eChaser: July 2004


	Welcome to our newsletter ... 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] We appreciate our advertisers! Barr Printing Co. Bass Performance Hall Blue Marble Media Business Wire DFW Printing Co. Esperanza's Bakery Fort Worth Business Press Fort Worth Rail Market Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center Immotion Studios InterStar Marketing and Public Relations Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Food Restaurant North Texas Daily Optimist, Abilene Christian University Pancho's Mexican Buffet PR Newswire PRSA Consultants Group The Shorthorn, UTA Star-Telegram TCU Daily Skiff Texas Wesleyan University Tony Roma's The University of Texas at Arlington Weber Shandwick Worldwide Wise County Messenger Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations July 2004 Long-time publisher, lifelong Baptist ... GEORGE HAWKES, 1916-2004 by O.K. Carter For many SPJ members, the death last month of former Arlington Citizen-Journal publisher George Hawkes was more than the passing of another Texas journalistic legend, though it was indeed that. The ever-frugal Hawkes had a gift for recognizing talent and hiring it before it became too expensive, a talent that parlayed the C-J into the most award-winning weekly newspaper in Texas history. The list of journalists or other media members who, fresh out of college, compiled their first set of professional clips while working at the C-J is enormous, including Griff Singer, Donna Darovich, Kenny Hand, Carter Hinshaw, Roger Summers, Dan Van Cleve, Cathy O'Neal and a plethora of others. "It's practically impossible to attend a meeting of media pros in the Metroplex and mention that you once worked at the Citizen-Journal without hearing a 'so did I' chorus," Darovich said. Hawkes, a former Texas Press Association president, and another now-deceased SPJ chapter legend, Staley McBrayer, a former SPJ national president, recognized early in their careers that both the population and the wealth of the Metroplex was moving to the suburbs. There they did battle, though always with civility, mutual respect and what might be described as Old South charm. Call the battle a draw. In the end they succeeded so well that they were afforded the ultimate compliment by the two media giants of the region. Belo Corp. bought McBrayer's News Texas chain, and Carter Publications purchased the C-J. Over time, the C-J evolved into the Arlington Star-Telegram, with Hawkes being considered the paper's publisher emeritus until his death. He was publisher from 1946 through 1977. ================================================== MEETINGS Next at IABC/Fort Worth ... Getting to Know You: Using Speed Networking to Work a Room It's hard to learn the names and get acquainted with all the people you'd like to at any professional gathering. At the July meeting, participants will eat (always good networking activity), then have a chance to spend quality time with a few more folks one-on-one. Bring those business cards, résumés, brochures, etc., and prepare that elevator speech for "speed networking." Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, July 6 Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket validated) Cost: $17 members, $25 nonmembers, $12 students RSVP: Julie Trowbridge at trowbridgeja@c-b.com ----- Next at Greater Fort Worth PRSA ... Embracing Risk: Go Ahead, It's Good for You Being in the communications business requires a daily roll of the dice, whether it's calling reporters to get a story placed or pushing clients to think outside the box. Ruth Cogswell, president of Strategic Communications Partners and a former network news assignments editor and presidential press secretary, will challenge those at the July meeting to embrace risk taking as a way to grow their skills and boost their company's image. Every economic downturn launches a cycle of change -- PR pros cannot always operate in the same fashion and be successful. Cogswell served in four presidential campaigns, as well as in the White House press office under President Jimmy Carter. She was a producer and assignments editor for ABC, CNN and Fisher Broadcasting and served as the trip director for the 1984 Olympic torch relay. She works with a variety of corporate clients, including the Kimbell Art Foundation, Home Box Office and TXI. Time & date: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, July 14 Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor Parking: free valet in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets (get ticket validated) Cost: $20 members, $23 nonmembers, $18 students RSVP by noon July 9: rsvp@fortworthprsa.org ----- Next at Fort Worth SPJ ... Party Hardee! Hardee Party! The good-times caravan that is the SPJ Summertime Beer Bust, Grape Gala and Burnt & Barbecued Ribfest Overlooking the Nude Beach III rolls to Grand Prairie this year for an evening to be remembered at Gary and Cami Hardee's house. As always, expect no nudity and no beach but virtuous vittles from grilling guru Ron Holcomb and a little live music. Two extras: The price has gone down, and your gracious hosts have a pool, although they advise that any children in the crowd should bring their own life preservers, floaties and vigilant parents to watch them carefully. Date & time: Saturday, July 17; mingling starts 6 p.m. Place: 3606 Oakmont Drive, Grand Prairie (off I20 go north on Carrier Parkway; turn right on Corn Valley, right on Racquet Club, right on Ridgewood, left on Green Hollow, right on Oakmont; 3606 is the first house on the left); if lost, call (972) 642-3733 Cost: $15 Menu: some combination of ribs, chicken and sausage, plus all the trimmings; soft drinks, beer, wine RSVP: Kay Pirtle at mkpirtle@yahoo.com ================================================== STRAIGHT STUFF Dora O. Tovar of Tovar Public Relations, LLC, will discuss the value of Hispanic PR services and offer a list of communications do's and don'ts for North Texas at the PRSA Consultants Group meeting at 11:15 a.m. Friday, July 16, in the upstairs community room at Central Market, I-30 and Hulen Street. ... Ever needed to do graphic work but didn't want to buy Photoshop? Or had your copy of Windows crash and desperately needed to retrieve a client's file? Author/consultant and former EDS intranet linchpin Jerry Stevenson will discuss the worldwide open source software movement in "Free Techno Tools for Freelancers" at the Freelance Alliance brown-bag lunch Thursday, July 22, from noon to 1 p.m. at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, 10707 Preston Road. Free for AWC, IABC and PRSA members; others pay $10. Non-geeks welcome. The Freelance Alliance is an umbrella organization serving the Dallas chapters of the Association for Women in Communications, IABC and PRSA. More from Susan Eckert, saeckert@swbell.net, or Chuck Lustig, clustig@excitingwriting.com. PRSA national update: National PRSA, the PRSA Foundation and PRSSA have relocated to lower Manhattan -- 33 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor; New York, N.Y. 10038-5150; (212) 460-1400. ... PR firms have begun buying malpractice insurance to protect themselves against lawsuits alleging bad advice or even fallout from a poorly worded press release. Corporations of all sizes are spending big money on agencies to help massage their image, but some companies have found that the wrong message can get them sued or even prosecuted. More here. SPJ national update: What's in a name; the books keep coming; spies like us; and it's only money. The Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, June 21 that people do not have a constitutional right to refuse