Thanks to our generous friends at SFGTV, which provides video coverage of San Francisco government meetings and events, we are able to offer a replay of SPJ NorCal’s Town Hall Forum, an event held Wed. Apr. 6 at the San Francisco Public Library. The robust discussion of new media drew a lively crowd, with lots of good questions from the audience and thoughtful responses from our all-star panelists.
The Society of Professional Journalists presents a Town Hall discussion on the progress towards building sustainable, quality journalism to replace coverage lost by the downsizing of print media. In a highly interactive discussion driven by the audience, a panel of 10 media, economic and social experts will offer expert perspective on the changes taking place as journalists adapt to new media.
When: Wednesday, April 6, 2011 • 6:00 PM
Where: San Francisco Main Public Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium • 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA
Confirmed guests include:
• Brian Farnham, Editor in Chief, Patch.com/AOL
• Leland Yee, California State Senate
• Anthony Moor, Local News Editor, Yahoo.com
• Kwokshu Leung, Exec. Producer Mandarin/Cantonese News, KTSF
• Dr. Dina Ibrahim, professor of Broadcast and Electronic Media, SFSU
• Barry Parr, media analyst, co-founder of the Mercury Center
• Lanita Pace-Hinton, Director, Knight Digital Media Center, UC Berkeley
• David Callaway, Editor in Chief, MarketWatch.com, Dow Jones
• Pat Kenealy, Managing Partner, IDG Ventures SF
• Kwan Booth, Community Manager, Oakland Local
Co-hosts: Rose Aguilar and Hana Baba, KALW-FM; Tom Murphy,SPJ NorCal board member
This program is being produced in collaboration with the San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco Bay Area Journalists meetup group.
On February 24, SPJ-NorCal and CNET co-hosted a panel on how journalism changes in the age of WikiLeaks.
Complete description of the panel is here.
Panelists:
- Declan McCullagh, chief political correspondent, CNET
- Caille Millner, San Francisco Chronicle
- Evan Hansen, editor-in-chief, Wired.com
- Jalal Ghazi, New America Media
- Burt Herman, Hacks & Hackers, Storify
Moderator: E.B. Boyd, FastCompany.com and board member, SPJ-NorCal
Video courtesy of CNET Reporters’ Roundtable.
Please join us on March 16, when we honor champions of the First Amendment at the 26th Annual James Madison Awards.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
No-host bar: 5:30 p.m.
Dinner/event: 6:30 p.m.
hosted by the
New Delhi Restaurant
160 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.397.8470
Purchase Tickets
- Payment Option 1: Buy Tickets Online via Paypal. Please note that there is a $2.50 or $3.50 convenience fee per ticket (depending on price) included in the e-pay option. If you wish to buy more than one ticket in a category (member, non-member) change the quantity on the PayPal page after hitting the Buy Now button.
___ ticket(s) at $50 each (SPJ members)
___ ticket(s) at $70 each (non-members)
Enclosed is my check for $______ payable to “SPJ-NorCal”
Please mail this form with your check (payable to “SPJ-NorCal”) to the following address not later than Friday, March 4, 2011:
SPJ – FOI Committee
c/o Mark Conrad
Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP
560 Mission Street, 27th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
The bean counters aren’t the only ones in journalism having to re-examine their game plans. The advent of third-party players like WikiLeaks is forcing editors to rethink traditional editorial practices. Historically, editors had as much time as they needed to study leaked documents. But in an age when anyone can access a (digital) printing press, editors no longer can count on controlling the timetable. While the Washington Post took two years to report “Top Secret America,” the New York Times, the Guardian, and Der Spiegel were given a mere three weeks to decide how to handle over 90,000 confidential documents on Afghanistan. (And only a little more to consider the handling of the subsequent documents on Iraq and the State Department cables.)
