eChaser: May 2003


	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] May 2003 MEETINGS Next at IABC/Fort Worth ... Your Influence: Use It or Lose It The May program by Connie Hurn, principal of Connie Hurn Consulting Services and a facilitator for the Franklin Covey Co., promises a fresh approach to influence -- how to get it, how to sustain it and how to grow it. Hurn, a certified targeted management trainer with Development Dimensions International, has more than 20 years experience in organization development and training. An advocate of the inside-out approach to change, she will expand on Dr. Stephen Covey's work in the field of human effectiveness and success. Covey coined the term "Circle of Influence" in his best-selling book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." * Time, date: lunch 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 * Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St. * Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket validated) * Cost: $17 members, $22 nonmembers, $12 students * RSVP by noon May 9: Julie Trowbridge at trowbridgeja@c-b.com ----- Next at Greater Fort Worth PRSA ... Free Publicity: It's Available, Go Get It Emmy Award winner Jeff Crilley has been there -- 20 years in TV news, with appearances on CNN, The Discovery Channel, "Good Morning America," "The CBS Early Show" -- and he knows how organizations can get there, too. He'll explain the steps to increased media presence at the May PRSA meeting. Note the new RSVP e-mail: rsvp@fortworthprsa.org. A reporter and fill-in anchor at Fox 4 News for more than a decade, Crilley has just completed a book, "Free Publicity: A TV Reporter Shares the Secrets for Getting Covered on the News." It draws on the experiences of covering everything from presidental elections to Spam cooking contests at the State Fair. Crilley's broadcast career began at age 19 while he was still a student at Michigan State University. His honors include the National Headliners Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Thurgood Marshall Award. * Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 * Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St. * Parking: free in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket validated at Petroleum Club) * Cost: $20 members, $23 nonmembers, $18 students * RSVP by noon May 12: rsvp@fortworthprsa.org ----- Next at Fort Worth SPJ ... Patriot Act: Fighting Terror or a Civil Liberties Error? Nationwide, grass-roots Bill of Rights committees are forming to fight what they consider inappropriate curbs on liberties by the Patriot Act. The 342-page act, passed by Congress a month after the 2001 terrorist attacks and with little public input, has been most publicly criticized by librarians and bookstore owners for the provisions that force them to secretly hand over information about a patron's reading and Internet habits. Citizen groups are becoming increasingly forceful in rebuking the Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act for giving the government too much power, especially since a draft of the Justice Department's proposed sequel was publicly leaked in January. Fort Worth attorney Tom Williams has an opinion and he'll share it at the May SPJ meeting, as will other members of a panel to be announced. A timely affair, this. * Date: Thursday, May 22 * Time: mingling 5:30 p.m., dinner 6, program 6:30 * Place: Blue Mesa Grill, 1600 S. University Drive * Cost: $11 members, $15 nonmembers, $5 students * Menu: chicken enchiladas and cheese enchuiladas with Blue Mesa's signature tomatillo and three-chili sauces, rice, beans, guacamole, chips, salsa and beverage; cash bar * RSVP: Kay Pirtle at mkpirtle@yahoo.com ================================================= STRAIGHT STUFF James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, will present "The Art of Giving Advice: How to Talk So Clients Will Listen; Listen So Clients Will Talk," a virtual seminar, Thursday, May, 22, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Alcon Laboratories, 6201 South Freeway. Cost is $10 per person. Register at rsvp@fortworthprsa.org. ... Dallas PRSA members interested in starting an affiliate of the National Gay/ Lesbian PR Network are meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at The Bronx Restaurant in Dallas. Info: Bill Prickett, billp@ppa.org. ... Dr. Larissa Grunig of the University of Maryland and Katie Paine, president of New Hampshire-based KDPaine and Partners, will lead an audio conference on measuring a company's relationships and reputation at noon Thursday, May 8, in the Education & Administration Building (Stokes Conference Room, #1-810) of the UNT Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. Cost is $10 per person; bring a lunch. Limit 20 people. RSVP to rsvp@fortworthprsa.org. ... The Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators is coordinating volunteers for the National Association of Black Journalists' convention Aug. 6-10 in Dallas. Some 3,000 journalists are expected. To help, contact Theresa Humphrey in the Star-Telegram Northeast newsroom. SPJ national update: a big loss in Agieland, a Fox in the media henhouse, and they're fighting back in Arcata. Struggling with low faculty numbers and other problems, Texas A&M's journalism department may be essentially eliminated, the only liberal arts area at A&M that is threatened. While most of his departments face 10-12 percent leaner budgets next year, Dean Charles Johnson has recommended that j-funding drop 40 percent. With state budget cuts looming, he says, A&M is directing money toward high-performing academic programs. ... U.S. coverage of the Iraq war was so partial that it threatened the credibility of America's electronic media, the head of the BBC said last month. Greg Dyke singled out the Fox News Channel, owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch, and Clear Channel Communications, the largest operator of U.S. radio stations with more than 1,200. "I was shocked while in the United States by how unquestioning the broadcast news media was during this war," Dyke said in a speech at the University of London. "If Iraq proved anything, it was that the BBC cannot afford to mix patriotism and journalism." ... Tiny Arcata, Calif., pop. 16,000, may look quaint -- old buildings, town square with a bronze statue of William McKinley -- but it's the first city in the nation to outlaw compliance with the Patriot Act. "I call this a nonviolent, preemptive attack," says David Meserve, the freshman City Council member (campaign slogan: "The Federal Government Has Gone Stark, Raving Mad") who drafted the ordinance. The law carries a $57 fine and instructs the top nine city managers to refer