Agenda

Jan. 4, 2016

1. Call to order
2. Approval of minutes
3. Treasurer’s Report
4. Membership Report
5. President’s Report
   1. Holiday Party and Raffle, Dec. 17
   2. Open Government Traveling Show update
   3. Reporting on Religion planning
   4. Watchdog Awards update
6. Upcoming event ideas: Spotlight, Podcasting training, Meet the Media, Freelance event
7. Public Records Board: Transitory Records
8. Reimbursements
9. New Business
10. Adjourn

Votes could be taken on any Action or New Business item

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.

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]

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

July 3, 2015

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos

Dear Sen. Fitzgerald and Rep. Vos:

James Madison, Father of the Bill of Rights, Federalist Papers author, and the man for whom our capital city is named, was perhaps the nation’s first public records advocate. He argued that citizens must gain access to information to be full participants in its government:

“A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

Indeed. Perhaps this is why so many — conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, journalists and open government advocates, and others – have expressed outrage in the last 24 hours at the language inserted into the 2015-17 budget gutting our public records law.

The Madison professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists urges you and your chamber to please take heed of Founding Father Madison’s advice: Remove this language from the budget bill and arm the public with the knowledge that will help it be full partners in our democratic republic.

For decades, Wisconsin has had a proud tradition of open government, and the language inserted Thursday by the Joint Finance Committee through a 999 Motion would nearly eliminate any opportunity for the public to discover how its taxpayer-funded elected officials work.

Further, the language would wipe out nearly a century of drafting-file history.  Founded in 1901, the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau has maintained records that help the public understand how and why legislation is drafted. These records provide a crucial historical purpose but are also a valuable contemporary resource for the public, scholars and journalists.

The press has a responsibility to serve as a watchdog on the work of government officials. We are the eyes and the ears of the public. As a result, public officials may have, at times, an uneasy relationship with us. Public officials may not always appreciate the work we do, or like the stories we write and produce.  Under this proposal, you may avoid an unflattering news story now and again, but you will have done lasting damage to the democratic process in Wisconsin.

It is also disappointing that the Joint Finance Committee included this language in the 999 Motion on the final day of its work with little opportunity for public debate, and on the day before a long July 4^th holiday weekend during which our country celebrates its freedom and independence – including the First Amendment. James Madison, lover of liberty and guardian against tyranny, would be appalled.

Sincerely,

Mark Pitsch, president, SPJ Madison;  Joe Radske, director, SPJ Region 6

Cc:

Gov. Scott Walker

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca

Senator John Nygren

Senator Alberta Darling

MADISON, WIS — With personal freedoms being assaulted and abridged around the world, the Madison Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is sponsoring a high school publication contest, Freedom Ring, which will include editorial writing, video and editorial cartoon items.

“Receiving a journalism award is more than a certificate and a line on a resume. It’s realizing the value of hard work. It’s encouragement to maintain high standards. It’s motivation to explore an exciting, important and challenging industry,” declared Taylor Cartier, National SPJ Communication Coordinator.

The contest among Wisconsin high school newspapers is aimed at building awareness of the FirstAmendment of the U. S. Constitution during the month of March. March 16 is the birthday of James Madison, who wrote the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Wisconsin’s capital city and many of the city’s streets are named after the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Over the past several years Wisconsin students and others have exercised many of their rights at the State Capitol.

SPJ Madison would like students during the month of March to publish an editorial, essay, cartoon or video on the meaning of the First Amendment. SPJ’s Madison chapter will judge entries based on originality, expression of thought, creativity and impact of a message.

Entries should be submitted to the SPJ Madison chapter at during the first week of April. SPJ members will judge all entries and make award announcements in May for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in all categories. Certificates of participation will also be given to all school media participants.

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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.

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

The field of journalism education is changing, just as the field of journalism is changing but the need for people who can communicate continues because the hunger for information continues. The hunger remains even as the vehicles for information distribution continue to change and expand in number.

The September 24, 2014 panel discussion at Edgewood College, sponsored by the Madison Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Simpson Street Free Press, offered insights from college and high school level educators.

Download or Listen to the Audio of this Forum  (90 minutes)

Kim Hixson

Kim Hixson, chairman of the UW-Whitewater Communications Department, expressed the concern that downsizing in the news media is a danger to democracy. Thus it was important that journalists continue to be well-prepared for the jobs that they would hold. But because of the changes in news distribution, the UW-Whitewater Communications Department has added new courses covering journalism for the web, and social media.

Jon Netzler

Jon Netzler, journalism teacher at Stoughton High School and adviser for The Norse Star student newspaper, said that the Stoughton student journalists  are excited about working on their newspaper because they have the freedom to report on what they want. “That one thing is everything,” he said. He also observed, “Students are communcating in new ways that people don’t always understand.”

Deidre Green

Deirdre Green,  managing editor of the Simpson Street Free Press, noted that their journalism model for improving student performance is working well. “When kids write well they go to school motivated and prepared,” she said. “Students improving academic skills are learning job skills.”

Linda Frank

Linda Friend, adjunct faculty in the Edgewood College English Department and former public television producer, said that the Edgewood College student newspaper is no longer offered in print because it became too expensive. Students are now posting their stories online. Edgewood works with the Simpson Street Free Press and each SSFP student is mentored by an Edgewood college student, one on one.

Hemant Shah

Hemant Shah, director of the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said that journalism does have a future because journalism school grads are still getting hired. Studnets still need to receive sound training in the fundamental communcations skills. The University of Wisconsin is integrating journalism with strategic communications in order to offer a broader training to students.

