It has been a full week here in Indianapolis, and I have already gotten lost a handful of times in the city. Instead of viewing it as an adventure, I start to sweat and irrationally think that I’m never going to make it home. Might as well call my folks, say some dramatic last words and then park my car somewhere in the void. Maybe it would be best that from here on out, if I’m going to explore a new town, I better pack a few boxes of Cheez-Its, a First Aid kit and flare gun.

Now that I’m at SPJ Headquarters, I have to admit that one of the things I’ve wanted to do after college is help students set up campus chapters, a process that may seem like an intimidating, winding road. However, Headquarters staff members are like the GPS of the organization: they can lead you down the right path (sometimes with an overdone British accent).

Right now, there are 129 campus chapters in SPJ, but there’s always room for more. A friend of mine over at the University of North Florida is in the process of beginning a chapter, and she is currently looking for an adviser. She’s got spunk and initiative, which is something that SPJ needs to continue thriving.

Don’t have an SPJ chapter on your campus? Start one. You have Headquarters backing you 100 percent (the people over here don’t bite), and the start-up process is going to quadruple your leadership skills. If you join this national organization as someone who had the drive to start up their college chapter, can you imagine how many professional contacts you’re going to make while in school? Don’t pass up that opportunity.

Here’s how to start:

1)      Let SPJ Headquarters know you’ve made the decision to start a chapter by calling 317-927-8000. You can start a chapter if you’re at a two-year or four-year university or college that has a school or department of journalism or that offers courses in journalism. At least 10 students need to back you up.

2)      Seek out professional SPJ members near you, whether they’re faculty or in a local Pro SPJ chapter. They’ll help you out and offer guidance.

3)      You have to send in some paperwork to Headquarters in order to become a provisional campus chapter, which means you have a year to work toward becoming a “formally recognized” SPJ chapter.

To look at the details on how to start up a campus chapter, visit the SPJ site. It includes paperwork information, programming ideas and tips on how to set up the chapter framework. If you have any questions about anything, call us at Headquarters at 317-927-8000.

Or e-mail me for campus chapter tips at adudash@spj.org. I was an officer in the University of Florida chapter for four years, which included being president for two. I helped lead an almost dormant chapter to becoming the 2009 Outstanding Campus Chapter of the Year. Revving up a chapter is a lot of work, but we certainly had fun with all our programming.

I assure you, we’re not going to let you get lost in the process. So set aside that emergency box of Cheez-Its and flare gun, and start up your chapter this summer.

Coming soon: When to throw out a stale chapter and bake a new one

April Dudash is the summer 2010 Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and does the bidding of SPJ Headquarters. She graduated from the University of Florida in May and has been an SPJ member since 2006.

I shared the following story with my colleagues and one of them thought I should share it with all of you (see Scott Leadingham):

Over Easter weekend, I met my parents in Washington, D.C. to take a walk beneath the cherry blossoms. We joined the 100,000-plus admirers of the blooms and braved the crowded metro to see some sites that we’d never visited before. I’ve lived in D.C. and visited as a tourist many times, but what I love most about the city is that there’s always something unfamiliar or new to explore. In addition to the Blossom Festival, Lincoln’s summer cottage and Hotel George’s Bistro-Bis, the Newseum was high on our priority list.

While all of our destinations on that trip’s agenda were fantastic, the Newseum was divine. My parents and I spent an entire afternoon systematically moving from one exhibit to the next, completely enthralled with the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery; the exposed pieces of the Berlin Wall, one of which you could touch;   the moving display of the coverage of 9/11; and the recreation of Tim Russert’s office. We could have spent all day opening the drawers of preserved pages from over 30,000 historic newspapers. I found the memorial to all journalists who were killed while doing their job particularly emotional. So emotional, in fact, that I could not form words to describe how I felt standing beneath the glass panels that paid tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in the name of getting a story to the public.

When we went to sleep that night, I, and my unfortunate roommates, my parents, found out just how much I had been affected by the Newseum. I awoke my parents by loudly declaring:

“WE MUST BE TRANSPARENT. WE MUST BE TRANSPARENT. WE MUST BE TRANSPARENT.”

According to my mother, I repeated these four words with gumption before taking a breath and starting again. My poor startled parents said they stared at me in the darkness as I rallied unseen supporters for FOI and open government, wondering if I was OK or if the Newseum and my internship with SPJ truly had infiltrated my dreams. Then they got their answer….

“Tell them to call SPJ if they have any questions,” I said resolutely. Shortly thereafter, I was silent.

Of all places to get on my soapbox about the importance of transparency, I should be doing it in D.C.

Too bad I was doing it in my sleep.

But I am very happy that I asked whoever was listening – in my dream or in the adjacent hotel rooms – that they could call SPJ if they needed any additional information. I hope you tell your journalism friends, preferably the real ones, to call SPJ, too.

20/20 isn’t just an ABC News program. It has something to do with hindsight, and perhaps it’s applicable here.