any Patriot Act request to the City Council. To date, 89 cities nationwide have adopted resolutions condemning the act, with at least a dozen more in the works and Hawaii close to taking a stand against the act. More at msnbc.com/news/902977.asp?0cl=c3. ----- On Scholarship Night, a Lesson in Life by Penny Cockerell Journalism didn't come in the form of a scholarship for C.C. Risenhoover, who began his career sweeping the floors and cleaning type at his local paper so he could "just be there" and have his chance at getting a story in the paper. But the author of 18 books did have sound advice for SPJ scholarship recipients at the April banquet at Ridglea Country Club. He encouraged students to report news accurately or risk losing credibility. Opinionmakers such as Mark Davis and Molly Ivins are plentiful, he said, but real journalists have the more difficult job. Risenhoover said journalism suffers in the absence of objectivity. He learned that and a lot more -- about fairness and accuracy -- during his incredible summer of 1954, barnstorming with the Steers, an all-black baseball team from Jasper in East Texas. He was the team's only white player. "You really can't separate yourself from what you write," he told the crowd of about 50. "But it's your responsibility to strive for that goal." He said of his unforgettable 16th summer that he was "called an awful lot of things." His experience will soon be made into a movie based on his book, "Outside the Lines." "It's not about baseball. It's really about redemption," he said of the movie. "I kind of came to the conclusion that there's no color in heaven." Risenhoover spoke on a record night for Fort Worth SPJ, as the chapter awarded $17,000 to 20 students -- Tyler Tamplin, Kelly Morris, Caren Penland, Zach Duncan, Colleen Casey, Beth Francesco, Chris Piper, Emiko Fitzgerald, Gabriel Brooks and Thomas Felts, Texas Gridiron Scholarships, and James R. Phillips, Adrian Gutierrez, Daniel Johnson, Angela Tennison, Lars Levie, Alicia Byrd, Amanda Smith, Stephanie Gonzales, Amanda Chapman and Marcela Gonzalez, Lina Davis Scholarships -- all of whom are studying in Texas or have ties to the state. Highlights: Zach Duncan, Staley and Beverly McBrayer Scholarshp. The Midwestern State U. junior will be editor of The Wichitan in the fall. His adviser praises Zach's "positive, untiring attitude ... riveting feature stories and eye-catching layouts." Caren Penland, Donna Darovich Scholarshp. A UTA junior majoring in French, German, Spanish and Russian languages, Caren aspires to be a foreign correspondent, but first she will be Shorthorn editor this summer and in the fall. "I love to write the small stories," she says, "and I love to break the big news." Kelly Morris, Joe Holstead Scholarship. TCU's publications director credits the Skiff managing editor with helping the newspaper return to deadline adherence. "But Kelly has also shown the fortitude it takes to be a successful journalist, having broken the stories about the TCU women's basketball team scandal." Tyler Tamplin, Jack Tinsley Scholarshp. The UNT junior recalls a five-word pep talk his first day at Kilgore College -- adviser Bettye Craddock said: "You're going to make it.'' Since August, he has been design editor at the North Texas Daily, where the adviser calls his work among the best ever at UNT. Beth Francesco, UTA senior. A confessed "journalism nerd," Beth came to The Shorthorn as a reporter but by the end of the term was assistant news editor. She has been editor three semesters, was on The Working Press at the national SPJ convention in Fort Worth and will summer in Corpus Christi as a Dow Jones editing intern. Emiko Fitzgerald, UT Austin junior. A repeat Gridiron winner, she says journalists have "an amazing privilege ... to ask questions that would seem rude and imposing in any other situation." Chris Piper, UTA junior. Chris grew up on news but decided late in his academic career to pursue the craft. He was editor of the San Jacinto News-Times and writes for The Shorthorn. Colleen Casey, TCU junior. She knew in high school that journalism was for her, and a teacher inspired her to become a journalism teacher. Adrian Gutierrez, Arlington High School/UNT freshman in the fall. Active in Eagle Scouts, the National Honor Society, band and Key Club, Adrian has been Colt sports editor and a staff writer. Adviser Kay Dillard: "He has a talent for telling the human interest story in a compelling way." Daniel Johnson, AHS/Tarrant County College this fall. The Colt associate editor and technical manager missed the banquet because he was representing the district in UIL contests in Lubbock. He has been on the Colt staff three years as a writer, photographer and page designer. Stephanie Gonzales, AHS/completing her first year at UTA. She plans to work for a newspaper or teach high school journalism. "Being a journalist is so much more than just telling the news," she says. "It is about helping society become informed or reporting on issues that will impact a community." Amanda Chapman, Sam Houston High School/TCC this fall. She's the newspaper editor and wants to be a reporter professionally. Amanda Smith, SHHS/TCC this fall. She has worked on both high school publications and wants a career in broadcast journalism. Teachers praise her time-management skills and work habits. James R. Phillips, AHS/completing his second year at UNT as a graphics design major. He's been on the Dean's List all four semesters and wants to work as a graphic designer on a newspaper or magazine. ----- From New Member and National Prez: Region 8 was Great by Wendy Lyons Sunshine NORMAN, Okla. -- While embedded reporters hazarded their way across Iraq, journalists back home made a windblown sprint up to SPJ's Region 8 conference April 4-5. Hosted by Oklahoma members Mick and Sue Hinton and chapter president Tom Lindley, the conference was a packed 48 hours of nationally recognized speakers, IRE tips and thought-provoking sessions. Dr. Karen Brown Dunlap, director of the Poynter Institute, reflected in her Mark of Excellence Awards luncheon speech on why journalism matters. Reporters help people know what's going on and how things work, she said, but just as important, journalism keeps society in conversation with itself. She said that journalists best serve the public by recognizing all voices and using clear language that cuts past euphemisms and jargon. Renowned mystery writer Tony Hillerman captivated with colorful stories about characters from his reporting days who help animate his plots, and writing coach Paula LaRocque reminded us to keep writing simple and active. Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Tim Morris of the New Orleans Times-Picayune talked about finding time and resources for projects. Late in the second day, Daily Oklahoman staff writer Penny Cockerell of the Fort Worth chapter was among the panelists for a discussion about victims in the media. There even was a little glamour, as University of Oklahoma President David Boren introduced Gov. Brad Henry to the crowd prior to Hillerman's Friday-evening dinner address. SPJ national president Robert Leger said the array of workshops on FOI, HIPAA, computer-assisted reporting, business and convergence made this the best regional he has attended. The information was indeed inspiring, and as a freelancer and SPJ newcomer, I was delighted to feel so welcome among such an accomplished group. ================================================= PEOPLE & PLACES Jeff Guinn, for 20 years Star-Telegram books editor, received the second TCU Texas Book Award presented by the Friends of the Library and TCU Press at the Friends' 31st annual dinner April 22. Guinn's "Our Land Before We Die: The Proud Story of the Seminole Negro" has also been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award and is a finalist for the Texas Institute of Letters' best nonfiction book of 2002. Kudos & Contracts ... Yamil Berard of the Star-Telegram Northeast and colleagues David Casstevens and Cody Bailey took first-place awards, and 10 Star-T staffers -- Charlotte Huff, Trebor Banstetter, Jeff Claassen, John Gutierrez-Mier, Jay Root, Miles Moffeit, Tim Madigan, Deanna Boyd, Michael Currie and Bailey -- pocketed seconds at the Texas APME convention last month. Josh Shaffer, Mike Cochran, Jessica DeLeon, Gil LeBreton, Randy Galloway, Christopher Kelly, Sarah Huffstetler, Currie, Banstetter and Madigan won honorable mentions. Dean Hollingsworth won a first-place award, Reese Dunklin a second and Tom Fox, Dave Wilson and Chris Velez -- all UTA Shorthorn exes at The Dallas Morning News -- took honorable mentions, as did Shorthorn ex Renee Studebaker of the Austin American-Statesman. Kudos & Contracts II ... Walter Cronkite was there on tape, but Dorothy Estes stole the show when she was inducted into the TIPA Hall of Honor at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention in Corpus Christi. The UTA Shorthorn, which Estes directed for 26 years until her retirement in 1996, was named Best Daily Newspaper and also won Sweepstakes at the convention. Editor Beth Francesco, Demond Reid, Jessica Felkel and Daniel Lam all won top honors. Matt Slocum, Bob Booth, Ramesh Thammiraju, Ryan Lavoie and Felkel took second-place awards, Kim Jones, Jason Hoskins, Eric Gustafson and Felkel thirds, and Pat Gillespie, Jamshed Abbas, Brock Rutter, Venkat Kathoju, Booth, Felkel and Slocum honorable mentions. In live contests, Chris Piper won first place, Erica Bryant second place and Caren Penland an honorable mention. ... The Shorthorn received three national awards -- best rate card, first place in media kit/marketing and third place in newspaper promotion campaign -- in March at the College Newspaper Business & Advertising Managers convention in Miami. The entries were the work of Missy Saunders, Bevin Hoskins, Alex Ooi and Reggie Moffat. Ad manager Janette Beal, Eric Gustafson, Meradith Brammer and Ooi represented the paper at the conference. Kudos & Contracts III ... Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations has received the American Heart Association's Paul R. Ellis Media Award for its Superhero Heart Ball CD invitation, which the agency designed for the Fort Worth office of the Heart Ball held in Fort Worth in February. The AHA has presented media and communications awards since 1968 in honor of Dr. Ellis, an AHA volunteer who was killed in a plane crash. ================================================= GET A JOB Partners Together for Health, the foundation for JPS Health Network, seeks a development coordinator for annual and major gifts. Duties include researching prospects and contribution strategies, developing collateral materials for annual fund-raising activities and overseeing production of the Partners magazine, direct mail, brochures and ads. Familiarity with Microsoft software and strong graphic skills required, plus ability to do donor research and analyze data. Bachelor's degree in PR, fund development, journalism, marketing or a related field preferred, or high school degree and minimum five years relevant experience. Fund-raising or major gifts experience strongly preferred. Contact Kimberly Britton with the foundation, (817) 920-7331, or Bruce Smith in JPS Human Resources, (817) 920-7371. ... Dallas-based writer with 12 years in marketing communications (advertising, collateral, Web content, newsletters, press releases) and PR (media, community and employee relations), experienced at working with clients in a variety of industries (health care, technology, telecommunications, banking, nonprofit), has all she needs to make your company the industry powerhouse it deserves to be -- except a job. Call Laura Lambeth at (817) 721-3300. ... Professional with 15 years of diverse communication experience in Florida seeks PR position in nonprofit, private or public arena in Fort Worth-Dallas. Has a B.A. in communication/journalism from UTA and the ability to coordinate multiple aspects of communications strategy, including media campaigns, event planning and internal and external communication models. Contact Julie Greene at jgreene38@yahoo.com. ... Seven lines on Susan Scott Wilson. Nine years in Internet development (HTML/XML/content management/IA/design), 17 years of newsroom experience/10 years of sports copy editing. Responsible for all breaking-news sections in star-telegram.com 1996-2000. Has taught more than 200 area nonprofit organizations the HTML skills to create their own Web sites. On-target news judgment. Windows and Mac literate. E-mail slsw123@yahoo.com. ================================================= NEW MEMBERS PRSA ... Sandra Brodnicki, Brodnicki Public Relations ================================================= COMINGS & GOINGS Additions ... at the S-T: Pat d'Agrella, formerly with the Arlington Morning News, dallasnews.com and the San Antonio Express-News, on the copy desk ... news editor Ruben Villegas, formerly editor of the Hispanic Journal in Dallas and with the El Paso Times and The Rocky Mountain News in capacities from copy editor and design editor to reporter and columnist Exits ... at the S-T: travel editor Trish Rodriguez, leaving with husband and baby Enzo for the freelance life in the Bahamas, where husband will be a resort chef ================================================= READING MATTERS "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" / Barbara Ehrenreich / Henry Holt and Co. This is an