MEETINGS
It’s a Crisis! Know What to Do Before the Media Storm Your Door
Every organization has an equal opportunity to face a crisis. A government
investigation, the inappropriate or illegal actions of an employee, a natural
disaster — the possibilities are infinite. An unexpected event can have damaging and
long-lasting effects.
Jamie Brown, a former news reporter turned communications consultant, will provide examples
of how organizations have handled the media and their customers in critical
situations. Participants will learn how to avoid the mistakes of others and
will take back to the office an understanding of how best to reach employees,
clients and the media in a crisis.
Brown has more than 10 years experience as a communicator. She provides crisis
communication planning, media relations, video production, and internal and
external support for nonprofit, health care organizations and private
corporations. She has worked with local and national media.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23
Place: City Club, 301 Commerce St.
Cost: members $25, nonmembers $30, students $20 (online add $1)
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Social Media and the Law: Understanding the Legal Implications of Tweets
You’ve made the big leap. You have executive-level buy-in, and you’ve developed your online strategy. You’re ready to join the world of bloggers, fan pages, forum contributers and the
ever-present “tweet.” But do you know the legal ramifications of your social media program?
Who owns your information? What are the legal pitfalls? How do you manage
employees in the social media realm, and what should be included in a corporate
social media policy? Chip Stewart, J.D., Ph.D., will present some answers at the February meeting.
Stewart completed his doctoral degree while teaching and working at the Columbia
Missourian and now is a professor in TCU’s Schieffer School of Journalism and editor of Dispute Resolution Magazine, a
quarterly publication of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar
Association. He worked as an attorney in the late 1990s, practicing criminal,
bankruptcy and family law. He worked as a clerk in the Travis County Attorney’s Office.
Bring questions and your social media policies for a significant legal
discussion.
Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10
Place: Petroleum Club, Jacobs/Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St.
Cost: $25 members, $35 nonmembers, students $20
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Hit the Streets: a Job Search Primer for College Students and Young Pros
Fort Worth SPJ’s popular student career conference returns Saturday, Feb. 6, with almost the
identical cast of heralded instructors — Bob Buckel, Azle News and Springtown Epigraph; author/columnist Mary Rogers; Broc Sears, TCU new media professional in residence; photojournalist Laurie Ward; Brendan Mark, CBS 11; Brett Shipp, Channel 8; Aaron Chimbel, TCU Schieffer School of Journalism; Eric Celeste, D Custom; Robert Francis, Fort Worth Business Press; Susan Petty, TCU Press; Jake Batsell, SMU; Kent Chapline, CBS 11; Carol Glover, the Balcom Agency; Scott Kirk, Concussion LLP; and Karen Raskopf, Baskin Robbins/Dunkin’ Donuts, plus a keynote welcome by Nancy Barry, author of “When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know” — and a new location, the UTA Fine Arts Building.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the sessions at 9, and space is limited. RSVP
by Feb. 3. More here.
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STRAIGHT STUFF
Fort Worth’s favorite native son news luminary will join the executive producer of CBS’s “48 Hours” (and the inspiration for the Holly Hunter character in “Broadcast News”) onstage in TCU’s Brown-Lupton University Union on Monday, Feb. 8, for “From B to Z: a Conversation with Bob Schieffer and Susan Zirinsky.” “Broadcast News” will be shown, followed by Schieffer and Zirinsky discussing their careers, the
movie and the future of broadcast news, then taking audience questions. More here. ...
Postmark deadline is Feb. 12 for Fort Worth SPJ’s signature competition for broadcast and print journalists in Texas and
Oklahoma, the 7th annual First Amendment Awards competition. John Thornton, chairman of the recently launched Texas Tribune, will keynote the awards
banquet Friday, April 16, at Cacharel in Arlington. ...
UT Austin Student Chapter organizers of the SPJ Region 8 Conference, “How to Save Journalism,” March 5-6 in Austin at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, promise an engaging and informed
look at the future of the industry. Speakers will cover a variety of topics,
including First Amendment rights, how community newspapers are thriving, how
recent college grads will prosper as journalists, and how to bring the global
local. UT Austin journalism senior lecturer Dave Garlock will speak on writing a Pulitzer Prize-winning feature. Registration covers the
sessions, snacks during the sessions and two meals (one Friday, one Saturday).
Cost is $65 student, $75 professional, $85
non-student/nonprofessional by Feb. 12; add $10 after Feb. 12. More here and here. E- Larry Dechant, dechantlarry@hotmail.com, with questions.
Applications are due Feb. 5 for Student Press Law Center summer internships. The
students will get the chance to improve their reporting and news writing
skills; research, write and help edit the center’s magazine and web site copy; and cover legislation and important press freedom
and FOI cases. They receive a living expenses stipend. Apply here. ...
Writing for children takes many of the tools as writing for adults, but there
are differences. Shirley Duke, a teacher for 25 years, has written for children in a variety of markets and
will share insights at the next Writers’ Guild of Texas meeting, at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at the Richardson Civic
Center, adjacent to the Richardson Public Library (new location, this meeting
only). SCBWI, CW, CBI, CBC — learn what the acronyms mean and how they can lead to better writing for
children. Duke is the author of a picture book, “No Bows!,” a young-adult novel, “Unthinkable,” and eight other commissioned novels for kids. She has written teacher guides
for Peachtree Publishers and articles for Latingirl magazine, and she recently
completed two nonfiction science books. More at
writersguildoftexas.org/joomla/. WGT early-birds: March 15, agent Q&A with Terry Burns, Hartline Literary Agency. Send events calendar items to Carol Woods at shurlock@flash.net. ...
