2016-2017 Officers:
Michael Savino
President
Jordan Otero
Vice President
Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
Vice President for Communications
Jodie Mozdzer Gil
Treasurer
Cara Rosner
Secretary
Paul Singley
Immediate Past President
2016-17 Board of Directors:
Leslie Hutchison
Elizabeth Glagowski
Viktoria Sundqvist
Andrew Ragali
Ajhani Ayres
Lawrence Clark
The CTSPJ 2016 Excellence in Journalism Contest is now open for entries.
You can enter the contest here.
Last year, CTSPJ revised its contest to reflect changes in the industry. Based on feedback and entry numbers, we made one more adjustment in circulation classes this year. Magazines are in their own circulation class again, now called Region C (Magazines). The print and online publications that were in the old Regional C have been combined with Regional B for the 2016 contest. This decision was made based on the number of entries in the 2015 contest.
Please review the circulation class list before entering. If you do not see your media outlet on the list, please contact contest clerk Jessica Garin at Jessica.Garin.U.@gmail.com.
With the changing news industry and changes at individual news outlets, the CTSPJ board will continue to review the circulation classes each year. If you have feedback on the placement of your news outlet, please contact Contest Chair Jodie Mozdzer Gil at jmozdzer@gmail.com. Any requests for review will be considered by the full CTSPJ Board of Directors before the following year’s contest.
All media outlets compete against each other in the top three special awards categories. For the rest of the categories (below), media outlets will compete in one of five circulation classes.
Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award
This is a special award open to all media for a story or stories having a significant impact in the public interest. Entries must include supporting documentation such as letters, editorials, evidence of a change in public policy, showing how the entry had an impact. Please include a cover letter with the entry.
Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting
This is a special award open to all media for a single story or formal series containing information, obtained through reporter initiative not readily available to the news media or public.
First Amendment Award
This is a special award open to all media for a single story, column or series which increases public understanding of the role of the press in a free society.
Editorial Cartoon | A single cartoon online or in print
Single Editorial | Represents the opinion of the publication, station or news website as an organization
General Column | A single (other than sports or humorous) that expresses an opinion or point of view on an issues or event
Humorous Column | A single column on any topic with the purpose to entertain
In-Depth | A single story that helps audience understand situation beyond information provided in a normal news story
Investigative | A single story containing information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the news media or the public
Feature | Any story written for a reason other than timeliness. (Please note, this was omitted from an earlier list in error)
Religion | A story dealing with religious topics
Government | A story dealing with government topics
Courts/Crime | Any story dealing with issues of the criminal justice system, except for breaking news
Arts & Entertainment | A single story dealing with the arts
Business | A single story dealing with business
Leisure | A story dealing with travel, food, gardening, or other leisure topics
Continuing Coverage | No more than 10 articles that follow the same topic over time
Diversity Coverage | Single story on a diversity issue
Education | A single story on an education issue
Reporting Series | A formal series of no more than 10 articles, including investigative, in-depth or feature series
Local Reporting | A story that shines light on an issue important to a single town or region. This category is meant for those stories that fulfill the mission of community journalism.
Breaking News | A single story or package of stories and social media updates that involves coverage of a spot news event written under an immediate deadline.
Sports News | A single story on a sports news topic
Sports Feature | A single story on a sports topic, written for a factor other than timeliness
Sports Column | A single column on a sports topic
Sports Photo | A single sports photo
Feature Photo | A single feature photo
News Photo | A single news photo
Photo Essay | A collection of photos, either in print or online, that together tell one story.
Page 1 Layout | A category for the person who arranged the text and images, not for the writers or photographers of the materials on the page.
Non-Page 1 Layout | Any single page design that was not on page 1
Headline | A single entry is made up of three headlines, all the work on a single individual
Infographic Design | The design of a single static or interactive graphic
Infographic Reporting | The reporting of a single static or interactive graphic
Video Storytelling | Use of video to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting
Audio Storytelling | Use of audio to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting
Join Keene State College journalism professors Mark Timney and Chad Nye, as well as gun safety and training experts from Greyson Guns in Orange, Conn. for a half-day training session on reporting about gun issues.
