2002 National Convention
Society of Professional Journalists
STAKING NEW FRONTIERS
Sept. 12-14
Fort Worth, Texas
For additional convention information -- registration, airlines,
the hotel, Fort Worth facts, more speakers -- visit the SPJ Web site:
Question answerers:
Terry Harper, SPJ executive director
Robert Leger, incoming SPJ national president
Carrie Copeland, national convention coordinator
Kay Pirtle, Fort Worth convention chair
Session-topic feature, column and editorial ideas
(by no means an exhaustive list):
ETHICS
THE NATION AND THE PRESS AT WAR: AN ETHICAL MINEFIELD
When the country goes to war, the press does, too. For journalists in a democratic society, wartime issues are highly charged and ambiguous. This two-part workshop grapples with specific instances of post-Sept. 11 censorship and self-censorship, balancing journalists' rights with responsibilities on high-voltage issues like propaganda, national security, patriotism and protection of troops. Should the SPJ Code of Ethics be revised to address these matters?
Peter Y. Sussman, independent journalist and author
MAKING AN ETHICAL CHECKLIST
Every decision a reporter makes in researching a story impacts the information obtained and how it's presented. A workshop on making stories more interesting and more credible without distorting the issues.
Tom Rosenstiel, director, Project for Excellence in Journalism
BUCKRAKING: RESISTING THE INFLUENCE PEDDLERS
Even modest stipends and invitations can compromise media credibility, if not integrity. Veteran journalists explore how to recognize and resist efforts to influence news content.
Casey Bukro, ethics co-chair, Chicago Tribune
James Warren, deputy managing editor for features, Chicago Tribune
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE MEDIA: A NEW DIALOGUE
The war on terrorism is the most tightly controlled in terms of media coverage in American history. Journalists who travel the war zone outside of U.S. military protection face danger and death. Meanwhile, the shadow of a revived Official Secrets Act looms in Congress. Against that backdrop, a remarkable initiative has brought together leading national security experts and access professionals to discuss how to deliver accurate information about America's new war while maintaining national security.
Scott Armstrong, National Security Archive
Ian Marquand, chair, SPJ Freedom of Information Committee
PRIVACY HYSTERIA: COMING TO A STATE NEAR YOU?
Americans have always had a strong desire to keep information about themselves from public view, but after Sept. 11, legislatures and Congress became even more obsessed with privacy and secrecy in the name of security. Hear an update of what's been happening around the country, and be prepared -- your state could be next.
Charles Davis, co-chair, SPJ FOI Committee, University of Missouri FOI Center
Bruce Brown, attorney, Baker & Hostetler, Washington, D.C.
Barbara Petersen, president, Florida First Amendment Foundation
SECRETS AND LIES
The terrorist attacks also brought an attack on freedom of information. Panelists examine attempts to limit media access via state and federal legislation, executive orders and other means.
Lucy Dalglish, executive director, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Bill Hirschman, education reporter, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Steve Geimann, editor, Telecom Policy, Bloomberg News
Rich Oppel, editor, Austin American-Statesman
Ian Marquand, chair, SPJ Freedom of Information Committee
WAR COVERAGE
JOURNALISTS' GUIDE FOR COVERING WAR
The military and the press serve the same public although their missions and their methods differ. When they meet on the front lines, they need a working relationship that does not compromise military security or journalism ethics. In unconventional conflicts, digital warfare and police actions, the challenges are greater on both sides. Veteran correspondents and military personnel compare experiences and opinions in a candid exchange.
Maj. Robert Bateman, author and military strategist, U.S. Army,
assigned to the Pentagon
Ed Offley, author and editor, WorldView
Barry Shlachter, correspondent and staff writer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dick Wells, Naval Reserves officer and professor, The University of North Texas
PLANNING FOR THE UNTHINKABLE: BIOWARFARE AT HOME
Scientists responsible for biodefense discuss the probabilities of germ warfare in America and the media's role in covering terrorist attacks and security programs. Dr. Peters is the former head of the Centers for Disease Control Special Pathogen Division and the Army Medical Research Institute at Fort Detrick, Md., and Lt. Gen. Blanck is a former Army surgeon general. Medical writers describe their role in keeping the public informed without creating panic.
C.J. Peters, M.D., director, Center for Biodefense and Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory,
The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
Lt. Gen. Ronald Blanck, D.O., (U.S. Army, retired), president,
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Joann Schulte, D.O., medical epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control
Bob Lanier, M.D., journalist
ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
SPACESHIP EARTH:
THE CHANGING ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
The planet is now a terrorism target, ratcheting up the concerns about global fragility. Experienced reporters detail the challenges of reporting on threats to the environment.
Kevin Carmody, environmental writer, Austin American-Statesman
Randy Lee Loftis, environmental writer, The Dallas Morning News
Don Wall, environmental editor, ABC 8, Dallas
John McCaa, reporter and anchor, ABC 8, Dallas
CORPORATE ACCOUNTING SCANDAL
FOLLOW THE MONEY:
HOW EVERYONE MISSED THE ENRON WARNING SIGNS
To write about Enron, WorldCom and other smoke-and-mirrors balance sheet miscreants, business writers and public affairs reporters must develop a better understanding of corporate America. Journalists discuss their frustrations in trying to follow early Enron leads and describe the layers of influence that shielded company officials from media probes. A financial expert will relate when and how to use analysts as sources and how to report on financial statements.
Scott Clark, assistant managing editor and vice president, HoustonChronicle.com
Dan Meader, CFA, CPA
Steve Kaskovich, executive business editor, Fort Worth Star-Telegram