Join us as we discuss the challenges journalists face in the current environment, and consider questions like: How should news organizations handle situations like the ones the New York Times et al faced with WikiLeaks? And what’s the role of professional news organizations when anyone can publish the kind of information that previously was only the purview of journalism? And what do you think of how the New York Times handled WikiLeaks? (See Bill Keller’s “Dealing with Assange and the WikiLeaks Secrets”)
Panelists:
- Declan McCullagh, chief political correspondent, CNET
- Lance Williams, award-winning investigative reporter, California Watch
- Steve Proctor, managing editor, San Francisco Chronicle
- Evan Hansen, editor-in-chief, Wired.com
- Burt Herman, Hacks & Hackers
Moderator: E.B. Boyd, FastCompany.com and board member, SPJ-NorCal
Date: Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011
Time: 6pm: Registration. 6:30: Panel begins.
Location: The panel will take place in the ground floor meeting room at CNET. Come to the front desk, and they will direct you.
Hosted by: The Society of Professional Journalists-Northern California and CNET, part of CBS Interactive.
Sign up at: http://spj-wikileaks-panel-eorg.eventbrite.com/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Feb. 11, 2011
NORCAL SPJ CHAPTER ANNOUNCES FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD WINNERS
On March 16, the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California chapter will honor champions of the First Amendment at the 26th Annual James Madison Awards.
For his tireless pursuit of public records, his perseverance in related legal battles, and the award-winning news coverage that he has provided through the information that he has set free, Tim Crews, the editor and publisher of the Sacramento Valley Mirror is to receive this year’s Norwin Yoffie Award for Career Achievement. This award is named for one of the founders of SPJ NorCal’s Freedom of Information Committee, who as an editor and publisher of the then-family-owned San Rafael Independent-Journal was a vigorous advocate for transparency and accountability in the public-services sector. Other honorees are:
● Steve O’Donoghue, a retired teacher in the Oakland School District and co-founder of the Media Academy, who will be honored with the Beverly Kees Educator Award, named for a former SPJ NorCal president who was an educator and nationally recognized journalist.
● Attorney Duffy Carolan of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, who will receive theLegal Counsel award for her 20 years of representing journalists and news organizations, defending defamation lawsuits, advocating for the release of public records, and protecting journalists against compelled disclosure of unpublished materials.
● Investigative reporter Peter Byrne, whose multipart series on the websiteSpot.us outlined how several University of California (UC) Regents approved questionable UC investments in companies in which they had personal financial interests, will be honored with a Journalist award.
● Ashli Briggs and Alicia Lewis, who recovered pages of Sarah Palin’s speaking contract with the California State University (CSU) from a campus dumpster in Stanislaus, will share a Citizen award.
● The Associated Press Sacramento Bureau, which will receive a News Media award for a series of articles highlighting secrecy in the conduct of the Legislature.
● Reporter Amy Standen of KQED, who will receive a Journalist award for her detailed inquiry into the integrity of the compromised scientific findings of California regulators who approved the pesticide methyl iodide.
● Julia Prodis Sulek and Howard Mintz, of the San Jose Mercury News, who will share the Electronic Access award for their use of blogs and Twitter to provide compelling, real-time coverage of prominent court cases.
● Lloyd Chapman of the American Small Business League, who wrested government documents from federal agencies to reveal that billions of dollars in federal contract money designated for small businesses had in fact been diverted to large corporations, is to receive an Organization award.
The banquet will be held at the New Delhi Restaurant, 160 Ellis St., in San Francisco, two blocks from the Powell Street BART/MUNI station. A no-host reception at 5:30 p.m. will be followed at 6:30 p.m. by the dinner and awards ceremony. Tickets are $50 for SPJ members and students, and $70 for other attendees. Tables and hosting opportunities are also available. Information about how to purchase tickets will be included in a separate announcement.
The James Madison Freedom of Information Awards is named for the creative force behind the First Amendment and honors local journalists, organizations, public officials and private citizens who have fought for public access to government meetings and records and promoted the public’s right to know and freedom of expression.
