This document is the February 2008 newsletter of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. It provides information about upcoming events for journalists, including an open government workshop on accessing public records and meetings. It also recognizes Jack McElroy and Rick Hollow for their role in a lawsuit that upheld the state's Open Meetings Act, and notes that the chapter has contributed to a journalism scholarship in memory of Ron McMahan.
This document is the February 2008 newsletter of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. It provides information about upcoming events for journalists, including an open government workshop on accessing public records and meetings. It also recognizes Jack McElroy and Rick Hollow for their role in a lawsuit that upheld the state's Open Meetings Act, and notes that the chapter has contributed to a journalism scholarship in memory of Ron McMahan.
This document is the February 2008 newsletter of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. It provides information about upcoming events for journalists, including an open government workshop on accessing public records and meetings. It also recognizes Jack McElroy and Rick Hollow for their role in a lawsuit that upheld the state's Open Meetings Act, and notes that the chapter has contributed to a journalism scholarship in memory of Ron McMahan.
This document is the February 2008 newsletter of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. It provides information about upcoming events for journalists, including an open government workshop on accessing public records and meetings. It also recognizes Jack McElroy and Rick Hollow for their role in a lawsuit that upheld the state's Open Meetings Act, and notes that the chapter has contributed to a journalism scholarship in memory of Ron McMahan.
A pubIication of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of ProfessionaI JournaIists www.etspj.org 1802 Pinoak Ct. KnoxviIIe, TN 37923 The ETSPJ guy BY JOHN HUOTARI ETSPJ president HUOTARI SEE THE ETSPJ GUY, PAGE 2 MARK YOUR CALENDAR March - ETSPJ High School Essay Con- test judging under way (deadline is past) March 2 - ETSPJ board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Mandarin House West, Knoxville March 6 - Open meetings program, 7 p.m., Shiloh Room, UT Student Center, Knoxville March 25 - Alfred and Julia Hill Lecture, 8 p.m., UT. Alan Boyle, MSNBC science correspondent, "Science Reporting in a Tabloid Culture March 28-30 - Regions 12 & 8 spring conference, New Orleans, La. May 9 - Golden Press Card banquet, The Foundry, Knoxville June 4-6 - Ted Scripps Leadership nsti- tute, ndianapolis JuIy 19 - Front Page Follies, Knoxville Convention Center Sept. 4-7 - SPJ National Convention & Journalism Conference, Atlanta 4 - Spot News SEE JOURNALISTS, PAGE 2 Keeping the 'watchdog' aIive ETSPJ sets FOI workshop The East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has scheduled an open government workshop. Journalists and other interested people who want to attend public meetings and/or look at public records are invited. It will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Shiloh Room of the University Center (UC) in Knoxville. ETSPJ John Huotari is handling arrangements. Co-sponsor is the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, Knoxville. The workshop will teach people what records and meetings are open to the public under Tennessee law and what to do if one is denied access. Panelists will be Don Dare, WATE-TV, Knoxville; Frank Gibson, executive direc- tor of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, Nashville; David Keim, assistant managing editor, News Sentinel, Knoxville; and state Sen. Randy McNally, chairman of the legislature`s open govern- ment committee, Oak Ridge. Jamie Foster, news director, WATE-TV, will serve as moderator. Handouts on pertinent topics will be provided. Parking is available at the UC garage (for a fee) and free at a surface lot (S9) just south of the UC. To get to the UC from Cumberland Ave., turn south onto Philip Fulmer Way a block east of 16th St. The UC is on the corner, and the garage is just beyond the UC. A little farther south is parking lot S-9 at the corner of Andy Holt Ave. and Philip Fulmer Way. This is gen- erally available in the evenings at no cost unless there`s a sporting event or concert. One can see the campus building locator at www.utk.edu/maps/buildings/. Local dues will be waived for non-mem- bers attending this seminar and completing membership applications and submitting national dues. Journalists to honor McElroy