Editor’s Note: Recently I’ve gotten quite a few questions from freelance journalists about the benefits of joining SPJ. I asked  the Freelance Committee for a volunteer to provide some insights into how SPJ membership can benefit independent journalists, and Jeff Cutler stepped up with this great guest post!

Jeff is a social media journalist and content specialist based in Boston. He is an active member of the Society of Professional Journalists Freelance Committee. You can email him at jeff@jeffcutler.com and follow him on Twitter @jeffcutler. Check out his SPJ Freelance Directory listing!

You’re a freelance journalist. Your last meeting at the office was with the cat and you discussed the merits of her constant meowing while you were on the phone conducting interviews. The discussion was one-sided, but that’s frequently the case when your entire operation consists of a single writer taking on the world.

But there are ways to alleviate the solo nature of freelancing so you get all the perks of a larger enterprise without the infighting, politics, stolen lunches and soul-sucking meetings. Join an organization.

• Read more about joining the Society of Professional Journalists

That’s right, join a group that supports your objectives and gives you resources that further your career connections and professional skillset. This isn’t supposed to be a poster telling you to “join the Army to see fun, faraway places.” It is a brief recount of how being an SPJ member has helped me – a career freelancer with 21 years pitching articles and columns to outlets all over the world.

There are the three things I get from my SPJ involvement. You will probably get more, but I believe even one of these factors gives you an upside for your annual $75 investment.

1. Sanity (or as sane people would say, a conduit to humanity)

That’s right. Talking to the cat really hasn’t provided me with more than a few article ideas. She’s reticent to contribute and seems to be more concerned with squirrels than she is with consumer affairs, the Tour de France or social media tools.

The connections SPJ provides online and in real life (conferences and regional/local meetings) allow me to understand that I’m not just writing from a lousy couch that’s adrift in the morass of rejected queries and occasional acceptance letters. These connections have become friends and colleagues – so I now have a network of folks in Louisville, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Austin, Florida, DC, Chicago and New York.

• Find SPJ professional chapters, near and far

And this network is my new office. I bounce ideas off them, I share my experiences, I even plan to connect with them during my regular trips around the country. One of the best things about this network is that it includes staffers and freelancers, so I get a very real and balanced perspective about the state of the industry.

So, that’s the first of three things – Sanity – by way of real people.

2. Next, from SPJ membership I get money.

“Did he say money?”

“Does he mean real money? Was he lying about his sanity?”

Yes, MONEY. Let me tell you a story about the day I was sitting on the toilet and my phone rang. Seriously. On the other end of the line (of course I answered it) was a reporter from the New York Post.

We had a nice little chat and came to the conclusion that it was cost-effective and time-efficient for her to hire me to dash into Cambridge, MA to chase down a story on Eliot Spitzer.

The story was fantastic…I got to interview students at Harvard…I got a byline in the New York Post, yada yada yada. But none of this would have occurred if I hadn’t been an SPJ member…really.

The reporter from the post had gotten my name from the freelancer listings on the SPJ site and narrowed the list of potential journalists by proximity to Harvard University where Spitzer was scheduled to speak. She then made a few phone calls and decided on me because I had the flexibility and skill to do the story for her. That’s it.

• Check out the SPJ Freelancer Directory

Two lessons for you here… SPJ freelance listings get you money. Sometimes taking the phone to the bathroom pays off.

3. The third facet SPJ membership delivers to my quiver of tools is legitimacy.

That’s right. Imagine trying to get credentials for an event in an industry on which you’ve never reported. Think about gaining access to individuals without being able to drop names like the New York Times, NPR, and the Bloomington Herald. Ponder the thought of being allowed inside the police tape at an accident or crime scene.

None of that happens without legitimacy as a journalist. While I have worked 21 years to get some really good names on my list of publications, my connection to SPJ still helps me. Because at the end of the day, when you don’t have an assignment in hand from an editor, you’re just another person in the sea of other people who want to report on a story.

The lines of defense see you as a citizen reporter. They see you as a wannabe journalist. Until you show them your credentials. And without an on-staff gig at an outlet, the next best thing is an affiliation with the most prominent journalism organization in the known universe – SPJ.

Show your card, share your past coverage, explain your goals…then you’re inside the tape, in the green room, speaking face-to-face with celebrities, local officials, victims. SPJ has your back – and as a freelancer, that’s one of the most valuable things you can have when looking for immediate access to a story.

SPJ levels the playing field so both you and the staff reporter start at the same spot, with the same access. The rest is up to you.