In the question and answer session that followed the presentations, one educator in the audience noted that students who write well and love to write still have lots of outlets available. “Many organizations are news organizations that never were before, such as non-profits,” he said. Non-profiits are producing a lot more stories about their activities and need staff who can write those stories. There are still jobs for journalists.

Journalism Education Panel

Aug. 28, 2014

Contact: Mark Pitsch, president, Madison pro chapter Society of Professional Journalists, 608-252-6145

MADISON – The Society of Professional Journalists this week named its Madison pro chapter to this year’s “Circle of Excellence” for helping revive SPJ’s UW-Madison campus chapter.

The Circle of Excellence is a collection of awards that recognizes outstanding work in five areas: First Amendment/freedom of information, professional development, chapter communications, diversity and campus relations.

SPJ Madison secretary Breann Schossow, weekend assignment editor at WKOW-27, worked closely with UW-Madison students and professor Lucas Graves to help revive the campus chapter.

“It was simply a delight to help the students re-start their chapter,” Schossow says. “They’re passionate and wanted their fellow journalism students to benefit from the opportunities that SPJ offers.

Earlier this year, SPJ named Madison chapter president Mark Pitsch its Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member of the Year in the small chapter category. Since 2011, the Madison chapter has twice been a finalist for small chapter of the year.

The Madison pro chapter serves to support journalism and journalists, promote First Amendment and ethical principals, and help the public understand what journalists do. SPJ membership is $75 annually.

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Contact: Lauren Fuhrmann, SPJ Madison Pro chapter vice president
[email protected]

MADISON, July 30, 2014 — SPJ Madison Pro chapter president Mark Pitsch has received the 2014 Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for his outstanding contributions to the local chapter. Pitsch has served as chapter president since 2011. His programming skills and work in reactivating the Madison chapter contributed to his winning the award.

“Mark has been instrumental in bringing young and experienced journalists together in the Madison area. His leadership in training journalists has helped build the Madison Pro chapter into one of the finest in the country,” says Joe Radske, SPJ Region 6 director and a member of the SPJ Madison Pro chapter.

Each year, the Howard Dubin Award is awarded to no more than two members — one from a chapter of 75 or more members and one from less than 75 members. The award is in honor of longtime SPJ member of the Chicago Headline Club Howard Dubin, who not only contributes time and money to the society but also remains dedicated to service at the chapter level.

Pitsch and J. Alex Tarquinio of the New York Deadline Club — winner of the award from a chapter of 75 or more members — will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 4-6.

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 SPJ Madison Pro 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.

Too often, stories involving racial minorities fit stereotypes rather than reflect the richness of ordinary life. To help journalists in Madison and across Wisconsin better incorporate the voices of racial minorities in their stories and newscasts, the Madison chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to a unique, day-long training session.

“Developing Sources and Uncovering Stories in Minority Communities” will take place Friday, April 11, in Room 226 of the UW-Madison Pyle Center, 702 Langdon Street, Madison. It will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m., with registration starting at 9:30 a.m. It is free for SPJ members and high school and college students; there is a charge of $30 for non-members. A catered lunch and snacks are included.

Generous sponsorship is offered by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, WISC-TV-Channel 3, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and the Wisconsin State Journal.

The training session schedule is as follows:

9:30-10:00: Registration

10-10:10: Welcome

10:10 am-11:15 am: How diverse are your sources?
UW-Madison Prof. Hemant Shah discusses his research on race and the media and walks journalists through how to conduct a sourcing audit. The audit will provide journalists with a baseline for one month of the racial makeup of their sources.

11:15 am-12:15 pm: Lessons from the minority press.
Ray Allen, owner, Madison Times; Derrell Connor, host, Outreach, WIBA, Madison; and Luis Montoto, owner, LaMovida Radio, discuss their work and what the mainstream media can learn from it.

12:15-1:00 pm: Lunch and Networking

1:00 pm-2:15 pm: Enriching words and images: Sources and stories.
Brenda Gonzalez, community marketing equity manager, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, board of directors, Urban League of Greater Madison; Nichelle Nichols, chief academic officer, Boys and Girls Club of Dane County; Anne Thundercloud, owner, Thundercloud Communications, former spokeswoman, Ho-Chunk Nation; and Peng Her, vice president of promise zone and partnerships, Urban League of Greater Madison, share strategies to incorporate minority voices in every day work and find stories in minority communities

2:15 pm-3:15 pm: Media Case study: The Capital Times
Katie Dean, city editor, and Jason Joyce, news editor, of The Capital Times discuss the newspaper’s approach to covering race in Madison and commitment to providing a forum for the discussion of race relations.

3:15-3:30 pm: Wrap up and evaluation

To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spj-madison-minority-communities-training-tickets-10903614003a. College and high school journalists should contact Mark Pitsch, Madison SPJ president, for complimentary registration; 608-252-6145, [email protected].

Journalists can also join the Madison chapter of SPJ for $75 annually and attend the Minority Communities training and future training opportunities for free. Go to https://www.spj.org to become a member. On-site training registration may be available depending upon the number of advance registrations. Room capacity will limit the number of registrations.

The Pyle Center has wireless access, but attendees may want to consider bringing a wireless air card or hot spot. Parking is available at the Lake Street Ramp, 415 N. Lake St.

Direct questions to Mark Pitsch at 608-252-6145 or [email protected].