]]>The Madison SPJ chapter is hosting this gathering, to be held by SPJ chapters across the country. Meet your colleagues, take pride in your profession and enjoy a Wisconsin summer on the patio of one of Wisconsin’s hottest breweries. Free SPJ giveaways, too.
Join us from 6-9 pm. We’ll meet on the patio at Ale Asylum, 2002 Pankratz St., Madison (near the Dane County Regional Airport on the city’s north side). We’ll move inside during inclement weather.
This is an informal gathering. Nothing more to do than show up and be ready to socialize.
Questions? Contact Joe Radske, 262-366-1259, or Mark Pitsch, 608-252-6145.
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]]>Our March 14, 2016 conference on reporting on religion was well attended and we would like to thank all who participated, in particular our headliner David Gregory. We would also like to thank our sponsors:The University of Wisconsin Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions, and the Upper|House (an initiative of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation) in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Additional support came from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, the Wisconsin State Journal, WKOW television, and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
Jim Davis, one of the conference participants, wrote a report for GetReligion.org.
Here are the sessions:
#1) America’s Changing Religious Landscape
The Pew Research Center has done groundbreaking work documenting shifts in religious beliefs, affiliations, and practices in the United States. The Center’s two recent studies of the “U.S. Religious Landscape,” each aggregating some 35,000 responses, provide an in-depth look at how American religious life is changing. The results pose interesting challenges and opportunities for journalists covering religion, for public policy and for practitioners of religion. Besheer Mohamed provided an overview of the current landscape and what it means now.
As a veteran journalist who specializes both in the coverage of religion and of survey research, Cathy Lynn Grossman helped connect Besheer Mohamed’s presentation with the issues this changing landscape raises for journalists covering religion. The moderator was prof. Charles Cohen.
#2) How the Press Covers Religion and Spirituality
Religious faith plays a big part in the lives of most Americans, and issues involving religious beliefs and practice crop up constantly in public life. Nevertheless, media generally cover religious issues poorly, often failing to inform audiences about the complexity of religious beliefs or the full contexts in which faith informs individuals’ decisions. Four veteran reporters provided an inside look at how they report religious news and offer critiques of how the media covers it. Participants were: Cathy Lynn Grossman, James Davis, Jaweed Kaleem, and Chuck Stokes. John Smalley was the moderator.
#3) Too Hot to Handle? Journalists at Work
As with many topics in journalism, religion is an area that can evoke strong emotions in the midst of controversy. Differing understandings of religious tenets and structures add to the difficulties. Three journalists talked about how they managed to keep both their professional and personal balance in the midst of particularly hot religious topics that they have covered. Participants were Doug Erickson, Bob Smietana, and Dilshad Ali. The moderator was Rev. Phil Haslanger.
#4) Faith on the Street
Tony Carnes and Christopher Smith presented their work covering religion at the street level in New York City. Over the past five years, “A Journey Through NYC Religions” has explored, documented, and explained the great religious changes in New York City. Using videos from the project’s web site, Carnes and Smith demonstrated how journalists might use this approach to gain a whole new perspective on their communities. The moderator was Gordon Govier.
#5) Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience
This panel explored the tension between competing goods: the value Americans place on religious freedom, and the value Americans place on equality among citizens. How do we as a society negotiate this conflict? How can people covering this issue in the media appreciate all the points at stake? Panelists were Greg Jao, Rev. Scot Anderson, and John Huebscher. The moderator was prof. Donald Downs and the respondent was David Gregory. The respondent was David Gregory.
#6) KEYNOTE: A Journalist’s Unlikely Spiritual Journey
David Gregory, author of How’s Your Faith? An Unlikely Spiritual Journey, brought his understanding of the demands of journalism at the highest levels and, more recently, how he has grappled with the role faith plays in his own life. He brought a perspective to the covering of religious issues from someone who understands how journalism works and from someone who has thought deeply about religious questions. Introduction by prof. Kathleen Bartzen Culver.
And finally, thank you again to John Terrill and The Upper|House for hosting our sessions in your beautiful facility.
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]]>Contact: Mark Pitsch, 608-252-6145
MADISON, WI — Religious faith remains a key component of public and private life in the United States. Yet, America’s religious landscape is shifting, and as a result news coverage of religion has never been more important.
The Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions at UW-Madison, the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation invite you to a major national conference on journalism and religion.
“Reporting on Religion: Media, Belief and Public Life” will give journalists an opportunity to explore one of the most important, sensitive and controversial topics in contemporary America.
The one-day conference – held Monday, March 14, 2016, in Madison WI — will feature journalists and scholars who will help journalists and students gain a deeper understanding of the role religion plays in public life, how religion is represented – or not – in the news media today, and how to improve reporting of this important subject. The conference will culminate in a keynote address, open to the public, by television journalist David Gregory, the author of “How’s Your Faith? An Unlikely Spiritual Journey” and the former moderator of Meet the Press.
