The special hotel rate reserved for attendees of the Region 5&7 conference next month in St. Louis has been extended by one week.

Management at the Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch agreed this week to extend the conference rate after seeing a spike in registrations through March. The conference is scheduled for April 26-28 at the hotel.

Besides several programs, there will be Mark of Excellence awards handed out during dual luncheons at the conference.

But the hotel says just a few rooms remain in the block reserved for conference attendees, so anyone interested in an overnight stay needs to book reservations right away.

A happy-hour mixer with free drinks for hotel patrons is Friday, April 26, and a meeting of region leaders is slated for Sunday, April 28, starting at 9 a.m. The conference events take place from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. that Saturday.

Drury management also urges those attendees who drive to the conference to arrive early for parking, as the baseball Cardinals will host the Pittsburgh Pirates a couple blocks away on Saturday and the hotel shares parking space with Busch Stadium.

The lineup for April’s dual regional conference is growing. Drone journalism, hyperlocal news gathering and computer-assisted reporting are all on the agenda, as well as a session on how to be your own best editor.

And there’s more in store, but if you want to see any of it, sign up soon, so you can get the early bird registration rate and special hotel room discount.

Among the distinguished speakers:

Bill Allen, assistant professor of science journalism at the University of Missouri, who will explain the potential and peril of using civilian drones to gather news and information.

Holly Edgell, a former regional editor for Patch.com, who explains why it’s way too early to write an obituary for hyperlocal journalism.

Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, who will show time-challenged reporters how to do quick-and-dirty enterprise stories using data records.

This year’s conference is a joint production by Regions 5 and 7, covering a broad swath of the nation from Nebraska to Kentucky. There will be two banquets, one each for the regions to hand out their Mark of Excellence awards. There will be free breakfasts, courtesy of the host Drury Plaza Hotel, for conference attendees.

And there will be plenty of activity in downtown St. Louis away from the hotel, in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.

So, visit www.spjinstl2013.com now to land a great deal on a great date with top journalists and educators. You’re bound to have fun, and you’re certain to learn something.

When Region 7 and Region 5 have their joint spring conference in St. Louis next April, the event will take place in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.

The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch has graciously agreed to host the conference on the weekend of April 26-28, setting aside a large block of rooms reserved for conference attendees and preparing two luncheon banquets for each region’s Mark of Excellence awards. The tentative conference schedule includes an informal welcome gathering on Friday, sessions on Saturday, and a regional strategy meeting Sunday morning.

The location not only has fine amenities and fabulous views, but also is close to downtown historic sites, sports venues, shopping, and nightlife.

This is the first time St. Louis has hosted a regional conference in three years. At the suggestion of Region 5 leadership, the Gateway City’s proximity to south central Indiana and western Kentucky also proved an optimum location for that region’s burgeoning membership in those areas.

Details about the conference sessions are pending, but anyone interested in making individual or group reservations now can do so at this link at a reduced rate for SPJ attendees. This special rate and availability are guaranteed up to March 26.

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If you haven’t heard, Region 7 will host the next national conference of the American Copy Editors Society, April 4-6 at the Hilton at the Ballpark in downtown St. Louis.

Besides that though, yours truly will help carry the flag for Region 7 when I give a presentation on copy editing for freelance journalists at the convention. Though I’m not sure yet what I’ll say on the subject at this point, expect the presentation to elaborate on themes I wrote about for the new SPJ digital freelancing guide.

Members of the ACES executive committee were in St. Louis recently to scope out the convention venue, as well as host a daylong copy editing “boot camp” at the DoubleTree hotel in Westport. There, ACES president Teresa Schmedding and I discussed the need for a session on freelancer copy editing at the conference. (Full disclosure: I am a longtime member of ACES.)

Other details of the ACES program schedule are coming together, but anyone interested in attending can find out about hotel reservation information now at the conference website.

Key among the projected events is a plagiarism summit that includes SPJ and several professional and educational groups. The summit was inspired by ACES and spurred by a Poynter blog post about the raft of ethical issues confronting journalism this summer.

ACES planned to hold its 2013 convention elsewhere and the 2014 gathering in St. Louis, but moved up the Gateway City on the agenda when logistical problems at the original location arose. The society has about 800 members spread among a handful of chapters, including a college affiliate at the University of Missouri.

This past April, just over 350 members attended ACES national convention in New Orleans — at the same venue SPJ teamed with the Radio Television Digital News Association for Excellence in Journalism 2011.

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Sure, it’s only October, and spring seems too far down the calendar to contemplate.

