November 2000
MEETINGS
Next at SPJ ...
Good Time Guaranteed: Galloway, Hansen at Joe T.'s
Sports raconteurs Randy Galloway and Dale Hansen, two of the most opinionated, visible and vocal jock chroniclers in Texas, will hold court on life, the Nine-Toed Traveling Medicine Show and whatever else arises at this month's SPJ meeting.
Galloway, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and WBAP News/Talk 820, and Hansen, of WFAA-TV and The Ticket, will reprise an evening they had with SPJ two years ago that remains for some who were there the funniest presentation they ever heard.
The public is invited. Proceeds go toward sports reporter scholarships.
* Date: Wednesday, Nov. 1
* Time: mingling 5:30 p.m., dinner 6:30, program 8
* Place: Joe T. Garcia's Mexican food restaurant, 2201 N. Commerce St., on the patio if weather permits, in the ballroom cantina otherwise
* Cost: $15 students, $20 members, $25 nonmembers
* Menu: Joe T.'s famous enchilada dinner
* RSVP: (817) 877-1171 or mailto:doti1@aol.com
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Next at PRSA ...
Media Relations -- First Training, Then Understanding
The news world is changing so fast, driven by the Internet, shifting ethics, a segmented marketplace and niche markets. Politics further affects how PR practitioners meet reporter expectations. What does it all mean for today's PR pros? Ruth Cogswell has some answers for the program and follow-up seminar that highlight the PRSA meeting in November.
Seminar topics will include knowing the client and the issues, the PR professional's role in media training, understanding how the media work, and recognizing what is news and what elements make up a news story. Emphasis will be on developing messages and interviewing. Volunteers will be videotaped during a practice interview.
An area consultant working with a variety of corporate clients, including Verizon Online, the Kimbell Art Foundation, Dell Computer and TXI, Cogswell is adept at analyzing complex issues and has developed and implemented numerous corporate communication strategies. She was a senior vice president with Devillier Communications in Washington, D.C., specializing in raising the visibility of businesses and the professional service firms among their key audiences. Prior to that, in 1988, she was press secretary for the national Democratic political convention, responsible for all related press coverage prior to and during the convention. She has served in four presidential campaigns, as well as on President Jimmy Carter's White House press staff.
* Time & date: noon Wednesday, Nov. 8
* Place: Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center, 2820 Stadium Drive across from the TCU student center
* Cost: luncheon only, $16 members, $19 guests, $15 students; luncheon and seminar, $35 members, $50 guests, $30 students; seminar only, $25 members, $35 guests, $15 students
* RSVP by noon Nov. 6: (817) 347-8649 or mailto:hodgcc@aol.com
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Next at IABC ...
More information will be sent to IABC members prior to the November meeting.
* Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14
* Time: lunch 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
* Place: Petroleum Club, UPR Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; garage is at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket stamped for special rate)
* RSVP by noon Nov. 10: (817) 735-6157, fax (817) 735-6118 or mailto:frostdg@c-b.com
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STRAIGHT STUFF
Four area medical reporters -- Heather Raich, Dallas/Fort Worth Health & Fitness Sports Magazine; Bechetta Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Jill Darden, Fort Worth Black News; Amy Keen, Fort Worth Business Press -- will discuss the industry and their craft at the Third Annual "Meet the Media" brown-bag lunch sponsored by the PRSA Healthcare Special Interest Group at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in the All Saints Hospital Community Room, Building A, 1400 Eighth Ave. RSVP by Nov. 13 to LaTonyie Jarrett-Taylor, (817) 871-7564 or mailto:jarretl@ci.fort-worth.tx.us. ... The Dallas Press Club and the DFW Network of Hispanic Journalists will present "Beyond the Nuts and Bolts: An Advanced Class in Print and TV Writing" from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at KERA's Dallas studios, 3000 Harry Hines Blvd. Carolyn Mungo, a 10-time Emmy winner and an instructor at the Poynter Institute, joins Bob Ray Sanders to give news-gathering tips for advanced journalists, discuss media ethics and present how to tell a more compelling story. The $15 cost includes lunch. ... NurseWeek/HealthWeek magazine (http://nurseweek.com) has opened a Dallas office. ... The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation is spending $106,000 to upgrade the SPJ Web site to a quality similar to the Editor & Publisher, Columbia Journalism Review and American Journalism Review sites. It's a two-year process.
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A 'Sprig of Smart-ass' and Entertainment, Too:
Official Notes from the October SPJ Meeting
by Nancy Bartosek, official attendee
Attending: Almost 40. Three who were new to the group arrived late. They seemed jittery. Topic: The recent purchase of FW Weekly and The Met in Dallas by New Times, a Phoenix-based publisher of alternative weeklies.
Format: Panel discussion sure to ignite sparks -- panelists David Pasztor of New Times, FW Weekly editor John Forsyth, Fortune writer and former Dallas Observer editor Peter Elkind and Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy portraying bombastic Bruce Brugmann, founder of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, which competes with New Times' SF Weekly.
