If you’re anything like us at SPJ headquarters, you probably have a mildly unhealthy obsession with “Glee”  …  er … journalism industry news. Ah, then what better way to follow the news about the news than with a handy Twitter list?

Here’s a useful (and admittedly unfinished) list of real-time tweets from those who discuss journalism industry issues. Specifically, you’ll see groups such as the National Association of Black Journalists (@nabj); a digital journalism blog with tips from Mark Luckie (@10000words); updates from venerable media reporters like CJR’s Megan Garber (@megangarber) and former E & P writer Joe Strupp (@joestrupp); and much more.

Of course, the list isn’t exhaustive, as there are seemingly more people in the Twittersphere discussing and dissecting journalism than there are rabid fans of “Glee.” (And, hey, sometimes people do both.) If you have a suggestion to add, drop us a line at @spj_tweets.

So, here you go. Oh, and click here for a similar list of tweets from SPJ chapters and instructions on how to get a Twitter list working for you.

Sometimes random minutes “wasted” scrolling through Twitter updates can produce valuable results.

That was the case today when I stumbled across something from SPJ member and Seattlepi.com reporter/social media guru Monica Guzman (@moniguzman).

Here’s what I think is the easiest way to follow Seattle news. I do it every day, & trust me: I’ve got a full plate http://bit.ly/arCS4S

She addressed an issue I’ve been mulling for a while for @spj_tweets: how to make better use of Twitter lists.

Without stealing all of her thunder, I’ll let you check out what she has to say in greater detail.

But the gist is getting easy access to a Twitter list and using it in locations other than Twitter, namely your blog, news Web site, etc. The neat thing is people who aren’t down with Twitter can get feeds (read news and information) from a diverse range of sources due to the construct of the list.

So, without further adieu, here is a real-time (and constantly updated) list of news and tweets from SPJ chapters (student and professional):

Don’t see your chapter here? Follow @spj_tweets with your chapter account and we’ll add you.

See Monica’s Guzman’s post for easy instructions on how to do this with your lists.

Anyone who listens to NPR more than once in a blue moon probably remembers the catchy plugs for sponsors such as the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which has granted millions to public broadcasting (and others) to support journalism “… in the digital age.”

Similarly, journalists and industry followers even mildly interested in digital media trends are likely familiar with the Knight Foundation’s popular Knight News Challenge, a five-year, $25 million initiative that annually seeks innovation submissions from journalism and information technology entrepreneurs.

Click image for Knight Foundation report

Continuing its quest to research and fund digital-age projects supportive of quality journalism, Knight commissioned a study from Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors on 29 “media, information and communication contests.” Of course, the News Challenge is included in the analysis.

Some highlights:                           

-Knight currently gives away the most annually, with $5 million, though Google will soon supersede that with its $10 million Project 10¹⁰⁰.

-The amount of submissions per contest ranges from a few dozen to over 12,000.

-Sponsors and funders come from all sectors, including government, non-profit, education, and for-profit. The sector that sponsors the most contests (not surprisingly) is foundations, followed by for-profit technology companies.

But the analysis is not a competition among groups vying for the title “best funder.” Rather, the report highlights (very concisely, in my opinion) the various funding opportunities for those interested in sharing information on constantly changing digital platforms.

Plus, it’s not all journalism. Many of the projects and programs highlighted are for the more technical-minded: application developers and telecommunications gurus.

But there’s a general theme: Sharing information – either through published/broadcast news reports or over social media networks – is a critical component in the Internet age. Whether journalism entrepreneurs or computer science whizzes seek the money is moot. The point is that there’s a lot being done to spur and spread information-sharing technology. And there’s plenty of room for more players, both funders and seekers.

Scott Leadingham is editor of SPJ’s Quill magazine and spends way too much time on Twitter (@scottleadingham) following industry news.

I came to Portland, Ore., this week to help with SPJ’s Narrative Writing Workshop. It was me who left with an education.