Ultimately, if you’re a freelancer working remotely, you’re spending more on heat and A/C letting the cat in and out of your house repeatedly through the workday. Take $75 and look at membership in SPJ.

I wouldn’t trade being a freelancer for anything in the world. But when there are rough spots, my membership in SPJ helps smooth things out and makes me feel like I belong in this crazy world where we’ve chosen to work.

More SPJ info and resources:

• The Freelance Committee. Contact Chair Dana Neuts: dneuts@spj.org
• Training and regional spring conferences
• The Independent Journalist blog
• The Job Bank
• Excellence in Journalism national conference (EIJ 2012)

Questions about membership? Drop me a line! me@hollyedgell.com

Note: I sent this out to Regional Directors earlier this month, but I thought I share it more broadly as well.

As the spring conferences blossom across the country, I encourage you to use the opportunity to spread the SPJ message to attendees who are not already members.

Your SPJ conference coordinator from HQ will have the membership brochures on hand for the spring conferences, and there are ways to build on that.

1. Email me for talking points developed by HQ to help: me@hollyedgell.com
2. Wherever appropriate, focusing on your great local chapter services, events, and resources is encouraged!
3. These are things RDs can do and/or deputize chapter leaders & members to help out.

Here’s a menu you can consider choosing from! I’d also love to hear ideas from you, so please share.

Remarks at Friday night reception/social event

• As you welcome attendees, say a few remarks about membership benefits. “It’s an investment in yourself and your career.”
• Have a list of people who joined when they registered for the conference and welcome by name
• Have literature (e.g. postcards or flyers) on hand that show your meeting calendar and/or social events coming up; website info; chapter contacts
• Consider doing a raffle/door prize for one year of free local dues to the pro chapters in your region

Opening business session

• Include a few key points about membership in your presentation.
• Use specific examples of value for the membership dollar: training online; ethics, legal and FOI support/resources; Quill; discounted services; national conference as well as local chapter activities/benefits
• Invite attendees to find you at the conference if they have questions
• Have literature (e.g. postcards or flyers) on hand that show your meeting calendar and/or social events coming up; website info; chapter contacts

Breakout sessions

• Have membership literature in each room
• Pre-arrange with panel/session moderators to welcome attendees and do a brief plug for memberships at the beginning or end of the breakout
• Invite attendees to find you at the conference if they have questions

Mark of Excellence lunch

• Include a few key points about membership in your presentation OR considering tapping a student chapter leader to do so.
• Be sure to explain the deal students get on membership after they graduate
• Point to specific examples of value for the membership dollar: training online; ethics, legal and FOI support/resources; Quill; discounted services; national conference

Closing business session

• Remind people where they can find membership info: national and local chapter
• Invite attendees to contact you after the conference if they have questions
• Have literature (e.g. postcards or flyers) on hand that show your meeting calendar and/or social events coming up; website info; chapter contacts

After the spring conference

• Use the list of attendees to reach out via email, phone or postcard to thank attendees for coming; include language about how/why to join SPJ

After spring conferences, I invite RDs to do a guest posts for the The SPJ Garden Center about feedback and questions from attendees about your membership messaging.

Happy spring conferencing!

Lynn Walsh is an Investigative Producer for WPTV in West Palm Beach and a graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She is the chair of SPJ’s Generation J Committee, which focuses on helping early-stage pros sharpen their skills and bone up on the importance of journalism advocacy.

Lynn Walsh, chair of the SPJ Generation J committee. (Photo courtesy of L. Walsh)

Professional organizations are a great way to network and of course look good on resumes and are impressive to potential employers. But with so many organizations out there it can sometimes remind you more of a can alphabet soup than anything actually appetizing.

A visit to the SPJ booth in New York at the College Media Advisers conference may have seemed that way too — until you talked to Tara Puckey or I. Tara and I worked the SPJ booth along with some help from a few other SPJ members to make sure SPJ and the journalists it represents were in front of the many college students learning about the news business from industry leaders and their peers.

Learn more about SPJ membership here

Find a chapter

Want to reach Lynn Walsh? Her email address is: lynn.k.walsh@gmail.com

Tara Puckey is a freelance journalist based in Indianapolis. An active member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Puckey served as campus representative on the SPJ National Board from 2009-2011. She serves as co-chair for campus affairs on the SPJ Membership Committee and is active an active member of the SPJ Freelance Committee.

I just returned from New York City, where I worked to make sure that SPJ was visible at the

College Media Advisers convention, a whirlwind of sessions, workshops and tours for more than 1,200 college students and their advisers.