Award winners are selected by SPJ NorCal’s Freedom of Information Committee. Additional information is available from committee co-chairs Rebecca Bowe or Mark Conrad, spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com.
2010 JAMES MADISON HONOREES
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but Sacramento Valley Mirror editor and publisher Tim Crews has found the California Public Records Act to be a rather effective weapon, too. Crews has been involved in more than 20 cases stemming from sunshine requests or uncovering violations of the state’s open meetings law. He runs the Mirror out of Willows, a tiny town off Interstate 5 in Glenn County. The investigative journalist has clashed with local government in countless memorable episodes, including one instance where he spent five days in jail for refusing to reveal the identity of a source. His paper ran a series using education board records detailing how a local school official had used taxpayer dollars for vacations and financial deals with friends. Another series, “Who killed Bud?” utilized CPRA records to investigate the killing of a district attorney’s brother-in-law, prompting a rare coroner’s jury to be convened. Crews’ tireless challenges to government secrecy have landed him in hot water with the legal system. The Mirror is currently facing steep legal fees arising out of a court sanction issued after a judge who was a target of one of Crews’ exposes ruled a lawsuit he had filed against a public agency was “frivolous.” Undeterred, Crews continues fighting, and he has garnered accolades. In 2010, the California Press Association named Crews Newspaper Executive of the Year.
EDUCATOR
Steve O’Donoghue taught for 33 years in Oakland, primarily at Fremont High School. In 1985, he founded the Media Academy at Fremont, which ultimately became a small school unto itself. He has served as an advisor for student yearbook, newspaper and magazine projects, and has taught courses in photography, desktop publishing, and journalism. In 1998, he established the High School Newspaper Support Program for the Bay Area. O’Donoghue has been recognized by numerous awards for his role in sustaining and advancing scholastic journalism.
LEGAL COUNSEL
This year marks Duffy Carolan’s 20th year of representing journalists and news organizations, defending defamation lawsuits, advocating for the release of public records and access to court proceedings, protecting journalists against compelled disclosure of unpublished materials, and numerous other matters. As an attorney first with Crosby, Heafy, Roach and May and since 1998 with Davis, Wright & Tremaine, Duffy has represented the Oakland Tribune, the Contra Costa Times, the Associated Press, the San Mateo County Times and many others. Since 2007, Duffy has served pro bono as the lead attorney for the Chauncey Bailey Project. She currently serves on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the First Amendment Coalition.
JOURNALIST
Journalist Peter Byrne’s multi-part investigative series, “Investor’s Club: How the Regents of the University of California Spin Public Funds into Private Profit,” employed an exhaustive and innovative use of the California Public Records Act during an eight-month long investigation that determined that the University of California (UC) had invested billions of dollars into risky private equity funds and companies in which regents in charge of making investment policy (including then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) held significant financial interests. The story was reported from 12,000 pages of public records obtained from UC, the California Public Employees Retirement System, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the California Fair Political Practices Commission; one important transactions spreadsheet was made available only after high-level political intervention. Byrne’s reporting, alleging conflicts of interest, quickly led to the departure of Regent Richard Blum from the investment committee. The California Senate has ordered an audit of the regents’ financial practices. In addition, the regents have stated they intend to appoint a union member to sit on the investment advisory committee that oversees the university’s portfolio of more than $60 billion. The cost of Byrne’s $7,000, eight-month long investigation was covered by 144 people and a consortium of Northern California newsweeklies affiliated with the “crowd funding” journalism website, Spot.us.
CITIZEN
When GOP icon Sarah Palin was invited to speak at California State University (CSU) in Stanislaus, questions arose about how much she would be paid in such a lean budget year marked by furloughs and layoffs. Then when first-amendment advocates filed public-records requests to get the terms of her contract, university administrators denied having any responsive documents. Thanks to the efforts of CSU Stanislaus students, several pages of Palin’s speaking contract were uncovered anyhow, through unconventional tactics. Alicia Lewis and Ashli Briggs were among the students who found the discarded documents amidst a pile of shredded paperwork by rummaging through a campus dumpster. Their actions drew national media attention, but also brought consequences. They came under pressure from the campus administration, and Palin herself singled them out for criticism during her speech. Nevertheless, the students say they have no regrets for taking action to ensure that information wasn’t kept hidden from the student body and the public.
