Category Archives: Journalism Events

Free investigative business journalism workshop in Phoenix

Posted on

Arm yourself with the knowledge to cover private companies better by attending a free afternoon workshop, Cracking Private Companies, Jan. 5 in Phoenix.

Presented by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and hosted by The Arizona Republic and Arizona Newspapers Association, this workshop will teach you:

  • How private companies are structured, and how they are different from public companies;
  • Where to find public information on private companies;
  • How to produce a better private-company profile.

Jodi Schneider, tax-policy editor for Bloomberg News, will teach the sessions from 12:45-5 p.m. on Jan. 5. To register for this free workshop, visit http://businessjournalism.org/ws-registration/?cid=611.

Make your hotel reservation via by emailing davehill@businessjournalism.org by Dec. 9 to qualify for a discounted Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel rate of $129/night plus tax.

Can’t make it? Here’s more free training from the Reynolds Center

KJZZ’s O’Dowd to speak at Phoenix College on Nov. 1

Posted on

KJZZ News Director and Reporter Peter O’Dowd will speak at Phoenix College Nov. 1 about his news organization’s major project to cover the U.S.-Mexico border and provide its audience with a deeper understanding of the region’s nuanced history and present-day issues.

The lecture is part of the PC Liberal Arts Department’s Fall 2011 Lecture Series. The event is free and open to the public.

KJZZ is the Valley’s local public radio station and National Public Radio member located at Rio Salado Community College in Tempe. Reporters at the station’s Changing America desk have spent the last year examining the people, history and current circumstances found in the borderlands. KJZZ reporters, including O’Dowd, have traveled into the interior of Mexico as well as Guatemala as part of their coverage.

O’Dowd has chronicled these trips and will share why they matter in a discussion titled, “Links to Home: Reporting On the Southwestern US, Mexico and Central America and Why We Should Care.”

As news director, O’Dowd leads a staff of reporters in seven bureaus across the southwestern United States. An accomplished journalist, his work has aired on The BBC, NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, and American Public Media’s Marketplace. He has covered technology, the housing bubble and the constant debate over immigration policy that keeps Arizona in the national spotlight.

O’Dowd has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a bachelor’s from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Prior to his journalism career, he taught English to schoolchildren in Tokyo, Japan.

 

DETAILS:

When: Tuesday, November 1, 2011
noon-1 p.m. AND 7-8 p.m.

Where: Phoenix College Osborn site, Willo Room, 3310 N. 10th Ave. (NE corner of 11th Avenue and Flower)

Admission: Free and open to the public

For more information, call 602-285-7651.

Raise a glass for our new regional director, Teri Carnicelli

Posted on

Plan on making an SPJ night of it this Friday, Oct. 7! After our program on
journalists-turned-authors at Monti's La Casa Vieja restaurant ends at 8 p.m., we'll be taking a short one-block walk to Caffe Boa wine bar and bistro, 398 S. Mill (at 4th Street), for a "Carnicellibration" honoring our chapter president, Teri Carnicelli, who was elected to the SPJ national board of directors last week. Teri will represent Arizona, California. Hawaii, Nevada and the Pacific Islands as Region 11 director.

For details on the earlier program, visit http://phoenixspj.org/2011/09/14/from-journalist-to-author-turning-your-beat-into-a-book-set-for-oct-7.

FCC Chairman to attend Oct. 3 public event on “The Information Needs of Communities”

Posted on

On Monday, Oct. 3, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski will attend a field event at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School on the recommendations of the recently released staff-level report on the current state of the media landscape. The report, titled “Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age” was delivered to the FCC in June 2011.

The report describes tremendous innovation in the media landscape but also identifies critical gaps, including a shortage of local news reporting. The report also offers recommendations for government, nonprofit players and entrepreneurs. At this event, Chairman Genachowski will hear from journalists, academics, businesses, and the public about innovating and strengthening news and information gathering and reporting to meet citizen needs. To read the report, visit http://www.fcc.gov/infoneedsreport.

The free public event takes place 9-11:30 a.m. on Floor 6, Channel Eight, in the Arizona PBS Studio A at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 555 N. Central Avenue. The event will be webcast on www.fcc.gov/live. Audience members watching online may submit questions to panelists by e-mailing livequestions@fcc.gov or on Twitter using the hashtag #FCCLIVE.

Joining Genachowski from the FCC will be: FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps; Steven Waldman, chair, FCC Working Group on the Information Needs of Communities; and William Lake, chief of FCC Media Bureau.

