eChaser: September 2000


	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] September 2000 Impressive Talent, Exceptional Friend KAREN POTTER CAMPBELL, 1959-2000 Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards remembers Karen Potter. So does former Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis. And Mike Blackman and Lou Hudson. "In the governor's office, I saw her almost daily, even sometimes when I wished fervently not to see another newspaper reporter," said Richards, who became governor in 1990. "But she was always gracious in her manner, and I always thought she seemed a little more thoughtful in her questions." Lewis: "Karen was one of the best reporters we had in Austin, for the simple reason that she reported the facts. She was a person who did her job and did it well." Former Star-Telegram executive editor Blackman: As a college intern, "Karen already had the right approach, the right balance to handle the big story." Star-Telegram deputy editor Hudson: "She could go to the most boring, complicated, arcane, technically mind-numbing event and find a fun story to write about." The award-winning former Star- Telegram reporter and editor was known for her talent and compassion, her humor. She died of cancer Aug. 26. She was features managing editor at the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., where her husband, former Star-Telegram sportswriter Steve Campbell, writes a sports column. The couple had an 11-month-old daughter, Olivia. ----- MEETINGS Next at SPJ ... Wedgwood Baptist Church: One Year Later It has been nearly a year since a deranged man entered the sanctuary at Wedgwood Baptist Church and shot into the crowd of young people there to socialize and worship. Seven died; another seven were injured. Left behind are families, survivors and an entire church community still grappling with a notoriety none would envy. As the Sept. 15 anniversary nears, the September program at Fort Worth SPJ will present two of those directly involved, a reporter who's been with them since just after the shooting stopped, and representatives of a film production team that's making a documentary. What did the media do right? What did they do wrong? What can be learned from it all? Expect answers from Judy Stegner, who lost her son, Justin Ray, in the rampage; Jay Fannin, the church's youth minister; and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Rebeca Rodriguez, who has covered the tragedy since the first hours and has gotten to know many of those affected. * Date: Thursday, Sept. 7 * Time: mingling 5:45 p.m., dinner 6:45, program 7:45 * Place: "on the bridge," Renaissance Worthington Hotel * Cost: free for the program; to eat, $16 members, $25 nonmembers, $8 students; free valet parking with meal * Menu: tossed lettuce salad, Chef's Special lasagna, garlic bread, fresh-fruit sorbet for dessert; cash bar * RSVP: (817) 877-1171 or mailto:doti1@aol.com ----- Next at IABC ... Type Casting: Personality Compass Charts the Path Hippocrates' Four Humors, Aristotle's Forces of Nature, Jung's Basic Functions, the modern-day Myers-Briggs Type Indicator -- all segment behaviors into four groups. The Personality Compass updates the theories and not only shows people into which groups they fall, but also how to use that knowledge in communicating effectively. The information is especially helpful to teams, which function best when they balance the four styles. James Flair, who will give the September program, knows true north on the Personality Compass. RadioShack's organizational development expert, he helped launch the company's first supervisory training model. He also researched, created and tested RadioShack's pilot mentoring program, Pathways. * Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12* Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $11 students * Place: Petroleum Club, UPR Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; garage is at Seventh and Commerce streets * RSVP by noon Sept. 8: Dan Frost, (817) 735-6157, fax (817) 735-6118 or mailto:frostdg@c-b.com ----- Next at PRSA ... Creativity and Communication: Yes, They Go Together Joel Zeff is a popular guy. At the PRSA Southwest District Conference in February, everyone raved about him and asked when he would be discussing creativity in communication for the Fort Worth chapter. That time has come. Using humor, Zeff breaks down barriers and develops a positive environment, giving participants the opportunity to take risks and be creative. Zeff, a former reporter and ad writer, started his own consulting firm, Joel Zeff Creative, in 1994. Today he is an award-winning comedian, speaker, actor and writer who does more than 250 shows/presentations a year at comedy clubs and for corporations such as EDS, Verizon and Southwest Airlines. Since 1993, he has performed at Ad-Libs, an improv club in downtown Dallas, and recently was co-host of "The Movie Zone" on UPN 21. * Time & date: noon Wednesday, Sept. 13 * Place: Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center, 2820 Stadium Drive across from the TCU student center * Cost: $16 members, $19 guests, $15 students * RSVP by noon Sept. 11: (817) 347-8649 or mailto:carolyn.c.hodge@lmco.com ======================================== STRAIGHT STUFF First Amendment champion John Seigenthaler, a former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, will keynote the 2000 Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics at SMU on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Tickets are free; call (214) 768-2787. ... Early deadline ($10) is Oct. 20 for college students, high school juniors/seniors and advisers interested in the "Merging Media" workshop Saturday, Oct. 28, offered by the DFW Network of Hispanic Communicators (http://dfwhispanic.org) and the UTA Communication Department. Contact Carmen Alvarado Vasquez at mailto:cgalvarado12@hotmail.com or (214) 729-4507. ... A reception for new officers will highlight the DFW Association of Black Communicators meeting (mingling starts at 6:30 p.m.) Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the African American Museum in Dallas, 3536 Grand Ave. ... PRSA's "Coffee with the Experts" session Aug. 24 on crisis management in health care was a success, and LaTonyie Jarrett-Taylor would like to thank Drenda Witt, JPS Health Network; Beth Solomon, Cook Children's Health Care System; Mary Gugliuzza, Fort Worth Water Department; and Laura Van Hoosier, Harris Methodist Hospital. ... The American Judicature Society's Toni House Journalism Award recognizes print, broadcast and online reporters who boost public understanding of the courts and/or improve the administration of justice. Deadline to apply is Sept. 15; a reception honoring the winner will be Nov. 10 in Chicago. Toni House worked first as a journalist and then as the U.S. Supreme Court's public information officer; she died in 1998. The award, in its second year, went first to NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Contact Celia Colista, (312) 558-6900 ext. 107 or mailto:ccolista@ajs.org. ... Deadline is Oct. 2 for organizations to apply for funding to develop fresh ways to involve citizens in public issues reporting, with emphasis on on-line ideas and multimedia partnerships. See http://pewcenter.org/project/guidelines/html. ----- PRSA Board Nominees Announced The Greater Fort Worth PRSA Board of Directors has announced the chapter's slate of officers for 2001, to be offered for vote at the annual meeting in October: president, Mary Dulle; president-elect, Kristie Aylett, APR; vice president, Laura Squires, APR; secretary, Julie Neal; treasurer, Jade Hoffman; treasurer-elect, Pamela Smith; directors, Roger Partridge, Carolyn Bobo, APR, and Carolyn Hodge, APR; and delegates, Paul Sturiale, APR, and Beth Park, APR. Immediate past president will be Kim Speairs, APR. Additional nominations for all positions are welcome. Members may nominate themselves. Nominators and nominees must be registered members in good standing with the chapter. In addition, PRSA national requires that nominees for assembly delegate be APR accredited. Nominations may be made in advance of the annual meeting in writing to nominating committee chair Paul Sturiale, 5121 Turtle Creek Court, Fort Worth 76116 or mailto:pauls2@home.com. Nominations also will be accepted from the floor. ======================================== GET A JOB Contact JoDee Neathery at Database Associates, (972) 596-2780 or mailto:jodeen@dallas.net, for more on the following positions, all in Dallas and most with relocation allowances: marketing director for a business development/marketing consulting firm, 4-5 years of business-to-business or business-to-consumer experience, creative writing skills a must, salary target $50k; marketing director with public affairs/PR/marketing or government affairs expertise, same company, must have a communications background, experience in regulatory and legislative arenas and knowledge of the electric industry, salary $50k-$70k; law firm marketing/PR professional, 5 years experience, must know Dallas and the local media, salary in $60k range; account execs and senior account execs in technology and consumer practices for a worldwide PR agency, minimum 3 years experience, salary $30k-$40k (same specs, the company's San Francisco office, $40k-$65k). ======================================== BOOK DEALS SPJ member and Child Study Center developmental/ behavioral pediatrician Julian Haber's "ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis" (Taylor Publishing, $14.95) hit bookstores last month. It differentiates attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from other neurobehavioral, medical, psychosocial and learning problems, and apparently does it well: "Timely ... fits in with concerns about misdiagnosis and treatment," says Karen Miller, M.D., University of Rochester; "every teacher and parent will need personal copies they can highlight and dog-ear," says Maggie Carr, vice president, Learning Disabilities Association of Texas. Pulitzer Prize winner Donald M. Murray's "Writing to Deadline: The Journalist at Work" (Heinemann, $15.95) perhaps should be two books, "The Journalist at Work" and "Writing to Deadline." The first would contain his mostly insightful and instructive interviews with reporters. The second would contain his mostly simplistic and confusing advice on writing. * Murray's suggestions range from the elementary to the bizarre. Does any journalist need to be told that using the right verb is important? If so, would she follow his advice and write that the mayor "trotted into the room"? Other tips are so cryptic that they border on the mystical: "The writer must find a way to bring all the elements in the story to be written together. I usually do it with a line, a fragment of language that contains a tension." If you see how this lends unity and focus to a story, call me. * The interviews with working journalists