eye-opener that should be required reading for all high school students. A journalist/essayist leaves her comfortable home and job as a full-time writer to try and support herself on minimum wage. She works in table service at a family restaurant that sounds like a Howard Johnson's, as a maid for a cleaning service and at a Wal-Mart, all of which have quirks, harsh realities and their own little nightmares. Just obtaining basic shelter and food is a continual struggle, and Ehrenreich points out that adding children to the mix would make the task next to impossible. Luckily (knock on wood), I have never waited tables, worked in food service or even in retail, yet Ehrenreich puts a human face on those jobs that some of us often lapse into thinking are menial and mindless. She has an engrossing writing style and sincere compassion for those toiling beside her. Her observations on the "self-fulfilling prophecy" damage done to low-wage earners' psyches is especially impactful. -- Cathy O'Neal ================================================= RESOURCES The Biography Project at popsubculture.com began, according to its creators, as a response to the "unfortunate lack of accurate and comprehensive information on the Net regarding 'popsubculture.' " How pop? How cultured? Read about Oscar Zeta Acosta, a shadowy figure, author of "Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo" and "The Revolt of the Cockroach People," who wanders in and out of Hunter S. Thompson's works, often as "The Samoan." Other bright lights on the list are Albert Hofmann, the father of LSD; Bettie Page, queen of the pin-up girls; and Philip K. Dick, whose 1968 "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" became the basis for the film "Blade Runner." For other online biographies, see s9.com/biography, Biography.com and Bartleby.com. ================================================= PRESIDENT'S CORNER Roger Partridge, Greater Fort Worth PRSA I am pleased to report that PRSA's first opportunity to partner with TCU on a professional development seminar was a great success. Presentations by Drs. Tom Duncan and Sandra Moriarty were excellent and well-attended. Thank you, Julie O'Neil, for making arrangements with the speakers and hosting the event. Kudos to Carol Murray, APR, for planning the PR Mystery Tour. Students from Abilene Christian, TCUand UNT boarded a bus April 11 and spent the morning at four sites chosen to demystify the world of public relations. The PRSSA members really enjoyed the experience and gained valuable insight into the challenging world of public relations. Thanks also to Lyndsay Nantz for assisting and to Scott McClatchy at Cockrell Printing, Kim Speairs at Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations, Nada Ruddock at NBC 5 and Mary Dulle at Alcon Laboratories for opening their offices and their operations to inquiring student minds. Greater Fort Worth PRSA has chosen the Fort Worth Fire Department as its community service project, with Holly Ellman organizing. Watch the eChaser for how you can get involved. ----- PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Patrick Grady, IABC/Fort Worth It has been my extreme honor to serve as IABC/Fort Worth president. We've stayed true to our initial three-fold focus -- boost membership, increase attendance at the meetings and slavish you with terrific programming, networking opportunities and fun -- and I'm proud of that. Proud, too, of the work your board has done this year and extremely confident about the transition to the new board with the capable, delightful, incredibly hard-working and dedicated Lori De La Cruz at the helm (and excited to play a role on that board, too!). I'll tell you a story about last month's meeting. Lori, as professional development chair and president-elect, has been responsible for all the great programming this year, but as the second Tuesday in April approached, she had not been able to reconfirm the speaker. On the day of the meeting, as 11:45 rolled around -- he was due at 11:30 -- the irony swamped us. Ron White is a memory expert. Had he (gasp) forgotten? We were dusting off the backup plan when in walks Ron, asking where he might degrease his hands after changing a flat tire on the way downtown. No, he hadn't forgotten, and those at the meeting won't soon forget his amazing performance. This month's program by management trainer Connie Hurn (our own Lauren Reis' mom!) will be outstanding, too, although hopefully a bit less exciting from the board's perspective (my heart can only take so much of that). I figure Outlook® already shows you BUSY from 11:30 to 1 on Tuesday, May 13. Why? Because it's IABC Tuesday! See you there. ----- OVER & OUT John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ You're not seeing things. The background screen on these pages is no more. It was a nice orange on my Mac but almost rose on the Dell at work. No telling what it was on your computer. ... TCU ad prof Jack Raskopf, for 30 years a luminous star in the Frog firmament, is retiring, and I have here a remembrance he wrote for Newsworthy, the journalism alumni newsletter. It's too long to run but too delightful not to run, so it'll run -- next time, when I figure out where to put it. You will thrill to passages like: "I can't exactly recall how I became department chair. I think we put all of the names of the journalism faculty in a hat and had a lottery. I lost." And if you make it to the end, you'll cry. Enjoy the next stage, friend. Just thinking of you makes me smile. ... Also in the next issue: pictures and barely restrained backslapping on the Fort Worth Journalism Project, a TCU-SPJ high schol workshop that unfolded glitchless and with good humor on campus April 26. ... Love those broadcast people, but here's why we're in print. On the 6 o'clock news April 15, a local anchor reported that U.S. forces were searchng the journalists' hotel in Baghdad for "parliamentary troops." Roving bands of armed parliamentaries! Then again, lawmakers with guns might not be as dangerous as lawmakers with bad ideas. ... That would be UTA Shorthorn ex and DMN new guy Pat Gillespie enjoying his 1,400 pixels of fame on the April Quill back cover, his arm around a Working Press co-worker at last year's national convention in Fort Worth. The picture hypes this year's big deal in Tampa, Fla., and if it's as much fun as Gillespie appears to be having, then we're all crazy not to go. No jostling for Pat's autograph, please. ... Closing words: "I don't want to see babies screaming. Truth is one thing, pictures are another. We don't need pictures telling the truth." -- Star-Telegram reader on a p. 1 photo from Basra illustrating families trying to flee their besieged city