PANELISTS:

• Jonathan Blake, Senior Counsel, Covington & Burling, LLC, on behalf of Barrington, Belo, Dispatch, Gannett, Hearst, Post-Newsweek, and Raycom

• Susan Crawford, Professor, Cardozo Law School

• Kevin Davis, CEO and Executive Director, Investigative News Network

• Greg Dawson, Vice President of News, NBC San Diego

• Leonard Downie Jr., Weil Family Professor of Journalism, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University

• Paul Giguere, President and CEO, National Association of Public Affairs Networks

• Retha Hill, Executive Director of the Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University

• Jason Klein, President and CEO, Newspaper National Network

• Craig Parshall, SVP and General Counsel, National Religious Broadcasters

• Nicol Turner Lee, Vice President and Director, Media and Technology Institute for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

• Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio (WNYC)

• Coriell Wright, Policy Counsel, Free Press

Hugh Downs to speak at Arizona Town Hall fall luncheon

Posted on

Television today bears little resemblance to the fledgling communications vehicle that existed in 1945, the year Hugh Downs made his TV debut from the still experimental studio of WBKB-TV now WBBM-TV Chicago. The remarkable evolution of that medium, as well as the myriad others Americans consume daily, will be the focus of Downs’ presentation, “Changes in the Media,” during the Arizona Town Hall’s Fall Luncheon, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Wyndham Phoenix Downtown, 50 E. Adams St. His talk will incorporate the impact media has on our community, policies and its other influences.

It was 26 years ago that Downs first gained recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the record for the greatest number of hours on commercial network television. Although his broadcast career has spanned more than six decades, he is probably best known as the Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of the ABC News’ “20/20,” a primetime news magazine program (where he was paired with Barbara Walters), from the show’s second episode in 1978 until his retirement in 1999.

A longtime Valley resident, Downs is the author of 12 books. In recognition of Downs’ impact on the field of communication, Arizona State University is home to the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication.

Prior to the luncheon featuring Downs, a special silent auction will be held to benefit the ongoing work of the Arizona Town Hall. The luncheon will be a part of A Day of Civic Action with other Arizona organizations and will coincide with the National Conference on Citizenship.

Luncheon tickets are $125. Contact Tara Jackson at 602-252-9600 or visit http://www.aztownhall.org/FallLuncheon2011.asp.

‘From Journalist to Author: Turning Your Beat into a Book’ set for Oct. 7

Posted on

Many Arizona journalists are facing reduced hours, unpaid “furcations” and the possibility of even more layoffs at their place of business. It’s not bad time to start thinking of ways to supplement your income. Why not take some of those hundreds of hours spent on investigating notable issues and incidents (which got you only 20 column inches total) and turn it into a non-fiction bestseller? We present three former Virg Hill Journalists of the Year who have done just that, with great success. Here how they were inspired, how they got started and what they learned from the process.

Panelists include:

• Jana Boomersbach, an acclaimed and respected journalist whose work has encompassed every facet of the profession: she’s been a reporter and editor for both weekly and daily newspapers; she’s written a book and is a major contributor to an anthology; she’s written columns and investigative stories for magazines; she’s appeared on television with both political commentaries and investigative stories. Boomersbach has written two non-fiction books based on her past investigative reports: “The Trunk Murderess: Winne Ruth Judd,” which won Arizona’s Don Bolles Award for Investigative Reporting and was recognized as one of the nation’s five top non-fiction books in 1992, when it was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award; and “Bones in the Desert: The True Story of a Mother’s Murder and a Daughter’s Search.” It examines the 2004 murder and secret desert burial of Loretta Bowersock, mother of Arizona’s “domestic diva,” Terri Bowersock of Terri’s Design & Consign. The book discovers the horrible secrets that led to this “classic case of elder abuse” and examines the impact of this tragedy on all it touched.

• Shanna Hogan, author of “Dancing with Death: The True Story of a Glamorous Showgirl, Her Wealthy Husband and a Horrifying Murder.” In 2004, former stripper-turned-suburban-housewife Marjorie Orbin filed a missing person’s report on her husband. She claimed that Jay, a successful art dealer, had left town on business after celebrating their son’s birthday more than a month before. And then, a shocking discovery: Jay’s headless, limbless torso was discovered on the outskirts of the Phoenix desert—and all evidence pointed to Marjorie as the killer. An Arizona State University journalism graduate, Hogan has written for several Arizona-based publications. She has received numerous writing awards, including first place honors for crime reporting, feature writing and investigative journalism.

• Terry Greene Sterling, author of “Illegal: Life And Death In Arizona’s Immigration War Zone.” This book sheds light on the invisible immigrants who persevere despite kidnappings and drug wars, an ongoing recession, and laws barring them from working, learning, and driving. Sterling has been a journalist for over 25 years, and has been honored with 49 national and regional journalism awards. She was a staff writer for Phoenix New Times for 14 years, and then branched out on her own. She is currently a contributor for The Daily Beast, and Writer-in-Residence at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Her work has also appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek.com, salon.com, The Nieman Narrative Digest, PHOENIX Magazine, The Arizona Republic, Arizona Highways, High Country News, and Preservation Magazine.