But time ticks down faster than you think, and soon you’ll have to consider making travel plans for the annual Region 7 conference.

In fact, the foundation is being laid for that conference right now, with help from the leaders of neighboring Region 5 (Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana). Because St. Louis is central to both regions, we decided to convene there, and very soon we expect to announce a venue.

After that, we’ll hammer out the smaller details, such as sponsors and costs.

But the whole show isn’t up to just us: Your input is important, too. Tell us now what kinds of programs you’d like to see included at the dual regional, and maybe also mention the speakers you’d like to see present them.

Last spring, the conference in Ames, Iowa, included sessions on multimedia and mobility, social media and document searches, and helpful tips for freelancers as well as news staffs. The one-day, all-day conference even helped lay the foundations for stronger chapters in Iowa, and a new chapter in Nebraska.

Next spring, journalists from Region 7 are sure to face a host of new issues and challenges, some of which already may be taking shape. What better place then to discuss them and get valuable advice from learned SPJ colleagues and other professionals than the annual conference?

So, take a few moments to let us know now your ideas for program sessions at next spring’s conference. Send those ideas to me, David Sheets, Region 7 director, at dsheets@spj.org. If you want to discuss ideas directly, include a contact number.

Springtime may seem a long way off, but it’s really just around the corner. Help the regional conference’s planners get a jump on the calendar by adding your input to our efforts today.

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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.

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Congratulations to students at the following schools! They have placed in the Region 7 Mark of Excellence Awards. We will announce 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each category at a special luncheon during regional conference April 9-10 in Omaha. First place winners are automatically entered into the national Mark of Excellence competition. See you there!

Kansas State University

General Column Writing-4 Year College/University; General News Reporting-4 Year College/University

The University of Kansas

Best Affiliated Web Site-4 Year College/University; Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper- 4 Year College/University; Breaking News Reporting-4 Year College/University; Breaking News Reporting-4 Year College/University; Feature Writing-4 Year College/University; General News Reporting-4 Year College/University; In-Depth Reporting-4 Year College/University; Television Feature-4 Year College/University; Television General News Reporting-4 Year College-University

The University of Iowa

In-Depth Reporting-4 Year College/University; Online In-Depth Reporting-4 Year College/University; Sports Writing-4 Year College/University; Television In-Depth Reporting-4 Year College/University

Iowa State University

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper- 4 Year College/University; Best Student Magazine-4 Year College/University; Breaking News Reporting-4 Year College/University; Editorial Writing-4 Year College/University; Feature Writing-4 Year College/University;
General Column Writing-4 Year College/University; General News Reporting-4 Year College/University; Photo Illustration-4 Year College/University

Creighton University

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper-4 Year College/University; Photo Illustration-4 Year College/University

Drake University

Best Student Magazine-4 Year College/University; Best Affiliated Web Site-4 Year College/University; Best Affiliated Web Site-4 Year College/University; Non-Fiction Magazine Article-4 Year College/University; Photo Illustration-4 Year College/University

Truman State University

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper-4 Year College/University; Sports Column Writing-4 Year College/University

Baker University

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper-4 Year College/University; Online Feature Reporting-4 Year College/University; Online Sports Reporting-4 Year College/University; Sports Column Writing-4 Year College/University

Missouri State University

Television Feature Photography-4 Year College/University; Television Feature-4 Year College/University

St. Louis Community College

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper-2 Year/Community College; Sports Writing-2 Year/Community College

Missouri Southern State University

Editorial Writing-4 Year College/University

The University of Missouri

Radio Feature-4 Year College/University; Radio In-Depth Reporting-4 year College/University; Radio News Reporting-4 Year College/University; Radio Sports Reporting-4 Year College/University; Online Sports Reporting-4 Year College/University; Sports Writing-4 Year College/University; Non-Fiction Magazine Article-4 Year College/University; Online Feature Reporting-4 Year College/University; Television Breaking News Reporting-4 Year College/University; Television Feature-4 Year College/University; Television General News Reporting-4 Year College-University; Television In-Depth Reporting-4 Year College/University; Television Sports Photography-4 Year College/University; Television Sports Reporting-4 Year College/University

Crain Communications (Chicago)

Section Editor/Deputy Managing Editor

Crain’s Chicago Business is looking for an experienced editor to oversee the upfront news section of our local business weekly. Reporting to the editor, this position manages a team of reporters covering a full range of industry beats. The editor hired for the position will work with other news and graphics editors to produce a weekly upfront news section filled with high-impact stories on the people and events that shape Chicago business, told in the distinctive voice of Crain’s Chicago Business. Each upfront section must provide the market-leading coverage that makes Crain’s the definitive source of Chicago business news, with a mix of scoops, personality features and sophisticated, forward-looking analysis for our audience of business, political and civic leaders.

