eChaser: February 2001


	Society of Professional Journalists, Fort Worth Professional Chapter Public Relations Society of America, Greater Fort Worth Chapter International Association of Business Communicators, Fort Worth Chapter eChaser archive [graphics format] February 2001 Excellence in Broadcasting GENE ASHCRAFT, 1939-2001 Broadcast veteran Gene Ashcraft, a former Fort Worth SPJ president (1970-71) and a driving force behind the revival of Texas State Networks, died Jan. 7. While news director at KFJZ, he helped bring back the pioneering TSN, which offered news and sports programming to Texas radio stations. He also served as war correspondent to KFJZ during the Vietnam War. Respected on both sides of the news aisle -- AP and UPI -- as resourceful and innovative, Mr. Ashcraft organized the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network, which grew to more than 200 stations. In June he received the prestigious Arthur C. Clark Award recognizing outstanding contributions to the broadcast industry. ----- Journalism Scholar and Educator BOB J. CARRELL, Jr., 1931-2001 Dr. Bob J. Carrell, Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma and former journalism chair at TCU, died Jan. 17. A prolific conductor of seminars in the United States as well as internationally, he co-authored a leading text on public relations writing and wrote three other books, as well as numerous scholarly articles and professional reports. In his 23 years at the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Carrell spent 12 as director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He had a Fulbright lectureship in India in 1988 and was a National Science Foundation fellow. He taught at TCU from 1961 to 1969, the last three years as department head. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Trinity Episcopal Church or to the TCU Department of Journalism Scholarship in the name of his wife, TCU journalism professor Doug Newsom. ======================================= MEETINGS Next at IABC ... How to Write It, Package It and Fling It Into the Cosmos: An All-Purpose Primer Share a few laughs while going down the road of wisdom at IABC/Fort Worth's "Good Writing and Design (for Print and the Internet)" luncheon and workshop Tuesday, Feb. 13. Four experts will show how to produce lean, breezy, attractive printed and electronic pieces, and have a good time along the way. And the presenters are ... + Cecilia Jacobs, a member of the city manager's communications team, who will share writing tips during lunch and at the workshop. An award-winner with honors from IABC, 3CMA and the Associated Press, she urges communicators to lighten up and enjoy what they do. + Karl Giere, telling how to achieve good design even if you don't have a design degree. Giere worked 10 years in Africa as an art director and for the past 10 years has owned Metroplex Designz. Clients include Lockheed Martin and Witherspoon. + Amy Hellen and Roger Fort of VirtuallyThere, an Internet strategy/Web-site management and hosting firm based in Sundance Square, who will discuss strong Web communication. Hellen, the company's marketing/PR director, has experience on such accounts as CompUSA and Microsoft. Fort, a bilingual wizard (fluent in Mac and PC), designs Web sites, develops Flash animation and produces graphics for VirtuallyThere clients. * Date: Tuesday, Feb. 13 * Time: lunch 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., workshop 1:30-3:30 * Place: Petroleum Club, Continental Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; garage is at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket stamped for discount) * Cost: $57 members, $62 nonmembers, $52 students, luncheon and workshop; $17 members, $22 nonmembers, $12 students, luncheon only; $40, workshop only * RSVP: (817) 735-6157 or mailto:frostdg@c-b.com ----- Next at PRSA ... Campaign 2000: Did the Media Decide Who Won? With all the legal wrangling, chad counting and add-a-flag speeches, the media's role in the recent presidential election took backstage prominence. This month's PRSA speaker shifts the focus back to the cameras and commentary and the role the media and campaign advertising may have played in the outcome. James Mueller, journalism assistant professor at the University of North Texas, will share anecdotes drawn from his being one of only two communication pros from the area to participate in the Year 2000 Election Project. The project involved more than 40 researchers in 15 states who analyzed campaign communication to assess its effect on voters. Mueller and UNT colleague Tom Reichert joined faculty from 29 universities nationwide in analyzing the presidential and congressional races. They also conducted focus groups for voter opinions on the presidential debates and televised campaign ads. They will contribute a chapter in the project's upcoming book. * Time & date: noon Wednesday, Feb. 14 * Place: Ridglea Country Club, 3700 Bernie Anderson Blvd., just off Camp Bowie near Bryant Irvin * Cost: $20 members, $23 nonmembers, $18 students * RSVP by noon Feb. 9: (817) 347-8649 or mailto:elizabeth@stuartbacon.com ----- Next at SPJ ... Escaping the Pack to Find an Exclusive UTA Shorthorn ex Darren Barbee had been on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Northeast staff a mere four months when he was sent to Colorado to help cover the capture of the notorious "Texas Seven" escapees. A rookie in a sea of seasoned reporters, he nevertheless talked his way into an exclusive, face-to-face