to tell police their names, thus freeing the government to arrest people who won't reveal their identity. Privacy advocates argued that this power could be used to force people who have done nothing wrong to divulge information that may be used for broad database searches. More here. ... July 4 is the release date of "Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror," a current senior intelligence official's condemnation of U.S. counterterrorism policy and the "avaricious, premeditated, unprovoked" war in Iraq. The author asserts that President Bush is taking the country in exactly the direction Osama bin Laden wants, toward all-out confrontation with Islam under the banner of spreading democracy. More here. ... At least $1 billion in taxpayer money has been wasted in inefficient spending in Iraq, the government's top fiscal watchdog, Comptroller General David Walker, said June 15. More here. ... Newsweek reports that the Defense Department wants to gather information on Americans without having to tell them that it is doing so. More here. SPJ national update II: FCC rules reversed (but what about those fines?); a fan club with credentials; a Republican rules for a Democrat; and the great thing about living in Iraq. The Senate voted June 22 to repeal rules that make it easier for media conglomerates to expand into new markets. The rules, approved a year ago by a divided FCC, struck down the restriction that had prevented one company from owning both a newspaper and a TV or radio station in the same city. See here and here. ... What do retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East in George H.W. Bush's administration; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991, all have in common? They are among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders who recently issued a statement of no confidence in the current administration. More here. ... Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has ruled that Travis County DA Ronnie Earle does not have to reveal details of his grand jury investigation into 2002 Republican campaign finance activities. See here. ... While Americans are shelling out record prices for gasoline, Iraqis pay about 5 cents a gallon -- a benefit of hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies bankrolled by U.S. taxpayers. See here. SPJ national update III: Even polarizing politicians get gentle media treatment when they die; a liberal 'fesses up; and calling Johnnie Cochran. A number of cartoonists referred to the Berlin Wall in commenting about Ronald Reagan, who is credited with helping end the Cold War. See here and here. ... The Corpus Christi Caller-Times asked John Kerry to apologize for the unauthorized use in a campaign TV spot of photos taken from "South Texas Heroes," a book on veterans published by the newspaper. A Kerry spokesman said June 3 that apologies were made. ... President Bush hired a criminal lawyer, who was at his side when he was questioned for the grand jury investigating the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity. VP Dick Cheney also has reportedly retained counsel. Plame's name appeared in a newspaper column by Robert Novak last July 14 that attributed the leak to "two senior administration officials." SPJ national update IV: The education of Alexandra Polier; good for Maine; bad for journalists; and bad for the troops. The Drudge Report loved it, Rush Limbaugh loved it, the British press loved it, even Wes Clark loved it. If only it had been true. The woman accused of having an affair with John Kerry tells her story here. ... The Maine Press Association calls a bill signed in May by Gov. John Baldacci the "broadest package of public access reforms in the 45-year history of Maine's Freedom of Access Act." More here. ... The international press freedom group Reporters without Borders expressed concern June 2 about recent attacks and threats against at least 15 reporters in Mexico. More here. ... The Army has issued orders preventing thousands of soldiers designated to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military when their volunteer service commitment ends. The "stop loss" and "stop movement" orders are broader than others issued previously. See here. SPJ national update V: Good old Golden Rule days. Former Kansas State Collegian adviser Ron Johnson was fired despite his five most recent job evaluations rating him as "excellent" and another saying he "exceeds expectations." The Collegian allegedly failed to adequately cover diversity issues. See here. ... When activist Erin Brockovich rolled into Beverly Hills High School last year on a crusade to expose on-campus oil wells that she said were leaking carcinogens, student journalists began asking questions. Now adviser Jennifer Moulton's teaching contract is not being renewed, and she thinks it's because she refused to be a censor. More here. ... UT Austin has met part of an open-records request for documents related to campus security cameras after a yearlong legal battle. Daily Texan reporter Jonathan York filed the request in October 2002. York wrote in a Feb. 27 story that the university has spent $300,000-$400,000 on cameras over seven years. See here. ----- To Make It Work ... Teamwork! by Tim Tune Responding effectively when a crisis looms takes a team, a plan and people at the top who are good communicators, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger told the IABC/Fort Worth Bronze Quill Awards luncheon last month. "Communication involves a lot of people," said Pat Svacina, who was Fort Worth public information officer for 23 years after a dozen years with The Dallas Morning News. "That's why you need a team." Someone has to be in charge acting as a quarterback, calling and directing the plays, Svacina said, and a plan must be in place, as well as a primary backup. "You can't wait for something to happen to begin to plan." In his career with Fort Worth, Svacina helped develop the city's nationally recognized communications program. It has been praised for a team approach that can initiate action within minutes of an emergency, using a range of methods and media to quickly disseminate information. So his IABC audience was listening, especially when he stressed the importance of leadership. "Leaders set the tone," he said. "Leadership is as important among executives as communications pros. The CEO gives the message developed by the team." ================================================== IABC/Fort Worth's 2004 Bronze Quill Awards Winners More than 40 entries were submitted representing North Texas municipalities, corporations, nonprofit organizations and communication consultants. Four IABC chapters across the country judged the entries. Winners were announced June 1 at the Petroleum Club. Communication Programs/Campaigns (internal) Award of Excellence -- Laura Van Hoosier, Harris Methodist Fort Worth Award of Merit -- Laura Van Hoosier, Harris Methodist Fort Worth Communication Programs/Campaigns (external) Award of Excellence -- Carol Murray, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Award of Excellence -- Laura Moore, RadioShack Corp. Award of Merit -- Kay Jackson, RadioShack Corp. Honorable Mention -- Richard Maxwell, Fort Worth Transportation Authority Graphic Design (four-color magazines) Award of Excellence -- James Frisbie, Sabre Holdings Graphic Design (direct mail) Honorable Mention -- Richard Maxwell, Fort Worth Transportation Authority Honorable Mention -- Tracy Ellen Smith, Mapsmith, Etc. Graphic Design (logos/graphic identity) Honorable Mention -- Tracy Ellen Smith, Mapsmith, Etc. Writing (feature/human interest/profile) Award of Excellence -- Laura Short, University of North Texas Honorable Mention -- Cathy Cashio, University of North Texas Writing (speeches/scripts) Award of Merit -- Brian Melton, RadioShack Corp. Award of Merit -- Brian Melton, RadioShack Corp. Magazines Award of Excellence -- Stephani Hawkins and B. Scott Hunt, Sabre Holdings Award of Merit -- Angie Langley and Suzy Lundquist, Arlington Memorial Hospital Newsletters Award of Excellence -- Michelle Hall, University of North Texas Honorable Mention -- Patsy Miller and Suzy Lundquist, Arlington Memorial Hospital Honorable Mention -- Valarie Wallace and Suzy Lundquist, Arlington Memorial Hospital E-newsletters Award of Excellence -- Laura Short, University of North Texas Advertising/Public Service Announcement (one- to three-color) Honorable Mention -- Richard Maxwell, Fort Worth Transportation Authority Advertising/Public Service Announcement (four-color) Honorable Mention -- Yvette Hunt, Sabre Travel Network Honorable Mention -- Richard Maxwell, Fort Worth Transportation Authority Special Events/Meetings Award of Excellence -- Suzy Lundquist, Arlington Memorial Hospital Award of Merit -- Suzy Lundquist, Arlington Memorial Hospital sponsors * Regali Promotional Products -- creator of the Bronze Quill trophy * Blue Marble Media, Lori De La Cruz -- entry forms and Web announcements * City of Fort Worth Reprographics Division -- invitations and other services ================================================== PEOPLE & PLACES After 80 years of training students in journalism, Texas Woman's University's mass-communication program is being eliminated on the grounds of declining student interest and financial support. Twenty-six students graduated from the program in the 1996-97 school year; eight graduated in 2002-03. Journalism courses will be provided through summer 2005. The student newspaper, The Lasso, will be published for at least one more year. ... Meet the new IABC/Fort Worth board: Tim Tune, president/District 5 junior delegate; Richard Maxwell, president-elect/VP programming and director of professional development; Lori De La Cruz, past-president/District 5 senior delegate and membership chair; Ken Roberts, secretary; Julie Trowbridge, treasurer; Roxanne Martinez, VP marketing and communication co-chair; Wendy Krizmanic, VP marketing and communication co-chair; Betsy Boyett, Bronze Quill chair; Denny Pelham, e-newsletter chair; and Pam Huff, accreditation chair. ... For the second consecutive year, the Mansfield News-Mirror has won sweepstakes in the Texas Press Association's better newspaper contest. The Knight Ridder-owned semiweekly also snagged four first-place awards, two seconds, a third and a fourth on the work of Brigitte Cummings, Mark Wright, Mario Zavala Jr. and Michael Eddleman. ... Star-Telegram staffers Ken Parish Perkins, Tim Madigan, Wendell Barnhouse and Jill Johnson swept the over-100,000-circulation division of this year's Griot Awards, sponsored by the Dallas/Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators. D/FW ABC also presented scholarships to five minority students, including Brandon Guidry, a graphic designer with the UTA Shorthorn, and Rosa Sow, a 2004 Colleyville Heritage High School graduate. ... The Dallas-based national center of the American Heart Association received a PRSA Silver Anvil for "The Heart of Diabetes: Understanding Insulin Resistance." The PR program provides information in English and Spanish on the link between insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Kudos & contracts ... Envision Works will create and distribute a quarterly newsletter to the 500,000 members of the Southlake-based Medical Air Services Association. The newsletter will provide health and travel tips to members living throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. MASA returns a person home after an illness or injury and provides additional benefits that are outside most insurance companies' coverage. ================================================== GET A JOB The editorship of national SPJ's Quill magazine is open. Requirements: B.A. degree, preferably in journalism or graphic design; Macintosh layout skills; proficiency with QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator. Send résumé, three professional references, work samples and salary needs to SPJ executive director Terry Harper, 3909 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46208. Quill has been a resource for journalists, industry leaders, students and educators for more than 85 years. ... The Bombay Co. seeks a production coordinator. Direct mail and POP experience required. E-mail or fax résumé to production manager Amy Leisure, (817) 347-7536 fax or aleisure@us.bombayco.com. ... Zix Corp. in Dallas seeks a PR manager. Requirements include a B.A. degree or higher in communication or journalism and at least six years PR experience in an agency or publicly traded company focused on IT and/or health care. Send résumé to marketing director Kim Tompkins, ktompkins@zixcorp.com. ... ExactTarget, a leading permission-based e-mail marketing software provider, wants to add a regional manager strong in interactive marketing, software sales or with ad agency experience. More at exacttarget.com or from Denny Pelham, regional account manager for Texas, dpelham@exacttarget.com. ... Amazing Press in Dallas has temp-to-permanent openings for applicants familiar with Adobe and Microsoft software, QuarkXPress and PageMaker. PC and Mac experience required, with weight to PC. Salary based on experience. Write to mail@amazingpress.com, with "attn: Application for graphic position" in the subject line. ... Paladin Marketing and Advertising Staffing Services seeks proposal writers for clients in the engineering, architecture, real estate and relocation industries. Marketing and brochure writing experience required, in addition to proposal experience. Salary $35,000-$45,000. Contact Paladin regional manager Antje Spethmann, (972) 831-9930. ... Mended Hearts, Inc., an affiliate of the American Heart Association, seeks a junior-level manager (PR/marketing experience welcome) to implement two new outreach programs. Position is based in Dallas, with some nationwide travel. Salary $29,000-$35,000. Write Cathy Clapp at cathy.clapp@heart.org. ... Wachovia Corp. seeks a corporate communications manager for the Dallas office. Industry experience preferred but not required; what is required is at least seven years in a "high-impact, high-volume communications environment." Contact Angela Morris at (704) 383-0980 fax or angela.morris1@wachovia.com. ... Reasons Group needs a full-time administrative assistant for phones, data entry, general office. Excel and QuickBooks experience required. Casual environment near TCU. Send résumé and salary needs to Julie Wilson, (817) 922-9494 fax, jwilson@reasonsinc.com. ... Citadel Security Software seeks a webmaster, who will also do e-mail marketing, customer newsletters and micro-sites in support of specific initiatives. Reach marketing director Laura Sellers at lsellers@citadel.com. ... Contact Keith Reeves, Denton Television cable TV producer/director, (940) 349-7272, to apply for a new video producer position. ... The City of Arlington seeks a broadcast coordinator. Salary $4,066-$4,518 per month. Details here. ================================================== NEW MEMBERS SPJ ... TCU j-major Kristiana Heap ================================================== COMINGS & GOINGS Additions ... at the S-T: Leila Fadel, a Knight Ridder reporter intern in Arlington for the past quarter, now full time in the Northeast newsroom ... Stephanie Allmon, formerly features editor at the Waco Tribune-Herald, and