There’s a new face in this space.

It belongs to me, David Sheets, the new director of Region 7 and immediate past-president of the St. Louis Pro chapter.

If the face itself doesn’t turn up here regularly, at least words will over the next two years of my term, because there’s a lot going on in the Heartland region of SPJ that deserves notice. In just the past few months, Region 7 hosted an excellent convention at Iowa State in Ames, St. Louis Pro won top honors in the small-chapter category, yours truly received the Howard S. Dubin award for service to SPJ, and the seeds of a new chapter have begun taking root in the Omaha-Lincoln area of Nebraska — a state that, as of now, has no SPJ chapter of any kind.

That last item is particularly heartening for the Heartland; it demonstrates that the energy and wisdom of SPJ still motivate the region’s journalists and give the society new hope for expansion at a time when costs and constriction make quality journalism increasingly difficult to pursue. Leaders Rob McLean, of Hearst Television, and Katie Knapp Schubert, of Omaha Public Radio, are working hard to put the Cornhusker State back on our map, and hope to have their chapter formally on SPJ’s books by January.

I urge every established and aspiring journalist in Region 7 to reach out to Rob and Katie and lend a hand with the heavy lifting. Nebraska has too great a journalism tradition to not have SPJ there fighting for it.

And I urge everyone to help bolster our efforts across the region by signing up now and getting familiar with video chat — whether it’s through Google Hangout, Skype, GoToMeeting, or a host of others — the tool I consider essential for closing the wide distances between chapters. Region 7’s sprawling size no doubt has created difficulty  for SPJ members to interact, but with practice and application of video chat I hope to minimize that sprawl by encouraging regular virtual meetings between members.

In the coming months, I’ll lay out plans for those virtual meetings and ask many of you to take part, as well as implore for patience. Surely, there will be bugs and glitches at the beginning. Over time though, those should diminish, and the distances between each of us should shrink as well.

I’ll also announce details regarding the next regional convention in spring, tentatively scheduled for St. Louis and, in a unique twist, held in partnership with Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky).

In the meantime, I ask Region 7 members to please convey their thanks to outgoing director Kelsey Volkmann for her two years of extraordinary service; to follow Region 7’s Facebook page for regular planning updates; to follow the region’s new Twitter feed, @SPJRegion7, for up-to-the-minute information on regional events and interaction; and to put Region 7’s new email, SPJRegion7@mail.com, in your address book.

A journalist’s work never ends, and neither will our efforts in Region 7 to spread SPJ’s message and bring its members closer together.

_______

Earlier this week, I was honored to be invited to speak at a teach-in for high school and college journalism educators on how professional and student media can work together.

It’s fitting that this year’s Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference was held in St. Louis. It’s the home, after all, of the Hazelwood school district at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows prior review of student publications. Across the nation, SPJ has been seeing more (and speaking out against) cases of censorship at student publications.

That’s why it’s even more important than ever for student journalists and their newspaper advisers to know that SPJ is here for them. Beyond issuing statements speaking out against censorship, SPJ offers tons of ideas for student activities, lesson plans and class speakers. Here’s just a sampling of what I shared at the conference:

• Slice ‘n Dice Program in a Box: Bring together students and pros for networking, resume critiques and grub. Download everything you need, including directions, fliers and a sign-up sheet. Just bring in the pros and order the pizza.
• SPJ Mentor Matchup: Not a lot of people seem to know about how SPJ pairs young reporters and seasoned veterans to help with real-life and newsroom questions.
• First Amendment Free Food Festival: One of the most fun SPJ events I ever attended. Students are offered free pizza in exchange for symbolically signing away their First Amendment rights. A “goon squad” bans all talking in line (because there’s no freedom of speech), prevents friends from sitting together (no right to peaceably assemble), sends complainers to an empty complaint table (no right to petition for the redress of grievances), and breaks up student prayer circles (no freedom of religion) and even reporters trying to cover the event (no freedom of the press).
• eCampus Video Training on Demand: From the basics of video techniques to the ABC’s of requesting documents, this is a go-to place for journalists to grow.
• Journalist’s Toolbox: An all-encompassing guide for online resources for journalists. Highlights: Twitter for Newsrooms, YouTube Reporters Center and Writing with Statistics.
• SPJ is also a great resource for finding class speakers (remember, the pros involved in SPJ are still excited about the business and have wide-ranging connections within the industry). Job shadowing and Skyping into classrooms (had fun speaking to my former high school journalism teacher’s class that way) are also options.
• Probably the most important lesson of all: SPJ’s Code of Ethics could fuel a week or month or semester’s worth of journalism classes — Seek Truth and Report It, Minimize Harm, Act Independently and Be Accountable.
• Speaking of students and pros working together, I am already working with some students on planning the 2012 Spring Region 7 Conference. It will be at Iowa State, probably the last weekend in March. Stay tuned for more details.
• And I’d be remiss if it I didn’t plug the St. Louis pro chapter’s upcoming Student Bootcamp for college journalists Sept. 17 at Saint Louis University. Students from throughout Region 7 are invited to learn from the pros. Email Tammy Merrett-Murry at tmerret@siue.edu to find out more.