Hurn, a certified targeted management trainer with Development Dimensions International, has more than 20 years experience in organization development and training. An advocate of the inside-out approach to change, she will expand on Dr. Stephen Covey's work in the field of human effectiveness and success. Covey coined the term "Circle of Influence" in his best-selling book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

Next at Greater Fort Worth PRSA ...

Free Publicity: It's Available, Go Get It

Next at Fort Worth SPJ ...
Patriot Act: Fighting Terror or a Civil Liberties Error?

Nationwide, grass-roots Bill of Rights committees are forming to fight what they consider inappropriate curbs on liberties by the Patriot Act. The 342-page act, passed by Congress a month after the 2001 terrorist attacks and with little public input, has been most publicly criticized by librarians and bookstore owners for the provisions that force them to secretly hand over information about a patron's reading and Internet habits.

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James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, will present "The Art of Giving Advice: How to Talk So Clients Will Listen; Listen So Clients Will Talk," a virtual seminar, Thursday, May, 22, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Alcon Laboratories, 6201 South Freeway. Cost is $10 per person. Register at rsvp@fortworthprsa.org. ... Dallas PRSA members interested in starting an affiliate of the National Gay/ Lesbian PR Network are meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at The Bronx Restaurant in Dallas. Info: Bill Prickett, billp@ppa.org. ...

Dr. Larissa Grunig of the University of Maryland and Katie Paine, president of New Hampshire-based KDPaine and Partners, will lead an audio conference on measuring a company's relationships and reputation at noon Thursday, May 8, in the Education & Administration Building (Stokes Conference Room, #1-810) of the UNT Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. Cost is $10 per person; bring a lunch. Limit 20 people. RSVP to rsvp@fortworthprsa.org. ... The Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators is coordinating volunteers for the National Association of Black Journalists' convention Aug. 6-10 in Dallas. Some 3,000 journalists are expected. To help, contact Theresa Humphrey in the Star-Telegram Northeast newsroom.

SPJ national update: a big loss in Agieland, a Fox in the media henhouse, and they're fighting back in Arcata. Struggling with low faculty numbers and other problems, Texas A&M's journalism department may be essentially eliminated, the only liberal arts area at A&M that is threatened. While most of his departments face 10-12 percent leaner budgets next year, Dean Charles Johnson has recommended that j-funding drop 40 percent. With state budget cuts looming, he says, A&M is directing money toward high-performing academic programs. ... U.S. coverage of the Iraq war was so partial that it threatened the credibility of America's electronic media, the head of the BBC said last month. Greg Dyke singled out the Fox News Channel, owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch, and Clear Channel Communications, the largest operator of U.S. radio stations with more than 1,200. "I was shocked while in the United States by how unquestioning the broadcast news media was during this war," Dyke said in a speech at the University of London. "If Iraq proved anything, it was that the BBC cannot afford to mix patriotism and journalism." ... Tiny Arcata, Calif., pop. 16,000, may look quaint -- old buildings, town square with a bronze statue of William McKinley -- but it's the first city in the nation to outlaw compliance with the Patriot Act. "I call this a nonviolent, preemptive attack," says David Meserve, the freshman City Council member (campaign slogan: "The Federal Government Has Gone Stark, Raving Mad") who drafted the ordinance. The law carries a $57 fine and instructs the top nine city managers to refer any Patriot Act request to the City Council. To date, 89 cities nationwide have adopted resolutions condemning the act, with at least a dozen more in the works and Hawaii close to taking a stand against the act. More at msnbc.com/news/902977.asp?0cl=c3.