Karalee Miller, a reporter at The Kansas City Star, splitting Class Acts; Allmon led a movement in the Cox chain to get teens into the paper, and Miller interned at the S-T two years ago ================================================== READING MATTERS "Every Second Counts" / Lance Armstrong / Random House In 1999, Armstrong made world headlines with the most stunning comeback in the history of sport, winning the Tour de France in the fastest-ever time after battling testicular cancer just 18 months previously. He hasn't lost a Tour de France since. His first book, "It's Not About the Bike," charted his journey back to life; now as he prepares to seek a record-breaking sixth title (and as he rebuts allegations that he has used performance-enhancing drugs), he shares more details of his story, including an Olympic medal and the births of twin daughters Grace and Isabel. Armstrong offers, with typical frankness, his thoughts on competing, winning and failure, and on the challenge of living in the aftermath of cancer and treatment. ================================================== PRESIDENT'S CORNER Pamela Smith, Greater Fort Worth PRSA A Web site is a critical component of an organization's communication structure. In many cases, our Web site is the first contact clients and potential customers have with us. What does your Web site say about you? Does it say scatterbrained, disorganized, missionless? Or does it leave the impression of leadership, control and customer service? Greater Fort Worth PRSA wants to answer these questions about its own Web site, fortworthprsa.org. The site went live in 1999 during the tenure of then-online committee chair Marc Flake. Another member, Beth Park, volunteered her husband, Doug, to create our Web template as a favor to Paul Sturiale, chapter president at the time. Since 2000, PRSA member Jerrod Resweber has volunteered his expertise. He serves as online chair for a yet-to-be-determined term limit! Over the years, the Web site has served as a means to communicate meeting information, job leads and membership benefits. But five technology years is a long time. We're a small, nonprofit group with one volunteer handling site maintenance; still, as we evaluate our communication tools, it's important that we ask our members, "Is our Web site serving you?" PRSA member Kelly Keenum is leading a task force to gauge the benefits and impressions our site gives. At her paying job, Kelly manages the online pressroom at Pier 1, so she knows what she's doing. Perhaps our site serves your needs just fine and we can call it a day. Or maybe a major overhaul is needed. Either way, look for an update from Kelly in the coming months. And whether you're a Web guru or a novice, if you have an opinion or would serve on a committee, contact her at (817) 252-8414 or kkeenum@pier1.com. ----- PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Tim Tune, IABC/Fort Worth Thanks, Lori De La Cruz, for a fabulous year as president. If we could bottle your spirit, we'd outsell Perrier. You're a tough act to follow, and I'm grateful the board gave me this opportunity to try. So where do we go from here? Expect more lively meetings, coordinated by programs czar Richard Maxwell, among them "How to Build a Better You" on Aug. 3 and "The Other Communication Skill: Effective Listening" on Sept. 7. This fall, IABC/Fort Worth will host a group of South Hills High School students as part of Team Fort Worth, a Fort Worth ISD stay-in-school initiative. Join us in September and be a 60-minute mentor. We'll expand our work with IABC District 5. Aug. 1 is the early sign-up deadline for the district conference, Sept. 26-28 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Go if you can. Great experience. Back home, the D5 board will meet in Cowtown in early February. We'll help out with hospitality. That's the fun stuff. And as always, we'll find time for side trips like the recent membership drive. Don't be surprised to see Wendy Krizmanic driving around town in her winner's prize-for-a-weekend, a Jaguar X-type. Good girls do finish first. New fiscal year, new board, same great IABC/Fort Worth. If you're not excited, you're not breathing. But we can fix that, too. Come to the meeting July 6 -- IABC Tuesday -- and we'll start CPR. ----- OVER & OUT John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ Let's see those RSVPs for the July 17 splash day at hacienda Hardee. Choice chow, a real body of water to splash in and a promised appearance from members of the Association of Young Journalists. Don't tell me that Grand Prairie just past the county line is too far to drive when we went to Decatur once. Operators are standing by. Many thanks to O.K. Carter for the fine p. 1 piece on his mentor, George Hawkes. Count Carter among those area pros who cut their teeth at the C-J. Mr. Hawkes was also supremely encouraging to an Arlington State College youth searching for a career path -- I am grateful, to this day. And my, what crystal-clear photos ran in the C-J. They were as static as a bowl of fruit, if I recall, but you could count every wrinkle in a grandmother's grin. ... SPJ national prez Mac McKerral provides details on the recent board of directors meetings and the decisions that were made at spj.org. The latest budget was adopted, and important governance changes were discussed. While you're at the Web site, note the July 15 application deadline for the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation's $10,000 Eugene S. Pulliam Award, which recognizes an individual, group or organization for work on behalf of First Amendment freedoms. And let's consider a fall junket to New York City, as the 2004 National Convention -- Walter Cronkite! Clarence Page! Bill Moyers! Brian Williams! Jill Abramson! -- is Sept. 9-11 at the Grand Hyatt, Park Avenue at Grand Central Station. Nice digs. Kristin Sullivan and Kay Pirtle will represent the chapter. ... Closing words: "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." -- coach Ken Hitchcock in the Dallas Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup championship season, quoted by Randy Galloway ... "Oh my goodness, I cried. I'm still trying to process everything. It really makes me question what I feel about the president. I'm still going to respect him as our president, but it makes me question his motives. Of course, I think that's the whole point of the film, to question his motives. But after watching it, I do question my loyalty to the president. And that's scary for me." -- Monica Moody, 20-year-old restaurant hostess and self-described conservative Republican in Pensacola, Fla., after seeing "Fahrenheit 9/11" ... The book is "sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull -- the sound of one man prattling away, not for the reader, but for himself and some distant recording angel of history." -- New York Times book reviewer Michiko Kakutani on Bill Clinton's "My Life" ... "Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage." -- Ron Reagan Jr. ... "He's like an aging relative who refuses to wear a hearing aid. He will lead, he will not bend, and he will do what he thinks right, even if he's the only one who thinks it." -- Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee on Prime Minister Tony Blair ... "It hasn't gone well. We've had almost one year of no progress." -- Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, who has left Iraq after spending a year assembling and training the country's 200,000 army, police and civil defense troops ... "You don't have to deserve your mother's love. You have to deserve your father's. He's more particular." -- Robert Frost