Once the jet lag and remnants of the city wore off, I realized there were some important things I saw during my time there. Things that I’d like to tell student members of SPJ, if no one else, because they matter to who these budding journalists are, who they’re becoming and their professional careers in the future.

1. Dress the Part - Sure, CMA is college-oriented, so it’s more casual than many other conventions. However, there were several professionals there who are, were, or will be looking for someone crazy-talented to join their ranks in the future.

With Daylight Saving Time upon us, you may be feeling a little resentful about losing an hour. I hear you.

Put the anger aside and rejoice! I would argue that the advent of Sunshine Week is reason to celebrate.

On the Sunshine Week page at the Society of Professional Journalists website you’ll find this line: “It’s our duty as journalists, and a key mission for SPJ, to shine light into the dark recesses of government secrecy.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.

The rising sun

Sunshine Week began in 2005 through the efforts of the American Society of News Editors and a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The movement to shed light on Freedom of Information (FOI) rules and regulations caught on, and now the week is a highlight of the journalistic calendar across media platforms.

• Read more about Sunshine Week

Serving members

For chapters that already have planned Sunshine Week activities , kudos! Please share information on what you are doing with the rest of us.

If Sunshine Week sort of snuck up on you, no fear: you can provide great FOI service to your members and the public at large year round. The SPJ Sunshine Week page provides 29 great tips and suggestions you can use anytime.

Two simple steps

1. As a start, consider sending an email to your members to let them know or remind them about the SPJ blog devoted to all things Sunshine: FOI FYI.

2. Reacquaint members or introduce them to the wealth of resources available through SPJ. Here’s the list:

McKenzie Romero is president of the Southern Utah University chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She earned a communication degree from SUU in 2009. Then she spent 18 months on an LDS mission in Guatemala. She is back at SUU to complete her Spanish degree and will graduate (again) in May. Meanwhile, Romero leads the campus newspaper and multi-platform convergence initiative.

While midterms may be consuming time and energy for most college students, I am pleased to report that SUU’s chapter has stayed energized. In the first half of the semester we have emphasized activities to increase students’ awareness of the chapter while helping them grow as journalists.

January

The chapter hosted a State of the Union party, which drew most of the newspaper staff and some of their friends. All that was necessary was a projector to watch the enhanced webcast, some snacks and witty dialogue. The event was entertaining and educational, while providing a service to students who didn’t have means of viewing the address in their apartments.

We also provided personal assistance to all who chose to enter the Mark of Excellence contest, subsidizing one entry per student. It was inspiring to see students taking pride in their work and seeking one another’s input on selecting their submission. Those entries have generated the most interest among students about attending the Region 9 Spring Conference in Denver.

February
This month we were privileged to join university administrators and other on-campus groups in hosting New York Times correspondent Richard Oppel Jr.

The visit was made possible through the Times’ campus readership program. Partnering with other organizations sponsoring Oppel’s convocation address led to excellent publicity for our young chapter.

We organized a press conference with Oppel for all SUU media groups and several students were invited to a special meet-and-greet breakfast. I was lucky enough to be asked to moderate the questions and answer session the followed Oppel’s presentation, a chance I’ll never forget.

McKenzie Romero, SPJ chapter president at SUU, moderated a press conference with visitor Richard Oppel, Jr. of The New York Times.

Our activities were a success for the chapter in increasing student interest in the program, and benefited students through education and increasing their j-skills. That combination with an element of fun has proved a positive and effective model for our chapter’s activities.

Any other great ideas out there? Students and pros are invited to comment or submit guest blogs! Contact me@hollyedgell.com.

• Reach McKenzie Romero: kenz.rae@gmail.com
• Follow her on Twitter: @McKenzieRomero
• On the web: The Southern Utah University SPJ Chapter

We hold this truth to be self-evident: Journalists love food and fun–not to mention a bit of pomp and circumstance.

Members and prospective members often appreciate a chance to mingle and socialize. SPJ Membership Month could be the time month to inject a bit of social interaction into your chapter calendar.

SPJ president John Ensslin recently shared these ideas with chapter leaders around the country. Consider incorporating something from this list into events you already have on the books–whether this month or later in the year. (I’ve added a couple of notes here, in italics).

Martini bar mixer

• Find the coolest new bar or nightclub in your town and invite all the local journalists to attend an SPJ mixer. Try to find a place that everybody’s been wanting to go to but needed an excuse.
• Let the bar owners know people are coming, but don’t feel obligated to shell out a lot of money for food or free drinks. Let people who attend pay as they go.
• But be sure at some point to have someone say a few words on SPJ’s behalf and be sure to have some handout materials such as code of ethics cards, membership benefits or back issues of Quill. (Our national office can help you here.)
• Maybe the bar will even consider mixing up Grammartinis; this recipe comes from National Grammar Day founder Martha Brockenbrough.