After a jovial, friendly dinner, Kennedy -- wearing a fedora with a press card in the band and fronted at the panelists table by an old manual typewriter -- lit into New Times for its reporting style: "They are nothing more than a sprig of smart-ass and some entertainment. They are against everything. They don't tell you how to fix government, they just tell you it's lousy. We should be fighting for the progressive movement."
The other panelists, in the grand tradition of journalistic aloofness, seemed unimpressed. "You can tell from Brugmann's tirade that he thinks we should be a liberal, progressive advocacy paper, to campaign for social change," Pasztor said. "We believe our role is simply to produce the best journalism in the city and not take a stand on one side or the other."
Elkind explained that despite the seeming hypocrisy of a corporation buying up independents, when New Times bought the Observer in the early '80s, the company injected a future into the paper in the form of money and business support. It made the Observer the publication it is today. Meanwhile, Forsyth, his new boss within thumping distance, said that while he used to trash New Times by insinuating that it compromised the integrity of the independent weeklies, he now anticipates a great working relationship and looks forward to being able to hire new writers.
Then things got interesting. After fidgeting a bit in their chairs, the newcomers from Dallas criticized Pasztor on the purchase and immediate closure of The Met. The move had put them out of work. They challenged it, in the words of one, as a corporation "shutting down another voice." Pasztor, who works on New Times' editorial side, said he wasn't in on that decision but surmised that it was purely a business call. If New Times didn't buy The Met, one of its competitors would. But once New Times did make the purchase, it certainly wasn't going to compete with its own, more established paper, the Observer.
After the meeting, two of the three Dallas visitors were overheard talking to Forsyth about a job.
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PEOPLE & PLACES
New mom Pamela Smith is now a talent manager for Art Squad, which recruits and places creative professionals in freelance, contract and full-time positions. Daughter Shonna Lee was born to Pamela and husband Sean on July 25; she weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces. ... More babies: Sierra Noelle Pinkney, daughter of Matt and Felicia Pinkney, arrived at 3:36 p.m. Oct. 23 at Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces. The Pinkneys thank everyone for their prayers and say that Sierra can't wait to come visit. Matt is executive design director at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. ... Jane Schlansker's PR and marketing firm is changing its name from PR/Texas to InterStar, reflecting a growing base of national and international work. InterStar's sister company, the e-commerce and software development firm ISNetworks, has established offices in Seattle.
Kudos & Contracts ... Tonie Auer, a special sections writer at the Fort Worth Business Press, received first place in editorial writing for weekly publications in the American Cancer Society's 1999-2000 Texas Media Awards; she wrote a column about her experiences with cancer to help promote a Cancer Survivors' Day event in Fort Worth. ... Eighteen Star-T entries made the Katie Awards finals. Pam Humphrey was nominated for her FW Weekly story, "Interview With a Killer." The awards ceremony will be Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas. ... Jeff Guinn, senior writer and book reviewer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, has signed a book contract with Jeremy P. Tarcher, an imprint of Penguin/Putnam, for "Our Land Before We Die: The Saga of the Seminole Negro," a work of narrative nonfiction. Michael Rosenberg of The Rosenberg Group agented the book. ... Stuart Bacon will produce marketing communications for Huckabee & Associates, Fort Worth architects specializing in educational facility design, and develop and implement a comprehensive communications program for Community Bank, a Granbury-based bank with eight branch offices throughout North Texas.
Kudos II, written by Robert Philpot and ripped from the Star-Telegram: Tom Urquhart and Steve Levering, hosts of the recently signed-off "Tom & Steve Show" on KTCU, "not only had one of the most imaginatively programmed modern-rock shows in the Metroplex, they also had on-air chemistry that showed in their between-song banter. ... [SPJ member] Urquhart's 'The Good Show,' with new co-host Chris Bellomy, sounds equally promising." Brackets added, don't you know.
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NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME
IABC ... Pam Fry, manager of business development for Freese and Nichols, an architectural/engineering firm in Fort Worth; she already has taken an active role in the chapter by participating in Bronze Quill judging.
SPJ ... John Kirsch, formerly with The Bryan-College Station Eagle; now staff writer, Star-Telegram Northeast.
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COMINGS & GOINGS
Additions ... Julie Cooper, account assistant at InterStar (formerly PR/Texas) ... Laura Lambeth, copywriter at Griffith Phillips Creative in Dallas ... at the S-T: multi-degreed (De Anza College, Cal State Fullerton, Manchester College in England) designer/illustrator/ infographic artist Jacqueline Cook, with experience at The Mercury News in San Jose, the Long Beach Press-Telegram and Costa Mesa Community News as well as several California design and printing firms; features design desk ... Shorthorn and UTA May grad Domini Harrell, just off a summer internship at the Arlington Morning News; Arlington copy desk ... published author and former Star-Telegram columnist Jane Holleman; Arlington copy desk ... music collector J.T. Rushing, formerly of Baton Rouge and before that a reporter for six years at the Kenosha News in Kenosha, Wis.; Arlington newsroom covering City Hall.