are the book's best feature, although grammar, spelling and punctuation errors in the transcribed works bedevil this section. Murray asks probing questions here and gets thoughtful answers. * I wanted to like "Writing to Deadline: The Journalist at Work," but it is uneven and burdened by inconsistent attention to detail. Also perhaps by a little ego. Murray provides a list of 15 books for additional reading; he wrote eight of them. -- Tim Sager, deputy copy desk chief, Fort Worth Star-Telegram ======================================== PEOPLE & PLACES From Frank "Smurf Daddy" Perkins: "Dear SPJ friends, I have been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, an inability to extract oxygen from the air I take into my lungs, and with an enlarged right side of the heart, the results of obesity and a decade of smoking in my 'misspent youth' (although I quit 20 years ago). I must be on oxygen -- the only 'drug' that can help the lung condition -- apparently for the rest of my life, or turn into a giant blue Smurf! "Right now, a 50-foot cannula links me to an oxygen generator, and I use portable bottles (about a two-hour supply) when I leave the house for such a simple thing as going through Luby's drive-thru or visiting the doctor. A trip to the barber's or to get my car inspected requires logistical planning rivaling D-Day! I can still walk on my own and will make the best lemonade I can from the health lemons I created for myself. "I will continue writing my Star-T military affairs column until they send word to knock it off. I want to remain in SPJ and work with you guys, but I won't make many meetings until I get this oxygen demand rate down. I'm 295 pounds (from an all-time 393!). I consider my friends in SPJ as pearls above price, and I hope that this piece might prompt a call or a visit. Reach me at (817) 536-8188 or mailto:tanker@star-telegram.com. Address is 1816 Lake Shore Court, and I would love to see you all!" ----- J.R. Lieber, the Yankee Cowboy everybody loves to hate, is continuing his run for U.S. vice president as an independent in the Liebertarian Party, despite losing the coveted, in some circles, VP spot on the Republican ticket. He reports that he was encouraged to press on by having a substantial inventory of campaign buttons and by a "kindly, yet misguided woman" in North Richland Hills who projected a light image of him on her house. Kudos & Contracts ... Dr. Doug Newsom, APR, Fellow, has been named an Outstanding Woman by the Commission on the Status of Women of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The award recognizes an educator's leadership, scholarly achievements and commitment to issues facing women in the communications field. ... Star-Telegram columnist Ken Parish Perkins, photographer Jill Johnson and the paper's online editorial staff took second-place honors at the National Association of Black Journalists' Salute to Excellence awards ceremony last month. ======================================== NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME PRSA ... Richard Bobo, with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce ... Monica Gonzales, with Cash America ... Robin Rice, with the American Heart Association. SPJ ... Deanna Howard, an account executive for Witherspoon Advertising & Public Relations; a Texas Wesleyan U. journalism grad, she previously worked at the Star-Telegram, as a product development manager at Mrs Baird's Bakeries and as PR coordinator for the Confederate Air Force ... Pat Gordon, UTA journalism lecturer; a former Dallas Morning News reporter, she also freelances for such publications as The Boston Globe ... Carmen Mitchell, for 15 years Student Publications director at the University of North Texas, working with the editorial and advertising staffs at The North Texas Daily. ======================================== COMINGS & GOINGS Additions ... Lance Lamberton, now senior account supervisor with Edelman Public Relations in Dallas ... at the S-T: Stan Russell, formerly with the Riverside, Calif., Press-Enterprise and on the startup team at Investors Business Daily; night business editor. Promotions ... at the S-T: UTA j-grad and 12-year Star-T veteran Linda Campbell, with experience at the Chicago Tribune, Texas Lawyer and The Washington Times; filling the editorial writer vacancy left by Cecil Johnson's retirement. Exits ... at the S-T: health-care reporter Sarah Lunday, accepting a yearlong Kaiser Media Fellowship in Health ... Matthew Brady, to The Daily Oklahoman as assistant city editor ... business reporter Worth Wren, Jr., now content editor at StoreAlliance.com writing about "all things pertinent to grocers" ... Shelby Bradley, moving to New Mexico ... Felicia Smith, to The Dallas Morning News ... Mede Nix, to The Dallas Morning News. ======================================== FROM THE PRESIDENT Kim Speairs / PRSA September's off to a sizzling start. First, we secured an inspiring speaker for a highly interactive program. Second, we've selected a dynamic slate of officers who are certain to lead us to greatness. Finally, we've supplied students with materials they need for the school year. * Creative inspiration on tap * Joel Zeff is the program you don't want to miss. Joel goes to great lengths to entertain and educate, while teaching us how to think outside that infamous box. He will leave you energized for weeks to come. * Tomorrow's leaders, today * Congratulations to the nominated officers and thanks