On Scholarship Night, a Lesson in Life

Journalism didn't come in the form of a scholarship for C.C. Risenhoover, who began his career sweeping the floors and cleaning type at his local paper so he could "just be there" and have his chance at getting a story in the paper. But the author of 18 books did have sound advice for SPJ scholarship recipients at the April banquet at Ridglea Country Club. He encouraged students to report news accurately or risk losing credibility. Opinionmakers such as Mark Davis and Molly Ivins are plentiful, he said, but real journalists have the more difficult job.

Risenhoover said journalism suffers in the absence of objectivity. He learned that and a lot more -- about fairness and accuracy -- during his incredible summer of 1954, barnstorming with the Steers, an all-black baseball team from Jasper in East Texas. He was the team's only white player. "You really can't separate yourself from what you write," he told the crowd of about 50. "But it's your responsibility to strive for that goal."

Risenhoover spoke on a record night for Fort Worth SPJ, as the chapter awarded $17,000 to 20 students -- Tyler Tamplin, Kelly Morris, Caren Penland, Zach Duncan, Colleen Casey, Beth Francesco, Chris Piper, Emiko Fitzgerald, Gabriel Brooks and Thomas Felts, Texas Gridiron Scholarships, and James R. Phillips, Adrian Gutierrez, Daniel Johnson, Angela Tennison, Lars Levie, Alicia Byrd, Amanda Smith, Stephanie Gonzales, Amanda Chapman and Marcela Gonzalez, Lina Davis Scholarships -- all of whom are studying in Texas or have ties to the state. Highlights:

Zach Duncan, Staley and Beverly McBrayer Scholarshp. The Midwestern State U. junior will be editor of The Wichitan in the fall. His adviser praises Zach's "positive, untiring attitude ... riveting feature stories and eye-catching layouts." Caren Penland, Donna Darovich Scholarshp. A UTA junior majoring in French, German, Spanish and Russian languages, Caren aspires to be a foreign correspondent, but first she will be Shorthorn editor this summer and in the fall. "I love to write the small stories," she says, "and I love to break the big news." Kelly Morris, Joe Holstead Scholarship. TCU's publications director credits the Skiff managing editor with helping the newspaper return to deadline adherence. "But Kelly has also shown the fortitude it takes to be a successful journalist, having broken the stories about the TCU women's basketball team scandal."

Tyler Tamplin, Jack Tinsley Scholarshp. The UNT junior recalls a five-word pep talk his first day at Kilgore College -- adviser Bettye Craddock said: "You're going to make it.'' Since August, he has been design editor at the North Texas Daily, where the adviser calls his work among the best ever at UNT. Beth Francesco, UTA senior. A confessed "journalism nerd," Beth came to The Shorthorn as a reporter but by the end of the term was assistant news editor. She has been editor three semesters, was on The Working Press at the national SPJ convention in Fort Worth and will summer in Corpus Christi as a Dow Jones editing intern. Emiko Fitzgerald, UT Austin junior. A repeat Gridiron winner, she says journalists have "an amazing privilege ... to ask questions that would seem rude and imposing in any other situation."

Chris Piper, UTA junior. Chris grew up on news but decided late in his academic career to pursue the craft. He was editor of the San Jacinto News-Times and writes for The Shorthorn. Colleen Casey, TCU junior. She knew in high school that journalism was for her, and a teacher inspired her to become a journalism teacher. Adrian Gutierrez, Arlington High School/UNT freshman in the fall. Active in Eagle Scouts, the National Honor Society, band and Key Club, Adrian has been Colt sports editor and a staff writer. Adviser Kay Dillard: "He has a talent for telling the human interest story in a compelling way."

Daniel Johnson, AHS/Tarrant County College this fall. The Colt associate editor and technical manager missed the banquet because he was representing the district in UIL contests in Lubbock. He has been on the Colt staff three years as a writer, photographer and page designer. Stephanie Gonzales, AHS/completing her first year at UTA. She plans to work for a newspaper or teach high school journalism. "Being a journalist is so much more than just telling the news," she says. "It is about helping society become informed or reporting on issues that will impact a community." Amanda Chapman, Sam Houston High School/TCC this fall. She's the newspaper editor and wants to be a reporter professionally. Amanda Smith, SHHS/TCC this fall. She has worked on both high school publications and wants a career in broadcast journalism. Teachers praise her time-management skills and work habits. James R. Phillips, AHS/completing his second year at UNT as a graphics design major. He's been on the Dean's List all four semesters and wants to work as a graphic designer on a newspaper or magazine.

From New Member and National Prez: Region 8 was Great

by Wendy Lyons Sunshine

Dr. Karen Brown Dunlap, director of the Poynter Institute, reflected in her Mark of Excellence Awards luncheon speech on why journalism matters. Reporters help people know what's going on and how things work, she said, but just as important, journalism keeps society in conversation with itself. She said that journalists best serve the public by recognizing all voices and using clear language that cuts past euphemisms and jargon.