interview with ringleader George Rivas. You saw the headline, now hear the behind-the-scenes account of how Barbee scooped the free world. Also on the panel: a Star-T editor who led the paper's coverage from start to finish and perhaps a surprise non-journalism guest to discuss the media's role in the ordeal. * Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20 * Time: mingling 5:30 p.m., dinner 6:15, panel at 7 * Place: Water Street Seafood, 1540 S. University Drive * Cost: $13 members, $17 nonmembers, $5 students * Menu: choice of 8-ounce mesquite-grilled chicken, 4-ounce brandy mushroom trout, mesquite-grilled shrimp-k-bob or chicken caesar salad, all except the caesar served with a salad, vegetable and rice pilaf; fresh-baked bread and tea, soft drink or coffee; cash bar * RSVP: (817) 877-1171 or mailto:doti1@aol.com ======================================= STRAIGHT STUFF AmeriCredit CEO Michael R. Barrington will keynote the M.J. Neeley Center for Professional Communication's fourth annual corporate workshop, "Communicating in a Changing World," Feb. 22-23 at the Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center on the TCU campus. Seminars will explore up-to-date job-search technology; solving personal disputes; ethical decisions and their effect on organizations; and working in an increasingly diverse marketplace. Cost is $75 before Feb. 9 ($100 after); for the keynote luncheon only, it's $25 pros, $20 Neeley alumni, $10 students. Info at http://www.cpc.tcu.edu or mailto:cpc@tcu.edu. ... Application deadline for the spring universal PR accreditation exam is Feb. 12. Details at http://prsa.org, or call (212) 460-1436 for a form. Candidates may take the exam March 16-25. Greater Fort Worth PRSA has financial aid for candidates whose employers or clients cannot pay the fees. Reach accreditation chair Carolyn Bobo, APR, at (817) 885-4243 or mailto:carolynbb@cookchildrens.org. ... The Network of Hispanic Communicators meets next at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, Nuevo Leon restaurant in Dallas. Info from Gary Pina at (214) 657-2822 (pager) or mailto:gpina@star-telegram.com. ... An examination of high-profile PR challenges and presentation of the Silver Spur/Best of Texas Awards will drive the Texas Public Relations Association's annual conference, "PR 4 PR: Redefining the Profession," March 2-4 at the Dallas Marriott Quorum. Highlights will include Hill & Knowlton president Paul Taaffe on communicating in times of crisis, specifically the Wedgwood Baptist Church shootings and Fort Worth tornado, and sessions with PR representatives from the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks and Burn, a former Academy Awards PR director and the communications director for Yahoo. Info: http://tpra.com, or call Leah Patterson, (800) 525-0405. ... The National Association of Black Journalists' Region VII conference, March 8-10 at the San Antonio Marriott Northwest, will feature courses in ethics, education, broadcasting and writing, a job fair, the Ma'at Awards and a forum of folks seeking NABJ national office. Region VII director Cheryl Smith is at mailto:penonfire@aol.com or (214) 376-9525. ... Dot.coms bomb. PR takes the flack. New technologies flash, then fizzle. You'd think it's a war. Find ammo and topographical maps at "Tech 2001 -- When Worlds Collide," Monday, March 12, at the Argent Hotel in San Francisco. Info at http://tech.prsa.org. ... Dagoberto Gilb has a story to tell, probably several, at the Barnes & Noble, 934 E. Copeland Road in Arlington, on Friday, Feb. 2, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gilb will sign his books and likely discuss, if you ask, how one goes from being a construction worker -- reared in Los Angeles, father was a janitor, mother a drug addict, now lives in Austin -- to an acclaimed author, his latest being "Woodcuts of Women." This will be the third stop on a U.S. tour fueled by the success of "The Magic of Blood," which won a PEN/Hemingway Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Info from B&N community relations manager Thom Anderson at (817) 795-4052. ----- In Election's Wake, a Call for Change by Brenda Davis The November election sent a message to America: It's time for change. Just what and how much are open to informed discussion, which happened in boisterous fashion at the January SPJ meeting on a range of topics, from the contested Florida ballots, to the need for a uniform nationwide ballot, to whether the press erred in announcing election results before final tallies were in. Jim Wright, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Tarrant County election administrator Bob Parten favor campaign finance reform, although they caution lawmakers to word legislation carefully. "Don't give the lawyers any wiggle room," Parten said. "It takes them about two years to manage a way around the law." Wright said that shouldn't stop needed improvements. "I think it's important to pass reform," he said. "And if the lawyers get around it, then change it yet again." On the suggestion that flawed exit polling led to the initial projections of Vice President Al Gore taking Florida, Parten believes the information the networks used was correct. "People exiting the polls thought they had voted for Gore, but when the ballots were counted it changed," he said. "That led me to believe that people were confused." Wright said the networks should keep results from West Coast voters until the polls close there. "Beyond that," he said, "it becomes a free speech