Thursday, May 31, 2012

Decorum Order for Sandusky trial

Colleagues,

I am posting the “Decorum Order” from the Pennsylvania court outlining the rules for the upcoming Sandusky trial.

In light of my post last week, it is clear courts are making an effort to control the use of electronic devices within the courtrooms, especially cell phones.  In this case, the public will not be allowed to bring any electronic devices into court.

This order appears to have been a collaborative effort with our PA members.  I will ask them to share the tips and strategies they used during their discussions with the court.  Every high profile trial will have restrictions on electronic devices going forward and we can all learn from the PA experience.

Regards,
Teri
--
Teri Hayt
Managing Editor
Arizona Daily Star
thayt@azstarnet.com



Deadline extended until June 15 for nominations for McGruder Awards for Diversity Leadership


The Associated Press Media Editors, in partnership with the American Society of News Editors, is accepting nominations for the 11th annual Robert G. McGruder Awards for Diversity Leadership.

Two awards are given annually: one for newspapers with a circulation up to 75,000; one for newspapers with more than 75,000 circulation.

The awards go to individuals, newsrooms or teams of journalists who embody the spirit of McGruder, a former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, former managing editor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, graduate of Kent State University and relentless diversity champion. McGruder died of cancer in April 2002.

This year, the awards are being sponsored by the Free Press, The Plain Dealer, Kent State University and the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute.

Jurors will be looking for nominees who have made a significant contribution during a given year or over a number of years toward furthering diversity in newspaper content and in recruiting, developing and retaining journalists of color.

Announcement of the winners will be made at the annual APME conference Sept. 19-21 in Nashville, Tenn. The recognized honorees each receive $2,500 and a leadership trophy.

Who is eligible? Individuals, newsrooms or teams of journalists from U.S. daily newspapers are eligible. A nominee's newspaper must participate in the American Society of News Editors' annual employment census.

The awards recognize achievement for the past 12 months or contributions over a number of years.



More details here.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Canadian newspaper wins 'Innovator of the Month'; Springfield photo project garners monthly 'Great Idea'

The Winnipeg Free Press is the first newspaper from Canada to win the Associated Press Media Editors’ Innovator of the Month.

APME also awarded its Great Idea of the Month to the photo editor of the State-Journal Register in Springfield, Ill.
            The Free Press created a monthly special section called “Our City, Our World” to highlight its different ethic communities in Manitoba, which is in central Canada. Judges were impressed with the quality and depth of the innovative project.

“The Winnipeg project is impressively ambitious,” said judge Gary Graham, editor of The Spokesman-Review. “The variety of topics gave readers a comprehensive view of how their community has changed and why it has changed.”

As for the Great Idea of the Month, Rich Saal won it for a two-year project in which he digitized glass plate negatives taken between 1929 and 1935 and then created an exhibit for his community library. The State-Journal Register also created a website for the photographs.

Judge Bill Church, executive editor of Statesman Journal Media in Salem, Ore., said he thought the project was compelling.

“The State Journal-Register found an innovative and unique way to build on its asset — historical knowledge — while reaching out to the community across platforms,” Church said. “Rich Saal’s dedication and passion for the project led to a public exhibit.”

Judges also gave strong consideration to the Columbia Missourian for its development of a Community Outreach Team.

“This was a very, very tough choice,” said judge Kathy Best, managing editor of the Seattle Times. “All of the submissions were innovative, and all were great ideas. I wish they weren’t competing against each other!”

The monthly “Innovator of the Month” and “Great Idea of the Month” are a project of the Innovator/Great Ideas Committee. Joe Hight, director of information and development for The Oklahoman/NewsOK.com, and David Arkin, vice president of content & audience for GateHouse Media Inc., are co-chairs of the committee.

Special question-and-answers with the winners will be posted soon on the APME website.

News organizations are encouraged to continue submitting their innovations and ideas for APME’s popular Great Ideas book. It’s easy and takes only a few minutes to submit one by going to http://www.apme.com/?page=GreatIdeasform.        

           

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Taking shape: A peek at our APME Nashville conference agenda

It will start with a Pulitzer panel and conclude with Social Media Friday.