We’ve received some constructive feedback and questions about a recent membership mailing sent to past SPJ members whose memberships had lapsed. The purpose of this mailing, paid for by a generous individual donor, was to tout SPJ’s efforts and encourage past members to rejoin. In this capacity, it was part of a membership campaign, not strictly a fundraising letter in the traditional sense of the term. (Rather, a fundraising appeal would more appropriately come from the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, SPJ’s associated 501(c)(3) educational foundation, contributions to which are tax deductible.)

Click to enlarge

The feedback has not been against the idea of the mailing, but rather a perceived omission. The card included a box that people could check if they wished to rejoin, along with preferred contact information. People could then detach the information, seal it and send back to us. We would then follow up with a phone call about SPJ membership.

However, there was no price for membership listed (though there is the option to donate a specified amount without becoming an actual member, for those who support our mission but don’t wish to formally join).

This omission of membership prices may have been taken at best as a glaring oversight, and we thank those who contacted us and expressed concern. However, the omission was intended and practical for several reasons. Specifically:

1)      SPJ has several individual membership categories: student, post-graduate, professional, associate, retired. With space limitations, we decided not to list all of them and their corresponding category definitions and yearly dues structure. Click here to see that information at SPJ.org.

2)      We honestly hoped that if you indicated a desire to rejoin and sent back the information card, it would spur a personal contact that is somewhat lacking in this age of text messages and smart phones (not that there’s anything wrong with those technologies). Thus, after receiving your card, we would call you, discuss SPJ membership and why it would help you, and talk about the industry, the profession and your desire to join SPJ.

In hindsight, that great 20/20 equalizer that everyone experiences with amazing clarity at some point, we should have mentioned this idea to call you and discuss SPJ membership (including dues) in greater depth. For that, and for any confusion, we apologize.

And to all who gave feedback: Thanks for letting us know. And thanks for reading your mail!

Sincerely,

Joe Skeel

Executive Director

Society of Professional Journalists

Sigma Delta Chi Foundation

Though I constantly bemoan the fact that Indianapolis is not Washington state – my homeland – to anyone who will listen (and those who won’t), I must say there are a lot of hidden treasures here. On the whole, they almost make life in the Circle City tolerable.

(Hang on; there’s a journalism connection coming.)

Indianapolis is known for things other than speedways and Colts, namely the low cost of living. Forbes has ranked it at the top of the most affordable cities in which to live. And it apparently has a vibrant arts and culture scene. Who knew? Not this Northwestern boy.

In this spirit of affordability and the arts, I recently attended a weeknight concert/mixer for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra called “Happy Hour at the Symphony.” For $20 (actually $10, since I had a discount code), I got access to food, cocktails and a 90-minute symphony performance. Quite the weeknight.

The “Happy Hour” concept is aimed at the younger professional crowd, if not by design than by common logic: cheap food, drinks and good music. Oh, and the music – it’s a clever mix of traditional classical arrangements and modern pop standards from the likes of John Mayer and Coldplay. Yeah, they even had an alto sax and drum set. Edgy, I know. Roll over, Beethoven.

(Okay, here comes the journalism connection.)

Journalism, it seems, would benefit from its own “Happy Hour.”

Conducting the symphony orchestra that night was a young, multi-faceted 30-year-old named Steve Hackman. He did it all: conduct, play piano, sing with convincing elegance. Throughout the performance, he explained everything – history of the songs, relevance to today’s modern pop music, the interconnectivity of the harp and trombone. He even linked an iPod to the sound system for a neat demonstration.

There are countless journalism industry practitioners, commentators, observers, analysts and just plain bloviators currently discussing and opining on the future of the industry. (As SPJ President Kevin Smith put it: stop talking, start doing.) No doubt many have reiterated this theme (I’m thinking mostly of the very astute and poignant Jay Rosen and Jeff Jarvis). But I’ll say it again: The industry needs to focus on context and relevance, not ratings, wrapping “stuff” around the ads, and pushing out content to an increasingly bombarded and wary public.

The trumpeters, violists and conductors get it. It’s time for the editors, publishers and news directors to follow suit.

Scott Leadingham is editor of SPJ’s Quill magazine. He plays the trumpet from time to time, though not in a symphony orchestra. Twitter: @scottleadingham

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sure, the American public, the world and the aliens receiving our telecommunications signals 500 years from now are sick of Balloon Boy – but there’s a lesson here somewhere.

Let’s find it.

SPJ and Quill magazine are in need of your opinions on the subject: “What lessons, if any, have journalists and newsrooms learned from Balloon Boy?”

For the next issue of Quill – online and print – journalists of all stripes and media are encouraged to tell us how Balloon Boy – and other “quick to air breaking news” events such as the Sept. 11, 2009, Potomac incident – shaped your news coverage for the future.

Did you learn anything? Did your newsroom change any procedures? Did you become jaded or more skeptical? Did you change the lessons in the reporting class you teach?

There’s no right or wrong answer, just a multitude of opinions and outlooks from which we can all mutually benefit.

To submit: E-mail a one-to-three sentence answer with your name, title, outlet/organization for which you work and daytime contact information to Scott Leadingham. Responses will be confirmed, edited if necessary and possibly used in Quill.

Thanks in advance for your contribution.