NEWS MEDIA
The Associated Press, Sacramento Bureau and its four reporters in 2011 shined a bright light on the often secretive way the state legislature conducts business. Reporters Judy Lin, Don Thompson, Juliet Williams and Samantha Young pressed for records and open meetings on an array of state stories. The AP was the only news organization to demand entry into a private lunch called by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for all 120 lawmakers to solicit ideas to get the state through troubled times. Despite being refused entry, The AP’s Lin and Williams kept up stories on the private meeting, eventually prompting the governor to pledge to open future meetings. Young pursued stories on a legislative sex scandal involving a lobbyist by requesting calendars of all 120 lawmakers. Despite being turned down, her efforts to shine a light on the Legislature’s ability to set its own rules for disclosure prompted political reporters to ask candidates if they would pledge to open records if elected. Thompson tracked lawmakers’ spending on themselves, including a $5 million perk, unique to California, of taxpayer-provided cars. Lin used the state Public Records Act to uncover the fact that one-third of state lawmakers failed to report gifts from lobbyists or stays at exclusive resorts.
JOURNALIST
Amy Standen of KQED Quest reported a series of stories on radio and print/online chronicling California’s scientific consideration of the use of methyl iodide. The central question was how California regulators had come to approve a pesticide that many scientists had cautioned was too dangerous for agricultural use. The trail led from the agency’s website to searches of public records—KQED filed a request under California’s Public Records Act—that revealed damning evidence about the process, including that state pesticide authorities had acted against the advice of their own staff scientists, as well as a pattern of violations concerning safety measures. Standen’s reporting, which required intense and careful scrutiny of scientific studies, led to coverage by other media and was included in testimony concerning the issue. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the scientific dispute and also there is a pending lawsuit challenging the scientific basis behind the approval.
ELECTRONIC ACCESS
Julia Prodis Sulek and Howard Mintz of the San Jose Mercury News will share the Electronic Access Award for their use of blogs and Twitter to provide compelling, minute-by-minute coverage of the historic same-sex marriage case and a Los Gatos murder-for-hire trial. Mintz, a longtime legal affairs reporter, kicked off the online effort by launching a daily trial blog of the federal challenge to Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. His posts quickly became the go-to source for people following the testimony and arguments in real time, drawing 400,000 page views during the trial. The Mercury News created a special web section that collected news stories, blog posts and trial documents, along with photos. Sulek, a veteran crime reporter, delivered more outstanding online coverage when she won consent from the judge to blog a love-triangle, murder-for-hire case. Using a touch-screen iPad to avoid the distraction of clicking computer keys in the courtroom, she updated testimony as much as 50 times a day during the two-month trial. The coverage included a mix of rapid-fire tweets and Facebook pages about the case. In the end, Sulek and Mintz participated in a panel discussion with the local bench to enhance judicial understanding of real-time media coverage and promote public access to the courts.
ORGANIZATION
Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League, will be recognized for unflagging work to wrest government documents from federal agencies to expose the diversion of billions of dollars in federal contract money to large corporations at the expense of small businesses. A passionate advocate for the small business community for 20 years, Chapman is founder of the American Small Business League. In 2010, he filed eight lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act against a wide variety of agencies. So far, three have resulted in the release of documents previously withheld from the public. Over the years, Chapman and ASBL have forced the federal government to remove as many as 600 large businesses from a government database, thus opening more federal dollars to true small business owners.