issue." Jack Douglas, who covered the election aftermath on-site in Florida for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, passed around one of the contested Florida "butterfly" ballots. Some among the 45 attendees agreed with critics that the ballot was difficult to decipher. "Looking at it now, after all the press coverage, it looks easy but it wasn't," Douglas said. He added that the Florida situation should be a wake-up call to the media, particularly newspapers, which, he said, put too much faith in the networks. Panel moderator Allan Saxe asked if a uniform ballot would simplify things. Parten said that while the idea appears sound, it would take 10 years to implement. Douglas said he believes such legislation would infringe on states' rights and added, "It would also violate the feeling of local control of elections." ======================================== GET A JOB Established regional PR firm in downtown Fort Worth seeks a writer strong in the governmental process, local media and the community. Projects will include position papers, meeting summaries, speeches, talking points and news releases. Writing, editing and proofreading required; accuracy imperative. Salary commensurate with experience. Fax resume to (817) 870-1832, attn: Melissa. NYT Television, a New York Times company, will be shooting scenes for "Trauma: Life in the ER" at Baylor Medical Center this month and needs one or two interns to scout the area for B-roll footage, help the crew navigate Dallas, assist the producer with administrative tasks and serve as a contact with the New York office. Workdays and hours negotiable. Payment? A screen credit. Fax resume to David Rozan, (212) 598-9330. ======================================== PEOPLE & PLACES Roxana McKinney with the Hispanic Business Student Association at UT Austin needs a motivational speaker for an event Feb. 9. Reach her at (512) 471-3779 or mailto:roxanamc@mail.utexas.edu. ... Baby-boy daze! The Star-Telegram recently welcomed three sons into the family -- Patrick Anthony Andro, born at 9 a.m. Aug. 12 to Arlington sports guy Anthony Andro and his wife, Arlington page designer Diana Andro; Adam Deen Abdullah, born at 7:17 a.m. Dec. 30 to Northeast reporter Khalil Abdullah and his wife, Naimah; and Stephen Pinckney, born at 2:54 p.m. Jan. 24 to Roger Pinckney, Sports Zone assistant editor, and his wife, Diane Smith, Northeast immigration beat writer. Kudos & Contracts ... InterStar Marketing and Public Relations will create a marketing campaign for Child Care Associates, a nonprofit corporation formerly known as The Day Care Association of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Established in 1968, CCA assists children and their families throughout North, North Central and West Central Texas. ======================================== NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME SPJ ... UTA Shorthorn alum Wayne Carter, formerly with Telephony Magazine, a telcom trade publication, and now a reporter for LocalBusiness.com, a Florida-based Internet small business technology magazine ... U. of South Florida grad Lucas Wiseman, formerly assistant sports editor at The Daily Commercial in Leesburg, Fla., and now on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports desk ======================================== COMINGS & GOINGS Additions ... at the S-T: Trebor Banstetter, with experience at The Wall Street Journal's Florida Journal in Orlando, The Palm Beach Post and the Daytona Beach News Journal; business reporter covering health care ... U. of Dallas grad and newlywed (to wife Catherine) Ray Khirallah, formerly news editor with DFW Community Newspapers; Arlington Hometown Star reporter Promotions ... Nancy O'Malley, formerly with Hopkins and Associates in Dallas and with Stuart Bacon for less than a year, to senior public relations account executive with the Fort Worth-based advertising public relations firm ... at the S-T: Eddie McGee ("Big Brother") chronicler Tobias Lopez, a former agate clerk who put his legs in casts for a week to experience some of the difficulties faced by UTA Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball players, from the Arlington Hometown Star to Northeast sports covering Northwest High School and soccer ... Arlington high school sports writer Carlos Mendez, going downtown to cover high schools and a heavy dose of Stars, Mavericks, Rangers, Cowboys and colleges ... new dad Anthony Andro, to Arlington sports from the Northeast Hometown Star ... former Stanley Cup, Cowboys and high schools writer Mac Engel, joining T.R. Sullivan in covering the Texas Rangers ... Mike Bambach to senior deputy sports editor ... Cody Bailey to deputy/Sunday sports editor ... Charean Williams to helping coordinate Stars coverage Exits ... at the S-T: Rocío Ortega, formerly with La Estrella in Dallas, to Mexican President Vicente Fox's administration as press information director in the Education Department ... Meg Young, 10-year clerical veteran in business and the newsroom, to a Dallas telcom company ... Robert Tharp to The Dallas Morning News ======================================== A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT Mary Dulle, GFW PRSA First, our chapter extends our sympathy to past president Doug Newsom on the loss of her husband, Dr. Bob Carrell, who passed away Jan. 17. Doug has served the Fort Worth public relations community long and well, and our thoughts are with her at this difficult time. Icy weather threatened again in January, but 60 hardy