The APME Nashville conference agenda is taking shape and it's now time to take a look.

There are sessions and take-aways for everyone.


Make plans to join us Sept. 19-21. More details coming soon.

Bob Heisse
­

4 Reasons to Attend APME in Nashville

  • A panel of four of this year’s Pulitzer winners, including Sara Ganim, who broke the Jerry-Sandusky-Penn State sex scandal.
  • A performance by Freedom Sings, which teaches about free expression through a rock ’n’ roll prism.
  • A panel of AP political experts.
  • Social Media Friday, a daylong exploration of social media as they pertain to newspapers. Keynoter will be Liz Heron of the Wall Street Journal. 
Those are among the highlights of the APME annual conference Sept. 19-21 in Nashville.
APME program chair Mark Baldwin, who’s editor of The Republic in Columbus, Ind.,  says the program will be interactive, informative and fun.

For more information, see the APME website.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Committee created on the Impact of Wireless Mobile Technologies and Social Media on Court Proceedings

Colleagues,

The Arizona Supreme Court has created a Committee on the Impact of Wireless Mobile Technologies and Social Media on Court Proceedings.

Among the issues the Committee will be considering are a few of interest to the media: (1) providing direction to court employees on the use of wireless mobile technology by the media and others attending court proceedings; and (2) providing direction to judges, court security officers and personnel on the possession and use by court attendees of technology “that is capable of taking photos and electronically recording videos.”

The committee is composed of judges and attorneys.  There are two people representing the Media/Public. One is a web manager and the other is one of the top First Amendment attorneys in the country, David Bodney.  David has asked me and other Arizona editors affiliated with Arizona’s First Amendment coalition to help advise him.

This is the first time I have become aware of concerns about social media, specifically cellphone use in our courtrooms.  David told me these issues have arisen elsewhere in recent years, and one of the national groups – the Media Law Resource Center (based in New York) – has developed a model policy and brief on the subject. David shared the model policy (with MLRC's permission) with Arizona Justice Brutinel.   I will forward a copy of the model when I receive permission to share it with the group.

Are any of you involved in similar discussions with your judiciary and if so do you have any strategies we might employ to help us persuade this Committee, and others, to allow maximum wireless technology in our courts?

Please contact me if this is going on in your state.

Teri Hayt
Managing Editor
Arizona Daily Star

From Mark Hinueber, Stephens Media LLC, Las Vegas, NV: I served on the Nevada Supreme Court committee which adopted new rules here.  Click to view the new Nevada rules.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

WANTED: SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT TICKETS, VACATION GETAWAYS, BOOZE


The Associated Press Media Editors Foundation needs your help to make our auctions successful.

The silent and live auctions will be held at the opening night reception at the annual conference in Nashville. We'll party at the Frist Center for Visual Arts on Wednesday, Sept. 19. As always, auction proceeds will go to support the APME Foundation and valuable programs, such as NewsTrain. 

In August, we will feature some of the great items on the slate in September and allow folks to place an opening bid. We'll also have some online-only items, such as tickets to activities in Nashville, as well as an APME memberships  conference registrations. This is a great way to give tickets to events or travel either before or after the conference

Right now we need donors – editors and friends of APME who can contribute items for the online, silent and live auctions. We're looking for anything newspaper or Web-related such as award-winning photos, umbrellas, signed comics and autographed books. Jewelry, art, wine and other libations are always popular sellers. Sports tickets and trips are big-ticket items that bring in the cash. A round of golf at a great course or a weekend stay at a resort hotel would be wonderful donations. 

You can indicate the auction to which you wish to donate – maybe you will choose both – on the pledge form. We’ll need donations for the online auction by July 15, and for the silent and live auctions at the conference by Aug. 31.

Follow this link to the pledge form, which should be sent to Kim Meader of the Arizona Republic, NM19, 200 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 or e-mail kim.meader@arizonarepublic.com.

Once you've made a pledge, we will coordinate with you about where to mail the donation.

Your donation is tax-deductible and much appreciated by APME and its foundation.
Please be creative and generous. 

Thank you, Hollis Towns, APME Foundation president.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Deadline for nominations approaching for McGruder Awards for Diversity Leadership

The Associated Press Media Editors, in partnership with the American Society of News Editors, is accepting nominations for the 11th annual Robert G. McGruder Awards for Diversity Leadership.