and Hollow The East Tennessee Chapter of the So- ciety of Professional Journalists (ET- SPJ) will honor Knoxville News Senti- nel Editor Jack McElroy and Knoxville Attorney Richard L. (Rick) Hollow for defending the state`s Open Meetings Act in a case that continues to reverberate in Knox County government. McElroy and Hollow will be recognized for their contributions to open govern- ment during the 2008 Front Page Follies show the evening of Saturday, July 19, at the Knoxville Convention Center. In October, a jury agreed with a lawsuit brought by McElroy that Knox County commissioners violated the law during closed-door sessions in January 2007. (/,,/7 -C%,2/9 Georgiana Vines of ETSPJ was one of 12 fellows attending a Business Journalism Professors Seminar in January at the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University, in Tempe. The three and one-half-day day program featured Chris Roush of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; James Gen- try, professor and former dean at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas; Josh Mills, professor of business journal- ism at Baruch College/CUNY in New York City; and Jodi Schneider, economics and fnancial editor of the Congressional Quarterly. Vines, retired associate editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel, teaches public affairs reporting at the University of Ten- nessee. UT is considering adding a business journalism course as an elective in the fall of 2008. Vines attends business seminar The Society of Professional Journalists wants to increase high school students` knowledge and understanding of the impor- tance of the free news media to our lives. So, for the frst time this year, ETSPJ is conducting a contest in some area schools. Larry Van Guilder, editor of the Halls Shop- per-News, is serving as chairman. Make plans to attend the Regions 12 and 8 SPJ Spring Conference March 28 and 29 on the Loyola University campus. Meet colleagues from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mis- sissippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas for professional development and fun. Spring Conferences are professional devel- opment meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today`s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of best practices in newsrooms. Regions 12 and 8 Spring Conference Check for details on www.spj.org. Sonny Albarado, projects editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is Region 12 director. Earlier he was business editor of The Commercial Appeal, Memphis. ETSPJ has arranged a program that will focus on the Jack McElroy (New Sentinel) vs. Knox County Commission lawsuit. Any SPJ member can attend. To read more about it, go to the ETSPJ Web site, http://etspj.org/nationalregional-spj/. Contest under way ETSPJ has contributed $100 to a UT journalism scholarship bearing the name of Ron McMahan, who died Feb. 19 in Naples, Fla. He was a Front Page Follies honoree a number of years ago. The Knoxville native delivered The Knox- ville Journal as a boy, became a reporter while a student at UT and fulflled his dream when he became Journal editor and owner. He sold the paper in 1988. ETSPJ gives to McMahan scholarship In January, I wrote a series for The Oak Ridger on the compensations earned by leaders of local nonproft organizations. I was surprised at how many people told me they enjoyed the series; I probably got more feedback from that one series than I had from my previous two years worth of stories combined. While the series itself might not have been groundbreaking, I did learn a lesson from talking to readers about it. The lesson is: People have a hunger for investigative reporting. They have ideas about issues they think journalists ought to look into. They want us to hold governments and other groups accountable. And they want reporters to dig deeper to fnd new infor- mation, going beyond press conferences, meetings and speeches. Those of you who live in Knox County already know this. Last year, residents in your county overwhelmingly supported the media`s efforts to expose government wrongdoing. Unfortunately, though, some people think this kind of reporting will be harder to do as industry layoffs and hiring freezes continue, and staff sizes shrink. Less reporting could mean that citizens would know less about their governments, busi- nesses and other organizations. That could Johh HuoIari, presidehI Jeah Ash, IrsI vice presidehI/FrohI Page Follies, commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor Mia Phodarmer, secohd vice presidehI/Goldeh Press