The Society of Professional Journalists is preparing a Code of Conduct for its members to foster a friendly, safe and welcoming culture. At the direction of the SPJ board, a seven-member task force plans to have standards for expected behavior in place by the annual convention in Las Vegas on Sept. 28.
As part of its work, the task force seeks input from SPJ members. Please fill out the short, two-question form to send us your comments. Links to other organizations’ codes are provided below.
Based on their research, task force members will draft guidelines to present to the board for consideration.
We appreciate your involvement in SPJ and in this effort.
Sincerely,
Claire Regan, SPJ National President Danielle McLean, Task Force Chair Matt Hall Rod Hicks Daniela Ibarra Chris Roberts Kevin Smith Jodi Rave Spotted Bear
This event will begin with a brief discussion of the history and purpose of this year’s edition of Ethics Week, led by Fred Brown, who proposed the idea 25 years ago when he was SPJ’s immediate past president, and Rod Hicks, SPJ director of ethics and diversity. That will be followed by a presentation led by Don Colacino, a documentarian who has partnered with SPJ to produce his “Trusted Sources” film. Then Brown, Hicks and Meredith Jordan, who is leading a self-certification.
Panelists:
Don Colacino is an independent filmmaker based in Colorado. He is currently in production on a feature-length documentary titled, Trusted Sources, about people working to reverse the decline of trust in news. Trusted Sources, produced in partnership with the Society of Professional Journalists, is targeted for nation-wide release in the spring of 2024.
Meredith Jordan is executive director of the Public Alliance of Professional Journalists, an organization working toward the credentialing of journalists. She spent 25 years working for East Coast news organizations before moving to the West Coast to cover the movie industry. Her most recent book is Top Gun Memos: The Making and Legacy of an Iconic Movie, (Citation Press, 2022).
Fred Brown is a former SPJ national president and Wells Memorial Key winner who currently heads SPJ’s Professional Standards and Ethics Committee. For most of his career, he was a political reporter, editor and columnist for The Denver Post. He also taught media ethics at the University of Denver and is the editor/author of SPJ’s media ethics textbook.
Rod Hicks is Director of Ethics and Diversity at the Society of Professional Journalists. Previously at SPJ, Rod was in a position created to address the issue of dwindling trust in the news media. As Journalist on Call, he conducted a six-month project in Casper, Wyoming, where he met regularly with a group of people skeptical about the news, they receive to better understand the root of their distrust. He wrote a report on the project that included recommendations for news organizations to address news consumers’ concerns.
Poll after poll shows a steady decline of public trust in what used to be considered mainstream, reliable news media. A recent Gallup/Knight survey showed only 26% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the news media while 53% have a negative view. For this Ethics Week program, SPJ presents a discussion on multiple efforts to restore the public’s trust in real journalism, and how the Society of Professional Journalists has been an inspiration and now a partner in these efforts.
Panelists:
Sally Lehrman, an SPJ Wells Memorial Key winner, founded and is CEO of the Trust Project, an international coalition she begin building in 2014. It has a three-step process to help responsible media outlets distinguish themselves from the myriad of information sources available to the public. She held the Knight-Ridder Chair in Journalism in the Public Interest at Santa Clara University from 2008 to 2013 and was a member of the boards of both SPJ and its Foundation. She is a freelance writer and book author.
Beth Potter, U.S. regional manager of the Journalism Trust Initiative, recently was awarded her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and serves on the board of the SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter. The JTI was created in 2019 by Reporters Without Borders and has a process involving self-assessment, disclosure and external audit for media to establish their credibility. Potter has worked in journalism at levels from reporter to publisher, and as a journalism educator.
Lynn Walsh, the 2016-17 national president of SPJ, is assistant director of Trusting News, which works with news organizations to help the public understand how journalism is supposed to work, explaining news processes, coverage goals and journalism ethics. Walsh is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and investigative reporter who has also been active in SPJ’s Freedom of Information and ethics committees. Most recently, she led the NBC Investigates and NBC 7 Responds teams at San Diego’s KNSD-TV.
Moderator:
Fred Brown is a former SPJ national president and Wells Memorial Key winner who currently heads SPJ’s Professional Standards and Ethics Committee. For most of his career, he was a political reporter, editor and columnist for The Denver Post. He also taught media ethics at the University of Denver and is the editor/author of SPJ’s media ethics textbook.
