The Dodge City Globe has fired Claire O’Brien, the reporter who found herself in the eye of a legal storm over her refusal to reveal the identity of a confidential source. Here’s an excerpt from the AP story (via the Topeka Capital-Journal):

Reporter Claire O’Brien said her firing on Friday from the Dodge City Daily Globe stems from comments she made to media outlets after she was found in contempt for failing to appear at an inquisition, the Kansas equivalent of a grand jury.

O’Brien told reporters at the time that the newspaper’s corporate owners had refused to pay for her legal representation and scuttled her efforts to find independent legal help unless she testified claims that GateHouse Media Kansas Holdings, which owns the newspaper, has denied.

On Sunday, O’Brien said she was fired in “retaliation” for making those public comments.

Claire will be a featured speaker at the SPJ Region 7 Conference, in a “super-session” on Saturday, April 10 at the Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Omaha.

I am excited to report that we’ve added a resume “reboot” clinic to the program for the Region 7 Conference in Omaha.  It’s Saturday, April 10 from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m.  We will have pros from different media platforms to critique your resumes and provide advice.  There will be a sign-up sheet at the registration desk, so be sure to put your name down for a reserved 15-minute session.

What you will need: Two hard copies of your resume (one to leave at registration for pre-session review, one to bring to reboot clinic). If you have an e-portfolio online, bring your laptop to the session for feedback.

There’s less than a month until the conference, and early bird registration closes at midnight on March 9.  If you’re coming from out of town, be sure to make your hotel reservations at the Doubletree.  The rate is $109 per night.

See you in Omaha!

The showdown over a confidential source in Dodge City is over, although the larger issue of journalistic ethics versus Kansas state law is not.  Reporter Claire O’Brien is no longer being fined $1,000 a day for contempt, but this excerpt from the Kansas City Star sums it up pretty well:

“Hopefully it will show the Legislature how hopelessly tangled this situation can become without a clear statute showing the way,” O’Brien said after the hearing.

Doug Anstaett, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said his group has been approached by some legislators who want to help. He said the KPA will work with them in the coming weeks to make sure Kansas joins the 35 other states with a shield law to protect reporters.

“This episode has awakened members of the Kansas Legislature to the sad fact that reporters have no protection under state law,” Anstaett said in a phone interview. “Who is going to go out on a limb as a reporter if the courts and prosecutors are just going to be standing there with a chain saw to destroy the very tools a reporter uses to report the news?”

If reporters don’t have the ability to talk to people anonymously, valuable investigative reporting will go away, he said.

We have invited Ms. O’Brien to talk to fellow journalists at the upcoming Region 7 Conference in Omaha.  She’s a passionate, dedicated journalist with a story to tell.

Thanks to the Iowa Pro Chapter for tweeting about this job at Simpson College in Indianola IA

Simpson College seeks a non-tenure-track student-media specialist of high technical skill and enthusiasm to teach and advise in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. The specialist will lead the convergence of the college’s student media to take advantage of multimedia developments in the industry, providing students with journalistic, marketing and technical instruction; advise the college’s student newspaper, yearbook and radio station; teach a reduced load of courses in the Communication & Media Studies or broader college curriculum; administer the department’s internship program; and serve as an academic adviser to students, beginning in the second year of the specialist’s appointment.

The successful candidate will possess at least a bachelor’s degree and significant experience in journalism, marketing communication or related field; knowledge of print- and Web-design software; and high standards of leadership, ethics, quality and fiscal responsibility.

Review of candidates will begin Feb. 15, 2010, and will continue until the position is filled. Please submit a letter of application, vita, and names of three references to Dr. Brian Steffen, Chair of Communication & Media Studies, 24 McNeill Hall, Simpson College, 701 North C Street, Indianola IA 50125.

Simpson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Posting Date: 1/27/10

One night at the Doubletree Hotel in Omaha $109

Registration for Pro Members $70*

Registration for Student Members $50*

Registration for Pro Non-Members $90*

Registration for Student Non-Members $70*

Your career = priceless

So, why not invest in yourself?  Click here for information and registration details.  And, consider joining SPJ to save on the conference AND make a further investment in your career and future.  See you in Omaha!

Feel free to email me at edgellh@missouri.edu with any questions you have.

