SPJ Madison, Next Door Brewing collaborate on American wheat beer to honor the First Amendment, open government and Wisconsin journalism

MADISON – The Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Next Door Brewing invite journalists and advocates of open government to celebrate Sunshine Week with the tapping of Sunshine Wheat, an American wheat beer featuring local hops and malts, on Monday, March 16.

The celebration takes place from 6-9 p.m. at Next Door Brewing, 2439 Atwood Avenue, Madison. The first 50 attendees will receive a souvenir beer glass thanks to the generous lead sponsorship of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. WKOW-TV, the Wisconsin State Journal, Schott, Bublitz and Engel, and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism are supporting sponsors. Two tickets to upcoming Isthmus events – Isthmus Food Cart Fest, Paddle & Portage, Beer & Cheese Fest — will be awarded in a drawing, courtesy of Isthmus. With Gusto is making a poster for the event, prints of which will be available for $15 each.

Next Door head brewer Bryan Kreiter will speak about creating the beer and his use of local ingredients at 7 p.m. He will be followed with remarks by WNA executive director Beth Bennett about Sunshine Week.

Invited special guests include Wisconsin food and beer writers Chris “Beer Baron” Drosner, Robin Shepard, Laurel White, Linda Falkenstein, Barry Adams, Kathy Flanigan and George Zens.

March 16 is the 264^th anniversary of the birth of James Madison, father of the First Amendment and the man for whom the City of Madison is named. Sunshine Week, a national event in support of open government, runs March 15-21.

The event is free, and all area journalists are welcome to attend. There will be a cash bar; appetizers will be provided. RSVPs are appreciated to [email protected].

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

Panelists: Tim Kelley, Jacki Witkowski, Kristian Knutsen and Dietram Scheufele.

More than 30 local journalists and members of the public gathered on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013 for a panel discussion hosted by the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, “Trollish Behavior and the Future of Online Comments.”

Panelists included:

• Dietram Scheufele, the John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Honorary Professor of Communication at the Dresden University of Technology in Germany. His research examines the role of social media and other emerging modes of communication in our society.
• Tim Kelley, digital media manager at Madison.com
• Jacki Witkowski, internet director at WKOW-TV
• Kristian Knutsen, web editor with Isthmus and thedailypage.com

Listen to audio of the panel discussion here:

In a letter to a friend, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.”

Jefferson noted in his letter to John Jay that Americans should be “governed by reason and truth” and that the most effective avenue toward such “is the freedom of the press. It is, therefore, the first shut up by those who fear the investigation of their actions.”

Recent actions by the U.S. Department of Justice endanger our liberties by putting a chill on the work of journalists and discouraging whistleblowers from coming forward with evidence of government wrongdoing. The DOJ actions also raise the question of whether the government is deliberately seeking to silence the press. As a result, we are writing to urge your support of a federal shield law, the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013 (H.R. 1962 and S. 987).

A federal shield law would protect journalists’ confidential sources and the public’s right to hold its government accountable. While 49 states and the District of Columbia have some sort of shield protections, such a law does not exist at the federal level and its absence jeopardizes the ability of the press to do its job.

A shield law would ensure the kind of democracy envisioned by Jefferson. It would require judicial review of executive branch subpoenas of journalists’ records. Such a review would provide a key check on executive branch power. News organizations should also have the opportunity to challenge government subpoenas in court.

A free and open press is key to a vital democracy. Our city, Madison, Wisconsin, was named for James Madison, father of the Bill of Rights. Madison believed that a healthy democracy depends upon a knowledgable citizenry: “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”

We don’t like the idea of journalists – who are to hold government accountable – turning to government for protection. But the Department of Justice’s unconscionable action seeking wide-ranging information and records about the Associated Press without the news agency’s knowledge must be addressed. The Free Flow of Information Act would provide a qualified privilege for journalists to protect confidential sources and allow us to do our jobs, and to, like Madison hoped, provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions in a representative democracy.

Sincerely,
Mark Pitsch, president, and members of the executive committee of the Madison pro chapter, Society of Professional Journalists

Agenda

June 3, 2013

I. Call to Order
II. Approval of Minutes
III. Treasurer’s Report
IV. Membership Report
V. President’s Report
A. National Freedom of Information Coalition summit
B. Chester Wells Memorial Celebration
C. Business Journalism Training
D. Excellence in Journalism Conference Aug. 24-27
E. Shield Law statement
VI. Upcoming events: Cartoonists, Turn Your Beat into a Book
VII. New Business
VIII. Adjourn

MADISON – The Madison Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has organized a happy hour networking event, “Madison SPJ’s Under 35 After 5 Meetup,” to bring together young journalists from local TV stations, newspapers, magazines and other media organizations. The event will be held at Merchant, 121 S. Pinckney St. in Madison off the Capitol Square, Nov. 8, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. Channel 3’s Jessica Arp and Capital Times political reporter Jack Craver will join us for a post-election discussion at 6:30 p.m. SPJ will purchase appetizers. Happy hour specials are as follows: $3 taps, $2 cans and $6 classic craft cocktails. Live music will begin later in the evening.

Membership in SPJ is not necessary to attend. Your RSVP is appreciated.

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: Lauren Fuhrmann, [email protected]; Rebecca Wasieleski, secretary/treasurer, SPJ Madison Pro Chapter, [email protected]; or Mark Pitsch, president, SPJ Madison Pro Chapter, [email protected]

Who: Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post

What: UW Writer in Residence

Where: Boardroom at Capital Newspapers

When: Wednesday, April 25, noon-1 p.m. Bring your lunch.