On behalf of the Society of Professional Journalists’ St. Louis, Southwest Missouri and Kansas City professional chapters, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation has donated $2,500 to help Joplin Globe employees who lost their homes in the May 22 tornado.

“Despite suffering personal tragedy, these journalists have carried on the work their community needs and expects of them at such a difficult time,” said Steve Geimann, president of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. “They are a beacon that will help Joplin become a stronger community. For that, we are proud to call them peers.”

The homes of least 25 Joplin Globe employees were heavily damaged or destroyed.

The donation was made to the Missouri Press Foundation’s Joplin fund, which the Missouri Press Association formed.

Want to help out? Tax-deductible donations can be sent to the Missouri Press Foundation, 802 Locust St., Columbia, MO 65201.

The Missouri Press Foundation Board of Directors will distribute 100 percent of the funds.  The foundation, chartered in 1984, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.

Congratulations to students from Drake, Iowa State, University of Missouri, Missouri Southern State, St. Louis Community College and Johnson County Community College who were named national winners and finalists Tuesday in the Mark of Excellence competition.

This year, student journalists submitted almost 4,000 entries. National Mark of Excellence Award judges choose one national winner in each category and two national finalists (runners-up).
First-place national winners will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism 2011 conference Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans and showcased on SPJ’s website.

View the winning work here.

The national winners and finalists from Region 7 are:

Feature Photography
• National Finalist: Students Mourn Death – by Sarah Andrews, Drake University.

Sports Photography
• National Finalist: Cyclone Stampede: Kickin’ Up Dust – by Kelsey Kremer, Iowa State University.

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• National Finalist: Beltway Beginnings – by Catherine Newhouse, University of Missouri.

Editorial Writing
• National Finalist: Brennan Stebbins, Missouri Southern State University.

Online Feature Reporting
• National Finalist: Battle Over Judge Retention In Iowa – by Tyler Kingkade, Iowa State University.

Television General News Reporting
• National Winner: New Signs for Boomer Eyes – by Jennifer Meckles, University of Missouri.

Television In-Depth Reporting
• National Finalist: Target 8: Fulton State Hospital – by Jennifer Meckles & Scott Schaefer, University of Missouri.

Television News Photography
• National Finalist: Winter Delivery – by John Henry, University of Missouri

Two-Year College/University Winners & Finalists

General News Reporting
• National Winner: The Forgotten Genocide – by Eric Aikin, Joseph Douglas, Andrea Royals & Anna Nowotny, St. Louis Community College at Meramec.

Television Feature
• National Winner: K.C. Pedicabs – by Jason Gould, Johnson County Community College.

I had the honor of meeting some of the Mark of Excellence award winners at this past weekend’s Region 7 spring conference in Kansas City.

First place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in early May.

The winners are listed below.

Four Year College/University winners:

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Election 2010 – Terry Branstad – by Dylan Boyle, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Feature Photography
• First Place: Students Mourn Death – by Sarah Andrews, Drake University.
• Second Place: Diwali Night – Haema Nilakanta – by Kelsey Kremer, Iowa State University.
• Third Place: Skin Deep – by Ari Curtis, Drake University.

General News Photography
• First Place: A Matter of Interpretation – by Elliot Kort, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Able Life – by Carnez Williams, University of Kansas.
• Third Place: Images of Hope – by Molly Mullen & Kim Sulack, Creighton University.

Photo Illustration
• First Place: Drake Magazine Cover – by Jason Oelmann, Drake University.
• Second Place: Sparking a Comeback – by Trina Pham & Julia Smith, Creighton University.
• Third Place: The State of Urban America – by Nicole Salow, Drake University.

Sports Photography
• First Place: Cyclone Stampede: Kickin’ Up Dust – by Kelsey Kremer, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: Native Daughters, University of Nebraska.
• Second Place: Detours, Truman State University.
• Third Place: Trend, Iowa State University.