to nominating chair Paul Sturiale, APR, and crew for their stellar efforts in identifying our future leaders. * Good old Golden Rule days * Eliz Hopkins did it again! Our school supplies community service project raised $135 in cash plus boxes of pads, pens, crayons and more to benefit homeless students. We especially appreciate Alcon Laboratories, the City of Fort Worth Health Department, Cross Timbers Oil Co., Lockheed Martin, the Tarrant County 911 District, UNT Health Science Center and the many individuals who contributed. FWISD guidance program coordinator June W. Davis asked us to thank all of our members for their thoughtfulness and generosity. ----- PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Arden Dufilho / IABC Am I the only one having trouble believing it's September already? Wasn't it just yesterday that we were all panicking over Y2K? Well, time marches on, and it's not too early to start thinking about our Communicator of the Year 2001. Now in its fifth year, the award recognizes area communicators who have not only had an exemplary career but who have given back to the community. Our first four recipients -- Clarice Tinsley, Pat Svacina, Delbert Bailey and Drenda Witt -- certainly meet those qualifications. Second, the award brings recognition to our organization, and it would be nice if the award luncheon in March made us a little money, which could benefit a scholarship or other worthwhile cause. At the last board meeting, we wrestled with revamping the award. Currently, anyone in the community may nominate someone. Do we keep this approach, or should the IABC/Fort Worth board handle the selection process? We ask our members to weigh in on this, and we invite input from the PRSA and SPJ camps as well. Communicator of the Year (Bronze Quill, too) is a signature event, and we'd like to raise the profile without sacrificing the legitimacy of the award. We will begin taking nominations in November. Now for another piece of my MindShare. It's not too late to sign up for the D5 conference in Tulsa, Sept. 20-22, which promises to be a fabulous three days of sessions, speakers and fun. Jan Gary, Pat McCombs and I are going, and we'd love to see even more Fort Worth folks there. Go to http://iabctulsa.com for info. ----- OVER & OUT John Dycus / SPJ Key words for the Wednesday, Nov. 1, program: Galloway. Hansen. Funny. Very funny. Joe T. Garcia's. ... FW Weekly editor John Forsyth, a straight-shooter in a shoot-from-the-hip market, presents a cogent, both-sides look at New Times' buyout of the city's alternative newspaper (http://fwweekly.com). Whether this is good or bad for Cowtown newshounds presumably depends on whose Ochs is being gored, but Forsyth writes that readers "can expect additional news coverage from more, better-paid employees." Just don't expect the future cast of characters in the old Packard garage to include everyone who's there now. ... This month's SPJ meeting returns to the Renaissance Worthington downtown, at a 20 percent meal cost reduction for members, and still with free valet parking. More value, more convenience -- that was a goal of this board, and it's happening. ... Powered by unwavering demand (OK, a couple of students), the SPJ/Barnes & Noble Teen Newswriting Workshop has returned to the north Arlington store, fronted for a second year by SPJ director Larry Lutz and with guest speakers like Star-T sports guy Kevin Lyons. Good job, Larry and Kevin and all who help out. Again. ... So it's not journalism. You still need to know. Kathy J. White with Women's Haven of Tarrant County would have us all buy a $50 Heart Card and then, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, use it to get 20 percent off at more than 100 area stores from kids' wear to cellular phones. In 1999, Kathy says, Women's Haven responded to more than 6,000 calls to its 24-hour crisis center and provided emergency shelter for 1,415 battered women and children. Families staying at Women's Haven are provided food, clothing, counseling, child care, on-site public schooling, assistance with emergency transportation, medical care and, in some cases, transitional housing. Reach Kathy at (817) 535-7881 or mailto:kwhite@womenshaven.org. ... For those of you who read for fun or in the line of duty (that should be all of you), the E-Chaser welcomes concise reviews for "Book Deals." And if you're job hunting or know who's hiring, that info goes in "Get a Job." This newsletter, surely you've noticed, burns a lot of words. Feel free to supply some. ... National prez Kyle Niederpruem's newsletter gets better every month. Note the assertion by the watchdog group OMB Watch that a proposed rule by the EPA and Justice Department restricts the public's right to know about chemical plant accidents in their communities. Federal officials say they're worried about information falling to terrorists. All manner of material rolls through here, and I'll set up a forwarding network. Just ask. ... A final note on Karen Potter. When Jeff Guinn was writing "The Autobiography of Santa Claus," he thought of Karen, who, he found, was "generous in spirit and always saw the best in other people." He asked to use her face as the basis for the artist's drawings of Santa's wife. The book explains that it was she who talked St. Nick into giving children toys instead of food because of the more lasting joy they bring. And that's why, Jeff says, "tens of thousands of children think Karen Potter is Mrs. Santa Claus."