Eilperin, is a national science and policy reporter for the Washington Post. Last year, she wrote extensively about the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Social Media for Journalists” will be held May 11 in Madison. The day-long training session is available free for SPJ members or for $30 for non-members. The session, held in the Capital Newspapers auditorium, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, will begin at 10 am and conclude at 3:30 pm, with registration beginning at 9:30 am.

SPJ suggests journalists also consider attending the 2012 national conference of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, to be held in Madison on May 11 and 12 at the Concourse Hotel. SPJ’s social media training will conclude before the NFOIC conference begins.

The SPJ social media training session will include:

* WHY SOCIAL MEDIA?: UW-Madison journalism professor Katy Culver (@kbculver); Tom Bier, general manager of WISC-TV, Madison (@tombier); and Chris Keller, digital audience developer, Madison.com (@ChrisLKeller), will discuss the importance of social media to journalism companies, ethical considerations of social media use and how journalists can best use social media.

* DETECTING ONLINE BS: Sue Robinson, UW-Madison professor (@suerobinsonUW), on how to maintain credibility while also effectively using new social media platforms; with capsule descriptions of other platforms such as Pinterest and Storify to help us build new relationships with audiences.

* THE NEW FACEBOOK: David Douglas, reporter, WISC-TV (@News3David), and Nick Heynen, social media director, Capital Newspapers (@NickHeynen), will demonstrate the Facebook timeline and discuss how to interact with readers on the popular social media site.

* HOW TO USE TWITTER: Maureen Alley, community editor, Cygnus Business Media (@MaureenAlley); Jason Joyce, digital media director, Isthmus (@jjoyce); and Jackie Johnson, reporter, Wisconsin Radio Network (@MissPronouncer), will explain how to set up a Twitter account, why to use one, best practices, and how to generate story ideas and develop sources.

* A CONTRARIAN’S VIEW: Greg Downey, UW-Madison professor (@gjdowney), suggests social media may not be as useful as many journalists suspect and that it might even harm newsgathering.

Journalists can join the Madison chapter of SPJ for $75 annually and attend the social media training and future training opportunities for free. Go to www.spj.org to become a member. College and high school journalists can apply to SPJ for complimentary registration. On-site registration will depend upon advance registrations.

Space is limited. Please RSVP to Rebecca Wasieleski, [email protected], by May 4 and pay by check to “Society of Professional Journalists, Madison pro chapter,” c/o Mark Pitsch, Wisconsin State Journal, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53708.

Some Internet access will be available but Capital Newspapers doesn’t provide universal wireless access. Attendees may want to consider bringing a wireless air card or hot spot. We’ll be using the hashtag #spjmadisontraining.

If you have questions, please contact Mark Pitsch at 608-252-6145.

For more information about the National Freedom of Information Coalition conference, please go to: https://www.nfoic.org/2012-foi-summit.

Awards were handed out at the Midwest Journalism Conference in Bloomington, MN on Friday, March 31. SPJ Region 6 includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. This year, the contest received more than 4,000 entries across SPJ’s 12 regions.

First-place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in late April.

Among the winners from Wisconsin four-year universities were:
Best Student Magazine
• First Place: Curb Magazine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Stabbings, arrest March 2011 block party – by Ben Pierson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• First Place: Breathing new life into rural Wisconsin – by Valerie Klessig, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Second Place: Finding independence in Green Bay – by Kayla Jensen, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Marquette Tribune, Marquette University
• Second Place: The Spectator, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: SA president resigns amid scandal – by John Parnon and Zach Brooke, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Second Place: UW students support, protest Hu Jintao visit – by Kathryn Weenig and Kayla Johnson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: SA official admits to newspaper theft, implicates former President Kostal – by Steve Garrison and Zachary Brooke, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Best All-Around Television Newscast
• First Place: UWM PantherVision, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

For a complete list of the winners go to: https://spj.org/news.asp?ref=1107

They will serve one-year terms. The next elections will be held in April 2013.

Gottlieb and Vives actually started out looking into the neighboring suburb of Maywood, which had huge budget problems. But when they asked authorities if they were investigating Maywood they said no. For some reason he asked, “What about Bell?” And they said yes.

Jeff Gottlieb

When they made an open records request to the Bell City Clerk, they were stonewalled. “It was clear from talking with people that something was wrong at Bell,” he said.

They kept pressing and ultimately found themselves in a meeting with city officials at a nearby park. When Gottlieb asked City Administrator Robert Rizzo his annual salary, Rizzo responded, “700,000 dollars.” Later, looking through Rizzo’s contract that was among the documents brought to the meeting, Gottlieb calculated that Rizzo’s annual take was more like $1.5 million.

“For the next year this was all I did,” Gottlieb said. “We’ve written more than 100 stories.” He was surprised that no other media picked up the investigation, but rather followed the Times lead on the story. He was also surprised that he and Ruben became heroes to the citizens of Bell.

At the next city council meeting following the breaking of the story, the hundreds of people who had gathered parted to let him through, patted him on the back, and asked for his autograph. “Usually as a reporter people are saying what a jerk you are,” he reflected.

Eight people are now facing charges, following the Bell investigation. There have been a number of reforms instituted. For instance, the State Comptroller now puts salaries of public officials on a website. “It’s not illegal to make too much money, but it is illegal the way Rizzo did it,” Gottlieb said.

“This is easily the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Gottlieb concluded. “We’d go out and do a story and come back with three more. I’ve never had a story like this. I wonder, what else have we missed?”

The audio from this meeting is available here, Jeff Gottlieb is introduced by Terry Shelton.