Minutes

Meeting of the Society of Professional Journalists, Valley of the Sun Pro Chapter

March 13, 2022, 10 a.m.

Started: 10:04 a.m.

Attendees: Tim Eigo, Mark Scarp, Teri Carnicelli, Doug MacKenzie; Late: Deb Krol

Opening

• Secretary’s report/approval of minutes from Jan. 9, 2021 – Moved (Teri) and seconded (Tim) — unanimously approved.
• Treasurer’s report – Teri reports our investments with Russell Life Points/Northwestern Mutual as of March 12 lost $961.64 in the past quarter, to $20,166.58. Our checking account as of the same date contained $4,623.30, compared to $4,961.20 on Jan. 8. 2022.
• Mark’s Mighty Minute! – Teri said she has still not heard back from President Morgan Loew, who agreed to provide an invoice for the chapter’s dues to the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona. Teri has estimated that we would owe $1,500 ($500 each for 2020, 2021 and 2022) if we were so invoiced. Dan Barr told Mark in December that the coalition hardly meets and most of its activity consisted of Dan’s being quoted by media on public records and open meetings rules in stories about government denials of same. Teri said her last email was in November, and Morgan replied that he was going to prepare and send out a 2021 annual report summarizing legal activity the coalition was part of. Teri said she would send Morgan another email, copying coalition attorney Dan Barr, asking about dues again.

Old Business

• None

New Business

• ASU West March 26 event Ni Una Mas: Preventing Violence Against Women, Lessons from Mexico, dialogue and film screening of the documentary The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo, followed by Q&A with the film’s director.
• 2022 Valley Publicity Summit: Mark and Tim will meet Wednesday, March 23, with officers of PRSA Phoenix to discuss their offer to meet and discuss options for cooperation on the 2022 Summit. Mark and Tim will report on the discussion at the next board meeting.
• Possible April session on ethics, the First Amendment and recent press challenges (with Paula Pedene and others):  Looking for some topic that would chiefly be of interest to the public, not merely to journalists. Perhaps an ASU professor or someone from SPJ national/ Locations need to be considered. Cronkite School would not allow food/beverage service or charging admission fees.
• Phoenix as possible 2024 national convention location: Tim told of a conversation he had with the SPJ national executive director about the possibility, including the choice of local venue. Las Vegas is also being considered.
• Invitation to sign on to amicus brief in support of freelance journalists: The chapter has been invited by a member of the SPJ national Freelance Committee to join in an amicus brief  in a lawsuit seeking to overturn part of a California law (called AB 5) applying a definition of freelance journalist called the ABC test: It allows employers not to provide unemployment compensation to independent contractors. The test for whether an individual is an independent contractor as opposed to an employee is threefold: 1) does the individual work independently of the employer’s control (A = alone); 2) does the individual maintain his own place of business (B = business); and 3) does the individual practice or work at an established trade, and exercise control over his own schedule and method of operation (C = control)? The name derives from the letters normally used to designate the three parts of the test. If successful, the suit might head off similar efforts that might be under way in other states’ legislatures. Deb moved and Doug seconded a motion to support the brief, unanimously approved.
• Programming and membership-building suggestions: None.

PROPOSED NEXT MEETING: Sunday, May 15, 2022, 10 a.m.

Adjourned: 10:52 a.m. (48 minutes)

Respectfully submitted,

Mark J. Scarp, Chapter Secretary