"In the governor's office, I saw her almost daily, even sometimes when I wished fervently not to see another newspaper reporter," said Richards, who became governor in 1990. "But she was always gracious in her manner, and I always thought she seemed a little more thoughtful in her questions." Lewis: "Karen was one of the best reporters we had in Austin, for the simple reason that she reported the facts. She was a person who did her job and did it well."

Former Star-Telegram executive editor Blackman: As a college intern, "Karen already had the right approach, the right balance to handle the big story." Star-Telegram deputy editor Hudson: "She could go to the most boring, complicated, arcane, technically mind-numbing event and find a fun story to write about."

The award-winning former Star- Telegram reporter and editor was known for her talent and compassion, her humor. She died of cancer Aug. 26. She was features managing editor at the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., where her husband, former Star-Telegram sportswriter Steve Campbell, writes a sports column. The couple had an 11-month-old daughter, Olivia.

It has been nearly a year since a deranged man entered the sanctuary at Wedgwood Baptist Church and shot into the crowd of young people there to socialize and worship. Seven died; another seven were injured. Left behind are families, survivors and an entire church community still grappling with a notoriety none would envy.

As the Sept. 15 anniversary nears, the September program at Fort Worth SPJ will present two of those directly involved, a reporter who's been with them since just after the shooting stopped, and representatives of a film production team that's making a documentary.

What did the media do right? What did they do wrong? What can be learned from it all? Expect answers from Judy Stegner, who lost her son, Justin Ray, in the rampage; Jay Fannin, the church's youth minister; and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Rebeca Rodriguez, who has covered the tragedy since the first hours and has gotten to know many of those affected.

Hippocrates' Four Humors, Aristotle's Forces of Nature, Jung's Basic Functions, the modern-day Myers-Briggs Type Indicator -- all segment behaviors into four groups. The Personality Compass updates the theories and not only shows people into which groups they fall, but also how to use that knowledge in communicating effectively. The information is especially helpful to teams, which function best when they balance the four styles.

James Flair, who will give the September program, knows true north on the Personality Compass. RadioShack's organizational development expert, he helped launch the company's first supervisory training model. He also researched, created and tested RadioShack's pilot mentoring program, Pathways.

Joel Zeff is a popular guy. At the PRSA Southwest District Conference in February, everyone raved about him and asked when he would be discussing creativity in communication for the Fort Worth chapter. That time has come. Using humor, Zeff breaks down barriers and develops a positive environment, giving participants the opportunity to take risks and be creative.

Zeff, a former reporter and ad writer, started his own consulting firm, Joel Zeff Creative, in 1994. Today he is an award-winning comedian, speaker, actor and writer who does more than 250 shows/presentations a year at comedy clubs and for corporations such as EDS, Verizon and Southwest Airlines. Since 1993, he has performed at Ad-Libs, an improv club in downtown Dallas, and recently was co-host of "The Movie Zone" on UPN 21.