souls threw fear to the wind and enjoyed succulent barbecue, tasty beverages and warm fellowship at the delayed holiday party. Final totals were impressive -- around 150 books collected at the party, plus $844 raised to buy more books for the JPS children's library. Thanks to all who donated prizes (more than 40!), to Barnes & Noble downtown for the nice discount on books, to David Sherman for the wine, Paper USA for the invitations and envelopes, Spot Color for printing the invitations and Mike McColm at Eagle Audio for the audio system. Special thanks to Cliff Amos and Miller Brewing Co. for making the Miller Marketplace and Brew Kettle Museum available and for donating the beer and the Spring Creek barbecue. There was so much interest in the January meeting topic, "Are You Ready to Go Solo?," that we may expand it to a professional development seminar later in the year. Thanks to Linda Johnson; Bill Lawrence, APR; Beth Park, APR; and Susan Schoolfield, APR, past presidents all, for their valuable insights. (By the way, that was a cold, rainy day, too. Surely we'll have swell weather for a meeting at some point this year!) We received good reactions to Ridglea Country Club, so we'll stay there for a while. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Laura Squires is doing a fine job as program chair, but if you'd like to make suggestions about topics or speakers, she'd enjoy hearing from you. Remember, lunch is served promptly at noon, and you might want to arrive by 11:45 to network with your peers. One way you can get best value for your membership dues is to be active. When asked, agree to serve on a committee. We have a dynamite community service project coming up that will be fun and help develop your skills even further. We're planning some interesting professional development seminars. Our student chapters need mentors. There'll be lots of opportunities for you to build stronger relationships with your peers and to network for ideas, so please answer when the call comes. ----- PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Arden Dufilho, IABC/Fort Worth It's February. Time for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras. It also means that IABC's Communicator of the Year Award is coming up and the Bronze Quill call for entries will soon be on its way. These are IABC's two biggest events each year, and it appears we will have tremendous support for both. So watch the mail for further information. Speaking of support, I want to thank board members Jan Gary, Pat McCombs, Daniel Frost and Patrick Grady for making the drive to Las Colinas at the crack of dawn last week for a meeting with IABC international chair Charles Pizzo. Pizzo addressed upper-echelon changes at the international level and how they affect the organization. His senior communicators forum on the changing landscape of the communications field was quite illuminating. Thanks to IABC/Dallas and Robin McCasland for arranging the meeting. I hope we can plan more events with the Dallas chapter. Hope to see everyone at our February lunch and seminar. Watch the mail for information on that as well. As we say in Louisiana at Mardi Gras, "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" ----- OVER & OUT John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ You'll find registration forms and more on the SPJ National Writers Workshop, March 16-17, in the latest Quill and, hopefully soon, at http://spj.org. Know this: Space is tight, and not just at workshop HQ, the Queen & Crescent Hotel (http://queenandcrescent.com), but throughout New Orleans. It's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and the Crescent City will be shamrocking. Should the Q&C be full, Amy at (800) 964-0835 ext. 1325 can help. If your gumbo's not booked, it's cooked. ... High school students have until March 1 to enter the freedom of the press essay contest, which your chapter will help judge. National winner pockets $1,000. Contact Lynn Nerz, (317) 927-8000 or mailto:lnerz@spj.org. ... World traveler Dorothy Estes ("flying would be great if you didn't have to get on and off the planes") and husband Emory have returned from two weeks in Italy, where they were robbed for the fourth time in their lives, stood in Julius Caesar's father-in-law's house outside Pompeii and, on impulse, bought a ticket to a museum lecture in the "Room of Mysteries." Expecting enlightenment on the Sphynx, they were confronted, instead, with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling erotic art and, uh, props, everywhere the props, little anatomically exaggerated dolls, some with removable parts. Dorothy should write a book. Nah, she is a book. ... Sarah Cohen, the Washington Post's database editor, had this to say at the NABJ convention last year, and it's still timely. Every public agency was required by law to compile a Y2K report listing all major computer systems. That report should provide a shopping list of databases. Request it, then decide which ones you want to see. Also: -- Consider asking the agency you cover for a blank copy of every form it fills out. It helps to know what information the agency collects and in what form. This is especially appropriate if you're just starting a beat. -- Oversight agencies frequently conduct performance audits, which often list their computer systems, how they are used and how they should be used. Again, those show what electronic information might be available (and whether the agency is lying when it says it can't provide an electronic record).