Renowned mystery writer Tony Hillerman captivated with colorful stories about characters from his reporting days who help animate his plots, and writing coach Paula LaRocque reminded us to keep writing simple and active. Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Tim Morris of the New Orleans Times-Picayune talked about finding time and resources for projects. Late in the second day, Daily Oklahoman staff writer Penny Cockerell of the Fort Worth chapter was among the panelists for a discussion about victims in the media. There even was a little glamour, as University of Oklahoma President David Boren introduced Gov. Brad Henry to the crowd prior to Hillerman's Friday-evening dinner address.

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Jeff Guinn, for 20 years Star-Telegram books editor, received the second TCU Texas Book Award presented by the Friends of the Library and TCU Press at the Friends' 31st annual dinner April 22. Guinn's "Our Land Before We Die: The Proud Story of the Seminole Negro" has also been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award and is a finalist for the Texas Institute of Letters' best nonfiction book of 2002.

Kudos & Contracts ... Yamil Berard of the Star-Telegram Northeast and colleagues David Casstevens and Cody Bailey took first-place awards, and 10 Star-T staffers -- Charlotte Huff, Trebor Banstetter, Jeff Claassen, John Gutierrez-Mier, Jay Root, Miles Moffeit, Tim Madigan, Deanna Boyd, Michael Currie and Bailey -- pocketed seconds at the Texas APME convention last month. Josh Shaffer, Mike Cochran, Jessica DeLeon, Gil LeBreton, Randy Galloway, Christopher Kelly, Sarah Huffstetler, Currie, Banstetter and Madigan won honorable mentions. Dean Hollingsworth won a first-place award, Reese Dunklin a second and Tom Fox, Dave Wilson and Chris Velez -- all UTA Shorthorn exes at The Dallas Morning News -- took honorable mentions, as did Shorthorn ex Renee Studebaker of the Austin American-Statesman.

Kudos & Contracts II ... Walter Cronkite was there on tape, but Dorothy Estes stole the show when she was inducted into the TIPA Hall of Honor at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention in Corpus Christi. The UTA Shorthorn, which Estes directed for 26 years until her retirement in 1996, was named Best Daily Newspaper and also won Sweepstakes at the convention. Editor Beth Francesco, Demond Reid, Jessica Felkel and Daniel Lam all won top honors. Matt Slocum, Bob Booth, Ramesh Thammiraju, Ryan Lavoie and Felkel took second-place awards, Kim Jones, Jason Hoskins, Eric Gustafson and Felkel thirds, and Pat Gillespie, Jamshed Abbas, Brock Rutter, Venkat Kathoju, Booth, Felkel and Slocum honorable mentions. In live contests, Chris Piper won first place, Erica Bryant second place and Caren Penland an honorable mention. ... The Shorthorn received three national awards -- best rate card, first place in media kit/marketing and third place in newspaper promotion campaign -- in March at the College Newspaper Business & Advertising Managers convention in Miami. The entries were the work of Missy Saunders, Bevin Hoskins, Alex Ooi and Reggie Moffat. Ad manager Janette Beal, Eric Gustafson, Meradith Brammer and Ooi represented the paper at the conference.

Kudos & Contracts III ... Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations has received the American Heart Association's Paul R. Ellis Media Award for its Superhero Heart Ball CD invitation, which the agency designed for the Fort Worth office of the Heart Ball held in Fort Worth in February. The AHA has presented media and communications awards since 1968 in honor of Dr. Ellis, an AHA volunteer who was killed in a plane crash.

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Partners Together for Health, the foundation for JPS Health Network, seeks a development coordinator for annual and major gifts. Duties include researching prospects and contribution strategies, developing collateral materials for annual fund-raising activities and overseeing production of the Partners magazine, direct mail, brochures and ads. Familiarity with Microsoft software and strong graphic skills required, plus ability to do donor research and analyze data. Bachelor's degree in PR, fund development, journalism, marketing or a related field preferred, or high school degree and minimum five years relevant experience. Fund-raising or major gifts experience strongly preferred. Contact Kimberly Britton with the foundation, (817) 920-7331, or Bruce Smith in JPS Human Resources, (817) 920-7371. ...

Dallas-based writer with 12 years in marketing communications (advertising, collateral, Web content, newsletters, press releases) and PR (media, community and employee relations), experienced at working with clients in a variety of industries (health care, technology, telecommunications, banking, nonprofit), has all she needs to make your company the industry powerhouse it deserves to be -- except a job. Call Laura Lambeth at (817) 721-3300. ...

Professional with 15 years of diverse communication experience in Florida seeks PR position in nonprofit, private or public arena in Fort Worth-Dallas. Has a B.A. in communication/journalism from UTA and the ability to coordinate multiple aspects of communications strategy, including media campaigns, event planning and internal and external communication models. Contact Julie Greene at jgreene38@yahoo.com. ...

Seven lines on Susan Scott Wilson. Nine years in Internet development (HTML/XML/content management/IA/design), 17 years of newsroom experience/10 years of sports copy editing. Responsible for all breaking-news sections in star-telegram.com 1996-2000. Has taught more than 200 area nonprofit organizations the HTML skills to create their own Web sites. On-target news judgment. Windows and Mac literate. E-mail slsw123@yahoo.com.