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• First Place: Beltway Beginnings – by Catherine Newhouse, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Crossing the Line – by Rachel Vogel, Drake University.
• Third Place: Don’t Look Back – by Laura Johnson, Drake University.

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: Iowa State Daily, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Index, Truman State University.
• Second Place: The Creightonian, Creighton University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Southern hires embezzler to teach accounting – by Brennan Stebbins, Missouri Southern State University.
• Second Place: Jon Lacina’s body found – by Sarah Haas, Rashah McChesney, Kim Norvell & Jessica Opoien, Iowa State University.
• Third Place: Republican candidates dominate election – by Austin Enns & Jason Strachman Miller, Kansas State University.

Editorial Writing
• First Place: Brennan Stebbins, Missouri Southern State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Feature Writing
• First Place: Unexpectedly Expecting – by Aly Van Dyke, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Abnormal arms, but ample ability – by Adam Samson, University of Kansas.
• Third Place: With poplar trees, a one-time polluter makes some green – by James Malewitz, University of Iowa.

General News Reporting
• First Place: A Matter of Interpretation – by Elliot Kort, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Able Life – by Carnez Williams, University of Kansas.
• Third Place: Images of Hope – by Molly Mullen & Kim Sulack, Creighton University.

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: A generation ablaze – by Brenna Hawley, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Proposition 1: Downtown Cameras – by Victoria Guida, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: Sales of the Death Men – by Keven Hardy, University of Kansas.

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Max Olson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Second Place: Jack Nicholl, Truman State University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Sports Writing
• First Place: Go and catch a falling star – by Scott Miller, The University of Iowa.
• Second Place: Husker long snapper Mangieri prefers to remain hidden – by Mitch Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• Third Place: Junior Guard hopes to shine bright this season and beyond – by Matt Entringer, Creighton University.

Best Affiliated Web Site
• First Place: IowaStateDaily.com, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Battle Over Judge Retention In Iowa – by Tyler Kingkade, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: Penn Staters return to the shrine – No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online Opinion & Commentary
• First Place: Kirsten Jacobsen, University of Iowa.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio Feature
• First Place: Unorthodox Piercings – by Caitlin Doornbos, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Getting Out the Vote – by Brian Johnson, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: Haiti Benefit Concert – by Kyle Stokes, University of Missouri.

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: The Zombie Walk – by Krista Jobst, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Candidate Vicky Hartzler – by Kyle Stokes, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: KU Quidditch Club – by Alex Tretbar, University of Kansas.

Radio In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Patriot Guard Riders – by Nick Gass & Alex Pfenninger, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio Sports Reporting
• First Place: Extreme Birding – by Rebecca Wolfson & Maggie Berglund, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Derby at the Fair – by Rebecca Wolfson, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Feature
• First Place: A Hairdresser’s Story – by Emily Spain, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Adults vs Kids: Texting and Driving – by Jennifer Meckles & Scott Schaefer, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: The Story of Amanda McDaniel – by Alex Rozier, University of Missouri.

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: Art Walk – by Monica Scherer, Missouri State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: New Signs for Boomer Eyes – by Jennifer Meckles, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Book Ban – by Adam Hammons, Missouri State University.
• Third Place: Adoption – by Courtney Syberg & Katy Reed, Missouri State University.

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: University of Missouri System President Resigns – by Alex Rozier, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Rebuilding Together – by Alex Rozier, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: A Tiny Hero – by Alison Schutz (Archer), University of Missouri.

Television In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Target 8: Fulton State Hospital – by Jennifer Meckles & Scott Schaefer, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Columbia Trailer Park Linked To National Problem – by Emily Spain, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television News Photography
• First Place: Winter Delivery – by John Henry, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: Runs in the Family – by Casey Phillips, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: CMU Lineman All-American On and Off The Field – by Josh Frydman, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: Jon Ketz – by Jonathan Ketz & Eric Blumberg, University of Missouri.

Two Year College winners:

General News Reporting
• First Place: The Forgotten Genocide – by Eric Aikin, Joseph Douglas, Andrea Royals & Anna Nowotny, St. Louis Community College – Meramec.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Feature
• First Place: K.C. Pedicabs – by Jason Gould, Johnson County Community College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: JCCC Cavaliers at the “K” – by Rob Ladd, Johnson County Community College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Photography
• First Place: JCCC Cavaliers at the “K” – by Jason Gould & Caleb Gabauer, Johnson County Community College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

*Mark of Excellence Awards honor only the best in student journalism. Judges are not required to select first, second or third place winners.