First Amendment champion John Seigenthaler, a former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, will keynote the 2000 Rosine Smith Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics at SMU on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Tickets are free; call (214) 768-2787. ... Early deadline ($10) is Oct. 20 for college students, high school juniors/seniors and advisers interested in the "Merging Media" workshop Saturday, Oct. 28, offered by the DFW Network of Hispanic Communicators (http://dfwhispanic.org) and the UTA Communication Department. Contact Carmen Alvarado Vasquez at mailto:cgalvarado12@hotmail.com or (214) 729-4507. ... A reception for new officers will highlight the DFW Association of Black Communicators meeting (mingling starts at 6:30 p.m.) Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the African American Museum in Dallas, 3536 Grand Ave. ... PRSA's "Coffee with the Experts" session Aug. 24 on crisis management in health care was a success, and LaTonyie Jarrett-Taylor would like to thank Drenda Witt, JPS Health Network; Beth Solomon, Cook Children's Health Care System; Mary Gugliuzza, Fort Worth Water Department; and Laura Van Hoosier, Harris Methodist Hospital. ...

The American Judicature Society's Toni House Journalism Award recognizes print, broadcast and online reporters who boost public understanding of the courts and/or improve the administration of justice. Deadline to apply is Sept. 15; a reception honoring the winner will be Nov. 10 in Chicago. Toni House worked first as a journalist and then as the U.S. Supreme Court's public information officer; she died in 1998. The award, in its second year, went first to NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg. Contact Celia Colista, (312) 558-6900 ext. 107 or mailto:ccolista@ajs.org. ... Deadline is Oct. 2 for organizations to apply for funding to develop fresh ways to involve citizens in public issues reporting, with emphasis on on-line ideas and multimedia partnerships. See http://pewcenter.org/project/guidelines/html.

The Greater Fort Worth PRSA Board of Directors has announced the chapter's slate of officers for 2001, to be offered for vote at the annual meeting in October: president, Mary Dulle; president-elect, Kristie Aylett, APR; vice president, Laura Squires, APR; secretary, Julie Neal; treasurer, Jade Hoffman; treasurer-elect, Pamela Smith; directors, Roger Partridge, Carolyn Bobo, APR, and Carolyn Hodge, APR; and delegates, Paul Sturiale, APR, and Beth Park, APR. Immediate past president will be Kim Speairs, APR.

Additional nominations for all positions are welcome. Members may nominate themselves. Nominators and nominees must be registered members in good standing with the chapter. In addition, PRSA national requires that nominees for assembly delegate be APR accredited.

Nominations may be made in advance of the annual meeting in writing to nominating committee chair Paul Sturiale, 5121 Turtle Creek Court, Fort Worth 76116 or mailto:pauls2@home.com. Nominations also will be accepted from the floor.

Contact JoDee Neathery at Database Associates, (972) 596-2780 or mailto:jodeen@dallas.net, for more on the following positions, all in Dallas and most with relocation allowances: marketing director for a business development/marketing consulting firm, 4-5 years of business-to-business or business-to-consumer experience, creative writing skills a must, salary target $50k; marketing director with public affairs/PR/marketing or government affairs expertise, same company, must have a communications background, experience in regulatory and legislative arenas and knowledge of the electric industry, salary $50k-$70k; law firm marketing/PR professional, 5 years experience, must know Dallas and the local media, salary in $60k range; account execs and senior account execs in technology and consumer practices for a worldwide PR agency, minimum 3 years experience, salary $30k-$40k (same specs, the company's San Francisco office, $40k-$65k).

SPJ member and Child Study Center developmental/ behavioral pediatrician Julian Haber's "ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis" (Taylor Publishing, $14.95) hit bookstores last month. It differentiates attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from other neurobehavioral, medical, psychosocial and learning problems, and apparently does it well: "Timely ... fits in with concerns about misdiagnosis and treatment," says Karen Miller, M.D., University of Rochester; "every teacher and parent will need personal copies they can highlight and dog-ear," says Maggie Carr, vice president, Learning Disabilities Association of Texas.