Journalists who attend will learn how to avoid mistakes that are regularly made when it comes to coverage of assault-style weapons, high capacity magazines and gun show/online loopholes. They will also have the opportunity to see and handle different style firearms during the workshop. Trainers from Greyson Guns will give details about Connecticut specific gun sale and permit laws.
Connecticut SPJ is hosting this event to help provide information to editors and reporters who may need to report on issues involving guns on a deadline.
There are 12 seats available for the training, which will include free lunch. Reservations are limited to one per news outlet. If seats remain available on Aug. 15, tickets will become available to a second representative from news outlets, on a first-come basis.
Registration is available here.
The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday Aug. 22 at Greyson Guns in Orange, Conn.
For more information, contact CTSPJ President Michael Savino or Vern Williams, assistant professor of journalism at Southern Connecticut State University.
A full agenda will be available in early August.
About the trainers:
Mark Timney is an associate professor of journalism at Keene State College. He has worked in broadcast and magazine journalism and as a public relations professional.
Chad Nye is an association professor of journalism at Keene State College, who has years of experience in television news reporting.
Both Timney and Nye are intimately familiar with firearms and their operation, and regularly conduct apolitical workshops for journalists on firearms.
Adam Anderson is the director of training for Greyson Guns in Orange, Conn.
The Connecticut Pro Chapter of SPJ will again offer travel grants to CTSPJ members and students who want to travel to the national SPJ convention in New Orleans this September.
Professional members of CTSPJ are eligible for $1,100 toward conference expenses, and student members of SPJ in Connecticut are eligible for $500.
The grants are paid as reimbursements, with proof of receipt.
To apply for a grant, write 500 words or less about why you want to attend the conference.
The Excellence in Journalism Conference is hosted by SPJ, Native American Journalists Association and the Radio Television Digital News Association. It will run from Sept. 18 – 20 in New Orleans, La. View the conference website for more details.
Send the short essay, along with your SPJ member number, to Cindy Simoneau, a past president of the CTSPJ board, at CLSimoneau@aol.com. Simoneau will prepare all applications for a blind review by the CTSPJ board members.
The winners must be members of CTSPJ or a student chapter in Connecticut in good standing. New members are welcome to apply. To confirm membership status, contact Linda Hall at LindaH@SPJ.org or 317-927-8000 ext. 203.
The deadline to apply for the grants is 11:59 p.m. on July 27.
E-mail Cindy Simoneau with any questions about the grants.
CTSPJ updated its contest circulation and categories this year. The Board of Directors would like feedback from those who entered the contest as we review and discuss the changes at our summer board meeting.
Please fill out this survey with any feedback from your experience with the contest this year, before June 25.
The Bob Eddy Scholarship Foundation awarded $6,000 in scholarship to four deserving students at the Excellence in Journalism Awards banquet May 26.
To qualify for a scholarship, students must start their junior or senior year in Fall 2016 and be enrolled at an accredited university in Connecticut, or be a Connecticut resident enrolled in an accredited university in any state or country. The scholarship committee looks at past journalism work, commitment to the industry, academic success and financial need when determining winners of the scholarships each year.
The Bob Eddy Scholarship Foundation is managed through the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. To donate to the scholarship fund, please click here.
The 2016 scholarship award winners are:
CTSPJ President Paul Singley, left, with Sophie Ota, Bob Eddy Scholarship winner.
Sophie Jane Ota (Bob Eddy Award — $2,500), a Redding, Connecticut native, is a rising junior at George Washington University, where she is a reporter for her campus radio station, WRGW District Radio. She has interned at The Redding Pilot, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. She will be interning in D.C. this summer at the Fairfax County Democratic Committee and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. She received the 2015 Phillip L. Graham Diversity in Journalism Award and the 2016 Sherman Page Allen Excellence in Journalism Award through her journalism department. Sophie aspires to become a political reporter.