For many SPJ members, the death last month of former Arlington Citizen-Journal publisher George Hawkes was more than the passing of another Texas journalistic legend, though it was indeed that. The ever-frugal Hawkes had a gift for recognizing talent and hiring it before it became too expensive, a talent that parlayed the C-J into the most award-winning weekly newspaper in Texas history.

The list of journalists or other media members who, fresh out of college, compiled their first set of professional clips while working at the C-J is enormous, including Griff Singer, Donna Darovich, Kenny Hand, Carter Hinshaw, Roger Summers, Dan Van Cleve, Cathy O'Neal and a plethora of others. "It's practically impossible to attend a meeting of media pros in the Metroplex and mention that you once worked at the Citizen-Journal without hearing a 'so did I' chorus," Darovich said.

Hawkes, a former Texas Press Association president, and another now-deceased SPJ chapter legend, Staley McBrayer, a former SPJ national president, recognized early in their careers that both the population and the wealth of the Metroplex was moving to the suburbs. There they did battle, though always with civility, mutual respect and what might be described as Old South charm.

Call the battle a draw. In the end they succeeded so well that they were afforded the ultimate compliment by the two media giants of the region. Belo Corp. bought McBrayer's News Texas chain, and Carter Publications purchased the C-J. Over time, the C-J evolved into the Arlington Star-Telegram, with Hawkes being considered the paper's publisher emeritus until his death. He was publisher from 1946 through 1977.

It's hard to learn the names and get acquainted with all the people you'd like to at any professional gathering. At the July meeting, participants will eat (always good networking activity), then have a chance to spend quality time with a few more folks one-on-one. Bring those business cards, résumés, brochures, etc., and prepare that elevator speech for "speed networking."

Being in the communications business requires a daily roll of the dice, whether it's calling reporters to get a story placed or pushing clients to think outside the box. Ruth Cogswell, president of Strategic Communications Partners and a former network news assignments editor and presidential press secretary, will challenge those at the July meeting to embrace risk taking as a way to grow their skills and boost their company's image. Every economic downturn launches a cycle of change -- PR pros cannot always operate in the same fashion and be successful.

Cogswell served in four presidential campaigns, as well as in the White House press office under President Jimmy Carter. She was a producer and assignments editor for ABC, CNN and Fisher Broadcasting and served as the trip director for the 1984 Olympic torch relay. She works with a variety of corporate clients, including the Kimbell Art Foundation, Home Box Office and TXI.

The good-times caravan that is the SPJ Summertime Beer Bust, Grape Gala and Burnt & Barbecued Ribfest Overlooking the Nude Beach III rolls to Grand Prairie this year for an evening to be remembered at Gary and Cami Hardee's house. As always, expect no nudity and no beach but virtuous vittles from grilling guru Ron Holcomb and a little live music.

Two extras: The price has gone down, and your gracious hosts have a pool, although they advise that any children in the crowd should bring their own life preservers, floaties and vigilant parents to watch them carefully.