Card Awards Elehora E. Edwards, secreIary ahd SpoI News ediIor DoroIhy Bowles, Ireasurer Johh Becker, membership chairmah Amahda Greever, program chairmah Ed Hooper, immediaIe pasI presidehI ahd program assisIahI Kara CovihgIoh ChrisIihe Jessel J.J. SIambaugh Georgiaha Vihes, program assisIahI Adiha Chumley, e-oIIcio ETSPJ Ofhcers and Board of Directors ETSPJ pubIishes Spot News ih paper ahd PDF ver si ohs. To subscribe, ohe should cohIacI Jeah Ash, commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor, aI i eahash@comcasI . heI . The PDF versioh is available aI www. discoverET.org/eIspi, Ihe chapIer Web siIe. Letters to the Editor PoIicy:The board ehcourages leIIers Io Ihe ediIor oI SpoI News. Like leIIers policies aI mosI hewspapers, we ask IhaI leIIers be limiIed Io 200 words or less. They will be subiecI Io ediIihg Ior space ahd cohIehI. Sehd e-mail Io ETSP. commuhicaIiohs@gmail.com. 6SRW1HZV 2007-0S editor Elenora E. Edwards eIeedwards@aoI.com (865) 457-5459 The ETSPJ Guy FROM PAGE ONE If any member wants to contribute an item to the March issue of Spot News or wants to provide a tip on something we should cover. please contact me at eleedwards@aol.com or (865) 457-5459. The deadline is March 12. The ETSPJ chapter welcomes the fol- lowing folks who have recently joined or renewed: Amanda Womack Sara Shoemaker Jean Andrews John Becker, WBIR-TV anchor, is mem- bership chairman. If interested in joining or rejoining ETSPJ, one can contact him at jbecker@wbir.com. Welcome, members 2 - Spot News Spot News - 3 JournaIists ROM PAGE ONE out the commission appointees. 'Jack McElroy and Rick Hollow know that government offcials must not be al- lowed to egregiously violate state law by discussing public business in secret, said ETSPJ President John Huotari, The Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge. 'We also sa- lute the nine citizen plaintiffs who par- ticipated in the lawsuit as well as their attorney, Herb Moncier. The public overwhelmingly supported them and the News Sentinel in the lawsuit. McElroy, a member of ETSPJ, has been editor of the Knoxville News Sen- tinel since November 2001. 'I am very fattered to have been chosen for this honor, says McElroy. 'SPJ has long been synonymous with high journal- istic standards, and the East Tennessee chapter has always held that banner high. The Front Page Follies is one of the premier events of the year, it`s for a wonderful cause, and I truly appreciate being picked as a co-honoree. Prior to Knoxville, McElroy was managing editor of The Rocky Moun- tain News in Denver, Colo. when it was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in photography for its coverage of the Columbine High School shootings. Hollow is a Knoxville attorney who specializes in constitutional law. A 1964 graduate of the College of Law, Hollow is listed in 'The Best Lawyers of America, the '150 Best Lawyers in Tennessee and the 'Mid South Super Lawyers. 'Rick Hollow has graciously supported reporters like me who have questions about Tennessee`s open meetings and open records laws, said Huotari. 'He is an accomplished advocate for the pub- lic`s right to know about the workings of its government. Every year during the Front Page Fol- lies show, the ETSPJ honors those who have contributed to journalism in East Tennessee. The fund-raising event sup- plies scholarships for journalism stu- dents at the University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Technical Community College. For tickets to the Follies, one should contact jhorner@utk.edu. Tickets are $100, or one can reserve a table of 10 for $1,000. ETSPJ is a chapter of the national So- ciety of Professional Journalists. With nearly 10,000 members, SPJ is the na- tion`s most broad-based journalism pro- fessional organization, dedicated to en- couraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. SPJ`s mission is the perpetua- tion of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and liberty. BY JOHN BECKER Membership chairman, ETSPJ Why join SPJ? It is a question we hear repeated again and again at the member- ship desk. At around 65 members, our chapter maintains a strong core, but we have lots of room to increase our num- bers. This region is ripe for growth with close to 300 working journalists eligible to join. If you are receiving this newslet- ter you are likely an SPJ member and we thank you for your commitment to spend a mere $7 a month helping preserve and protect the freedoms we lean on everyday as journalists. Why join? No doubt if you are a SPJ 'gives voice to voiceless' member you have heard that question from colleagues or maybe bosses. Please take a minute to share this issue of Spot News with someone in your newsroom who isn`t a member and nudge him or her to give us a look. Why join? You`ll fnd that question right now on the SPJ Web site, www.spj.org, along with a long list of reasons. Here are a just a couple. 