Pulitzer Prize winner Donald M. Murray's "Writing to Deadline: The Journalist at Work" (Heinemann, $15.95) perhaps should be two books, "The Journalist at Work" and "Writing to Deadline." The first would contain his mostly insightful and instructive interviews with reporters. The second would contain his mostly simplistic and confusing advice on writing. * Murray's suggestions range from the elementary to the bizarre. Does any journalist need to be told that using the right verb is important? If so, would she follow his advice and write that the mayor "trotted into the room"? Other tips are so cryptic that they border on the mystical: "The writer must find a way to bring all the elements in the story to be written together. I usually do it with a line, a fragment of language that contains a tension." If you see how this lends unity and focus to a story, call me. * The interviews with working journalists are the book's best feature, although grammar, spelling and punctuation errors in the transcribed works bedevil this section. Murray asks probing questions here and gets thoughtful answers. * I wanted to like "Writing to Deadline: The Journalist at Work," but it is uneven and burdened by inconsistent attention to detail. Also perhaps by a little ego. Murray provides a list of 15 books for additional reading; he wrote eight of them. -- Tim Sager, deputy copy desk chief, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Dear SPJ friends, I have been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, an inability to extract oxygen from the air I take into my lungs, and with an enlarged right side of the heart, the results of obesity and a decade of smoking in my 'misspent youth' (although I quit 20 years ago). I must be on oxygen -- the only 'drug' that can help the lung condition -- apparently for the rest of my life, or turn into a giant blue Smurf!

"Right now, a 50-foot cannula links me to an oxygen generator, and I use portable bottles (about a two-hour supply) when I leave the house for such a simple thing as going through Luby's drive-thru or visiting the doctor. A trip to the barber's or to get my car inspected requires logistical planning rivaling D-Day! I can still walk on my own and will make the best lemonade I can from the health lemons I created for myself.

"I will continue writing my Star-T military affairs column until they send word to knock it off. I want to remain in SPJ and work with you guys, but I won't make many meetings until I get this oxygen demand rate down. I'm 295 pounds (from an all-time 393!). I consider my friends in SPJ as pearls above price, and I hope that this piece might prompt a call or a visit. Reach me at (817) 536-8188 or mailto:tanker@star-telegram.com. Address is 1816 Lake Shore Court, and I would love to see you all!"

J.R. Lieber, the Yankee Cowboy everybody loves to hate, is continuing his run for U.S. vice president as an independent in the Liebertarian Party, despite losing the coveted, in some circles, VP spot on the Republican ticket. He reports that he was encouraged to press on by having a substantial inventory of campaign buttons and by a "kindly, yet misguided woman" in North Richland Hills who projected a light image of him on her house.

Kudos & Contracts ... Dr. Doug Newsom, APR, Fellow, has been named an Outstanding Woman by the Commission on the Status of Women of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The award recognizes an educator's leadership, scholarly achievements and commitment to issues facing women in the communications field. ... Star-Telegram columnist Ken Parish Perkins, photographer Jill Johnson and the paper's online editorial staff took second-place honors at the National Association of Black Journalists' Salute to Excellence awards ceremony last month.

SPJ ... Deanna Howard, an account executive for Witherspoon Advertising & Public Relations; a Texas Wesleyan U. journalism grad, she previously worked at the Star-Telegram, as a product development manager at Mrs Baird's Bakeries and as PR coordinator for the Confederate Air Force ... Pat Gordon, UTA journalism lecturer; a former Dallas Morning News reporter, she also freelances for such publications as The Boston Globe ... Carmen Mitchell, for 15 years Student Publications director at the University of North Texas, working with the editorial and advertising staffs at The North Texas Daily.

Exits ... at the S-T: health-care reporter Sarah Lunday, accepting a yearlong Kaiser Media Fellowship in Health ... Matthew Brady, to The Daily Oklahoman as assistant city editor ... business reporter Worth Wren, Jr., now content editor at StoreAlliance.com writing about "all things pertinent to grocers" ... Shelby Bradley, moving to New Mexico ... Felicia Smith, to The Dallas Morning News ... Mede Nix, to The Dallas Morning News.

September's off to a sizzling start. First, we secured an inspiring speaker for a highly interactive program. Second, we've selected a dynamic slate of officers who are certain to lead us to greatness. Finally, we've supplied students with materials they need for the school year.

* Creative inspiration on tap *

Joel Zeff is the program you don't want to miss. Joel goes to great lengths to entertain and educate, while teaching us how to think outside that infamous box. He will leave you energized for weeks to come.

* Tomorrow's leaders, today *

Congratulations to the nominated officers and thanks to nominating chair Paul Sturiale, APR, and crew for their stellar efforts in identifying our future leaders.