From finding a job on Facebook to launching hyperlocal news outlets and navigating the blurred lines between journalists and technologists, this year’s Region 7 Spring Regional Conference in Overland Park, Kan., has something for everyone. And it’s only a month away!

Click here to get the lower, early-bird registration fee.

The conference will be filled with professional development programs to strengthen your career and reboot your skills. Jim Flink, vice president of news operations for Newsy.com and former news anchor and reporter for KMBC-TV in Kansas City for 15 years, will serve as our keynote speaker.

Read more about the sessions here.

Hope to see you in Kansas City!

SPJ Region 7 is taking its annual spring conference to Kansas for 2011.  This means we’ve been in all four states that comprise the region over the past few years, including Nebraska in 2010.

WHEN: April 8-9, 2010

WHERE:  Sheraton Overland Park (Kansas) at The Convention Center. $89 a night -what a bargain!

Registration Fees-Early Bird by March 15
Student Member: $60
Student Non-Members: $100
Pro Member: $105
Pro Non-Member: $185

Registration Fees-Regular by March 31
Student Member: $80
Student Non-Members: $120
Pro Member: $125
Pro Non-Member: $205

Registration Fees-On Site
Student Member: $100
Student Non-Members: $140
Pro Member: $145
Pro Non-Member: $225

We got great feedback from attendees about our panels and sessions in Omaha, so please let me know how you think we can build on that – either repeating sessions you liked or adding new ones.  Again, holly.edgell@patch.com is the best way to reach me.

Holly Edgell
Region 7 Director

Remember me?  It’s your regional director here, after a two month absence.  Sorry about that.

The breaking news is that I have a new job: I joined AOL as Regional Editor for Patch.com in St. Louis on July 26. The first part of this new gig involves finding and hiring twelve great journalists as Local Editors (LEs) who will launch twelve hyper local news websites more or less north of I-64/Hwy. 40 in Metro St. Louis.  My counterpart in the area is Kurt Greenbaum, formerly of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  He’s also building his team and has already hired two LEs.

Once our teams are in place Kurt and I will be guiding the LEs editorially and operationally and plan to begin launching our Patch.com sites this fall. One of the really neat things about doing hyper local journalism the Patch.com way is that the LEs live in or very near to the communities they cover.  As we reach nearly 100 sites around the country so far, Patchers are getting good receptions as they get their feet on the streets, covering towns and cities usually neglected by the handful of media outlets that remain in metropolitan areas.

St. Louis will be the first area of Region 7 to have Patch.com, with Kansas City coming in 2011.  If you have any questions about Patch.com job opportunities, check out this page and then feel free to drop me a line at holly.edgell@patch.com (along with your resume).  Be sure to mention whether you are an SPJ in your email. I will try to any other questions about Patch.com  or direct you people who can.

Here are a few links related to what I am doing:

Interview with AOL CEO Tim Armstrong

TIME article about hyper local news

Promising Local News Sites, by Michelle McLellan – Fellow, Reynolds Journalism Institute

Also, I’ve revamped my personal website to reflect my transition from teaching at Mizzou to Patch.com.

I spent the weekend in a Kansas City state of mind.  First, because of the wonderful evening at the Heart of America Awards Banquet Saturday, June 5.  Second, because the Kansas City Press Club has agreed to host the 2011 Region 7 Spring Conference.

If the annual awards banquet is any indication of this SPJ chapter’s organizational abilities (and I suspect it is) we are all in for a pretty swell regional gathering next year.  Stay tuned for details on that.

So, back to the awards banquet.  Here is a link to the banquet page, which includes photos and complete list of winners.  The list of winners includes comments from the judges (from Regions 2 and 5).

I was pleased as punch to act as MC for the evening. Here are my remarks:

Good evening and welcome to the Kansas City Press Club Heart of America Awards.  It’s wonderful to see so many of you here tonight, to enjoy the fellowship, accept awards and honor the outstanding work of your colleagues.

I’d like to begin by asking the members of the Kansas City Press Club board of directors to stand so we can applaud you for your outstanding work supporting the mission of the Society of Professional Journalists in both KCK and KCMO.

This chapter began right here at the Hotel Muehlebach on July 8, 1947.  The chapter’s officers were installed, the charter was presented, four new members were initiated and The Kansas City Star received the national Sigma Delta Chi Award for Courage in Journalism. To quote the organization’s Quill magazine:

“The SDX award was made to the Star for that paper’s sensational vote fraud exposures in the 1946 primary election. In accepting the award, Roy A. Roberts, president of the Star, paid tribute to the loyalty and devotion of his staff, giving particular credit for the stories that formed the basis of the fraternity honor to Ira M. McCarty and John P. Swift, reporters.”