Registration is now open. Click here for the conference website, and to register.
Follow us on Twitter @reportreligion.
The conference lineup includes sessions on:
- “America’s Changing Religious Landscape.” Besheer Mohamed, senior researcher for the Pew Center on Religion and Public Life, will present Pew’s groundbreaking research on religion in America. Cathy Lynn Grossman, senior reporter, Religion News Service, will comment.
- “How the Press Covers Religion and Spirituality” with Grossman, James Davis, contributor to GetReligion.org and The Florida Catholic, Chuck Stokes, editorial/public affairs director, WXYZ-TV, Detroit, and Jaweed Kaleem, senior religion reporter, Huffington Post.
- Some of the hottest issues surrounding religion and public life in the U.S., including the conservative and liberal divide in Catholicism and other Christian faiths, fast-growing U.S. religions, and religious extremism. With Doug Erickson, religion and education reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal, Bob Smietana, news editor, Christianity Today, and Dilshad Ali, managing editor, Patheos Muslim Portal.
- “A Journey Through New York City Religions” with Tony Carnes. Carnes has documented religion in the nation’s largest city for the last five years.
- “Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience,” a wide-ranging discussion featuring religious advocates, with a response from David Gregory, former moderator, Meet the Press.
More information about the conference lineup, the conference organizers and logistical details can be found here.
The conference is generously underwritten by the Lubar Institute and the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, creators of Upper|House. It will be held at Upper|House, 365 East Campus Mall, adjacent to UW-Madison’s Vilas Hall.
Patron sponsors include the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, the Wisconsin State Journal and WKOW-TV. The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is a supporting sponsor.
Registration includes lunch and is free for students, $15 for SPJ members, and $30 for non-SPJ members. The conference is aimed at journalists, but is open to the general public.
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]]>MADISON — The Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, in conjunction with the state Capitol press corps, will hold its annual Holiday Mixer and Raffle on Thursday, Dec. 17.
The event will be held from 6-9 p.m. at the Argus Bar, 123 E. Main St., just a block off the Capitol Square in Madison. All area journalists and journalism supporters are invited, and the event is free.
The party will feature a pot-luck meal, so please bring an appetizer, side dish, main dish or dessert to share.
Prizes include:
* $130 in gift certificates for Madison Originals restaurants, courtesy SPJ Madison
* two UW-Madison hockey tickets with access to a suite, Madison in Focus photography book, and a Phil Hands cartoon 2016 calendar ($150 value) courtesy Wisconsin State Journal
* two tickets to an American Players Theatre production and Book of Lore (minimum $110 value), courtesy, American Players Theatre
* two Isthmus Beer and Cheese festival tickets ($100 value), courtesy Isthmus
* Edgewood College gift package ($100 value), courtesy Edgewood College
* WKOW gift package, including Bucky Book and Chula Vista gift certificate ($80 value), courtesy WKOW
* $50 Brocach gift certificate, courtesy WORT
* three Capital Times hoodie/t-shirt packages ($50 value each)
* Wisconsin Public Television DVD package ($40 value), courtesy WPT
* Karben4 variety package, including growler, growler fill, t-shirt, pint glass ($40 value), courtesy Karben4
* 6-pack of craft beer curated by Beer Baron Chris Drosner ($40 value), courtesy Chris Drosner
* Signed copy, “Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story” by Madison author David Maraniss ($35 value), courtesy SPJ Madison and David Maraniss
* Coffee and mugs ($20 value), courtesy Dee J. Hall
* Various SPJ posters, glasses, and gear, courtesy SPJ Madison.
Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Simpson Street Free Press. SSFP is a Madison-based nonprofit that teaches reading, writing and critical thinking skills. Middle and high school students publish news articles on a variety of platforms.
SPJ Madison is seeking raffle items. Individuals and news organizations that wish to donate items for the raffle should contact SPJ Madison president Mark Pitsch at [email protected]
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]]>Monthly Business Meeting
Dec. 7, 2015, 7:00 p.m.
Next Door Brewing Company, 2439 Atwood Ave., Madison
Agenda
Dec. 7, 2015
- Call to order
- Approval of minutes
- Treasurer’s Report
- Membership Report
- President’s Report: Holiday Party and Raffle, Dec. 17; Open Government Traveling Show update; Reporting on Religion planning; Watchdog Awards
- Upcoming event ideas: Spotlight, Podcasting training, Meet the Media, Freelance event
- Reimbursements
- New Business
- Adjourn
Votes could be taken on any Action or New Business item
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SPJ Forum Audience
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker makes news in his home state and in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and elsewhere in the U.S. and across the globe. Three of Wisconsin’s award-winning political journalists and a nationally known media and political science scholar discussed the challenges and chaos of covering Walker on Monday, June 1, 2015.
An audience of about 100 turned out to hear Jessica Arp of WISC-TV, Matthew DeFour of the Wisconsin State Journal, Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Michael Wagner, UW-Madison professor of journalism and political science and co-author of “Political Behavior of the American Electorate.”