'We give voice to the voiceless. SPJ gives voice to us. Kristen McQueary, Chicago 'I originally joined SPJ because I thought it would be a great way to network with other professionals in the feld, as well SPJ and 42 open government organiza- tions signed onto a Feb. 6 letter to U.S. House of Representatives leaders that ex- presses concern over the Administration`s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget attempts to shift funding for a new Offce of Govern- ment Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration to the Offce of Information and Privacy at the Department of Justice. In December, President George W. Bush signed the Open Government Act, which creates the Offce of Government Services at the National Archives and Records Administration. According to www.openthegovernment. org, despite clear language in the Open- Government Act to establish the OGIS within the NARA, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reported that the Bush Admin- istration is planning to shift the funding for the OGIS from NARA to the DOJ, the same organization that failed to improve FOIA in the past. The fnal budget has not been released. 'The intent and language of this impor- tant legislation needs to be honored by the administration, SPJ National President Clint Brewer of The City Paper, Nash- ville, said. 'This was a bipartisan bill that passed both chambers, and the directive to the administration is clear. The last place a new offce designed to force ac- countability on FOIA issues needs to be is in one of the very agencies subject to FOI requests. It would be a clear confict of interest to put the new Offce of Gov- journalists and public citizens to regis- ter their concerns by writing or calling members of Congress. For the House of Representatives and Senate listings, visit House.gov and Senate.gov. Additionally, personal meetings with lawmakers in their home states should be scheduled. SPJ opposes Bush FOIA shift ernment Information Services under the Department of Justice. FOIA, as it is commonly called, is one of the strongest tools Americans have to su- pervise the inner workings of government and hold elected offcials accountable. The FOIA law does not alter disclosure require- ments or any of its exemptions. However, the law does improve the process by which the federal government can carry out FOIA`s disclosure requirements. The new law creates an independent ombudsman to resolve citizen disputes, helps agencies strengthen FOIA, creates a system for the public to easily track the status of requests and allows requesters to more effectively recover legal costs incurred when agencies improperly deny requests. 'It`s appalling that the president is backpedaling from his own signature and undermining the ability for citizens to ac- cess their own government, said David Cuillier, chairman of the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee. 'We aren`t talking about exposing state secrets or someone`s privacy. Just a simple mediator to work out disputes fairly and equitably on behalf of citizens. The president is keeping the American public in the dark, and that`s just wrong. The 2009 FY budget has been sent to Congress. A budget resolution will be presented by Congress later this spring. To prevent the Bush Administration from shifting critical FOIA funds from NARA to the DOJ, SPJ leaders are encouraging as continue to gain professional training. What I found was that and more. I`ve been opened up to a work of advocacy, leader- ship and wonderful, welcoming people. Before SPJ I didn`t know much about shield laws and other First Amendment issues. SPJ has given me the opportunity to not only learn about it, but also be an active participant in making this industry better for those who work in it. Michelle Maskaly, New Jersey 'I don`t consider SPJ membership a choice; I consider it an obligation. John Huotari, East Tennessee One can contact Becker at jbecker@wbir. com. have a profound impact on our democracy and way of life. But I`m not ready to give up just yet. I am hopeful that determined reporters will continue to do some in-depth report- ing, even when they are under pressure to produce daily stories. I know it`s not easy, but I think well-trained reporters can do it. That`s why I`ve proposed