Broadcast veteran Gene Ashcraft, a former Fort Worth SPJ president (1970-71) and a driving force behind the revival of Texas State Networks, died Jan. 7. While news director at KFJZ, he helped bring back the pioneering TSN, which offered news and sports programming to Texas radio stations. He also served as war correspondent to KFJZ during the Vietnam War.

Respected on both sides of the news aisle -- AP and UPI -- as resourceful and innovative, Mr. Ashcraft organized the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network, which grew to more than 200 stations. In June he received the prestigious Arthur C. Clark Award recognizing outstanding contributions to the broadcast industry.

Journalism Scholar and Educator

BOB J. CARRELL, Jr., 1931-2001

Dr. Bob J. Carrell, Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma and former journalism chair at TCU, died Jan. 17. A prolific conductor of seminars in the United States as well as internationally, he co-authored a leading text on public relations writing and wrote three other books, as well as numerous scholarly articles and professional reports.

In his 23 years at the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Carrell spent 12 as director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He had a Fulbright lectureship in India in 1988 and was a National Science Foundation fellow. He taught at TCU from 1961 to 1969, the last three years as department head.

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How to Write It, Package It and Fling It Into the Cosmos: An All-Purpose Primer

Share a few laughs while going down the road of wisdom at IABC/Fort Worth's "Good Writing and Design (for Print and the Internet)" luncheon and workshop Tuesday, Feb. 13. Four experts will show how to produce lean, breezy, attractive printed and electronic pieces, and have a good time along the way. And the presenters are ...

+ Amy Hellen and Roger Fort of VirtuallyThere, an Internet strategy/Web-site management and hosting firm based in Sundance Square, who will discuss strong Web communication. Hellen, the company's marketing/PR director, has experience on such accounts as CompUSA and Microsoft. Fort, a bilingual wizard (fluent in Mac and PC), designs Web sites, develops Flash animation and produces graphics for VirtuallyThere clients.

* Date: Tuesday, Feb. 13

* Time: lunch 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., workshop 1:30-3:30

* Place: Petroleum Club, Continental Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; garage is at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket stamped for discount)

* Cost: $57 members, $62 nonmembers, $52 students, luncheon and workshop; $17 members, $22 nonmembers, $12 students, luncheon only; $40, workshop only

* RSVP: (817) 735-6157 or mailto:frostdg@c-b.com

Campaign 2000: Did the Media Decide Who Won?

With all the legal wrangling, chad counting and add-a-flag speeches, the media's role in the recent presidential election took backstage prominence. This month's PRSA speaker shifts the focus back to the cameras and commentary and the role the media and campaign advertising may have played in the outcome. James Mueller, journalism assistant professor at the University of North Texas, will share anecdotes drawn from his being one of only two communication pros from the area to participate in the Year 2000 Election Project.

The project involved more than 40 researchers in 15 states who analyzed campaign communication to assess its effect on voters. Mueller and UNT colleague Tom Reichert joined faculty from 29 universities nationwide in analyzing the presidential and congressional races. They also conducted focus groups for voter opinions on the presidential debates and televised campaign ads. They will contribute a chapter in the project's upcoming book.

* Time & date: noon Wednesday, Feb. 14

* Place: Ridglea Country Club, 3700 Bernie Anderson Blvd., just off Camp Bowie near Bryant Irvin

* Cost: $20 members, $23 nonmembers, $18 students

* RSVP by noon Feb. 9: (817) 347-8649 or mailto:elizabeth@stuartbacon.com

Escaping the Pack to Find an Exclusive

UTA Shorthorn ex Darren Barbee had been on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Northeast staff a mere four months when he was sent to Colorado to help cover the capture of the notorious "Texas Seven" escapees. A rookie in a sea of seasoned reporters, he nevertheless talked his way into an exclusive, face-to-face interview with ringleader George Rivas. You saw the headline, now hear the behind-the-scenes account of how Barbee scooped the free world.

* Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20

* Time: mingling 5:30 p.m., dinner 6:15, panel at 7

* Place: Water Street Seafood, 1540 S. University Drive

* Cost: $13 members, $17 nonmembers, $5 students

* Menu: choice of 8-ounce mesquite-grilled chicken, 4-ounce brandy mushroom trout, mesquite-grilled shrimp-k-bob or chicken caesar salad, all except the caesar served with a salad, vegetable and rice pilaf; fresh-baked bread and tea, soft drink or coffee; cash bar

* RSVP: (817) 877-1171 or mailto:doti1@aol.com

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AmeriCredit CEO Michael R. Barrington will keynote the M.J. Neeley Center for Professional Communication's fourth annual corporate workshop, "Communicating in a Changing World," Feb. 22-23 at the Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center on the TCU campus. Seminars will explore up-to-date job-search technology; solving personal disputes; ethical decisions and their effect on organizations; and working in an increasingly diverse marketplace. Cost is $75 before Feb. 9 ($100 after); for the keynote luncheon only, it's $25 pros, $20 Neeley alumni, $10 students. Info at http://www.cpc.tcu.edu or mailto:cpc@tcu.edu. ... Application deadline for the spring universal PR accreditation exam is Feb. 12. Details at http://prsa.org, or call (212) 460-1436 for a form. Candidates may take the exam March 16-25. Greater Fort Worth PRSA has financial aid for candidates whose employers or clients cannot pay the fees. Reach accreditation chair Carolyn Bobo, APR, at (817) 885-4243 or mailto:carolynbb@cookchildrens.org. ...

The Network of Hispanic Communicators meets next at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, Nuevo Leon restaurant in Dallas. Info from Gary Pina at (214) 657-2822 (pager) or mailto:gpina@star-telegram.com. ... An examination of high-profile PR challenges and presentation of the Silver Spur/Best of Texas Awards will drive the Texas Public Relations Association's annual conference, "PR 4 PR: Redefining the Profession," March 2-4 at the Dallas Marriott Quorum. Highlights will include Hill & Knowlton president Paul Taaffe on communicating in times of crisis, specifically the Wedgwood Baptist Church shootings and Fort Worth tornado, and sessions with PR representatives from the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks and Burn, a former Academy Awards PR director and the communications director for Yahoo. Info: http://tpra.com, or call Leah Patterson, (800) 525-0405. ... The National Association of Black Journalists' Region VII conference, March 8-10 at the San Antonio Marriott Northwest, will feature courses in ethics, education, broadcasting and writing, a job fair, the Ma'at Awards and a forum of folks seeking NABJ national office. Region VII director Cheryl Smith is at mailto:penonfire@aol.com or (214) 376-9525. ... Dot.coms bomb. PR takes the flack. New technologies flash, then fizzle. You'd think it's a war. Find ammo and topographical maps at "Tech 2001 -- When Worlds Collide," Monday, March 12, at the Argent Hotel in San Francisco. Info at http://tech.prsa.org. ...

Dagoberto Gilb has a story to tell, probably several, at the Barnes & Noble, 934 E. Copeland Road in Arlington, on Friday, Feb. 2, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gilb will sign his books and likely discuss, if you ask, how one goes from being a construction worker -- reared in Los Angeles, father was a janitor, mother a drug addict, now lives in Austin -- to an acclaimed author, his latest being "Woodcuts of Women." This will be the third stop on a U.S. tour fueled by the success of "The Magic of Blood," which won a PEN/Hemingway Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Info from B&N community relations manager Thom Anderson at (817) 795-4052.

In Election's Wake, a Call for Change

The November election sent a message to America: It's time for change. Just what and how much are open to informed discussion, which happened in boisterous fashion at the January SPJ meeting on a range of topics, from the contested Florida ballots, to the need for a uniform nationwide ballot, to whether the press erred in announcing election results before final tallies were in.

Jim Wright, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Tarrant County election administrator Bob Parten favor campaign finance reform, although they caution lawmakers to word legislation carefully. "Don't give the lawyers any wiggle room," Parten said. "It takes them about two years to manage a way around the law." Wright said that shouldn't stop needed improvements. "I think it's important to pass reform," he said. "And if the lawyers get around it, then change it yet again."