So as you can see, the Kansas City Press Club made an impact from the very beginning.  With that in mind, I think it’s worth reminding ourselves just what the Society of Professional Journalists exists for, so here goes:

— To promote the free flow of information.

—   To maintain constant vigilance in protection of the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press.

— To stimulate high standards and ethical behavior in the practice of journalism.

—   To foster excellence among journalists.

— To inspire successive generations of talented individuals to become dedicated journalists.

—   To encourage diversity in journalism.

—   To be the pre-eminent, broad-based membership organization for journalists.

—   And To encourage a climate in which journalism can be practiced freely

I’ve been attending this awards banquet for a few years now.  As a national board member of SPJ – it makes me really proud that Region 7 has such a special way to gather and recognize journalists in Kansas and Missouri. Congratulations Kansas City Press Club, on this great program. It all started in 1987, specifically to honor journalists working in communities between US 81 in Kansas and Highway 63 in Missouri, truly the heart of America.

As we emerge from this recession, I think it’s more important than ever that we honor and celebrate hardworking journalists –after all no one else is going to right?

These men and women keep information flowing to the public, seek the truth and report it, and are working harder than ever to adapt to new ways of delivering the news, in a profession, in an industry that is evolving before our very eyes. While it may be true that journalism is more challenging and fast-paced than ever before, it’s also true that journalism is more exciting and has greater opportunities than ever before.

In this regard the chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists – chapters like the Kansas City Press Club – are on the front lines.  If you already are a member of SPJ, I congratulate you.  If you are not a member, I encourage you to invest $72 a year in yourself, in your career and get involved with your nearest chapter.

With about 8,000 members SPJ is the leading group for journalists.  While local chapters form the backbone of the organization, on a national level, SPJ stands ready to support journalists at all levels of their careers.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to visit the newly revamped SPJ.org – where you can find career resources, training, regional and committee blogs, the diversity tool kit, support for journalists facing ethical and legal challenges, and much more.

And, please consider joining SPJ for this year’s national convention and conference in Las Vegas, Oct. 3-5.  We’ve done the math, comparing what you get for your money (at our conference compared to others, and it’s really the best deal in the business.  You can find more information about the conference at spj.org – just click on the convention tab.

We almost ready to get started! Just a couple more things…

I am so excited to announce that the Kansas City Press Club will be hosting the 2011 Region 7 Spring Conference in 2011.  It’s a great way for journalists in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to meet, network and learn.  I am looking forward to helping the chapter lay the groundwork for this event.  By the way, you can keep up with the planning and other regional information via our SPJ Region 7 Facebook page AND the Region 7 blog “The Heartland Beat.”

At a time when social media is really taking off we were going to try something different this year – allowing winners to make acceptance speeches – as long as they could keep their remarks to 140 characters or less.  We decided that was a lot to ask of journalists, so no acceptance speeches tonight.  You CAN go ahead and Tweet your acceptance speech, with the hash tag “IHEARTKC”

Without further ado, here is your president Steve Kaut.

We have quite a few students from the region who are winners and finalists in the National Mark of Excellence Awards!  They will be handed out at the national conference and convention in Las Vegas in October.

Non-Fiction Magazine Article  • National Winner: Keeper of the Court (Kevin Crane) – by Chris Hamby, University of Missouri

Sports Writing  • National Winner: Arena of Dreams – by Andrew Astleford, University of Missouri.

Television Sports Photography • National Winner: Nasty Nine – by Michael Brannen, University of Missouri.

Television Sports Reporting • National Finalist: Fan Rumps – by Michael Kelly, University of Missouri.

Radio Feature • National Finalist: Low Pork Prices Hurt Farmers – by Brandon Smith, University of Missouri.

Radio In-depth Reporting  • National Finalist: Life After Prison – by Lindsey Foat and Emily Coppel, University of Missouri.

Online Sports Reporting • National Finalist: Pregame Playmakers – by Evan Bush, Adam Falk and Taryn Wood, University of Missouri.

Editorial Writing • National Finalist: The Chart, Brennan Stebbins, Missouri Southern State University.

General Column Writing • National Finalist: Jessica Opoien, Iowa State University.

General News Reporting • National Finalist: Overdrafts under review – by Daniel Johnson, University of Kansas.

Here is a link to all the national winners and finalists:
http://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=974#974