Ever needed to do graphic work but didn't want to buy Photoshop? Or had your copy of Windows crash and desperately needed to retrieve a client's file? Author/consultant and former EDS intranet linchpin Jerry Stevenson will discuss the worldwide open source software movement in "Free Techno Tools for Freelancers" at the Freelance Alliance brown-bag lunch Thursday, July 22, from noon to 1 p.m. at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, 10707 Preston Road. Free for AWC, IABC and PRSA members; others pay $10. Non-geeks welcome. The Freelance Alliance is an umbrella organization serving the Dallas chapters of the Association for Women in Communications, IABC and PRSA. More from Susan Eckert, saeckert@swbell.net, or Chuck Lustig, clustig@excitingwriting.com.

PRSA national update: National PRSA, the PRSA Foundation and PRSSA have relocated to lower Manhattan -- 33 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor; New York, N.Y. 10038-5150; (212) 460-1400. ... PR firms have begun buying malpractice insurance to protect themselves against lawsuits alleging bad advice or even fallout from a poorly worded press release. Corporations of all sizes are spending big money on agencies to help massage their image, but some companies have found that the wrong message can get them sued or even prosecuted. More here.

SPJ national update: What's in a name; the books keep coming; spies like us; and it's only money. The Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, June 21 that people do not have a constitutional right to refuse to tell police their names, thus freeing the government to arrest people who won't reveal their identity. Privacy advocates argued that this power could be used to force people who have done nothing wrong to divulge information that may be used for broad database searches. More here. ... July 4 is the release date of "Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror," a current senior intelligence official's condemnation of U.S. counterterrorism policy and the "avaricious, premeditated, unprovoked" war in Iraq. The author asserts that President Bush is taking the country in exactly the direction Osama bin Laden wants, toward all-out confrontation with Islam under the banner of spreading democracy. More here. ... At least $1 billion in taxpayer money has been wasted in inefficient spending in Iraq, the government's top fiscal watchdog, Comptroller General David Walker, said June 15. More here. ... Newsweek reports that the Defense Department wants to gather information on Americans without having to tell them that it is doing so. More here.

SPJ national update II: FCC rules reversed (but what about those fines?); a fan club with credentials; a Republican rules for a Democrat; and the great thing about living in Iraq. The Senate voted June 22 to repeal rules that make it easier for media conglomerates to expand into new markets. The rules, approved a year ago by a divided FCC, struck down the restriction that had prevented one company from owning both a newspaper and a TV or radio station in the same city. See here and here. ... What do retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East in George H.W. Bush's administration; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991, all have in common? They are among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders who recently issued a statement of no confidence in the current administration. More here. ... Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has ruled that Travis County DA Ronnie Earle does not have to reveal details of his grand jury investigation into 2002 Republican campaign finance activities. See here. ... While Americans are shelling out record prices for gasoline, Iraqis pay about 5 cents a gallon -- a benefit of hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies bankrolled by U.S. taxpayers. See here.

SPJ national update III: Even polarizing politicians get gentle media treatment when they die; a liberal 'fesses up; and calling Johnnie Cochran. A number of cartoonists referred to the Berlin Wall in commenting about Ronald Reagan, who is credited with helping end the Cold War. See here and here. ... The Corpus Christi Caller-Times asked John Kerry to apologize for the unauthorized use in a campaign TV spot of photos taken from "South Texas Heroes," a book on veterans published by the newspaper. A Kerry spokesman said June 3 that apologies were made. ... President Bush hired a criminal lawyer, who was at his side when he was questioned for the grand jury investigating the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity. VP Dick Cheney also has reportedly retained counsel. Plame's name appeared in a newspaper column by Robert Novak last July 14 that attributed the leak to "two senior administration officials."

SPJ national update IV: The education of Alexandra Polier; good for Maine; bad for journalists; and bad for the troops. The Drudge Report loved it, Rush Limbaugh loved it, the British press loved it, even Wes Clark loved it. If only it had been true. The woman accused of having an affair with John Kerry tells her story here. ... The Maine Press Association calls a bill signed in May by Gov. John Baldacci the "broadest package of public access reforms in the 45-year history of Maine's Freedom of Access Act." More here. ... The international press freedom group Reporters without Borders expressed concern June 2 about recent attacks and threats against at least 15 reporters in Mexico. More here. ... The Army has issued orders preventing thousands of soldiers designated to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military when their volunteer service commitment ends. The "stop loss" and "stop movement" orders are broader than others issued previously. See here.

SPJ national update V: Good old Golden Rule days. Former Kansas State Collegian adviser Ron Johnson was fired despite his five most recent job evaluations rating him as "excellent" and another saying he "exceeds expectations." The Collegian allegedly failed to adequately cover diversity issues. See here. ... When activist Erin Brockovich rolled into Beverly Hills High School last year on a crusade to expose on-campus oil wells that she said were leaking carcinogens, student journalists began asking questions. Now adviser Jennifer Moulton's teaching contract is not being renewed, and she thinks it's because she refused to be a censor. More here. ... UT Austin has met part of an open-records request for documents related to campus security cameras after a yearlong legal battle. Daily Texan reporter Jonathan York filed the request in October 2002. York wrote in a Feb. 27 story that the university has spent $300,000-$400,000 on cameras over seven years. See here.

Responding effectively when a crisis looms takes a team, a plan and people at the top who are good communicators, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger told the IABC/Fort Worth Bronze Quill Awards luncheon last month. "Communication involves a lot of people," said Pat Svacina, who was Fort Worth public information officer for 23 years after a dozen years with The Dallas Morning News. "That's why you need a team."

Someone has to be in charge acting as a quarterback, calling and directing the plays, Svacina said, and a plan must be in place, as well as a primary backup. "You can't wait for something to happen to begin to plan."

