Traditionally, this is a busy time of year for most SPJ pro chapters as they work on their annual journalism contests while planning for their spring regional conference.

Despite that flurry of activity, several chapters have put together some quality programming recently.

Here, in no particular order, is our top 10 list of events either in progress or recently completed.

The tragic shootings in Tucson in January gave rise to an interesting set of ethical questions that the Valley of the Sun Chapter in Phoenix plans to tackle in a March 7 program called “Communities in Crisis: Ethical Considerations for Journalists.”  Here’s a link with the details.

What’s the big story in your community so far this year? Is there some way you can turn it into an interesting program?

Next, kudos to the Deadline Club of New York City. This SPJ chapter scored a major coup recently by lining up Tina Brown, editor-in-chief of Newsweek and chief editor of The Daily Beast, to be the keynote speaker for their May 7 awards dinner. Here a link to the details.

Obviously, not every chapter can book as high profile a journalist as Ms. Brown. But who’s the most interesting journalist in your community? Consider inviting someone prominent to be your keynote speaker.

Here’s a program that the Press Club of  Long Island offered recently that I could have used: a panel of experts offering tips on how to stay organized. Besides staging the event, the Press Club, which is the SPJ pro chapter on Long Island, did a great job of posting what the experts had to say on the chapter website. Here’s a link.

With so many people struggling to find jobs these days, the South Florida Pro came up with an ideal event. They hosted a book signing for a Sun-Sentinel reporter with a new book out on job hunting. Here’s the link. Are there any local authors in your community with books that would make a good program?

Here’s a program idea that I’ve seen work time and again. Whenever a new editor takes charge at a local media outlet, it’s a great opportunity for a timely and well-attended program. That’s what the Cleveland SPJ recently by inviting the new editor of the Plain Dealer to be their speaker. Here’s the link.

It’s always a good idea to organize events that deal with some of SPJ’s core values, such as ethics and diversity. Here’s a link to a diversity themed event that SPJ at DePaul University held recently that looks like a success.

Also here’s a link to an ethics program that Connecticut SPJ plans to hold on March 13.

Several chapters have used the controversy over WikiLeaks disclosures are the starting point of a discussion of the ethics of news gathering.

Here are two good examples, one from Southwest Missouri SPJ (click here) and another from Hawaii SPJ (click here.)

And finally, it’s also a good idea to have events that are fun. That’s what the folks at the Minnesota SPJ chapter seemed to have in mind when they organized a trivia night contest with competing teams of journalists and public relations folks. Here’s the link.

To all the chapters hosting these outstanding events, keep up the good work.  for the rest of us, there’s plenty of ideas that can be duplicated elsewhere.

A new book on the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan will be the topic during an April 23 broadcast of Studio SPJ.

 Washington Post reporter Del Quentin Wilber will be our guest for the half-hour Internet radio interview program, which will air live at noon eastern time.

 He is the author of “Rawhide Down – the Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan.” The book tells the inside story of the March 30, 1981 shooting of the president by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Washington Hilton. Here’s a link to information about the book.

 In 2004, Wilber joined the Washington Post, where he has worked as the paper’s cops, aviation and federal court reporter. Previously he worked at the Baltimore Sun, where his reporting won him the Al Nakkula Award for Police Reporting.

Del Quentin Wilber

Wilber lives in the Washington area with his wife, NPR correspondent Laura Sullivan, and their two sons. Here’s a link to his website.

Val Hymes, who covered the shooting for Group W TV, will serve as moderator for the program, which is sponsored by the Maryland Pro Chapter of SPJ.

Studio SPJ is an on-going series of conversations on topics of interest to journalists.

To listen to the program live or as a podcast later, click on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/spj

To call into the program with a live question or comment, dial 347-857-2441.

For information on the program, call John Ensslin at 719-650-0877 or e-mail him at damon_runyon@hotmail.com

Fred Brown

Former national SPJ president Fred Brown will discuss the latest edition of the SPJ Ethics book when he is the guest speaker on the next episode of Studio SPJ.

The program will air live on SPJ’s Internet Radio station Blog Talk Radio on Saturday, March 5 at noon Eastern and will be available as an archived podcast throughout the month of March.

Irwin Gratz – like Brown a former national SPJ president and member of the ethics committee – will serve as moderator of the program, which is sponsored by the Maine Pro Chapter of SPJ.