Taking advantage of end-of-year unused vacation days, I visited some friends in Oregon. One insisted I talk to her 8^th grade reading/writing class. They’ve been studying persuasive writing, and apparently I know something about that. (I’m not a model journalist or persuasive writer, but I play one in 8^th grade classrooms. Mom would be proud.)

My friend – Mrs. Edmonson, according to her students – had asked me to talk about my job. This would be easy, I’d imagined:

“Well, you see, kids, Twitter is a great tool for sharing news and information. Have you ever read the AP Stylebook? It’s a great resource…”

Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

She – Mrs. Edmonson, that is – surprised me 12 hours before my grand arrival on campus by asking me to talk about the shield law, or, more accurately, the Free Flow of Information Act.

Indeed, it was the first time I’d been asked anything about the shield law in a non-work setting from a non-journalism industry person.

“Yeah, of course,” I said. “How old are your students?”

Truthfully, I don’t expect most adults – or the legislators and pundits currently debating the legislation – to fully understand the implications of the shield law. So, would a handful of kids … er … young adults grasp the idea of anonymous sources and compelled disclosure?

The answer, I found, is a resounding yes (though I never used the term “compelled disclosure”).

The lesson was fairly simple:

1)      Read a few short articles (on multiple subjects) citing anonymous sources.

2)      Ask when, if ever, people shouldn’t be named as sources.

3)      Brainstorm three pro and con arguments for a federal shield law.

(Yes, even though I work for an organization that explicitly wants a federal shield law, the lesson of the day was not to “indoctrinate,” but rather teach why people might approve or disapprove of this measure.)

Mrs. Edmonson’s task over the next week will be to assist these brilliant young adults as they write persuasive essays (editorials?) on why they support or do not support a federal shield law.

I know of at least one student who may seemingly support the idea of protecting journalists and their confidential sources. When told journalists can go to jail for keeping a promise to maintain anonymity, one student responded:

“Really? That’s just stupid.”

Now if only the U.S. Senate and American public could think the same way.

But tweet them we did!

Yesterday afternoon, the Free Flow of Information Act, passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The moment the vote was in, SPJ HQ began to celebrate. But we voluntarily cut our celebrating short, knowing it was imperative to alert our members of the news as soon as possible. And we – enthusiastically – did just that with a legislative alert to members, a press release to everyone else and tweets galore.

In a way, I arrived to SPJ Headquarters a bit late in the game. By the time I assumed communications responsibilities, the Society had been fighting for a federal shield law bill for five years. And to think I was getting frustrated with the process after only a few months! But patience is needed for such important, pivotal legislation. Patience and persistence. Because the battle for a federal shield law continues… Sen. Sessions released a strongly-worded news release against the bill shortly after it passed out of committee; we’re all pretty sure Sen. Feinstein (D-Calif.) won’t be backing down from her desired definition of a “covered person” anytime soon; and none of us have forgotten about the version of the bill that made it to the Senate floor in 2008 only to be stalled. (Knock on wood that won’t happen!)

At least one thing’s certain: SPJ won’t be giving up. The Society will continue fighting for a free press and the public’s right to know, whether we do it by sending SPJ President Kevin Smith back to D.C. to go to senator’s doors (which he volunteered to do happily last week – great job, Kevin), or through editorials and press releases, or through the hard work of our members whose calls and e-mails truly make a difference.  The fight continues.

Okay, try to contain your excitement. . .

The Nov/Dec issue of Quill magazine is available now (in print and online).

Quill - Nov/Dec 2009. There’s a prize if you can identify the newspaper name and issue date from which the newsprint on the cover is taken.

Features in this issue:

- News Hole:  Can local news Web sites fill the void left by shrinking newspapers?

- The Eternal Optimists: If the industry is shrinking, why are there still so many journalism majors, and what do they think about their job prospects?

- Three’s Company: With all the news about print going away, consider one Midwestern community served by a burgeoning trilingual newspaper.

All that plus the regular slate of Toolbox columns to help your career. And don’t miss the “10” interview with Rosette Royale, a truly inspiring journalist in Seattle whose work you’ll want to emulate (he won a Sigma Delta Chi Award last year).