Two awards are given annually: one for newspapers with a circulation up to 75,000; one for newspapers with more than 75,000 circulation.

The awards go to individuals, newsrooms or teams of journalists who embody the spirit of McGruder, a former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, former managing editor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, graduate of Kent State University and relentless diversity champion. McGruder died of cancer in April 2002.

This year, the awards are being sponsored by the Free Press, The Plain Dealer, Kent State University and the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute.

Jurors will be looking for nominees who have made a significant contribution during a given year or over a number of years toward furthering diversity in newspaper content and in recruiting, developing and retaining journalists of color.

Announcement of the winners will be made at the annual APME conference Sept. 19-21 in Nashville, Tenn. The recognized honorees each receive $2,500 and a leadership trophy.

Who is eligible? Individuals, newsrooms or teams of journalists from U.S. daily newspapers are eligible. A nominee's newspaper must participate in the American Society of News Editors' annual employment census.

The awards recognize achievement for the past 12 months or contributions over a number of years.

What are the criteria? The Diversity Leadership Awards honor an individual, a newsroom or a team of journalists for significant leadership in diversity through:

• Recruitment: by providing opportunities for journalists of color to learn about news careers and to enter the newspaper industry in internships and full-time jobs.

• Development: by offering opportunities for journalists of color to grow in their current roles and to receive mentoring and training to advance to positions of greater authority, responsibility or expertise.

• Retention: by ensuring that journalists of color want to remain in the news industry by providing an inclusive work environment that offers opportunities to contribute and advance.

• Content: by reflecting a diverse community accurately and in a way that demonstrates community and industry leadership. The definition of diversity in content includes ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious background, political bent and physical ability.

Nominations can be made by individuals, newspapers, professional organizations, schools of journalism and others.

Rules for entries: Send a letter (no more than three pages) outlining specific information about the achievements and how they benefited the community, the industry and journalists of color. The letter should include the name of the person making the nomination and his/her signature and telephone number.

You may supplement an entry with electronic clips, but please send no more than four. Send copies no larger than 11 by 17 inches.

Send material by email to:

Sally Jacobsen, SJacobsen@ap.org
The Associated Press
450 West 33rd Street
New York, N.Y. 10001

Deadline: Material must be received by close of business on Friday, June 1.

Barron promoted to editor of The Patriot-News

Congrats to APME board member Cate Barron who succeeds David Newhouse, editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Patriot-News. Newhouse is leaving the Harrisburg, Pa. newspaper after 11 years, the paper reported.

The Patriot-News said in a story on its website that Newhouse, 56, will be leaving later this month for Advance Digital, the digital arm of the newspaper's parent company, Advance Publications. His job will be to ensure the quality of new ways that journalism serves readers and the community.

Barron was previously the paper's executive editor and is a 27-year veteran of The Patriot-News. Assistant Managing Editor Mike Feeley will become managing editor.

Last month, reporter Sara Ganim and members of The Patriot-News staff won the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for their coverage of a child sex-abuse scandal at Penn State University that led to criminal charges against a former assistant coach and two administrators and toppled legendary football coach Joe Paterno.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Contest open until Friday

A typical late rush is taking place as we approach our original APME Journalism Awards deadline, so we’ll extend it until Friday.

You still have time.


Thanks to all who have entered so far. Good luck.

Our membership 2 for 1 deal expires Tuesday. Thanks to all who have joined.

-          Bob Heisse

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

2012 APME JOURNALISM EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Deadline Extended to Friday, May 4


Due to a flurry of last-minute entries, APME has extended the contest deadline to Friday, May 4.

Did you know that APME members can send in an entry for our contest for only $50? The rate is reduced this year for members, so round up your best work and submit it. The APME contests have expanded to include innovation awards for radio, television and colleges. Did your public service work raise the bar? Did your First Amendment work shine? It’s easy to enter online.'

Not a member? Through today, May 1, we have a 2-for-1 offer. Join for the regular rate of $150 and bring along a newsroom colleague or broadcast or college partner.

More contest details here