Coverage was provided by Bill Lueders, writing for Progressive magazine and WisconsinEye.
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]]>Monthly Business Meeting
June 1, 2015, 5:30 p.m.
UW-Madison Memorial Union
Agenda
June l, 2015
- Call to order
- Approval of minutes from April and May meetings
- Treasurer’s Report
- Membership Report
- President’s Report: Freedom Rings (Sam), Open Records rewrite,Data visual training May 8, Covering Walker
- Upcoming events: Meeting Brad Schimel; Summer picnic/party, Fall training
- Discussion/Action: Reimbursements
- New Business
- Adjourn
Votes could be taken on any Action or New Business item
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]]>The discussion takes place from 7-8:30 pm on Monday, June 1, at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union. Check Today in the Union (TITU) that day for the room assignment.
It features Jessica Arp of WISC-TV in Madison, winner of the 2014 UW-Madison Nafziger Award for Achievement within 10 Years of Graduation; Matthew DeFour of the Wisconsin State Journal, 2014 co-winner of Milwaukee Press Club’s beat reporting and investigative story of the year awards; Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, co-author of “More Than They Bargained For: Scott Walker, Unions and the Fight for Wisconsin;” and Michael Wagner, UW-Madison professor of journalism and political science and co-author of “Political Behavior of the American Electorate.”
The event is free and open to the public, who will have an opportunity to hear from journalists directly about political reporting, and to ask questions. All area journalists are especially welcome to attend, and membership in SPJ is not necessary.
Based in Indianapolis, SPJ is a national membership organization that promotes high professional and ethical standards among journalists, First Amendment principles and the belief that a free and vigorous press is vital in a representative democracy. The Madison professional chapter was formed around 1990. Membership costs $75 annually, and it is open to journalists who spend at least half of their professional life writing or editing work for publication.
Contact: Mark Pitsch, [email protected]; 608-252-6145
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]]>To help Madison and Wisconsin journalists improve their data skills, the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is offering a one-day training seminar on the subject Friday, May 8 at Capital Newspapers, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison.
The session features Urban Institute researcher and UW-Madison graduate Jon Schwabish and Madison-area journalists who use data. It is free for SPJ members and students; the cost is $30 for others. Lunch will be provided. To register, go to our Eventbrite page here.
The session lineup:
9-9:30 am: Registration
9:30-10:30 am: The Growing Importance of Data Visualization
We live in an era where the amount and importance of data is expanding swiftly. Changes in technology are changing the way people interact and consume that information and data. And as producers of content, we need to be visual because—simply put—people are visual. That visual content needs to pair well with our audience and their needs, striking the right balance between truth, beauty, and content. Effectively visualizing data is one means by which content producers, researchers, and storytellers can tap into this new wave of data and people’s changing ways of receiving information.
With Jon Schwabish, Urban Institute, @jschwabish
10:30-11:45 am: Teach Yourself to Be a Data Reporter
Learn how to build your data skills from scratch with the most essential tools necessary.
With Todd Milewski, data reporter, Capital Times, @ToddMilewski and Nick Heynen, data reporter, Capital Newspapers, @NickHeynen
11:45-12:45 pm: Lunch and Networking
12:45-1:45 pm: Open Refine
Learn how to use this nifty program that helps you quickly and efficiently find and fix errors in your messy data. Find and root out data entry inconsistencies, misspellings and other mistakes with this powerful tool. We’ll teach you how to get started, and point out where to go to learn more.
With Nick Heynen
1:45-3 pm: Tableau Public Demo
We’ll demonstrate how to use this free program for Mac or PC to make data visualizations — first to find out what the story is and what’s wrong with the data, and then to tell a story through a pretty interactive graphic. No programming skills required; mere mortals can learn this.
With Kate Golden, multimedia director and reporter, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, @wiswatchkate
To register, click here.
For more information contact Mark Pitsch, SPJ Madison president, at 608-252-6145.
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MADISON — SPJ Madison members met with Next Door Brewing Company head brewer Bryan Kreiter on Feb. 24 to discuss beermaking as the groups prepare to launch Sunshine Wheat.
The American wheat beer will debut March 16 at a celebration of Sunshine Week, the annual event honoring open government and the First Amendment. The celebration takes place from 6-9 p.m. at Next Door, 2439 Atwood Ave., Madison.
Sunshine Wheat features brewers malt, flaked wheat and crystal wheat from Wisconsin-based Briess Malt and Ingredients Company and Brewer’s Gold hops from Gorst Valley Hops of Mazomanie. It will feature an exotic dry hop. Sunshine Wheat will hold 4.8 percent alcohol-by-volume, 22 IBUs and a 5.6 SRM.
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association is the lead sponsor of the SPJ Madison-Next Door Brewing event. Other sponsors include WKOW, Wisconsin State Journal, With Gusto, Isthmus, and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
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