In his career with Fort Worth, Svacina helped develop the city's nationally recognized communications program. It has been praised for a team approach that can initiate action within minutes of an emergency, using a range of methods and media to quickly disseminate information. So his IABC audience was listening, especially when he stressed the importance of leadership.

"Leaders set the tone," he said. "Leadership is as important among executives as communications pros. The CEO gives the message developed by the team."

After 80 years of training students in journalism, Texas Woman's University's mass-communication program is being eliminated on the grounds of declining student interest and financial support. Twenty-six students graduated from the program in the 1996-97 school year; eight graduated in 2002-03. Journalism courses will be provided through summer 2005. The student newspaper, The Lasso, will be published for at least one more year. ...

Meet the new IABC/Fort Worth board: Tim Tune, president/District 5 junior delegate; Richard Maxwell, president-elect/VP programming and director of professional development; Lori De La Cruz, past-president/District 5 senior delegate and membership chair; Ken Roberts, secretary; Julie Trowbridge, treasurer; Roxanne Martinez, VP marketing and communication co-chair; Wendy Krizmanic, VP marketing and communication co-chair; Betsy Boyett, Bronze Quill chair; Denny Pelham, e-newsletter chair; and Pam Huff, accreditation chair. ...

For the second consecutive year, the Mansfield News-Mirror has won sweepstakes in the Texas Press Association's better newspaper contest. The Knight Ridder-owned semiweekly also snagged four first-place awards, two seconds, a third and a fourth on the work of Brigitte Cummings, Mark Wright, Mario Zavala Jr. and Michael Eddleman. ... Star-Telegram staffers Ken Parish Perkins, Tim Madigan, Wendell Barnhouse and Jill Johnson swept the over-100,000-circulation division of this year's Griot Awards, sponsored by the Dallas/Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators. D/FW ABC also presented scholarships to five minority students, including Brandon Guidry, a graphic designer with the UTA Shorthorn, and Rosa Sow, a 2004 Colleyville Heritage High School graduate. ...

Kudos & contracts ... Envision Works will create and distribute a quarterly newsletter to the 500,000 members of the Southlake-based Medical Air Services Association. The newsletter will provide health and travel tips to members living throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. MASA returns a person home after an illness or injury and provides additional benefits that are outside most insurance companies' coverage.

The editorship of national SPJ's Quill magazine is open. Requirements: B.A. degree, preferably in journalism or graphic design; Macintosh layout skills; proficiency with QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator. Send résumé, three professional references, work samples and salary needs to SPJ executive director Terry Harper, 3909 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46208. Quill has been a resource for journalists, industry leaders, students and educators for more than 85 years. ... The Bombay Co. seeks a production coordinator. Direct mail and POP experience required. E-mail or fax résumé to production manager Amy Leisure, (817) 347-7536 fax or aleisure@us.bombayco.com. ...

Zix Corp. in Dallas seeks a PR manager. Requirements include a B.A. degree or higher in communication or journalism and at least six years PR experience in an agency or publicly traded company focused on IT and/or health care. Send résumé to marketing director Kim Tompkins, ktompkins@zixcorp.com. ... ExactTarget, a leading permission-based e-mail marketing software provider, wants to add a regional manager strong in interactive marketing, software sales or with ad agency experience. More at exacttarget.com or from Denny Pelham, regional account manager for Texas, dpelham@exacttarget.com. ...

Amazing Press in Dallas has temp-to-permanent openings for applicants familiar with Adobe and Microsoft software, QuarkXPress and PageMaker. PC and Mac experience required, with weight to PC. Salary based on experience. Write to mail@amazingpress.com, with "attn: Application for graphic position" in the subject line. ... Paladin Marketing and Advertising Staffing Services seeks proposal writers for clients in the engineering, architecture, real estate and relocation industries. Marketing and brochure writing experience required, in addition to proposal experience. Salary $35,000-$45,000. Contact Paladin regional manager Antje Spethmann, (972) 831-9930. ...

Mended Hearts, Inc., an affiliate of the American Heart Association, seeks a junior-level manager (PR/marketing experience welcome) to implement two new outreach programs. Position is based in Dallas, with some nationwide travel. Salary $29,000-$35,000. Write Cathy Clapp at cathy.clapp@heart.org. ... Wachovia Corp. seeks a corporate communications manager for the Dallas office. Industry experience preferred but not required; what is required is at least seven years in a "high-impact, high-volume communications environment." Contact Angela Morris at (704) 383-0980 fax or angela.morris1@wachovia.com. ...

Reasons Group needs a full-time administrative assistant for phones, data entry, general office. Excel and QuickBooks experience required. Casual environment near TCU. Send résumé and salary needs to Julie Wilson, (817) 922-9494 fax, jwilson@reasonsinc.com. ... Citadel Security Software seeks a webmaster, who will also do e-mail marketing, customer newsletters and micro-sites in support of specific initiatives. Reach marketing director Laura Sellers at lsellers@citadel.com. ... Contact Keith Reeves, Denton Television cable TV producer/director, (940) 349-7272, to apply for a new video producer position. ... The City of Arlington seeks a broadcast coordinator. Salary $4,066-$4,518 per month. Details here.

COMINGS & GOINGS Additions ... at the S-T: Leila Fadel, a Knight Ridder reporter intern in Arlington for the past quarter, now full time in the Northeast newsroom ... Stephanie Allmon, formerly features editor at the Waco Tribune-Herald, and Karalee Miller, a reporter at The Kansas City Star, splitting Class Acts; Allmon led a movement in the Cox chain to get teens into the paper, and Miller interned at the S-T two years ago

In 1999, Armstrong made world headlines with the most stunning comeback in the history of sport, winning the Tour de France in the fastest-ever time after battling testicular cancer just 18 months previously. He hasn't lost a Tour de France since. His first book, "It's Not About the Bike," charted his journey back to life; now as he prepares to seek a record-breaking sixth title (and as he rebuts allegations that he has used performance-enhancing drugs), he shares more details of his story, including an Olympic medal and the births of twin daughters Grace and Isabel. Armstrong offers, with typical frankness, his thoughts on competing, winning and failure, and on the challenge of living in the aftermath of cancer and treatment.

