eChaser: September 2014 / p3

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Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: After critics raised a stink about the tax dollars being spent to provide security for Gov. Rick Perry while he was gearing up to run for president, lawmakers passed a bill in 2011 designed to let Texans know — eventually — what they were getting for their money. Now, thanks to a ruling from Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety will not have to provide itemized travel records for the security after all. Details. ... State District Judge Jean Boyd abused her discretion when she barred the media and public from two juvenile court hearings without showing evidence of good cause, the 2nd Court of Appeals unanimously agreed. Boyd was ordered to promptly vacate the two closure orders and take immediate steps to make the transcripts of the Jan. 10 and Jan. 22 hearings available to the media group. Details. ... Light of Day Project: Tarleton student service fee totals top $3.3 million. ... Large commercial data requests are slowing down city secretaries and county clerks, who need to be exempt from some Texas Public Information Act requests, those officials told state lawmakers. Comal County Clerk Joy Streater told the House Government Efficiency and Reform Committee that the Public Information Act, which dates to the early 1970s, was intended to let taxpayers know how their money is being spent and not for large businesses obtaining public information to profit from it. She said information maintained by county clerks, which includes divorce decrees and probate records, should be exempt from the act. Details.

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Seduce Me, You, You ... Wordsmith!

by Tim Tune, IABC Fort Worth

How does a written passage sound? Prose coach Carmen Goldthwaite says that may be as important to its impact as its readability. People write for the ear as much as for the eye, the popular author and former newspaper journalist told the August meeting of IABC Fort Worth, and the really good writers can seduce the reader with techniques that enhance the music of the words.

Goldthwaite advised to vary sentence and paragraph rhythm to establish “the background music to the message you want to deliver.” She explained that rhythm comes through word choice, number of syllables, even the consonants versus vowels that are used. “The placement of dependent clauses within the sentence is a part of that. Then the underlying voice of the company or the service you’re writing for all comes into that musicality.”

Among Goldthwaite’s favorite literary techniques are synecdoche and metonymy, the former being a relatively common figure of speech “that lets you choose different words for a part of something rather than the whole.” Example: using “bread” for the generic “food.” Metonymy is using the name of one thing in place of another associated with it, such as referring to the movie industry as “Hollywood.”

With these tricks, “instead of just a synonym, writers can avoid repeating words,” she said. “Of course there’s simile and metaphor,” too, as well as personification.

“Most literary techniques come out of everyday usage,” she said, but “we don’t recognize them as literary techniques because they’re so common. But once we do recognize a technique for what it is, we deliberately use it if we want to create emotions or the sense of sound, a particular mood or a mental image.”

Goldthwaite’s latest book, “Texas Ranch Women: Three Centuries of Mettle and Moxie,” will be released Sept. 30. A seventh-generation Texan, she teaches in SMU’s creative writing program and hosts writing circles for small groups in her Fort Worth home.

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GET A JOB

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is looking for a sports reporter. E- cover letter, résumé and clips to sports editor Greg Rajan, greg.rajan@caller.com. ...The Star-Telegram is looking for a part-time, mostly features designer. E- Sarah Huffstetler at shuffstetler@star-telegram.com with work samples and résumé. Serious inquiries only. The paper also seeks a targeted publications manager for its niche efforts Indulge, K, La Estrella En Casa, Sun Select, TMC and Print & Deliver. Send résumé to rscroggins@star-telegram.com. ... North Texas Public Broadcasting, the Fort Worth-Dallas member station for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, seeks a digital coordinator. ... Community Impact Newspaper is looking for a graphic designer for its Pflugerville paper. Applicants should have at least a year of experience in graphic design.

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NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS

SPJ ... Stephanie Arbetter, Agency Entourage ... Icess Fernandez, UTA Student Publications

PRSA ... Kim Todora, PPAI ... Sarah Schimpff, Apex Capital ... Pam Roach,

Pam Roach Public Relations ... Nicole Yorba, Karlan Capital Resources

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STAYING CONNECTED

Betsy Deck, IABC Fort Worth

I’m really looking forward to our upcoming luncheon. How often do you get to hang out in an actual television studio? A very big thank you to Amy Sprinkles, director of communications and libraries for the city of Grand Prairie, for making it happen.

And you remember our presenter, Lorri Allen, she was a reporter in the area who relocated to East Texas to be news director at a CBS affiliate. She is incredibly knowledgeable of the reporter's mindset and can advise on the best ways to gain publicity and avoid problems. This is invaluable training you don’t realize you need until that reporter is knocking on your door.

If you weren’t able to make our August luncheon, Carmen Goldthwaite inspired us with her suggestions for making our writing sing. It’s easy to get in a rut and just focus on churning out information. The tips she offered were fantastic, and then, “Shazam!” we’re focused on prose instead of production. (That was for you, Carmen.)

As always, our board is committed to serving our members through education, career advancement and peer networking. I strongly encourage you to become more involved in the chapter and share your ideas. Feel free to send me or any board member an e-mail with your thoughts and suggestions.

Now let’s charge ahead through the rest of the year!

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OVER & OUT

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

Not sure how many stars “My Parents Open Carry” deserves (OK, I am sure), but the reviews rate six out of a possible five. ...

On July 8, SPJ sent a letter to the White House with 37 other journalism and open government organization's signatures, urging the Obama administration to loosen public information officer restrictions and encouraging public transparency. More than 40 journalism groups retroactively signed on. The popularity of the letter and the cause also took off in the news. After almost a month of no response, SPJ sent a follow-up letter Aug. 5. On Aug. 11 the White in a letter laid out all the ways it believes it has been transparent with the media and public since President Obama's inauguration. SPJ released a statement that the White House response was more of a non-response. After the fact, SPJ catalyst Kathryn Foxhall did an interview on the National Press Club's podcast with another SPJ member and director-at-large Bill McCloskey. In the interview, Foxhall talks through the process and the importance of keeping up the fight. More here and here and here.

Caught my eye. Comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast. ... World’s first climate change refugees arrive in New Zealand. ... 5 egregious eco crimes committed by the Koch brothers. ... Hemp supercapacitors as good as graphene at a fraction of the cost. ... U.S. bike-sharing stats since 2007: 23 million rides, 0 deaths. ... Amazing energy tower in Denmark generates electricity from trash. ... A closer look at the horrors of ocean acidification. ... WaterBean purifies tap water to reduce plastic bottle waste. ... Oil spill-absorbing material inspired by cactus needles. ... Wave Energy technology produces both clean water and clean energy. ... Scientists achieve human brain-to-brain interface. ... America’s oldest pear tree still bearing fruit at 383 years. ... Coastal flooding could cost $1 trillion by 2050, task force warns.

Closing words: "I'd rather live in a private hell than a public heaven." — Henry David Thoreau ... "Bad luck for the young poet would be a rich father, an early marriage, an early success or the ability to do anything well." — Charles Bukowski, "the laureate of American lowlife" (Time magazine)