The position requires:

• Top-flight news judgment and feature-writing skills, along with the ability to shape and polish stories quickly under deadline pressure.
• Fertile mind for story ideas that will grab our readers’ attention and set the agenda for business news in Chicago.
• A flair for provocative headlines and eye-catching story presentation is critical.
• A thorough knowledge of business and financial concepts.
• Experience managing reporters and beat coverage in a competitive news environment.
• Other important aspects of the job are: developing video and other online elements for upfront stories, some Web editing, and close interaction with the graphics and copy desks.
• Minimum five years of solid newsroom experience.
• Bachelors degree

Crain Communications offers a competitive salary, a generous benefits package, profit sharing, and a friendly work environment.

To apply for this position please visit our website at www.crain.com and search under the Careers section.  Please include salary requirements along with cover letter and resume for consideration.

We thank you for your interest in Crain Communications and invite you to visit our website as positions are updated regularly.  Crain Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Investigative Reporter (3-5 years experience)

We are looking for an experienced investigative reporter with the skills and drive to expose fraud, corruption and injustice. We’re looking for someone who can develop sources throughout the region, pull the thread on the most promising leads and pursue stories that will make a difference in our readers’ lives.

Graphic Artist

We’re looking for a graphic artist to specialize in data visualization. This new hybrid role will work with the multimedia, graphics and computer assisted reporting teams to produce data visualizations and other interactive experiences — both on deadline and for larger cross-platform projects.

Nebraska Life Magazine

Photo Editor/Staff Photographer

We seek candidates with photography experience for our busy statewide magazine and publishing company.
The winning candidate will work with editors, designers, writers, fellow photographers and the great people of Nebraska to document the people, places, events, lifestyles, nature and culture of our great state through high quality photographs, videos and stories. This photographer will also do some writing and should be comfortable writing and with some skill.

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To search for a job or post a job opening, check out the SPJ job bank!

COMPANY: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

TITLE: Data Specialist

JOB DESCRIPTION: The Post-Dispatch is looking for a data specialist who will join forces with reporters and editors to produce sophisticated stories and projects in print and online. This journalist must be able to balance short and long-term news projects, breaking news and sustained data projects. Knowledge of Freedom of Information laws and the proven ability to negotiate for data are essential. 

JOB URL: http://www.journalismnext.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=6127

COMPANY: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

TITLE: Business of Health Care Reporter

JOB DESCRIPTION: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch looking for a thoughtful, hard-working business journalist to lead our business health care coverage. This reporter will be expected to break exclusive news both online and in print, cultivate compelling enterprise, help develop multi-media content and work within a collaborative, team environment with other health and business writers and editors. A diverse group of hospitals has established St. Louis as a major medical hub in the Midwest, and the health care industry employs more than 168,000 people in the metro area. The business health care reporter will cover a wide array of topics beyond just hospitals, including private insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, nursing homes and the uninsured. The reporter also will keep tabs on major health-related companies, such as Express Scripts, a Fortune 500 company, and drug giant Pfizer, which has a major research campus here. Further, St. Louis has two renowned medical schools, Washington University and St. Louis University, which makes St. Louis a center for cutting-edge medical research. The business of health care reporter will follow the commercial development of new drugs, medical devices and the emergence of new medical companies. 

JOB URL: http://www.journalismnext.com/jobdetails.cfm?jid=6128

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KMOV-TV:  Morning News Producer

Date Available: Immediately

Send Resume to: Kara Kelly, Executive Producer
KMOV-TV
One Memorial Drive
St. Louis, MO 63102

E-mail: employment@kmov.com Fax: Fax 314/444-6393

Job Description: KMOV-TV has an immediate opening for a morning news producer.

The ideal candidate is a proven news producer with an aggressive and creative style. Must be innovative and you must be able and willing to make changes on the fly. This is a position where the ideal producer will be looking forward at today’s news instead of backward at what everyone else did the night before.

The ideal candidate will also have a strong news judgment and be able to handle breaking news situations. This is not a newscast for show stackers. This is a newscast for aggressive thinkers.

You must have at least 2 years of producing experience and knowledge of newsroom operations.