a training session for 'watchdog reporters at the SPJ National Convention in Atlanta later this year. A session like this was one of the highlights for me at the 2007 convention in Washington, D.C. Of course, there are other ways to keep alive this type of reporting. I am encour- aged by some of the nonproft media groups that have sprung up across the country and are emphasizing the importance of investi- gative journalism, from voicesofsandiego. org to Pro Publica. Please let me know if you have ideas or inspirational stories about how to improve watchdog journalism. I serve on SPJ`s national Project Watchdog Committee and can share your ideas or stories with other journalists across the country. Our readers and viewers are counting on us. John Huotari is the city hall reporter at The Oak Ridger. He can be reached by phone at (865) 220-5533 or by e-mail at john.huotari@oakridger.com. Johh HuoIari, presidehI Jeah Ash, IrsI vice presidehI/FrohI Page Follies, commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor Mia Phodarmer, secohd vice presidehI/Goldeh Press Card Awards Elehora E. Edwards, secreIary ahd SpoI News ediIor DoroIhy Bowles, Ireasurer Johh Becker, membership chairmah Amahda Greever, program chairmah Ed Hooper, immediaIe pasI presidehI ahd program assisIahI Kara CovihgIoh ChrisIihe Jessel J.J. SIambaugh Georgiaha Vihes, program assisIahI Adiha Chumley, e-oIIcio ETSPJ Ofhcers and Board of Directors ETSPJ pubIishes Spot News ih paper ahd PDF ver si ohs. To subscribe, ohe should cohIacI Jeah Ash, commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor, aI i eahash@comcasI . heI . The PDF versioh is available aI www. discoverET.org/eIspi, Ihe chapIer Web siIe. Letters to the Editor PoIicy:The board ehcourages leIIers Io Ihe ediIor oI SpoI News. Like leIIers policies aI mosI hewspapers, we ask IhaI leIIers be limiIed Io 200 words or less. They will be subiecI Io ediIihg Ior space ahd cohIehI. Sehd e-mail Io ETSP. commuhicaIiohs@gmail.com. 6SRW1HZV 2007-0S editor Elenora E. Edwards eIeedwards@aoI.com (865) 457-5459 The ETSPJ Guy FROM PAGE ONE If any member wants to contribute an item to the March issue of Spot News or wants to provide a tip on something we should cover. please contact me at eleedwards@aol.com or (865) 457-5459. The deadline is March 12. The ETSPJ chapter welcomes the fol- lowing folks who have recently joined or renewed: Amanda Womack Sara Shoemaker Jean Andrews John Becker, WBIR-TV anchor, is mem- bership chairman. If interested in joining or rejoining ETSPJ, one can contact him at jbecker@wbir.com. Welcome, members 2 - Spot News Spot News - 3 JournaIists ROM PAGE ONE out the commission appointees. 'Jack McElroy and Rick Hollow know that government offcials must not be al- lowed to egregiously violate state law by discussing public business in secret, said ETSPJ President John Huotari, The Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge. 'We also sa- lute the nine citizen plaintiffs who par- ticipated in the lawsuit as well as their attorney, Herb Moncier. The public overwhelmingly supported them and the News Sentinel in the lawsuit. McElroy, a member of ETSPJ, has been editor of the Knoxville News Sen- tinel since November 2001. 'I am very fattered to have been chosen for this honor, says McElroy. 'SPJ has long been synonymous with high journal- istic standards, and the East Tennessee chapter has always held that banner high. The Front Page Follies is one of the premier events of the year, it`s for a wonderful cause, and I truly appreciate being picked as a co-honoree. Prior to Knoxville, McElroy was managing editor of The Rocky Moun- tain News in Denver, Colo. when it was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in photography for its coverage of the Columbine High School shootings. Hollow is a Knoxville attorney who specializes in constitutional law. A 1964 graduate of the College of Law, Hollow is listed in 'The Best Lawyers of America, the '150 Best Lawyers in Tennessee and the 'Mid South Super Lawyers. 'Rick Hollow has graciously supported reporters like me who have questions about Tennessee`s open meetings and open records laws, said Huotari. 