As more news organizations are using and sharing how they use artificial intelligence, questions are being raised what this means for journalists and journalism ethics. As a part of SPJ Ethics Week, our panel of experts will discuss how generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT and DALLE-E, can be used by journalists to assist in news gathering and production, while examining the potential pitfalls.
Panelists:
Aimee Rinehart is local news AI program manager for The Associated Press. She works with local newsrooms on AI solutions in news gathering, production and distribution.
Joe Amditis is assistant director of products and events at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. He is the author of the “Beginner’s prompt handbook: ChatGPT for local news publishers” and has spoken extensively about applying GenAI in newsrooms.
Moderator:
Eric Wishart is standards and ethics editor of the AFP news agency and a member of SPJ’s Professional Standards and Ethics Committee. He currently is drafting ethical guidelines for the use of AI in the AFP’s newsrooms.
Members of the SPJ Professional Standards and Ethics Committee will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about ethical dilemmas you’re facing, the committee’s goals, the SPJ Code of Ethics or whatever’s on your mind that has to do with the ethics of gathering, reporting and opining about the news.
Each day, in partnership with CapRadio, NSPR enriches and informs the communities they serve by providing high-quality news, information, and cultural programming in Northern California.
As a Morning Edition Anchor, you will help listeners wake up each morning, guiding them to start their day informed. Typical tasks include hosting the weekday morning news shift, operating the studio board while anchoring, and producing news content.
We’re looking for someone who has a passion for working on the air and can cultivate enjoyment, understanding and relatability in the news daily. If this sounds like you, then you should apply to be NSPR’s Morning Edition Anchor!
We’re focused on building a diverse and inclusive organization, and it takes all kinds of people, so if you’re excited about this role but don’t meet all of the qualifications listed below, we encourage you to apply.
Position Responsibilities:
Operate the board during the morning drive shift
Write, edit and deliver newscasts and weather forecasts.
Research, conduct, record and edit interviews with newsmakers and journalists.
Produce daily news content for local radio, on-demand daily news roundup, digital and all platforms.
Deliver news and anchor special coverage as needed
Work with the content team to develop regular segments and special projects, including election coverage and occasional multi-part series
Monitor emergency alerts and deliver information as needed.
Deliver the news and anchor coverage on on-demand broadcast products
Participate in on-air fundraising and other fundraising activities
Qualifications/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in journalism or in a related field, or minimum 3 years of equivalent work experience
Excellent writing and editing skills, and good news judgment.
Audio editing and production skills in Adobe Audition or another similar program
Strong team player able to collaborate effectively with diverse groups across race, gender, class, age, etc.
Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and multi-task in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
Position is based in Chico, but travel may be require
Position requires early morning start time (may start as early as 4 am if required)
California driver’s license and evidence of insurability
COVID-19 COMPLIANT
This role is deemed essential and requires an on-site presence. You must be able to commute to our Chico, CA office.
We have a mandatory vaccination policy for Covid-19. Reasonable accommodation is available for those with a medical condition, disability, or religious belief that prevents them from being vaccinated.
Salary
The compensation for this role is $24.52-$28.36 per hour
We also offer:
Competitive medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, and acupuncture insurance
If you have prior radio experience, your audio samples should include links or .mp3s of published radio stories or of anchoring news segments from your previous job(s). If you don’t have radio experience, make a recording as you imagine yourself on the air reading a news segment. Record two to three mock news segments (under one minute) on your phone or on a digital device and include the audio file with your materials. You can read part of the rundown from our news podcast “Headlines” for this exercise. Samples should be :30 – 1:00 min.
You can address your letter to the hiring manager for this position, Adia White, Senior News Editor. If you have any inquiries or trouble submitting your application materials to the link, please contact us at careers@capradio.org.
CapRadio Attn: Human Resources 7055 Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95826
Capital Public Radio is an equal-opportunity employer.
CEO Update is the source for news about association and the people who run them. Our subscribers are the CEOs and senior executives at trade groups and professional societies in every possible sector. There really are multiple associations for everything!
This is a very sophisticated audience looking for thoroughly researched and well-written articles. Topics include advocacy, events, revenue-generation, education, the workplace and DEI. Stories are typically 500 to 1,000 words. Occasional longer pieces may be 1,500 words plus a short sidebar or two. Most of the people we interview are association executives, but we also talk to consultants and other experts.
I’m looking to expand our roster of experienced freelance writers. Please send Editorial Director Lori Sharn three to five clips showcasing your ability to interview people and to write on a variety of topics at different lengths. Email: sharn@ceoupdate.com