CTSPJ President Paul Singley, left, with Amanda Morris’s father, who accepted the Bob Eddy Scholarship award on her behalf while she is traveling in Europe.
Amanda D. Morris (Bob Eddy Award – $1,500), of Farmington, Connecticut, will be a junior at New York University, double majoring in Journalism and Media, Culture and Communications. Her aspiration is to be a humanitarian journalist who covers global issues. She has experience in print, radio and broadcast journalism, including internships at Scholastic News, Prague.tv/Prague Daily Monitor, and a summer internship planned for the Republican-American in Waterbury.
CTSPJ President Paul Singley, left, with Richard Peck Scholarship winner Sandra Gomez-Aceves.
Sandra Gomez-Aceves (Richard Peck Award – $1,000) is a junior at Southern Connecticut State University from Meriden, Connecticut. She is the news director for the campus television station, SCSU TV, and has completed an internship at the Meriden Record-Journal. She will start an internship at the Hartford Courant this summer. She is working toward a career in broadcast journalism, and would like to one day work at Univision.
CTSPJ President Paul Singley, left, with scholarship winner John Napolitano.
John V. Napolitano (James Clark/Pat Child Award – $1,000) ) is a sophomore journalism major at Hofstra University from Hamden, Connecticut. He is a member of the news and sports departments at WRHU 88.7, two-time recipient of the Princeton Review’s number one college radio station. He is a staff writer for the Hofstra Chronicle, the university’s weekly print publication. Napolitano works in the Dean’s Office at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. After school, he has aspirations of working in the sports broadcasting field.
The Connecticut SPJ Excellence in Journalism dinner was held on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at Seasons at the Tradition in Wallingford.
The CTSPJ board announces winners of the 2015 Excellence in Journalism Contest, as well as the recipients of the board’s annual scholarship, at the dinner. The board also inducts new members into the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame and honors those who have fought for open government during the event.
The dinner is the largest gathering of journalists in Connecticut each year.
The Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists board of directors will induct the 13 charter members of the chapter into the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame at its annual dinner May 26.
The 14 men — Bob Eddy, Samuel Barstein, Herbert Brucker, William J. Clew, D. Barry Connelly, Dorman E. Cardell, Russell G. D’Oench, Norman Fenichel, Frank Hepler, Carl E. Lindstrom, Robert M. Lucas, Arland R. Meade, Laurence A. Silver and Sidney P. Steward — formed the Connecticut Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists – Sigma Delta Chi in 1966. National SPJ granted their charter on Feb. 3, 1966.
Their efforts have had a ripple effect on journalism in the state over the last 50 years.
During that time, the Connecticut chapter of SPJ hosted hundreds of professional development workshops to help journalists in the state network and further their careers. Through the Bob Eddy Scholarship Foundation, the board has distributed more than $140,000 in scholarships to Connecticut students since 1981.
Each year since the early 1970s, the board hosts an Excellence in Journalism contest, which gets between 800 and 1,000 entries each year, in order to recognize the work of journalists across the state. The contest winners are honored at an awards banquet in May, the largest gathering of journalists in the state each year.
The contest raises money for the board operations, including thousands of dollars in donations given to journalism causes. For example, in 2016, the board donated $500 to help host the Connecticut FOI day, donated another $500 toward CCFOI and CFOG, supported the SPJ Legal Defense Fund and Region 1 Fund with $500 each, and helped Connecticut student chapters pay for programming and conference attendance. Additionally, the chapter donated $750 toward the Bob Eddy Scholarship Fund in 2016.
Over the last 50 years, CTSPJ has hosted influential regional conferences, including one this past April at Southern Connecticut State University. This year’s conference attracted 200 journalists from across New England and the tri-state area.
The board created the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame to bring credit to those who have made significant contributions to journalism in the state. The actions of these 13 men has had tremendous impact, and will continue to touch the lives of journalists in the state for years to come.
Bob Eddy, the founding president of the chapter and a former editor and publisher of the Hartford Courant, is already a member of the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame.