'He is an accomplished advocate for the pub- lic`s right to know about the workings of its government. Every year during the Front Page Fol- lies show, the ETSPJ honors those who have contributed to journalism in East Tennessee. The fund-raising event sup- plies scholarships for journalism stu- dents at the University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Technical Community College. For tickets to the Follies, one should contact jhorner@utk.edu. Tickets are $100, or one can reserve a table of 10 for $1,000. ETSPJ is a chapter of the national So- ciety of Professional Journalists. With nearly 10,000 members, SPJ is the na- tion`s most broad-based journalism pro- fessional organization, dedicated to en- couraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. SPJ`s mission is the perpetua- tion of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and liberty. BY JOHN BECKER Membership chairman, ETSPJ Why join SPJ? It is a question we hear repeated again and again at the member- ship desk. At around 65 members, our chapter maintains a strong core, but we have lots of room to increase our num- bers. This region is ripe for growth with close to 300 working journalists eligible to join. If you are receiving this newslet- ter you are likely an SPJ member and we thank you for your commitment to spend a mere $7 a month helping preserve and protect the freedoms we lean on everyday as journalists. Why join? No doubt if you are a SPJ 'gives voice to voiceless' member you have heard that question from colleagues or maybe bosses. Please take a minute to share this issue of Spot News with someone in your newsroom who isn`t a member and nudge him or her to give us a look. Why join? You`ll fnd that question right now on the SPJ Web site, www.spj.org, along with a long list of reasons. Here are a just a couple. 'We give voice to the voiceless. SPJ gives voice to us. Kristen McQueary, Chicago 'I originally joined SPJ because I thought it would be a great way to network with other professionals in the feld, as well SPJ and 42 open government organiza- tions signed onto a Feb. 6 letter to U.S. House of Representatives leaders that ex- presses concern over the Administration`s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget attempts to shift funding for a new Offce of Govern- ment Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration to the Offce of Information and Privacy at the Department of Justice. In December, President George W. Bush signed the Open Government Act, which creates the Offce of Government Services at the National Archives and Records Administration. According to www.openthegovernment. org, despite clear language in the Open- Government Act to establish the OGIS within the NARA, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reported that the Bush Admin- istration is planning to shift the funding for the OGIS from NARA to the DOJ, the same organization that failed to improve FOIA in the past. The fnal budget has not been released. 'The intent and language of this impor- tant legislation needs to be honored by the administration, SPJ National President Clint Brewer of The City Paper, Nash- ville, said. 'This was a bipartisan bill that passed both chambers, and the directive to the administration is clear. The last place a new offce designed to force ac- countability on FOIA issues needs to be is in one of the very agencies subject to FOI requests. It would be a clear confict of interest to put the new Offce of Gov- journalists and public citizens to regis- ter their concerns by writing or calling members of Congress. For the House of Representatives and Senate listings, visit House.gov and Senate.gov. Additionally, personal meetings with lawmakers in their home states should be scheduled. SPJ opposes Bush FOIA shift ernment Information Services under the Department of Justice. FOIA, as it is commonly called, is one of the strongest tools Americans have to su- pervise the inner workings of government and hold elected offcials accountable. The FOIA law does not alter disclosure require- ments or any of its exemptions. However, the law does improve the process by which the federal government can carry out FOIA`s disclosure requirements. The new law creates an independent ombudsman to resolve citizen disputes, helps agencies strengthen FOIA, creates a system for the public to easily track the status of requests and allows requesters to more effectively recover legal costs incurred when agencies improperly deny requests. 'It`s appalling that the president is backpedaling from his own signature and undermining the ability for citizens to ac- cess their own government, said David Cuillier, chairman of the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee. 