The program takes place 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7 in the Rio Salado room at Monti’s La Casa Vieja, 100 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe. Cost is $5 for SPJ members and students with ID, and $10 for non-members and guests. There will be complimentary refreshments and a cash bar. RSVP requested by Oct. 5 at: p.collins@ananews.com.

To download the program flier, click here. For more information, call Teri Carnicelli at 602-410-1267.

Help raise bail for Chapter President Teri Carnicelli

Posted on

No, she’s not in jail for refusing to reveal a source. But she has been “locked up” for an equally good cause: sending children with Muscular Dystrophy to summer camp next year.

Teri is participating in this year’s MDA Lock-Up program, and needs your help to be “bailed out” on Aug. 25. Every little bit helps – whether it’s $10 or whatever you feel comfortable with. So please visit her MDA Lock-Up page and help her out: https://www.joinmda.org/phxwesttelu2011/teri. You’ll also be helping a child with physical challenges know what it’s like to be a regular kid at summer camp.

Register for the Society of Feature Journalists Conference

Posted on

SFJ, formerly the American Association of Sunday and Features Editors, is inviting Phoenix-area journalists to their annual conference. Scheduled for Aug. 24-27 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa in Tuscon, the conference will help you learn Learn how to make the entire paper your section, cope with difficult bosses, and ride the wave of user-generated content. Plus, you’ll hear from a panel of journalists and others who covered the Tucson shootings last January.

The speakers lineup includes political cartoonist David Fitzsimmons; Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson (“The Warmth of Other Suns”); chef Beau MacMillan (“Iron Chef America”); Arizona State University prof Retha Hill, queen of mobile apps; and writing coach Jack Hart.

Registration is $300 for SFJ members, $475 for nonmembers. (After July 29, add $25.) The daily conference rate is $75. Book at Starr Pass by Aug. 3 for the special rate of $92 per night. Register at http://featuresjournalism.org/conference/registration.

Questions? Contact Merrilee Cox at merrileesfj@gmail.com or301-314-2631.

Don’t Miss the 7th Annual Publicity Summit

Posted on

These days a journalist’s time is more precious than ever. Once again, we’re holding the one event that can result in less wasted time for both journalists and PR professionals: The 7th annual Publicity Summit.

What is the Publicity Summit?
The 7th annual Publicity Summit will bring journalists and public relations people together to share information and to offer better ways to pitch story ideas to journalists. Co-sponsored by the local chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Public Relations Society of America, this interactive half-day event is structured with a light breakfast and networking, followed by breakout panel sessions (for radio, television, online media and print), lunch and one-on-one speed pitching. An updated list of the media professionals in attendance is available on the Phoenix PRSA website.

Sounds great. When is it?
The summit will be 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6.

Where is the Publicity Summit?
We’re meeting in the Memorial Union at Arizona State University in Tempe. Visitor parking is free on Saturdays in the Apache Blvd Parking Garage.

How much does this workshop cost?
Advance registration is available for $100 for non-profits or PRSSA students, $125 for PRSA members and $150 for non-members. Walk-in rates are $105 for non-profits or PRSSA students, $130 for PRSA members and $155 for non-members. Note: RSVPs that are no-shows will be charged. Register at the Phoenix PRSA website.

Should I live-Tweet during the event?
Absolutely! Just remember to use the Twitter hashtag #PRPubSum.

I still have more questions.
No problem! Just email Virginia Anderson at vanderson@c-k.com or Alison Bailin at abailin@hmapr.com and they’ll help you out.

Phoenix SPJ Announces Details for Annual Mixer

Posted on

It is that time of year again where we gather to celebrate all things j-related, and also to (briefly) elect our board officers for the 2011-12 term. And as usual, we have no “challenged” seats, so it’s safe to say the elections will take less than a minute…but the revelry will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 21 at SunUp Brewing Co., 322 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix.

The chapter will splurge on some appetizers, but you are responsible for your own beverages. The festivities will be in the Brewer’s Den, which is the building on the other side of the outdoor patio area.

The slate of this year’s officers is below. So please come and congratulate them for another year of service to our Valley of the Sun board, enjoy some grub on us, discuss what’s happening in Valley media, offer up some program suggestions, or just brainstorm wacky headline ideas featuring the word “Weiner.” Guests are welcome. RSVPs appreciated (so we know how many appetizers to order) to teri@phoenixspj.org.

2011-12 Slate of Board Officer Candidates:

  • President: Teri Carnicelli, editor, North Central News
  • Vice President–Broadcast: Kelly Madison, KJZZ
  • Vice President-Print: Perri Collins, ANA
  • Recording Secretary: Debra Krol, Heard Museum
  • Communications Secretary: Tiffany Di Giacinto, SmarterTools
  • Treasurer: Paul Buser, editor, the Arizona Business Lawyer