Promotions ... at the S-T: TCU grad Rick Waters, formerly senior design editor for the Northeast edition, with experience at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; to assistant city editor in the Northeast newsroom.
Exits ... at the S-T: former Arlington City Hall reporter Kim Durnan, to the Associated Press in Des Moines, Iowa; Stephanie Miller, formerly a reporter with the Arlington Hometown Star, to The Arizona Republic as part of the paper's minority writers program.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT Kim Speairs / PRSA
The elections are over -- for PRSA, at least. And, I am pleased to announce our new local and district leadership for 2001.
* Chapter leadership *
More than 70 people attended the October meeting to elect the Greater Fort Worth chapter's slate of officers for 2001. Be sure to congratulate our new leaders, who assume their responsibilities in January: president Mary Dulle; president-elect/membership Kristie Aylett, APR; vice president/programs Laura Squires, APR; secretary Julie Neal; treasurer Jade Hoffman; treasurer-elect Pamela Smith; and directors Roger Partridge; Carolyn Hodge, APR, and Carolyn Bobo, APR. I know each will provide our chapter with the vision we need to continue our success.
* Southwest District leadership *
Congratulations are also in order for past president Beth Park, APR, who was elected secretary for the PRSA Southwest District at the national meeting in Chicago. Beth will be an excellent representative as she works with fellow officers to raise the profile of our district within the national organization. Our new district officers are chair Jim McCall, APR, Little Rock chapter; chair-elect Wendy Johnson, APR, Kansas chapter; treasurer Chad Perry, APR, New Mexico chapter; and national nominating committee representative Andy Oden, Oklahoma City chapter.
* National Assembly *
Just after last month's newsletter went out, I learned that this year's National Assembly would not be the smooth, calm meeting that I had predicted. Preliminary feedback reveals some interesting developments. Join us at the November meeting when intrepid delegates Beth Park, APR, and Kristie Aylett, APR (filling in for Paul Sturiale, APR) -- they braved the Chicago winds Oct. 21 to represent us -- will report on the latest happenings at national and what's in store for 2001.
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Arden Dufilho / IABC
Before we tumble headlong into the holidays, I'd like to recognize two of our outstanding members in a couple of areas. One person will get a double mention, but that's OK. She deserves it.
Janet Zipperlen, a former IABC/Fort Worth chapter president, is amazing. Not only was she a terrific leader during her term, but she continues to go above and beyond whenever called upon. Last month, Bronze Quill co-chair Debbie Young called and Janet answered (as did president-elect Pat McCombs). They and some of Debbie's co-workers at Freese and Nichols judged an emergency batch of IABC/New Orleans entries and dispatched them back to the Crescent City in one afternoon. Janet dropped everything to help. Incidentally, she was honored at the D5 meeting in Tulsa with a Silver Quill Award of Excellence, as was Pam Huff, another former chapter president. Chapter member Kristy Libotte Keener received a Silver Quill Award of Merit.
Also deserving in that "above and beyond" department is Debbie Young. She took the ball and ran with it to make sure the New Orleans BQ entries were handled. She gathered co-workers Matt Gibson, Hattie Peterson and Greg Conover, who generously gave an afternoon to help judge a small mountain of entries. And special thanks to Debbie's supervisor, Pam Fry, for allowing most of her staff to help and giving us a room to spread out in. We have invited Pam, Hattie, Matt and Greg to be our guests at the Nov. 14 meeting. I hope everyone will thank them personally.
As we learned at our last meeting, networking at IABC works. Several members told how IABC helped get them their current or new job. This will be the last luncheon meeting of 2000. Let's make it a great one.
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OVER & OUT John Dycus / SPJ
Thanks, SPJ prez Kyle Niederpruem, for the reminder at election time of what Lyndon B. Johnson once said about reporters: "The fact that the man is a newspaper reporter is evidence of some flaw of character." ... Thanks, Larry Shannon, for paying our Web bill and hosting the chapter's site (http://spjfw.org/legacy) for another year. High-tech contribution, high-class guy. ... And thanks, Frank Perkins, for helping call the revelers who attended "An Evening with Randy Galloway and Dale Hansen" two years ago and reminding them of the latest installment. Galloway and Hansen are long on insight and short on reverence, making Nov. 1 at Joe T. Garcia's on Fort Worth's historic North Side a must for anyone with even a passing interest in sports or world-class Mexican food or who likes to laugh. Every dime after expenses returns to the journalism education community as scholarships. We have 350 patio seats if it's one of those breathtaking Kern Tips fall nights and 200 indoor cantina seats if it's not. If everyone's enchilada'ed out by 7:30, we may start then. Taking a cue from the presenters, this is not a rigid deal. You want a precise schedule, ride the train.