'We aren`t talking about exposing state secrets or someone`s privacy. Just a simple mediator to work out disputes fairly and equitably on behalf of citizens. The president is keeping the American public in the dark, and that`s just wrong. The 2009 FY budget has been sent to Congress. A budget resolution will be presented by Congress later this spring. To prevent the Bush Administration from shifting critical FOIA funds from NARA to the DOJ, SPJ leaders are encouraging as continue to gain professional training. What I found was that and more. I`ve been opened up to a work of advocacy, leader- ship and wonderful, welcoming people. Before SPJ I didn`t know much about shield laws and other First Amendment issues. SPJ has given me the opportunity to not only learn about it, but also be an active participant in making this industry better for those who work in it. Michelle Maskaly, New Jersey 'I don`t consider SPJ membership a choice; I consider it an obligation. John Huotari, East Tennessee One can contact Becker at jbecker@wbir. com. have a profound impact on our democracy and way of life. But I`m not ready to give up just yet. I am hopeful that determined reporters will continue to do some in-depth report- ing, even when they are under pressure to produce daily stories. I know it`s not easy, but I think well-trained reporters can do it. That`s why I`ve proposed a training session for 'watchdog reporters at the SPJ National Convention in Atlanta later this year. A session like this was one of the highlights for me at the 2007 convention in Washington, D.C. Of course, there are other ways to keep alive this type of reporting. I am encour- aged by some of the nonproft media groups that have sprung up across the country and are emphasizing the importance of investi- gative journalism, from voicesofsandiego. org to Pro Publica. Please let me know if you have ideas or inspirational stories about how to improve watchdog journalism. I serve on SPJ`s national Project Watchdog Committee and can share your ideas or stories with other journalists across the country. Our readers and viewers are counting on us. John Huotari is the city hall reporter at The Oak Ridger. He can be reached by phone at (865) 220-5533 or by e-mail at john.huotari@oakridger.com. 6SRW1HZV VoI. 14, No. 1 FEBRUARY 2008 A pubIication of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of ProfessionaI JournaIists www.etspj.org 1802 Pinoak Ct. KnoxviIIe, TN 37923 The ETSPJ guy BY JOHN HUOTARI ETSPJ president HUOTARI SEE THE ETSPJ GUY, PAGE 2 MARK YOUR CALENDAR March - ETSPJ High School Essay Con- test judging under way (deadline is past) March 2 - ETSPJ board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Mandarin House West, Knoxville March 6 - Open meetings program, 7 p.m., Shiloh Room, UT Student Center, Knoxville March 25 - Alfred and Julia Hill Lecture, 8 p.m., UT. Alan Boyle, MSNBC science correspondent, "Science Reporting in a Tabloid Culture March 28-30 - Regions 12 & 8 spring conference, New Orleans, La. May 9 - Golden Press Card banquet, The Foundry, Knoxville June 4-6 - Ted Scripps Leadership nsti- tute, ndianapolis JuIy 19 - Front Page Follies, Knoxville Convention Center Sept. 4-7 - SPJ National Convention & Journalism Conference, Atlanta 4 - Spot News SEE JOURNALISTS, PAGE 2 Keeping the 'watchdog' aIive ETSPJ sets FOI workshop The East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has scheduled an open government workshop. Journalists and other interested people who want to attend public meetings and/or look at public records are invited. It will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 6, in the Shiloh Room of the University Center (UC) in Knoxville. ETSPJ John Huotari is handling arrangements. Co-sponsor is the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, Knoxville. The workshop will teach people what records and meetings are open to the public under Tennessee law and what to do if one is denied access. Panelists will be Don Dare, WATE-TV, Knoxville; Frank Gibson, executive direc- tor of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, Nashville; David Keim, assistant managing editor, News Sentinel, Knoxville; and state Sen. Randy McNally, chairman of the legislature`s open govern- ment committee, Oak Ridge. Jamie Foster, news director, WATE-TV, will serve as moderator. Handouts on pertinent topics will be provided. Parking is available at the UC garage (for a fee) and free at a surface lot (S9) just south of the UC. To get to the UC from Cumberland Ave., turn south onto Philip Fulmer Way a block east of 16th St. The UC is on the corner, and the garage is just beyond the UC. A little farther south is parking lot S-9 at the corner of Andy Holt Ave. and Philip Fulmer Way. This is gen- erally available in the evenings at no cost unless there`s a sporting event or concert. One can see the campus building locator at