On the suggestion that flawed exit polling led to the initial projections of Vice President Al Gore taking Florida, Parten believes the information the networks used was correct. "People exiting the polls thought they had voted for Gore, but when the ballots were counted it changed," he said. "That led me to believe that people were confused." Wright said the networks should keep results from West Coast voters until the polls close there. "Beyond that," he said, "it becomes a free speech issue."

Jack Douglas, who covered the election aftermath on-site in Florida for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, passed around one of the contested Florida "butterfly" ballots. Some among the 45 attendees agreed with critics that the ballot was difficult to decipher. "Looking at it now, after all the press coverage, it looks easy but it wasn't," Douglas said. He added that the Florida situation should be a wake-up call to the media, particularly newspapers, which, he said, put too much faith in the networks.

Panel moderator Allan Saxe asked if a uniform ballot would simplify things. Parten said that while the idea appears sound, it would take 10 years to implement. Douglas said he believes such legislation would infringe on states' rights and added, "It would also violate the feeling of local control of elections."

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Established regional PR firm in downtown Fort Worth seeks a writer strong in the governmental process, local media and the community. Projects will include position papers, meeting summaries, speeches, talking points and news releases. Writing, editing and proofreading required; accuracy imperative. Salary commensurate with experience. Fax resume to (817) 870-1832, attn: Melissa. NYT Television, a New York Times company, will be shooting scenes for "Trauma: Life in the ER" at Baylor Medical Center this month and needs one or two interns to scout the area for B-roll footage, help the crew navigate Dallas, assist the producer with administrative tasks and serve as a contact with the New York office. Workdays and hours negotiable. Payment? A screen credit. Fax resume to David Rozan, (212) 598-9330.

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Roxana McKinney with the Hispanic Business Student Association at UT Austin needs a motivational speaker for an event Feb. 9. Reach her at (512) 471-3779 or mailto:roxanamc@mail.utexas.edu. ... Baby-boy daze! The Star-Telegram recently welcomed three sons into the family -- Patrick Anthony Andro, born at 9 a.m. Aug. 12 to Arlington sports guy Anthony Andro and his wife, Arlington page designer Diana Andro; Adam Deen Abdullah, born at 7:17 a.m. Dec. 30 to Northeast reporter Khalil Abdullah and his wife, Naimah; and Stephen Pinckney, born at 2:54 p.m. Jan. 24 to Roger Pinckney, Sports Zone assistant editor, and his wife, Diane Smith, Northeast immigration beat writer.

Kudos & Contracts ... InterStar Marketing and Public Relations will create a marketing campaign for Child Care Associates, a nonprofit corporation formerly known as The Day Care Association of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Established in 1968, CCA assists children and their families throughout North, North Central and West Central Texas.

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NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME

SPJ ... UTA Shorthorn alum Wayne Carter, formerly with Telephony Magazine, a telcom trade publication, and now a reporter for LocalBusiness.com, a Florida-based Internet small business technology magazine ... U. of South Florida grad Lucas Wiseman, formerly assistant sports editor at The Daily Commercial in Leesburg, Fla., and now on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports desk

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Additions ... at the S-T: Trebor Banstetter, with experience at The Wall Street Journal's Florida Journal in Orlando, The Palm Beach Post and the Daytona Beach News Journal; business reporter covering health care ... U. of Dallas grad and newlywed (to wife Catherine) Ray Khirallah, formerly news editor with DFW Community Newspapers; Arlington Hometown Star reporter

Promotions ... Nancy O'Malley, formerly with Hopkins and Associates in Dallas and with Stuart Bacon for less than a year, to senior public relations account executive with the Fort Worth-based advertising public relations firm ... at the S-T: Eddie McGee ("Big Brother") chronicler Tobias Lopez, a former agate clerk who put his legs in casts for a week to experience some of the difficulties faced by UTA Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball players, from the Arlington Hometown Star to Northeast sports covering Northwest High School and soccer ... Arlington high school sports writer Carlos Mendez, going downtown to cover high schools and a heavy dose of Stars, Mavericks, Rangers, Cowboys and colleges ... new dad Anthony Andro, to Arlington sports from the Northeast Hometown Star ... former Stanley Cup, Cowboys and high schools writer Mac Engel, joining T.R. Sullivan in covering the Texas Rangers ... Mike Bambach to senior deputy sports editor ... Cody Bailey to deputy/Sunday sports editor ... Charean Williams to helping coordinate Stars coverage

