ has often used its national convention to speak out on key journalistic issues by way of its resolutions. These issues are not only critical for healthy debate but because SPJ’s decisions and statements about them can ultimately impact us all; support or condemnation by the Society often makes local, national and international news.  For many years the debate over presented resolution was one of the most entertaining and sometimes contentious portions of the annual SPJ convention as delegates often debated the merits of resolutions for entire business sessions.  That has changed a bit over the last few years and SPJ National and its board of directors is asking us – us as in our Rio Grande chapter – for thoughts, suggestions and actual resolutions to present at the national convention in October on behalf of your fellow SPJ “peeps” and ALL journalists in the country.

The Resolutions Committee is therefore asking us to consider those issues we see as most critical to our careers, our voices and to the public at large as it relates to journalism and to recommend and draft resolutions prior to the convention.  These resolutions will then be forwarded to the committee the day before the convention so they can immediately begin deliberations.

As some general thoughts – and for those of you wondering what kinds of topics or issues are considered worthy of debate and could be drafted into a resolution – think about things like checkbook journalism, The Shield Law, expansion of SPJ internationally, the Terry Harper Memorial Fund, Dave Cullier’s Access Across America, membership growth, diversity and similar.  Please send your thoughts, ideas and rabble-rousing, resolution-worthy words to either myself at bmodel@betsymodel.com or to our Communications VP David Brown at david@nmspj.org within the next few weeks…

Two news producer openings have been announced at KOAT-TV. Click here to visit our Jobs & Gigs page for details.

Two more openings at KOAT-TV, for two experienced news photographers/editors. Details have been posted on our Jobs & Gigs page here.

KOAT-TV is seeking an experienced news videotape editor. To learn more, click over to our Jobs & Gigs page here.

A week or so ago we offered up a stellar link to some quirky web search tips put together by our friends at IJNet and their in-house sleuth, Julie Bailey.  If you didn’t catch it, scroll down to the IJNet story a few posts down where they’re waiting for you, or simply click here to go to the original article on IJNet.

Julie and crew are offering up yet more tips here and, in a bonus package, make sure to follow the links inside the article for yet another bonus round.  Many of these will be familiar to those of you who use the web for investigative purposes on a daily basis; some of the other tips, not so much. If you walk away with even one or two new  ways to find data and save time, you’re ahead of the game.