The others will be inducted together at the annual Excellence in Journalism Awards Dinner Thursday, May 26, 2016 at Seasons at the Tradition in Wallingford.
To purchase tickets to the dinner, visit our dinner page on the website.
Alan P. Calandro, the former director of the state’s Office of Fiscal Analysis, will receive the Helen M. Loy Award from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists at its annual dinner May 26 in Wallingford.
During his 25 years at the Office of Fiscal Analysis, he served as its director for the last six years. With his strong belief that government exists to serve the people, Calandro pushed for more public access to state financial information. He helped create Transparency.ct.gov, which provides access to state spending, grants, pensions and other financial data.
Alan P. Calandro
Calandro started working as the senior adviser and special projects coordinator for the University of Connecticut in September 2015.
He previously worked as a caseworker at the Department of Social Services and a business manager in the private sector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from UConn and a master’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary.
He has served on various boards and committees and is a Council of State Governments Toll Fellow, a past president of the National Association of Fiscal Officers, former member of the New England Public Policy Center and has presented on fiscal and other topics at various events.
He is married and has two daughters.
The Helen M. Loy award honors those who advance open government through the use of Freedom of Information laws. The late Helen M. Loy was a former chairwoman of the Freedom of Information Commission, and one of the trio of original members appointed by then-Gov. Ella T. Grasso. Loy served as a commissioner from 1975-1985 when she died. Upon her passing, the Connecticut Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists named its annual Freedom of Information award in her honor.
The Connecticut SPJ Excellence in Journalism dinner will be held on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at Seasons at the Tradition in Wallingford.
The CTSPJ board announces winners of the 2016 Excellence in Journalism Contest, as well as the recipients of the board’s annual scholarship, at the dinner. The board also inducts new members into the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame and honors those who have fought for open government during the event.
The dinner is the largest gathering of journalists in Connecticut each year.
Click here to purchase tickets to the dinner.
In 1966, 13 men — Bob Eddy, Herbert Brucker, William J. Clew, D. Barry Connelly, Dorman E. Cardell, Russell G. D’Oench, Norman Fenichel, Frank Hepler, Carl E. Lindstrom, Robert M. Lucas, Arland R. Meade, Laurence A. Silver and Sidney P. Steward — formed the Connecticut Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists – Sigma Delta Chi. National SPJ granted their charter on Feb. 3, 1966.
This year, CTSPJ celebrates 50 years of working toward improving and protecting journalism in the state.
Over the last 50 years, the Connecticut chapter of SPJ has hosted hundreds of professional development workshops to help journalists in the state network and further their careers. Through the Bob Eddy Scholarship Foundation, the board has distributed more than $140,000 in scholarships to Connecticut students since 1981.
Each year, the board hosts an Excellence in Journalism contest, which gets between 800 and 1,000 entries each year, in order to recognize the work of journalists across the state. The contest winners are honored at an awards banquet in May, the largest gathering of journalists in the state each year.
The contest raises money for the board operations, including thousands of dollars in donations given to journalism causes. For example, in 2016, the board donated $500 to help host the Connecticut FOI day, donated another $500 toward CCFOI and CFOG, supported the SPJ Legal Defense Fund and Region 1 Fund with $500 each, and helped Connecticut student chapters pay for programming and conference attendance. Additionally, the chapter donated $750 toward the Bob Eddy Scholarship Fund in 2016.
Over the last 50 years, CTSPJ has hosted and handful regional conferences, including one this past April at Southern Connecticut State University. This year’s conference attracted 200 journalists from across New England and the tri-state area.
Come celebrate the 50th anniversary at this year’s Excellence in Journalism Awards Dinner on May 26 at Seasons at the Tradition in Wallingford.
The Bob Eddy Scholarship program helps Connecticut students who want to become journalists pay for college.
Each year the committee awards about $6,000 to students from Connecticut, or studying in Connecticut.
The fund is administered through the Community Foundation For Greater New Haven. To donate during The Great Give, click here.