Sept. 6, 2014
NASHVILLE — Delegates of the Society of Professional Journalists voted overwhelmingly Saturday to approve a revised Code of Ethics. The voice vote came at the Society’s business meeting at its annual convention.
A committee of the Society spent the past year studying the current code and proposing changes. It had not been updated in nearly two decades. The committee’s work underwent revisions in the days leading up to the vote, and several amendments were accepted in Nashville.
An informal online poll of SPJ members showed that three of every four members who voted approved of the changes.
Delegates on Saturday also rejected a proposal to change the organization’s name to the Society for Professional Journalism.
Delegates are chosen by local chapters and the number of delegates allotted each chapter is determined by the number of members in each chapter. The Madison chapter had one delegate.
Also, SPJ members elected Dana Neuts president, Paul Fletcher president-elect, and Lynn Walsh secretary-treasurer. 
Neuts is a freelance writer in the Seattle area. Fletcher is publisher and editor-in-chief of Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Walsh is national digital producer for the Scripps network of news organizations.
On Friday the Madison chapter received a certificate for outstanding work by a small chapter in advancing relations with campuses. At left is Joe Radske, SPJ Madison executive committee member and SPJ national board member, with the certificate.
Mark Pitsch, chapter president, received the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Member of the Year Award at the president’s installation banquet on Saturday.
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