*Before midnight March 9

Have you heard about Claire O’Brien, a reporter at the Dodge City Daily Globe in Kansas?  Ms. O’Brien finds herself fighting Kansas prosecutors over her decision not to reveal information from a confidential source.  She spoke to me at length about her case via telephone this morning.  Going forward, I plan to keep members posted.  In the meantime I wanted to let you all know SPJ is keeping tabs on the case. For one thing, our Legal Defense Fund Committee chair David Cuillier is already in touch with Ms. O’Brien and the attorney for the Daily Globe and publisher Gatehouse Media about a letter in support of her cause.

Ms. O’Brien was supposed to testify at what Kansas calls an “inquisition” today, but there has been a postponement.  She told me she did what reporters do in the course of their duties; she gave her word to a source linked to a murder case.  Now she’s willing to go to jail to protect that source and live up to her ethical commitments.  Still, she’s only human and seems to have given her obligations and actions plenty of thought.  Here are two quotes she gave the Associated Press:

“If I truly felt I had information about the murder of a human being on which part of a case could turn, it would be very sobering,” O’Brien said. “I would have to think long and hard and I am not sure I would withhold that, but the fact is I am absolutely sure in my mind the prosecutor is bullying me.”

And:

“I think the reporter’s only currency is her word  and I really did give it,” O’Brien said. “Every time I try to work myself through giving the information, I just can’t imagine myself being able to compromise my professional reputation to that extent. … Who would trust me again?”

Ms. O’Brien has been working for the paper for about nine months.  She moved to Kansas from Illinois after layoffs at her Gatehouse paper there.  Originally from Boston, Ms. O’Brien has twelve years of reporting experience under her belt.  She is understandably unnerved by her situation; the Kansas Supreme Court is going to look at her case.  She wonders what her decisions will mean for her career down the line.  While she’s willing to go to jail, she’s hoping it doesn’t come to that.

This is a complex case with very broad implications.  I hope to interview the Gatehouse Media attorney William Hurst for his take.  Again, I will keep you all posted on this.

The opportunity to network with fellow journalists, students, and journalism educators is just a road trip away! I took the liberty of checking drive times to Omaha from various cities in our region…

Metro Kansas City = Three hours or less via I-29

Des Moines = Two hours or less via I-80

Iowa City = Four hours or less via I-80

Ames = About two hours via I-35 and I-80

Wichita = About five hours via I-35/I-335, plus I-70, and I-29

Topeka = Four hours or less via US-75 & I-29

Springfield, MO = Seven hours or less via MO-13 and I-29

Columbia, MO = Less than five hours via I-70 and I-29

St. Louis = Less than 7 hours via I-70 and I-29

You can register for the conference at  http://www.spj.org/regionalconf-7.asp

And remember, the deadline for students to enter their work in the Mark of Excellence Awards is Jan. 27… Winners and finalists will be recognized at the conference.http://www.spj.org/a-moe.asp

Remember: Attending this conference is an investment in yourself! Email me with your questions: edgellh@missouri.edu

Best Wishes,
Holly Edgell
SPJ Region 7 Director (IA, KS, MO, NE)
Assistant Professor, The Missouri School of Journalism
Executive Producer, KOMU-TV (NBC)
Columbia, MO


Registration is now open for the Society of Professional Journalists Region 7 Conference, April 9 & 10 in Omaha! It’s easy to register: http://www.spj.org/regionalconf-7.asp

Our sessions promise to help professionals reboot their careers in this tough economic climate and period of change in our industry.  Students will hear from recent grads about the job market, learn what to expect when they “get out there,” and recognize their peers’ outstanding work through the Mark of Excellence Awards.

I visited Omaha in November and I can attest that it’s going to be a great city for the gathering with lots to do if you’d like to bring your family along.  (See “The Heartland Beat” with just a sampling of activities http://blogs.spjnetwork.org/region7/?p=101)

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have, and please tell your colleagues and any students you know about the conference!

The Missouri School of Journalism seeks a journalist with extensive newsroom experience and a talent for teaching at the university level. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of television newsroom experience. Some newsroom management experience is preferred. Duties include a minimum of 30 hours per week in the KOMU-TV (NBC-affiliate) newsroom supervising the work of student reporters, anchors, newscast producers and videographers. Duties also include classroom teaching and service to the journalism school and the university.

Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Hiring is expected to be completed in the spring of 2010 with a start date as soon as possible. Applications must include an academic CV or professional resume, video of recent television stories or television newscasts produced by the candidate, the names of three references in the field of television journalism, and a cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest in teaching and in students. This cover letter must also include an analysis of the television news profession’s transition from solely broadcast to broadcast and digital/internet news platforms.