The new edition, called “Journalism Ethics – a Casebook of Professional Conduct” is being published in February by Marion Street Press. The book uses 47 real life case studies to demonstrate how journalism students and professionals can identify and reason through ethical dilemmas.

Brown oversaw revisions to the book – now in its fourth edition – along with other members of the SPJ ethics committee.

Brown is a professor in communication ethics at the University of Denver and a principal in the media training and consulting firm Hartman & Brown, LLP. He was national president of the SPJ in 1997-98. He writes a column on ethics for Quill magazine, a Sunday editorial page for the Denver Post, and conducts analysis for NBC. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Gratz has been in radio news for nearly 30 years. He worked as a reporter, anchor and news director for the number-one rated commercial station in Portland, Maine before going to work for public radio in 1992 as local anchor of “Morning Edition.” He served as SPJ national president in 2004-05. He lives in Portland, Maine.

Studio SPJ is an on-going series of conversations on topics of interest to journalists.

To listen to the program live or as a podcast later, click on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/spj

To call into the program with a live question or comment, dial 347-857-2441.

For information on the program, call John Ensslin at 719-650-0877 or e-mail him at damon_runyon@hotmail.com

Here are five outstanding programs that SPJ chapters are staging in late January and February.

A Baker’s Dozen

Most newspapers have geared up for coverage of their state legislature. But what about the rest of the newsroom, where reporters often are tapped to write state government stories without the benefit of having regularly covered the Capitol beat.

The Madison Pro Chapter came up with a creative training program called “A Capitol Press Corps Baker’s Dozen – Thirteen tips for covering the state budget, agencies and the new administration of Gov. Scott Walker

The program – slated for Feb. 3 in Madison – features several veteran statehouse reporters as well as a relative newcomer who specializes in using social media. That plus a cash bar and appetizers sounds like the recipe for a winning program. File this idea away and consider copying it next time your state’s legislature starts its session.

Courts and Counter-terrorism

Partnering with other like-minded organizations is often the key to putting on a successful program. There’s so much more a chapter can accomplish by teaming up with other community groups.

The folks in the Houston SPJ seemed to have figured this out. They were listed as co-sponsors of the 25^th annual “Law & the Media” seminar at the South Texas College of Law along with the Houston Bar Association and the Houston Press Club.

The January 29 event featured NPR counterterrorism correspondent Dina Temple-Raston as one of their headliners along with a former U.S. Attorney, a criminal defense lawyer,  a military law expert and – by teleconference – a computer engineer who had been “rendered” by U.S. authorities to Syria.

This kind of high-powered panel would have been a challenge for even the largest of SPJ chapters to assemble. Kudos to Houston SPJ for displaying the team work needed to get it done.

Bookstores and censorship

Here’s a natural ally for an SPJ chapter in search of a program venue: your local independent bookstore.

While their numbers have dwindled in recent years, most large and mid-sized cities still have at least one.

The Louisville Pro Chapter teamed up with the Media Law Resources Center Institute and Destination Booksellers to present a Feb. 2 talk by a local media law and First Amendment expert on the topic of censorship.

Often your local book store has a person who job is to line up authors and programs. This is a good person for a local pro chapter’s members to get to know.

Seventy-five candles

SPJ has several chapters that have been around for quite awhile. It’s a good thing to be mindful when an important anniversary occurs and find a reason to celebrate.

That’s what the DC Pro Chapter will be doing on Feb. 4, when their members celebrate their 75^th anniversary.

In a nice bit of serendipity, the chapter is also celebrating the 75^th anniversary of Austin Kiplinger joining SPJ. Those of you who attended SPJ’s 100^th anniversary celebration in Indianapolis in 2009 may remember the great inspirational talk he gave that night.

Congrats to DC Pro and Mr. Kiplinger on their shared anniversary.

Faith and religion reporting

Central Ohio SPJ has an intriguing panel discussion slated for Feb. 10 in Worthington, OH titled “Religious Tolerance: Does the Media Have a Role?

The chapter has invited representatives of several faiths and reporters from the religious and secular press.

Sometimes we fall into habits of covering the same discussions over and over. That’s why it’s great to see Central Ohio SPJ taking up this important and often overlooked topic.

Does your chapter have a novel or interesting program coming up? Let us know. Send a brief description to John Ensslin at damon_runyon@hotmail.com