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PRSA ... Sandra Brodnicki, Brodnicki Public Relations

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Additions ... at the S-T: Pat d'Agrella, formerly with the Arlington Morning News, dallasnews.com and the San Antonio Express-News, on the copy desk ... news editor Ruben Villegas, formerly editor of the Hispanic Journal in Dallas and with the El Paso Times and The Rocky Mountain News in capacities from copy editor and design editor to reporter and columnist

Exits ... at the S-T: travel editor Trish Rodriguez, leaving with husband and baby Enzo for the freelance life in the Bahamas, where husband will be a resort chef

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"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" /

Barbara Ehrenreich / Henry Holt and Co.

This is an eye-opener that should be required reading for all high school students. A journalist/essayist leaves her comfortable home and job as a full-time writer to try and support herself on minimum wage. She works in table service at a family restaurant that sounds like a Howard Johnson's, as a maid for a cleaning service and at a Wal-Mart, all of which have quirks, harsh realities and their own little nightmares. Just obtaining basic shelter and food is a continual struggle, and Ehrenreich points out that adding children to the mix would make the task next to impossible. Luckily (knock on wood), I have never waited tables, worked in food service or even in retail, yet Ehrenreich puts a human face on those jobs that some of us often lapse into thinking are menial and mindless. She has an engrossing writing style and sincere compassion for those toiling beside her. Her observations on the "self-fulfilling prophecy" damage done to low-wage earners' psyches is especially impactful. -- Cathy O'Neal

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The Biography Project at popsubculture.com began, according to its creators, as a response to the "unfortunate lack of accurate and comprehensive information on the Net regarding 'popsubculture.' " How pop? How cultured? Read about Oscar Zeta Acosta, a shadowy figure, author of "Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo" and "The Revolt of the Cockroach People," who wanders in and out of Hunter S. Thompson's works, often as "The Samoan." Other bright lights on the list are Albert Hofmann, the father of LSD; Bettie Page, queen of the pin-up girls; and Philip K. Dick, whose 1968 "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" became the basis for the film "Blade Runner." For other online biographies, see s9.com/biography, Biography.com and Bartleby.com.

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Roger Partridge, Greater Fort Worth PRSA

Kudos to Carol Murray, APR, for planning the PR Mystery Tour. Students from Abilene Christian, TCUand UNT boarded a bus April 11 and spent the morning at four sites chosen to demystify the world of public relations. The PRSSA members really enjoyed the experience and gained valuable insight into the challenging world of public relations. Thanks also to Lyndsay Nantz for assisting and to Scott McClatchy at Cockrell Printing, Kim Speairs at Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations, Nada Ruddock at NBC 5 and Mary Dulle at Alcon Laboratories for opening their offices and their operations to inquiring student minds.

Patrick Grady, IABC/Fort Worth

It has been my extreme honor to serve as IABC/Fort Worth president. We've stayed true to our initial three-fold focus -- boost membership, increase attendance at the meetings and slavish you with terrific programming, networking opportunities and fun -- and I'm proud of that. Proud, too, of the work your board has done this year and extremely confident about the transition to the new board with the capable, delightful, incredibly hard-working and dedicated Lori De La Cruz at the helm (and excited to play a role on that board, too!).

I'll tell you a story about last month's meeting. Lori, as professional development chair and president-elect, has been responsible for all the great programming this year, but as the second Tuesday in April approached, she had not been able to reconfirm the speaker. On the day of the meeting, as 11:45 rolled around -- he was due at 11:30 -- the irony swamped us. Ron White is a memory expert. Had he (gasp) forgotten?

We were dusting off the backup plan when in walks Ron, asking where he might degrease his hands after changing a flat tire on the way downtown. No, he hadn't forgotten, and those at the meeting won't soon forget his amazing performance. This month's program by management trainer Connie Hurn (our own Lauren Reis' mom!) will be outstanding, too, although hopefully a bit less exciting from the board's perspective (my heart can only take so much of that).

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

TCU ad prof Jack Raskopf, for 30 years a luminous star in the Frog firmament, is retiring, and I have here a remembrance he wrote for Newsworthy, the journalism alumni newsletter. It's too long to run but too delightful not to run, so it'll run -- next time, when I figure out where to put it. You will thrill to passages like: "I can't exactly recall how I became department chair. I think we put all of the names of the journalism faculty in a hat and had a lottery. I lost." And if you make it to the end, you'll cry. Enjoy the next stage, friend. Just thinking of you makes me smile. ... Also in the next issue: pictures and barely restrained backslapping on the Fort Worth Journalism Project, a TCU-SPJ high schol workshop that unfolded glitchless and with good humor on campus April 26. ...

Love those broadcast people, but here's why we're in print. On the 6 o'clock news April 15, a local anchor reported that U.S. forces were searchng the journalists' hotel in Baghdad for "parliamentary troops." Roving bands of armed parliamentaries! Then again, lawmakers with guns might not be as dangerous as lawmakers with bad ideas. ... That would be UTA Shorthorn ex and DMN new guy Pat Gillespie enjoying his 1,400 pixels of fame on the April Quill back cover, his arm around a Working Press co-worker at last year's national convention in Fort Worth. The picture hypes this year's big deal in Tampa, Fla., and if it's as much fun as Gillespie appears to be having, then we're all crazy not to go. No jostling for Pat's autograph, please. ...