A Web site is a critical component of an organization's communication structure. In many cases, our Web site is the first contact clients and potential customers have with us. What does your Web site say about you? Does it say scatterbrained, disorganized, missionless? Or does it leave the impression of leadership, control and customer service? Greater Fort Worth PRSA wants to answer these questions about its own Web site, fortworthprsa.org.

The site went live in 1999 during the tenure of then-online committee chair Marc Flake. Another member, Beth Park, volunteered her husband, Doug, to create our Web template as a favor to Paul Sturiale, chapter president at the time. Since 2000, PRSA member Jerrod Resweber has volunteered his expertise. He serves as online chair for a yet-to-be-determined term limit!

Over the years, the Web site has served as a means to communicate meeting information, job leads and membership benefits. But five technology years is a long time. We're a small, nonprofit group with one volunteer handling site maintenance; still, as we evaluate our communication tools, it's important that we ask our members, "Is our Web site serving you?"

PRSA member Kelly Keenum is leading a task force to gauge the benefits and impressions our site gives. At her paying job, Kelly manages the online pressroom at Pier 1, so she knows what she's doing. Perhaps our site serves your needs just fine and we can call it a day. Or maybe a major overhaul is needed. Either way, look for an update from Kelly in the coming months. And whether you're a Web guru or a novice, if you have an opinion or would serve on a committee, contact her at (817) 252-8414 or kkeenum@pier1.com.

Thanks, Lori De La Cruz, for a fabulous year as president. If we could bottle your spirit, we'd outsell Perrier. You're a tough act to follow, and I'm grateful the board gave me this opportunity to try.

So where do we go from here? Expect more lively meetings, coordinated by programs czar Richard Maxwell, among them "How to Build a Better You" on Aug. 3 and "The Other Communication Skill: Effective Listening" on Sept. 7. This fall, IABC/Fort Worth will host a group of South Hills High School students as part of Team Fort Worth, a Fort Worth ISD stay-in-school initiative. Join us in September and be a 60-minute mentor.

We'll expand our work with IABC District 5. Aug. 1 is the early sign-up deadline for the district conference, Sept. 26-28 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Go if you can. Great experience. Back home, the D5 board will meet in Cowtown in early February. We'll help out with hospitality. That's the fun stuff. And as always, we'll find time for side trips like the recent membership drive. Don't be surprised to see Wendy Krizmanic driving around town in her winner's prize-for-a-weekend, a Jaguar X-type. Good girls do finish first.

New fiscal year, new board, same great IABC/Fort Worth. If you're not excited, you're not breathing. But we can fix that, too. Come to the meeting July 6 -- IABC Tuesday -- and we'll start CPR.

Let's see those RSVPs for the July 17 splash day at hacienda Hardee. Choice chow, a real body of water to splash in and a promised appearance from members of the Association of Young Journalists. Don't tell me that Grand Prairie just past the county line is too far to drive when we went to Decatur once. Operators are standing by.

Many thanks to O.K. Carter for the fine p. 1 piece on his mentor, George Hawkes. Count Carter among those area pros who cut their teeth at the C-J. Mr. Hawkes was also supremely encouraging to an Arlington State College youth searching for a career path -- I am grateful, to this day. And my, what crystal-clear photos ran in the C-J. They were as static as a bowl of fruit, if I recall, but you could count every wrinkle in a grandmother's grin. ...

SPJ national prez Mac McKerral provides details on the recent board of directors meetings and the decisions that were made at spj.org. The latest budget was adopted, and important governance changes were discussed. While you're at the Web site, note the July 15 application deadline for the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation's $10,000 Eugene S. Pulliam Award, which recognizes an individual, group or organization for work on behalf of First Amendment freedoms. And let's consider a fall junket to New York City, as the 2004 National Convention -- Walter Cronkite! Clarence Page! Bill Moyers! Brian Williams! Jill Abramson! -- is Sept. 9-11 at the Grand Hyatt, Park Avenue at Grand Central Station. Nice digs. Kristin Sullivan and Kay Pirtle will represent the chapter. ...

Closing words: "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." -- coach Ken Hitchcock in the Dallas Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup championship season, quoted by Randy Galloway ... "Oh my goodness, I cried. I'm still trying to process everything. It really makes me question what I feel about the president. I'm still going to respect him as our president, but it makes me question his motives. Of course, I think that's the whole point of the film, to question his motives. But after watching it, I do question my loyalty to the president. And that's scary for me." -- Monica Moody, 20-year-old restaurant hostess and self-described conservative Republican in Pensacola, Fla., after seeing "Fahrenheit 9/11" ... The book is "sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull -- the sound of one man prattling away, not for the reader, but for himself and some distant recording angel of history." -- New York Times book reviewer Michiko Kakutani on Bill Clinton's "My Life" ... "Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage." -- Ron Reagan Jr. ... "He's like an aging relative who refuses to wear a hearing aid. He will lead, he will not bend, and he will do what he thinks right, even if he's the only one who thinks it." -- Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee on Prime Minister Tony Blair ... "It hasn't gone well. We've had almost one year of no progress." -- Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, who has left Iraq after spending a year assembling and training the country's 200,000 army, police and civil defense troops ... "You don't have to deserve your mother's love. You have to deserve your father's. He's more particular." -- Robert Frost