* Good old Golden Rule days *

Eliz Hopkins did it again! Our school supplies community service project raised $135 in cash plus boxes of pads, pens, crayons and more to benefit homeless students. We especially appreciate Alcon Laboratories, the City of Fort Worth Health Department, Cross Timbers Oil Co., Lockheed Martin, the Tarrant County 911 District, UNT Health Science Center and the many individuals who contributed. FWISD guidance program coordinator June W. Davis asked us to thank all of our members for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

Am I the only one having trouble believing it's September already? Wasn't it just yesterday that we were all panicking over Y2K? Well, time marches on, and it's not too early to start thinking about our Communicator of the Year 2001. Now in its fifth year, the award recognizes area communicators who have not only had an exemplary career but who have given back to the community. Our first four recipients -- Clarice Tinsley, Pat Svacina, Delbert Bailey and Drenda Witt -- certainly meet those qualifications. Second, the award brings recognition to our organization, and it would be nice if the award luncheon in March made us a little money, which could benefit a scholarship or other worthwhile cause.

At the last board meeting, we wrestled with revamping the award. Currently, anyone in the community may nominate someone. Do we keep this approach, or should the IABC/Fort Worth board handle the selection process? We ask our members to weigh in on this, and we invite input from the PRSA and SPJ camps as well. Communicator of the Year (Bronze Quill, too) is a signature event, and we'd like to raise the profile without sacrificing the legitimacy of the award. We will begin taking nominations in November.

Now for another piece of my MindShare. It's not too late to sign up for the D5 conference in Tulsa, Sept. 20-22, which promises to be a fabulous three days of sessions, speakers and fun. Jan Gary, Pat McCombs and I are going, and we'd love to see even more Fort Worth folks there. Go to http://iabctulsa.com for info.

Key words for the Wednesday, Nov. 1, program: Galloway. Hansen. Funny. Very funny. Joe T. Garcia's. ... FW Weekly editor John Forsyth, a straight-shooter in a shoot-from-the-hip market, presents a cogent, both-sides look at New Times' buyout of the city's alternative newspaper (http://fwweekly.com). Whether this is good or bad for Cowtown newshounds presumably depends on whose Ochs is being gored, but Forsyth writes that readers "can expect additional news coverage from more, better-paid employees." Just don't expect the future cast of characters in the old Packard garage to include everyone who's there now. ... This month's SPJ meeting returns to the Renaissance Worthington downtown, at a 20 percent meal cost reduction for members, and still with free valet parking. More value, more convenience -- that was a goal of this board, and it's happening. ... Powered by unwavering demand (OK, a couple of students), the SPJ/Barnes & Noble Teen Newswriting Workshop has returned to the north Arlington store, fronted for a second year by SPJ director Larry Lutz and with guest speakers like Star-T sports guy Kevin Lyons. Good job, Larry and Kevin and all who help out. Again. ... So it's not journalism. You still need to know. Kathy J. White with Women's Haven of Tarrant County would have us all buy a $50 Heart Card and then, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, use it to get 20 percent off at more than 100 area stores from kids' wear to cellular phones. In 1999, Kathy says, Women's Haven responded to more than 6,000 calls to its 24-hour crisis center and provided emergency shelter for 1,415 battered women and children. Families staying at Women's Haven are provided food, clothing, counseling, child care, on-site public schooling, assistance with emergency transportation, medical care and, in some cases, transitional housing. Reach Kathy at (817) 535-7881 or mailto:kwhite@womenshaven.org. ...

For those of you who read for fun or in the line of duty (that should be all of you), the E-Chaser welcomes concise reviews for "Book Deals." And if you're job hunting or know who's hiring, that info goes in "Get a Job." This newsletter, surely you've noticed, burns a lot of words. Feel free to supply some. ... National prez Kyle Niederpruem's newsletter gets better every month. Note the assertion by the watchdog group OMB Watch that a proposed rule by the EPA and Justice Department restricts the public's right to know about chemical plant accidents in their communities. Federal officials say they're worried about information falling to terrorists. All manner of material rolls through here, and I'll set up a forwarding network. Just ask. ...

A final note on Karen Potter. When Jeff Guinn was writing "The Autobiography of Santa Claus," he thought of Karen, who, he found, was "generous in spirit and always saw the best in other people." He asked to use her face as the basis for the artist's drawings of Santa's wife. The book explains that it was she who talked St. Nick into giving children toys instead of food because of the more lasting joy they bring. And that's why, Jeff says, "tens of thousands of children think Karen Potter is Mrs. Santa Claus."