Applications may be sent electronically (preferred) to hardte@missouri.edu, or by mail to Elizabeth Hardt, Staff Assistant to the Dean, Missouri School of Journalism, 120 Neff Hall, Columbia, MO 65211. If sending the application electronically, please send as a Word or PDF attachment with candidate’s last name as title.

The University of Missouri is committed to cultural diversity and it is expected that successful candidate will share this commitment. MU is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ADA institution and encourages applications from women and minority candidates.

This past weekend your regional director traveled from Columbia, MO to Omaha, NE (about 4.5 hours via I-70, I-435, I-29, I-480) to do some advance work for the upcoming Region 7 Spring Conference.  Journalists and journalism students (and anyone else who pays registration) will gather at the Downtown Omaha Doubletree Hotel on April 9-10, 2010.

The Doubletree turns out to be ideal for our conference:  It’s centrally located (easy access to the interstate, Dodge Street and other arteries), easy to find, and near a number of Omaha’s top destinations and sites (like the Old Market neighborhood, Durham Museum, Joslyn Museum, Orpheum Theater, the Qwest Center, Creighton University, and more). A few miles down Dodge Street you’ll find the Dundee neighborhood — where I sampled the great cuisine at Goldbergs II Dundee — the University of Nebraska-Omaha Medical Center, the University of Nebraska-Omaha campus, a Borders, Target, and — wait for it — Nebraska Furniture Mart.

The Doubletree also has a free airport shuttle, pool, restaurant, gift shop (where you can find fresh Starbucks coffee), workout facilities, onsite parking ($7 a day).  My room was great:  updated and clean.  There is free wireless in the public areas and plug-in Web access in the rooms for $9.  We’ll be in the Lewis and Clark Rooms (side by side) for our panels and sessions and in the Winnebago Room for the Mark of Excellence luncheon.

Based on my experiences this weekend and some research, here are ten things you might want to check out while in Omaha — AFTER the conference of course.  They are in no particular order.

1 — Old Market.  A cool neighborhood spreading across numerous blocks downtown.  It’s home to restaurants (I saw Indian, Persian, and French for starters), bars, shops (I picked up a few eclectic items at a place called Souq), and carriage rides. Although it was pretty brisk weather-wise this weekend, I can imagine sitting at on outdoor table come springtime.

2 — Marcus Midtown Cinema.  I did not experience this for myself, but I have it on good authority that this is the ultimate in “dinner and a movie.” You can literally watch and movie and order dinner on one floor of the cinema.  It’s called “CineDine.” There also are a couple of bars, plus the usual concession goodies.

3 – Durham Museum. This is a history museum housed in the former Omaha Union Station.  It’s very cool! Especially if you are a train buff.  I enjoyed the view of Omaha and Council Bluffs, IA from atop the parking area.  You can actually board old trains and get a sense of the railway’s glory days.

4 — Joslyn Museum.  Omaha’s art museum. From the web site: “In formation since 1931, Joslyn Art Museum’s collection now contains more than 11,000 works of art from all over the world, antiquity to the present, with a concentration on 19th and 20th century European and American art.” This is definitely a must for me in April.

5 — Gambling.  Council Bluffs, IA is home to at least three casinos that I counted as I drove along I-29.  Ameristar, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe.  Council Bluffs is just a across the river from Omaha.

6 — Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. This zoo is widely known for its efforts in animal conservation and research. Even better, it’s a big hit with the locals, always a good sign.

7 — El Museo Latino. There is a permanent collection as well as rotating exhibits. Right now the museum is featuring “History of Latinos in Omaha: 1890 through Present,” and “Ex-Votos and Retablos: Miracles on the Border.”  This is another site that I will try to squeeze in come April.

8 — Omaha Royals Basebell.  The team will be at home the weekend of the conference!  There’s a four-game series against Memphis April 8-11.

9 — Boys Town. This is the original: Father Flanagan’s Boys Home is now a National Historic Landmark. It’s still very much in operation and open to the public.

10 — Omaha Children’s Museum.  Interactive exhibits focused on art and science.  The Museum features a kid-sized grocery, a fire rescue area, science and technology lab and much more.

If you know of other Omaha activities I should add to this list, please drop me a line at edgellh@missouri.edu.

Stay tuned for more details, developments, etc.  For students, please remember to enter your work in the Mark of Excellence Awards!