Latest News

College Contest now open for entries

The CTSPJ College journalism contest is now open for entries.

All Connecticut college media outlets are eligible to enter the contest. The deadline for entries is April 27, 2013 at 5 p.m.

To enter the contest, visit the contest website here. Make sure to pick “College Contest” as your circulation type under the main category drop-down menu.

For more information, please contact CTSPJ President Jodie Mozdzer Gil at jmozdzer@ctspj.org or Immediate Past President Cindy Simoneau at csimoneau@ctspj.org.

The categories are as follows. Or click here to download a PDF with the categories.

Print/Online

• Feature (A single article written because of some factor other than timeliness)
• General Reporting (Any article not covered by other categories)
• Editorial/Op-Ed or Opinion Column
• General Column
• Page 1 Layout
• Non-Page 1 Layout
• News Photo
• Feature Photo
• Sports Photo
• Sports Feature Story
• Sports News Story

Audio

• Feature (A single story written because of some factor other than timeliness)
• General Reporting (Any story not covered by other categories)
• Commentary
• General Column
• Sports Feature Story
• Sports News Story
• Spot News

Video

• Feature (A single story written because of some factor other than timeliness)
• General Reporting (Any story not covered by other categories)
• Commentary
• General COlumn
• Sports Feature Story
• Sports News Story
• Spot News

Nominations Committee seeks chapter officers, board of directors

The Nominations Committee of the Connecticut Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is seeking members interested in serving as a chapter officer or on the board of directors.

Nominations are sought for one-year terms as president, vice president, vice president/communications, treasurer, secretary. Positions for terms on the board of directors are also open.

To apply send your resume and a note on office or position you are seeking and why you wish to run for office. All nominees must be paid members of both national SPJ and CTSPJ.

Send nomination materials to: Cindy Simoneau, immediate past president and chair of Nominations Committee at: csimoneau@ctspj.org or clsimoneau@aol.com. Cell: 203-400-0454

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013.

2012 Contest Open For Entries

Over the last several days, Connecticut journalists have worked harder than ever to keep the state — and the nation — informed of the latest details regarding the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown.

It’s just one example of the difficult and important job Connecticut reporters undertake every day.

It can sometimes be a thankless job – one filled with new demands, pressures and criticisms.

That’s why the Connecticut Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists hosts the annual Excellence in Journalism Contest.

We want to recognize the quality work being done at Connecticut news outlets – and honor the best of the best.

Read more →

Freelance Journalism Guide Available For Download

The national SPJ Freelance Committee has published a 77-page digital guide to help freelancers on topics from bookkeeping to branding.

The guide is free to download for all SPJ members. Click here to download the guide, called “On Your Own: A Guide to Freelance Journalism.”

It will also be sold as an e-book for a nominal fee, with the proceeds going toward committee programming.

SPJ’s Freelance Committee plans to update the guide on a regular basis and include more personal experiences from freelancers to reflect changes and trends in the marketplace.

SPJ also encourages freelance writers and editors not yet affiliated with the society to join and add their input to the guide.

Comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome and should be made to David Sheets, the guide’s editor, by email at dksheets@gmail.com, or through Twitter at @DKSheets or LinkedIn.

Federal Shield Law Discussed at Connecticut ACLU Forum

By Ricky Campbell

The next step federal lawmakers must take to ensure full and free-flowing information is to enact a national shield law, according to the Connecticut chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The group hosted a panel discussion on the topic recently, with Keith R. Johnson, a former foreign correspondent for Time and senior editor of Fortune, and John Miller, a former writer for NBC Nightly News and the Today show.

Miller recognized the importance of shield laws when Daniel and Philip Berrigan were placed on the FBI’s Top-10 Most Wanted List in 1968 for their elevated celebrity during Vietnam War protests.

The two brothers were interviewed repeatedly by news outlets, which refused to turn them in to the federal government.

Although Miller, who was a former writer for NBC Nightly News, never faced a situation where he needed to protect confidential sources, he pointed to the importance of confidentiality throughout his days in New York.

Johnson told a story of a reporter who was threatened with jail time when Judy Garland sued the author’s publication for libel. According to Johnson, the writer , Marie Torre, served 10 days behind bars for writing a story that called Garland “fat.”

Connecticut has its own form of shield law, protecting reporters who are using confidential sources. But there has yet to be a federal guideline issued. In 2007, Congress attempted a bill, but it never passed.

Connecticut SPJ presents: Weather reporting 101

By Lila Carney
Connecticut SPJ board member 

Weather is the most watched part of a TV newscast. It’s why people turn on their televisions at 4 a.m. It effects everyone.

I still remember last October’s snowstorm that trapped me in rainy Orlando with 12 college students, and left a good part of the Northeast without power for days.

How could we have planned better as reporters? How can we more effectively partner with our meteorologists? And most importantly, what will we be in for this winter — and fall?

The Connecticut Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists wants to help you be prepared to report on that next storm.

NBC Connecticut meteorologist Darren Sweeney will discuss how to better implement weather forecasts into your reporting.

Saturday, Oct. 27
10:15 a.m.
NBC Connecticut
1422 New Britain Ave.
West Hartford, CT 06110

Free for members, non-members and students

Freelancers wanted:

The Associated Press is seeking reliable people to call in presidential election results Nov. 6 in Ansonia, Bethel, Columbia, Naugatuck, Southbury and possibly other Connecticut towns.

For more information, contact Stringer Coordinator Kate Farrish at katefarrish@live.com.

Larry Cohen, longtime journalist and former Connecticut SPJ president, dies at 64

Larry Cohen, a longtime journalist and former Connecticut SPJ president died suddenly on Aug. 27. He was 64.

• Please click here to read a tribute.
• Please click here to read an obituary.
• Please click here to read more about his career.

Please share your memories about Larry in the comments section below.

Republican-American Receives National Sunshine Award

Society of Professional Journalists press release

The Waterbury Republican-American has received the Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. The SPJ board of directors and Freedom of Information Committee honor people or organizations each year for their notable contributions to open government.

Read more →

Connecticut journalist dies in house fire

Connecticut journalist Joel P. Kleinman died in a house fire in Meriden on Aug. 18. He was 64.

Kleinman was the managing editor of QST, the monthly magazine of the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio in the United States. The organization is headquartered in Newington, Conn.

Click here to read more about Kleinman’s work at QST in a press release on the ARRL website.

More details about the fire can be found at the Hartford Courant and the Meriden Record Journal websites as well.