Exits ... at the S-T: Rocío Ortega, formerly with La Estrella in Dallas, to Mexican President Vicente Fox's administration as press information director in the Education Department ... Meg Young, 10-year clerical veteran in business and the newsroom, to a Dallas telcom company ... Robert Tharp to The Dallas Morning News

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A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Mary Dulle, GFW PRSA

Icy weather threatened again in January, but 60 hardy souls threw fear to the wind and enjoyed succulent barbecue, tasty beverages and warm fellowship at the delayed holiday party. Final totals were impressive -- around 150 books collected at the party, plus $844 raised to buy more books for the JPS children's library. Thanks to all who donated prizes (more than 40!), to Barnes & Noble downtown for the nice discount on books, to David Sherman for the wine, Paper USA for the invitations and envelopes, Spot Color for printing the invitations and Mike McColm at Eagle Audio for the audio system. Special thanks to Cliff Amos and Miller Brewing Co. for making the Miller Marketplace and Brew Kettle Museum available and for donating the beer and the Spring Creek barbecue.

There was so much interest in the January meeting topic, "Are You Ready to Go Solo?," that we may expand it to a professional development seminar later in the year. Thanks to Linda Johnson; Bill Lawrence, APR; Beth Park, APR; and Susan Schoolfield, APR, past presidents all, for their valuable insights. (By the way, that was a cold, rainy day, too. Surely we'll have swell weather for a meeting at some point this year!)

We received good reactions to Ridglea Country Club, so we'll stay there for a while. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Laura Squires is doing a fine job as program chair, but if you'd like to make suggestions about topics or speakers, she'd enjoy hearing from you. Remember, lunch is served promptly at noon, and you might want to arrive by 11:45 to network with your peers.

One way you can get best value for your membership dues is to be active. When asked, agree to serve on a committee. We have a dynamite community service project coming up that will be fun and help develop your skills even further. We're planning some interesting professional development seminars. Our student chapters need mentors. There'll be lots of opportunities for you to build stronger relationships with your peers and to network for ideas, so please answer when the call comes.

Arden Dufilho, IABC/Fort Worth

It's February. Time for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras. It also means that IABC's Communicator of the Year Award is coming up and the Bronze Quill call for entries will soon be on its way. These are IABC's two biggest events each year, and it appears we will have tremendous support for both. So watch the mail for further information.

Speaking of support, I want to thank board members Jan Gary, Pat McCombs, Daniel Frost and Patrick Grady for making the drive to Las Colinas at the crack of dawn last week for a meeting with IABC international chair Charles Pizzo. Pizzo addressed upper-echelon changes at the international level and how they affect the organization. His senior communicators forum on the changing landscape of the communications field was quite illuminating. Thanks to IABC/Dallas and Robin McCasland for arranging the meeting. I hope we can plan more events with the Dallas chapter.

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

You'll find registration forms and more on the SPJ National Writers Workshop, March 16-17, in the latest Quill and, hopefully soon, at http://spj.org. Know this: Space is tight, and not just at workshop HQ, the Queen & Crescent Hotel (http://queenandcrescent.com), but throughout New Orleans. It's St. Patrick's Day weekend, and the Crescent City will be shamrocking. Should the Q&C be full, Amy at (800) 964-0835 ext. 1325 can help. If your gumbo's not booked, it's cooked. ... High school students have until March 1 to enter the freedom of the press essay contest, which your chapter will help judge. National winner pockets $1,000. Contact Lynn Nerz, (317) 927-8000 or mailto:lnerz@spj.org. ...

World traveler Dorothy Estes ("flying would be great if you didn't have to get on and off the planes") and husband Emory have returned from two weeks in Italy, where they were robbed for the fourth time in their lives, stood in Julius Caesar's father-in-law's house outside Pompeii and, on impulse, bought a ticket to a museum lecture in the "Room of Mysteries." Expecting enlightenment on the Sphynx, they were confronted, instead, with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling erotic art and, uh, props, everywhere the props, little anatomically exaggerated dolls, some with removable parts. Dorothy should write a book. Nah, she is a book. ...

Sarah Cohen, the Washington Post's database editor, had this to say at the NABJ convention last year, and it's still timely. Every public agency was required by law to compile a Y2K report listing all major computer systems. That report should provide a shopping list of databases. Request it, then decide which ones you want to see. Also:

-- Oversight agencies frequently conduct performance audits, which often list their computer systems, how they are used and how they should be used. Again, those show what electronic information might be available (and whether the agency is lying when it says it can't provide an electronic record).