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WEB PUBLISHING FOR INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS WORKSHOP
March 21-25, 2011
Application deadline: Jan. 28, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST
The career path for many of today’s journalists is merging with entrepreneurship. Journalists who once covered topical, feature and investigative news for established newspapers are becoming independent publishers of specialty blogs and hyperlocal community news sites. These sites fulfill an important role in the emerging news and information landscape. Read the rest of this entry »
***DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JAN. 14***
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Society of Professional Journalists Northern California Chapter
presents the 26th Annual James Madison Freedom of Information Awards
The James Madison Freedom of Information Awards recognize Northern California organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of freedom of information and expression in the spirit of James Madison, the creative force behind the First Amendment. The awards are presented at a ceremony in March during National Freedom of Information Week near the anniversary of Madison’s birth.
Eligible for nomination are Northern California journalists, citizens, media organizations, or community groups who, during 2010, have defended public access to meetings, public records, meetings or court proceedings or otherwise promoted the public’s right to know, publish and speak freely about issues of public concern.
Award Categories (awards may not be given in every category):
Professional Journalist
Nonprofit Organization
Source/Whistle Blower
Career Achievement
Citizen
Public Official
Educator
Cartoonist
Legal Counsel
Student Journalist
Electronic Access
News Media
· The Professional Journalist and Student Journalist awards recognize journalists who have been involved in fights for access to records, meetings or court proceedings, who have made exceptional use of public records in their reporting or who have promoted education on FOI issues through stories, editorials or other advocacy.
· The Public Official award is given to a governmental official who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to keeping public records or meetings public, or otherwise has taken exemplary leadership on FOI or First Amendment issues.
· The Beverly Kees Educator Award recognizes extraordinary efforts by educators to cultivate a devotion to the values of freedom of information.
· The Norwin S. Yoffie Career Achievement Award is named in honor of a stalwart supporter of the chapter’s Freedom of Information Committee, who died in November 2000 after many years of distinguished service to SPJ and the cause of freedom of information.
To see past award recipients, click here.
To Apply
All entries should be submitted no later than Friday, January 14. Please submit entries via email and online, using this form:
Instructions: For each entry, please submit the following:
A. Using the online form, please provide the award category, the nominee’s name and contact information, and the nominator’s name and contact information.
B. Using the online form, please submit a cover letter with the following information:
(i)A summary of the story, stories or action taken;
(ii) A description of the freedom of information aspect of the story or action, specifically explaining how freedom of information laws and tools were employed and/or how the story or actions shed light on governmental activities;
(iii)A discussion of major findings, achievements and subsequent results, i.e., whether the story received attention from other media outlets or effected new legislation, a regulatory change, or other public response; and
(iv)An account of the difficulty or uniqueness of effort in obtaining the story or pursuing the action;
(v)Any corrections, clarifications or retractions made after initial publication or broadcast of stories must be submitted as part of the entry; any challenges to the story’s accuracy,including but not limited to letters; and requests for corrections or retractions, as well as responses by the newspaper.
C. Supporting documents, including published stories and any other supporting material, that demonstrate the merit of nomination. Please email these materials to spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com.
Judges: Judges are the members of the Freedom of Information Committee of the Society
of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter.
Submission: Please send entries via the online entry form, plus any additional materials via email to spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com. Please include “James Madison Nomination” in the subject line.
Questions: Please contact Mark Conrad or Rebecca Bowe at spjnorcalfoi@gmail.com. Please include “James Madison Awards Question” in the subject line.
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The international imbroglio caused by Wikileaks’ release of more than 900 diplomatic cables through news outlets in Germany, Spain, and the U.K. has captivated public attention.
Moves by Amazon.com to boot Wikileaks from its servers and MasterCard and Visa to block donations to the organization have been met with counter-measures from hackers who support the controversial website. With founder Julian Assange’s surrender to UK authorities this week in response to rape charges filed against him in Sweden, the plot, as they say, thickens.
People have strong opinions about Wikileaks. We want to know yours. Please let us know what you think by responding to our poll below. If you have more to say, we invite you to leave a comment as well.
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