SPJ national update II: Does admitting left-leaning news outlets threaten White House pool reports
credibility? ... SPJ chastised NBC News for practicing “checkbook journalism” by chartering a jet that carried a New Jersey man involved in a bitter custody
battle and his son home from Brazil ... Best environmental journalism of 2009. ... 2010 Trends: Nonprofit Journalism Takes On Investigative Work. ... In a move that could help improve relations between Google and the media
industry, the internet search company is offering publishers a way to build
more solid “pay walls” around their online stories while still appearing in search results. Google
said it will let publishers limit the number of restricted articles that
readers can see for free through its search engine. More here.
SPJ national update III: ”I’m calling a bottom in the death plunge of the print media industry.” ... Military strategy is a frequent topic on TV in the wake of President Obama’s announcement that he will send more troops to Afghanistan now and start
bringing them out by mid-2011, but few viewers realize that some of what they’re hearing originates from men who are profiting from the war. Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who appeared on MSNBC at least 10 times in November and December to criticize
Obama’s proposed troop-withdrawal deadline and to lavish praise upon Army Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, sits on the board of DynCorp International,
a company with a lucrative government contract to train the Afghan National
Security Forces. And he recently completed a report about Afghanistan that was
commissioned by Petraeus and funded by the Pentagon. More here.
SPJ national update IV: Monster.com and The San Diego Union-Tribune joined forces to provide readers of
the paper with access to Monster’s tools and career resources. More here. ... The head of the Federal Trade Commission said Dec. 1 that the agency will study
whether government should aid struggling news organizations suffering from a
collapse in ad revenues. Jon Leibowitz said his agency will examine whether the government should change the way the
industry is regulated, from making news-gathering companies exempt from
antitrust laws to granting them special tax treatment to making changes in
copyright laws. More here.
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GET A JOB
The Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin seeks a communications
director. Apply by Feb. 1. Find the job description with application
instructions here. The Center for Public Policy Priorities is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy
institute committed to improving public policies to better the economic and
social conditions of low- and moderate-income Texans.
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NEW MEMBERS
SPJ ... Julieta Chiquillo, TCU ... Rebecca Aguilar ... Jonathan Resendez, Texas Wesleyan University
PRSA ... Christie Eskew, North Central Texas Council of Governments
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Tom Burke, APR, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
As hard as it is to believe, a decade has come and gone. As they say, time
really does fly. Then again, even a second can seem like an eternity and be
life-changing. Just ask the Nebraska Cornhuskers. And the Texas Longhorns. And
the TCU Horned Frogs. In the recent Big 12 Championship game, one second was
the difference between Nebraska losing, Texas winning and TCU being in the
Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4 instead of playing for the national championship Jan. 7
in Pasadena. In other words, every second counts.
I hope to make every second count this year for the magnificent public relations
professionals in Greater Fort Worth PRSA. It is humbling to lead such a dynamic
crowd in my hometown, and an honor as president to follow in the footsteps of
some of the titans of our industry — Andra Bennett, APR; Laura Van Hoosier, APR; Marc Flake; Holly Ellman; Heather Senter, APR. I am surrounded by an amazing group of accomplished and dedicated people,
including the chapter’s 2010 officers and committee chairs (see p. 1). Thanks to all of them for
agreeing to lead with me in the New Year.
The year begins with uncertainty swirling about, but I am encouraged by the
continued vitality of the Fort Worth-Dallas Metroplex and the resiliency of not
only our local public relations professionals but the entire workforce.
Hopefully we will not see worse economic times or more unsettling changes than
what we just survived and that better days are ahead as we build on the
personal and professional relationships that sustain us.
I wish you unbridled success and happiness in 2010. And let’s all resolve to make every second count.
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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Cheryl Hart, IABC Fort Worth
January is the start of a new millennium — and the start of a new year of valuable networking and professional growth at
IABC Fort Worth. We have a new home and several exciting, fresh initiatives for
our members.
The luncheons will still be the fourth Tuesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1
p.m., but in a spacious new room (new for us) at the City Club, 301 Commerce
St. in downtown Fort Worth. We invite members and nonmembers alike to join us
for great food and fellowship at the City Club.
Barry Mike, managing director of CRA Inc., a Dallas-based consulting firm, will headline
the Jan. 26 meeting. Check our web site, iabcfortworth.com, for more information on our luncheons and activities.
We’re also launching the Public Sector Special Interest Group for PR professionals,
public information officers and internal communicators in public entities like
cities, counties and school districts. The SIG will feature quarterly
professional development meetings to explore topics of interest and share best
practices.
January brings the start of preparations for our annual Bronze Quill Awards.
Bronze Quill is the only local competition specifically for public relations,
public information and internal communications professionals in Fort Worth. The
best work by area communications professionals will be recognized at the June
luncheon. Start planning your entries now.
These are just some of the ways to participate in the chapter. We can never have
too many members and interested professionals to help plan and stage our
events. And, of course, we always welcome new members.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and our 60-plus members in Tarrant County,
Happy New Year, everyone.
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
Everybody needs a goal. Let’s set a goal: 70 entries in our First Amendment Awards competition. The competition, now in its seventh year (postmark deadline Feb.
12), recognizes work that defends the freedoms guaranteed by the First
Amendment, furthers the people’s right to know how governments and businesses affect their lives, and champions
the powerless and disadvantaged. John Thornton, chairman of the recently launched Texas Tribune, will keynote the awards banquet Friday, April 16, at Cacharel in Arlington.
...
Congratulations and thanks, Cheryl Hart and the IABC/SPJ/PRSA raffle grab team — principally Betsy Deck, Mary Dulle, Carol Murray and Kay Pirtle — for the splendid party Dec. 2 at Coors benefiting the JPS Hospital readers
library. Records were set again for dollar value of the books and magazines collected and
cash at the door. See the pictures and tally the take on p. 2. All this fun and
Bob Ray Sanders, too! ...
Two words: paid internships. Application deadline is Jan. 14 for SPJ summer
internships in Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis. Two students will be
selected for the Pulliam-Kilgore Freedom of Information internships. One will be stationed in the District of Columbia and the other at SPJ
headquarters. Both will research and write about public records and access
issues. ...
SPJ’s New America Award recognizes public service journalism that explores and exposes an issue of
importance to immigrant or ethnic communities in the United States. Postmark
deadline is Feb. 12; there’s no entry fee. More from awards coordinator Lauren Rochester at 317-927-8000 ext. 210 or awards@spj.org.
Closing words: “The best time to plan a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” — Agatha Christie ... “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” — Jack Dempsey ... “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because
I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” — C.S. Lewis ... “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.” — the last words of Oscar Wilde, reflecting on his death-bed surroundings in the seedy Hôtel d’Alsace in Paris
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