As always, if you have questions, comments, concerns or snide remarks about Quill (print, online or otherwise), contact editor Scott Leadingham or leave a comment below. (And mom, if you’re reading this, please don’t sign your comments “Scottie’sMomma.”)

Happy reading!

SPJ has learned that Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) may propose a detrimental amendment to S. 448 — more commonly referred to as the federal shield bill — in the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning. The amendment would limit who is protected by the bill to a “salaried employee” or “independent contractor” of a news organization.  This language would likely exclude from coverage many online journalists, freelancers without contracts, and students or volunteer journalists, among others. The amendment would also exclude people who publish anonymously or pseudonymously.

SPJ is adamantly opposed to this amendment. This morning, President Kevin Smith is on Capitol Hill to express the Society’s strong opposition. We encourage you to contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as early as possible this morning to tell them that you do not support an amendment that limits who is protected by the bill. The Committee is slated to vote on this bill at 10 a.m. Eastern (for a live webcast of the meeting, click here). Please be sure they hear from you before that time.

The following is a list of Senate Judiciary Committee members (Click on names for contact information):

Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Ranking Member
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Edward Kaufman (D-Del.)
Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
Charles Grassley (R-Iowa)
Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
Arlen Specter (D-Pa.)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman
Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
Russell Feingold (D-Wis.)

 To learn more about SPJ’s efforts, click here. Read shield law press releases sent earlier this year on SPJ News.

Thank you for your immediate action to support this pivotal legislation.

It’s a day after Thanksgiving – but I can still give thanks, right?

As if teachers weren’t already underappreciated, I wonder how little thanks students give to those teachers who truly care. The ones that will stick out their necks. The ones that will help students personally and professionally.

For me that was Beth Wood, a journalism instructor at Indiana University. I technically didn’t have her for a journalism class, but rather PR for nonprofits. It was one of the most practically useful classes I took in graduate school. It also led to my job at SPJ.

For the class, fellow students and I designed a strategic communications and marketing plan for a local nonprofit organization. The all volunteer-run group was thankful for any help they could get. I was thankful I’d taken the class from Beth.

Post-graduation, I was working briefly producing and researching podcasts for a university research institution. Beth knew I was looking for a full-time job. She heard about a communications position at SPJ and practically made me apply. She helped polish my resume and offered useful feedback on a sample policy-oriented press release I wrote for the application.

I guess it worked, and here I sit a year and a half later, now as editor of Quill magazine. She was nice enough to invite me back last school year to speak to her undergraduate class.

Beth died Nov. 14 after a long battle with lung cancer. She’d taught class the week before. Her death was sudden and shocking to me and, I’m sure, her students, colleagues, family and friends.

Beth Wood, IU journalism instructor

Even more shocking was that I realized I’d never fully thanked Beth for her help, not only with career assistance but as a dedicated, thoughtful and selfless instructor. I know I wrote her an e-mail or two, updating her on my “life” and expressing gratitude for her help. But I can’t help but wonder: Was it enough?

Probably not.

I left the following comments in a news piece about Beth’s death on the IU School of Journalism Web site:

“Professor Wood was undoubtedly one of the most inspiring and engaging professors I’ve ever encountered. Taking a practical, not theoretical, approach to instruction, she gave students what they need: real-world lessons on how to do their jobs. She made students want to come to class – and she treated them as equals, especially at the graduate level, and always valued every student’s input. On a personal level, she guided me and gave me much-welcomed career advice – and even helped me land a job after graduation. For her helpfulness on a professional level, I am forever thankful. For her openness, honesty, sincerity, welcoming and amazingly bright personality, I will always cherish our interactions. She will be missed, not only by me and her former students, but by all who will never have the chance to take a class from the incredible Beth Wood.”

Lesson learned.

To students and young journalists: You have skills, and don’t underestimate those skills and their ability to advance your career. But there are people who help you at every step of the way. An instructor. An editor. A parent. An adviser. A mentor. A friend. Take time to properly thank the people in your life who have gone above and beyond on your behalf.

To teachers and all those who help students: Thank you! You’re appreciated, even if we young bucks don’t show it.