News trivia night

• One way to get the local media out is to organize a competition centered on who knows the most trivia about recent local news. Invite teams from several media outlets to compete for prizes (an SPJ mug or t-shirt perhaps.)
• The St. Louis Pro Chapter has an annual trivia night, which is always well-attended! President David Sheets can fill you in: dsheets@post-dispatch.com on the details.

Candlelight initiation

• If you have some recent new members, invite them and their friends to a reenactment of the Society’s original 1909 initiation ceremony.
• Here is a link to a revised 20 minute version of this ceremony. You’ll need a few props such as candles, a feather quill, and if you can borrow one from a local lawyer, a scale of justice.
• While the language of this program is somewhat antique, the sentiments they convey are still remarkably contemporary. The words still carry considerable impact when spoken out loud.

Oldest/Newest member

• Invite the people who’ve been members of your chapter for the longest time to an event that honors their loyalty to the Society.
• Also invite the newest members of the chapter. When going around the room introducing people to one another, ask both the old and new members to state why they joined SPJ.

Chapter anniversaries

• Many of our chapters have long and notable histories. If this is a year when your chapter hits a round number, stage a celebration and invite all your members to attend as well as prospective members.

One member/One guest

• Try to do an event where each member of the chapter is asked to bring along one person whom they believe would be a good prospective member.
• Use the event to show case all the things your chapter does plus the networking and training benefits of belonging to SPJ

Student/Pro dinner

• Invite local journalism students as well as a local student chapter to a modest sit down dinner with members of a pro chapter.
• Rather than do this in a restaurant, see if one of your members has a home large enough to accommodate such a gathering.

Any more good ideas?

Well, maybe not all. But it’s fairly evident that providing relevant, valuable programming is key to building and maintaining a strong membership base.

As we enter SPJ Membership Month, many chapters already are planning an extra push for new members. Since December, the SPJ “Calling Corps” has been reaching out to people whose memberships have lapsed.

The regional spring conferences that kick off around the country this month are also a great platform for adding new members and reinforcing the message about how an SPJ membership can benefit journalists.

• Read more about SPJ spring conferences across the country

All of the above–as well as resources like online training, ethics advice, legal support, job listings, and other great offerings–make up the SPJ picture.

Still, members often cite what happens on the front lines of membership as what is most valuable; and by front lines, I mean the local chapters.

• Read more: Why Join SPJ?

Here are some ideas I shared with an emerging chapter a couple of years ago. It all started when Region 7 Director Kelsey Volkmann, former president of St. Louis Pro, shared the concept of using the topic of media literacy as a jumping off point for new as well as established chapters.

1. Media literacy: a series of panels and/or lectures that could draw members of the public AND journalists.

2. Partner with local colleges and draw on their faculty as well as local journalists to hold a monthly  event in conjunction with the student chapter.

>> For professional chapters that cover an entire state, campus sessions could be a way to take SPJ “on the road” to bring programming to members and potential members in all the corners of your chapter.<<

3. Topics could include:

• Who’s a journalist? How to know if what you’re reading or viewing is a news item, opinion, rant, or some combo thereof
• Gatekeepers & agenda setters. Who makes the decisions about what’s in the news? What are some of the guiding principals in deciding?
• Two-way street. How members of the public can use new media tools to have a voice in the news agenda (comments, social media, User Generated Content, etc.)
• Diversity matters. Why do the media still seem to report along stereotypical lines? How can members of the public ensure that the stories of their communities get told, positive and negative?
• The role of numbers. How journalists use ratings, unique visitor counts, and other metrics to figure out how many people are out there, what kinds of stories they like, etc. The need for balance in using this data to guide editorial decisions.
• A BIG forum type thing at the end of the series that asks the question: How can we do a better job? Members of the public can weigh in with their opinions. The key here would be to choose panelists who would not be defensive or touchy about criticism, of course.

4. Use your regional or chapter Facebook Page to continue the media literacy conversation.

5. Use your regional blog to provide a narrative about the series as it unfolds.

Your ideas, please!

If anyone reading this has suggestions, ideas and success stories to share, please do so in the comments section. Better yet, touch base with me about a guest blog! You can drop me a line at me@hollyedgell.com

• Read more:  Upcoming SPJ Events and Deadlines

For your viewing pleasure: The Region 7 Spring Conference 2011