www.utk.edu/maps/buildings/. Local dues will be waived for non-mem- bers attending this seminar and completing membership applications and submitting national dues. Journalists to honor McElroy and Hollow The East Tennessee Chapter of the So- ciety of Professional Journalists (ET- SPJ) will honor Knoxville News Senti- nel Editor Jack McElroy and Knoxville Attorney Richard L. (Rick) Hollow for defending the state`s Open Meetings Act in a case that continues to reverberate in Knox County government. McElroy and Hollow will be recognized for their contributions to open govern- ment during the 2008 Front Page Follies show the evening of Saturday, July 19, at the Knoxville Convention Center. In October, a jury agreed with a lawsuit brought by McElroy that Knox County commissioners violated the law during closed-door sessions in January 2007. (/,,/7 -C%,2/9 Georgiana Vines of ETSPJ was one of 12 fellows attending a Business Journalism Professors Seminar in January at the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University, in Tempe. The three and one-half-day day program featured Chris Roush of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; James Gen- try, professor and former dean at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas; Josh Mills, professor of business journal- ism at Baruch College/CUNY in New York City; and Jodi Schneider, economics and fnancial editor of the Congressional Quarterly. Vines, retired associate editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel, teaches public affairs reporting at the University of Ten- nessee. UT is considering adding a business journalism course as an elective in the fall of 2008. Vines attends business seminar The Society of Professional Journalists wants to increase high school students` knowledge and understanding of the impor- tance of the free news media to our lives. So, for the frst time this year, ETSPJ is conducting a contest in some area schools. Larry Van Guilder, editor of the Halls Shop- per-News, is serving as chairman. Make plans to attend the Regions 12 and 8 SPJ Spring Conference March 28 and 29 on the Loyola University campus. Meet colleagues from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mis- sissippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas for professional development and fun. Spring Conferences are professional devel- opment meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today`s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of best practices in newsrooms. Regions 12 and 8 Spring Conference Check for details on www.spj.org. Sonny Albarado, projects editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is Region 12 director. Earlier he was business editor of The Commercial Appeal, Memphis. ETSPJ has arranged a program that will focus on the Jack McElroy (New Sentinel) vs. Knox County Commission lawsuit. Any SPJ member can attend. To read more about it, go to the ETSPJ Web site, http://etspj.org/nationalregional-spj/. Contest under way ETSPJ has contributed $100 to a UT journalism scholarship bearing the name of Ron McMahan, who died Feb. 19 in Naples, Fla. He was a Front Page Follies honoree a number of years ago. The Knoxville native delivered The Knox- ville Journal as a boy, became a reporter while a student at UT and fulflled his dream when he became Journal editor and owner. He sold the paper in 1988. ETSPJ gives to McMahan scholarship In January, I wrote a series for The Oak Ridger on the compensations earned by leaders of local nonproft organizations. I was surprised at how many people told me they enjoyed the series; I probably got more feedback from that one series than I had from my previous two years worth of stories combined. While the series itself might not have been groundbreaking, I did learn a lesson from talking to readers about it. The lesson is: People have a hunger for investigative reporting. They have ideas about issues they think journalists ought to look into. They want us to hold governments and other groups accountable. And they want reporters to dig deeper to fnd new infor- mation, going beyond press conferences, meetings and speeches. Those of you who live in Knox County already know this. Last year, residents in your county overwhelmingly supported the media`s efforts to expose government wrongdoing. Unfortunately, though, some people think this kind of reporting will be harder to do as industry layoffs and hiring freezes continue, and staff sizes shrink. Less reporting could mean that citizens would know less about their governments, busi- nesses and other organizations. That could