To Beth: You’re wonderful and a gift to all students. You will be sorely missed. Thank you.

When I started my fellowship, I did not know much about generating and maintaining membership so I was excited to learn from our membership coordinator, Linda Hall. Now that I’ve had the chance to work alongside Linda, I am amazed by her ability to remember hundreds of our members’ names. And not just their names – she remembers a member’s hometown, job, last SPJ activity and even what the member’s children are up to these days. Her personality is infectious, and I can hear it in members’ voices when they ask for her on the phone that they’re looking forward to a chat.

Staying up with our members is not a job – it’s a thrill. It is thrilling to speak with a man who has been a member for 60 years or a student who is brand new to college and eager to start her journalism education and her career. I love when members tell me stories about their intiation into SPJ or how their careers in broadcasting took them from one small town of characters to the next.

 And when our members celebrate their career successes, we love to celebrate with them. Today, we’re celebrating with Jeff.

Jeff Cutler is a social media journalist who just landed his first New York Post byline. He took a moment to write SPJ and tell us his good news because it was through SPJ’s Freelancer Directory that he received the editor’s call. Here, in his own words, is Jeff’s story – and a bit of advice for all you freelance writers out there:

The economy, readership, consolidation and life all get in the way when you’re trying to make a name for yourself as a freelancer. Too many school-committee meetings and too few columns, features and fun stuff. We’ve all been stuck in the struggle to break onto the pages of the larger papers and sometimes it just takes being in the right place at the right time. For me, that place was the men’s room.

 Seriously. I seldom bring my phone to the bathroom, but I was expecting a call so I put the phone down on the vanity. Then it rang.

I ignored the UNKNOWN caller id and answered. The rest of the story is how I got my first byline in the New York Post.

 You see, the Post was doing a story on ex-Governor Elliot Spitzer and his plan to speak at Harvard University. Fortunately for me, they didn’t have a reporter in Boston. Also fortunate was my membership in SPJ and the organization’s freelancer listings.

 The reporter who called at 1PM that day said she found me by going to the SPJ Website and wanted to know if I could dash into Cambridge, MA.

The Post needed quotes from Harvard students by 5PM. It took me about 2 seconds to evaluate my afternoon schedule and say yes. Of course I wanted a byline in the New York Post. Of course I could get to Harvard. Of course I’d be done by 5PM.

 Now my list of publications/outlets includes the Boston Globe, the New York Post, NPR and a variety of weeklies and dailies all over the country. But before you say, “That sounds simple,” think about this…

 Know that you can do a story before you accept the assignment. I don’t care how big the paper or outlet is, if you can’t deliver when you say you can, your phone won’t be ringing from them again.

 Get all the details up front so you don’t waste an editor’s time. Ask the right questions and put all your other work aside.

 Use resources like SPJ to make the route a little easier. If I wasn’t listed, someone else would have gotten those quotes, the byline and the surprisingly impressive check from the New York Post.

 Have fun no matter what story you’re assigned. And always answer your phone.

Jeff Cutler
www.jeffcutler.com

The non-profit Student Press Law Center is celebrating 35 years protecting the First Amendment rights of young journalists. And we here at SPJ headquarters – celebrating our centennial this year – wish all the best to SPLC and its cadre of volunteer lawyers, hardworking student interns, and, of course, ever-busy executive director Frank LoMonte.

SPLC sent a “party invitation” to recognize the occasion. There’s no physical party to attend – just a nicely designed campaign e-mail (and an ever-so-subtle suggestion to donate $35 … get it?).

One issue SPLC has been particularly in front of is opposition to FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The 35-year-old law is facing renewed scrutiny after a recent Columbus Dispatch investigation revealed universities arbitrarily and erroneously using the law to block public records. SPJ’s Quill magazine covered the controversy in the Sept/Oct 2009 issue, and SPLC’s Frank LoMonte was a crucial source. He provided some great tips for student journalists to overcome FERPA hurdles at their universities.

So, congratulations to SPLC on 35 years of defending the rights of the student press. Here’s to many more.