For immediate release
11/15/2011

Contacts:
John Ensslin, SPJ President
719-650-0877
jensslin@spj.org

Abby Henkel, SPJ Communications Coordinator
317-927-8000 ext. 215
ahenkel@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists calls on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city administrators across the country to drop charges against journalists arrested while covering the Occupy Wall Street and related protests.

According to The Associated Press, at least six journalists have been arrested or detained while covering the protests in New York City and Chapel Hill, N.C. Reporters have also been arrested in Atlanta, Nashville, Milwaukee and Richmond, Va.

SPJ calls for all charges against these journalists to be dropped and for greater care by police to avoid arresting or otherwise obstructing journalists who are simply and clearly doing their jobs.

In these recent instances, the journalists were either wearing press credentials or explained to police that they were reporters covering the protests. They were clearly exercising the constitutional right of a free press.

“We know that as protests escalate it may be difficult for police to distinguish bystanders from participants, but it is clear now that many journalists have been erroneously arrested without cause,” SPJ President John Ensslin said. “These errors must be rectified immediately.”

(Read Ensslin’s Nov. 15 blog post about arrests of journalists doing their jobs.)

As a free speech and free press advocate, SPJ defends the rights of journalists and the public to seek information in the public interest. Most recently, Ensslin wrote to police chiefs in Atlanta and Milwaukee urging the dismissal of all charges against journalists arrested while covering those cities’ Occupy protests.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

 

University of Washington Communications Building (UW Campus – Seattle)
Co-sponsored by SPJ’s Western Washington Pro and UW Student chapters
Saturday, Nov. 12, 9 am – 3 pm

8:30 a.m.–Registration

9 a.m.—Welcome (room 120)

 

9:10-10:00—(Panel) Journalism in a Digital World (room 120)

Moderator: Dan Thornton, Seattle blogger and Bellevue College instructor

Panelists: Melissa Dahl, msnbc.com; Amy Duncan, myGreenLake.com; Mike Lewis, Patch

 

Reporting on Suicide with Sensitivity (room 104)

Will Mari, UW doctoral student (room 120)

10:10-11:00—Covering Pro Sports (room 104)

Danny O’Neil, Seahawks  beat  reporter for Seattle Times

Covering Crime and Courts (room 126)

Jennifer Sullivan, Seattle Times reporter and member of the team that won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news (room 104)

11:10-Noon—(Panel) Broadcast Journalism: Alive and Well (room 120)

Moderator:  Linda Thomas, KIRO -FM
Panelists : Reporter Owen Lei and Producer  Kellie Cheadle, KING 5-TV; News Director Erin     Hennessey, KPLU-FM

(Panel) Leaving Journalism, Moving to Other Careers (room 104)

Moderator: Clay Holtzman, president, Western Washington Pro chapter, SPJ
Panelists: Michael Ko, high school English/journalism teacher; Shanon Burke, Seattle Storm;     Karen Gaudette, PCC Natural Markets.

12:05-1:00—Lunch with the Pros  (rooms 126)

Conference speakers and other professional journalists have been invited to visit informally with  students during lunch.

1-2 p.m. –Status of U.S. Newspapers (room 104)

Paul Steinle and Sara Brown set out last year to visit 50 U.S. newspapers—one in each state—to assess how newspapers are re-positioning themselves to compete in the digital age.  Steinle is a retired journalism educator and former president of United Press International. Brown was a human resources executive for the Vancouver Columbian and Los Angeles Times. They presented their findings at SPJ’s national convention in New Orleans in September.

Tracking the Amanda Knox and “Barefoot Bandit” cases (room 120)

Two local journalists talk about their investigations that resulted in recently published  books. Candace Dempsey discusses her book “Murder in Italy”, the story of former UW student  Amanda Knox and her trial.  Reporter Jackson Holtz of the Daily Herald in Everett tells about the life of Colton Harris-Moore in his book “Fly, Colton, Fly.”

2-3 p.m.  What’s Next for News (room 120)

Mark Briggs, author of Journalism Next, Journalism 2.0 and Entrepreneurial Journalism: How to Build What’s Next for News. He is director of digital media at KING-5 in Seattle.

Ethics in your campus newsroom (room 104)

Oren Campbell, retired publisher/adviser, UW Daily; Jillian Beaudry, managing editor, Waitsburg Times.

 

Advance Registration:  $15 for SPJ members, $20 for nonmembers  (includes lunch if registered by Nov. 10)

Registration at the door:  $20

Questions? Contact Oren Campbell.

DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM HERE