KMOV-TV:  Broadcast Assistant

Date Available: Open continuously

Send Resume to: Bryce Moore, Website Manager
KMOV-TV
One Memorial Drive
St. Louis, MO 63102

E-mail: employment@kmov.com

Job Description: KMOV-TV has a continuing opening for the position of Broadcast Assistant. Some Knowledge of Broadcast news is preferred. Duties include, but are not limited to, assisting producers and production assistants in the various aspects of newscast preparation and operating the teleprompter for those newscasts.

The Broadcast Assistant position is a temporary 26-week position and is offered on a rotating basis. Applicants must be flexible as hours can include early mornings, afternoons and/or weekends.

This is an excellent opportunity for anyone wishing to enter the broadcast field to see first-hand the operation of a top-notch news organization. College students with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism are encouraged to apply.

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KSDK is looking for a Multimedia Producer to take our highly rated 10 p.m. newscast to a new level. Our ideal candidate has boundless energy, intelligence, news sense and leadership to produce top rated newscasts. This person will help take us to the next level for all the networks of KSDK, including www.ksdk.com and other websites. We are looking for a responsible newsroom citizen who embraces growing technologies and has the skills necessary for a multiplatform environment. This position demands maturity, solid decision making skills and the ability to lead a group of well-seasoned and dedicated professionals. The ideal candidate will need to demonstrate solid news judgment with a knack for knowing the stories people care about.

Requirements

Candidate will be part coach, part cheerleader and part visionary. Computer literacy and four year college degree required. Three to five years of solid producing experience is preferred.

Send your resume along with salary history and cover letter to:

Ava Ehrlich

Executive Producer/Special Projects

KSDK-TV

1000 Market St.

St. Louis, MO. 63101  OR http://tinyurl.com/ygfl6rq

KSDK is looking for a Multimedia Producer to take our highly rated weekend editions of “Today in St. Louis” to a new level. Our ideal candidate has boundless energy, intelligence, news sense and leadership to produce top rated newscasts. This person will help take us to the next level for all the networks of KSDK, including www.ksdk.com and other websites. We are looking for a responsible newsroom citizen who embraces growing technologies and has the skills necessary for a multiplatform environment. This position demands maturity, solid decision making skills and the ability to lead a group of dedicated professionals. Not only must this candidate have ideas, but must also capture the spirit of the morning news—serious information, stories to start your weekend days and a touch of whimsy.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and value the benefits of diversity in our workplace.

Send your resume along with salary history and cover letter to:

Ava Ehrlich

Executive Producer/Special Projects

KSDK-TV

1000 Market St.

St. Louis, MO. 63101 OR http://tinyurl.com/yfbxwrq

KSDK NewsChannel 5 and www.ksdk.com, the leaders in multimedia news gathering in St. Louis, are looking for a multimedia journalist – a reporter, editor, photographer, and presenter – to help us build the next generation of newsgathering. The successful candidate will produce content for all our platforms, on-air and online. The next Multimedia Journalist will have a demonstrated ability to deliver compelling storytelling on deadline, have strong presentation skills and possess the time management skills to produce two different packages daily.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and value the benefits of diversity in our workplace.

Send your resume along with salary history and cover letter to:

Ava Ehrlich

Executive Producer/Special Projects

KSDK-TV

1000 Market St.

St. Louis, MO. 63101 OR http://tinyurl.com/yjfawpa

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Looking for more job listings?  Want to post a job? Check out The SPJ Job Bank

The St. Louis Pro Chapter has a great event coming up. I asked president Kelsey Volkmann to describe how it works in case other chapters would like to try it.

“Hacks vs. Flacks Trivia Night”

Here’s an idea that puts the “fun” back in fundraising. For the third year in a row, the St. Louis Pro Chapter is hosting a trivia night, which usually attracts more than 100 participants and at least a few hundred bucks. A new twist we added this year: the theme of “Hacks vs. Flacks.”

We’ve invited reporters and public relations professionals to square off in teams of eight on questions about the media, St. Louis, current events, sports and other topics. Professional trivia master Dan Dillon, a writer in the promotions department at KMOV-TV, the local CBS affiliate, will emcee the Oct. 23 event at Immaculate Conception parish hall in Maplewood, Mo. A couple of local breweries, Ray Hill Brewing Co. and Schlafly, have generously agreed to donate some beer. The Fountain On Locust, a local restaurant, has provided a gift certificate and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is giving some books that we can award as prizes. While St. Louisans are pretty intense about their trivia nights — it’s not uncommon for people to go to them every week and bring whole spreads of food — I think this event can be successfully replicated anywhere.

Learn more at St. Louis SPJ Pro Chapter Web Site