Long was a staff photographer for The Hartford Courant for 35-years.

He covered everything from political conventions, to golf tournaments (especially The Masters), to the plight of the homeless and all the local events that defined the Hartford area during the time. Every storm, every heat wave, every performance of the Hartford Ballet. He was on a first name basis with everyone from governors to the drug addict on Park Street.

He won many awards and was twice named the Connecticut Photographer of the Year. He was awarded the Joseph Sprague Award in 2007, the highest award given by the National Press Photographers Association.

“Photojournalism is a craft and I consider myself to be a journeyman craftsman.” Long said. “Accurate photographs help the members of the public understand the world in which we live, especially on an emotional level”

“It has also been my great honor to defend the integrity of the images photojournalists continue to make every day. It has been a profound honor for me to be involved in this profession.”

Long has been deeply involved in protecting access for Connecticut journalists to news scenes. He was a member of the first and second Connecticut Cameras in the Courts committees that created the rules and monitored the results as Connecticut approved the use of TV and still cameras during court proceedings. He was a founding member of the Media Access Task Force, a group that sought to improve relations with law enforcement in Connecticut. He served on the media / law committee of the Connecticut Bar Association.

John Long’s work has extended beyond Connecticut’s borders. Since 1998 he has been the Ethics Chairman for the National Press Photographers Association, and he served as its president in 1989-90. He headed the committee that rewrote the NPPA Code of Ethics in the early 2000s, a code that has become the industry standard for photojournalists. He is a much sought after speaker on “Ethics in Photojournalism.” He has lectured throughout the United States and in many foreign countries including South Korea, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico and others.

After retiring from The Courant in 2006, he served as an adjunct professor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. Previously he taught part time at Manchester Community College in Manchester, Conn. for five years.

He attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore (philosophy major) and earned a B.A. in English at the Catholic University of America in 1967.

John Long lives in Manchester with his wife Mary. They have three grown daughters.

Tickets to the CTSPJ Annual Dinner may be purchased here.

The first, scheduled for May 23 in Westport, is hosted by the editorial freelancers association. Click here for more details.

The second event will be held on June 5 in West Hartford. Click here for more details.

Judges chose the winners from more than 1,700 entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2012.

The winners will be honored at an awards banquet on June 21 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Area winners included:

• Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
  “12-14-12,” by Staff, The News-Times
• Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)
  Tom Condon, Maura Casey, Henry McNulty and Robert K. Schrepf, The Hartford Courant
• Public Service in Radio Journalism (101+ Market)
  “State struggled at fire prevention ahead of Manorville blaze,” by Charles Lane and Naomi Starobin, WSHU Public Radio

Please click here to read the complete list.

Moving to a new state of the art facility in 2013, JMA aims to provide its students with learning environments designed specifically to meet the needs of students learning about the media field—complete with working TV and radio studios, as well as technology and software used in the industry. Moreover, the school has a unique connection with Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN), which will soon be offering students intensive and rewarding internships for the duration of their senior year.

The successful applicant selected for this position will be a champion of JMA’s theme.  The candidate will exhibit the ability to support current media integration practices, as well as identify new practices that lead to improved student engagement and achievement.  The candidate will have a strong Grades 9—12 background and a firm understanding of the range of academic, social, and emotional needs of students within these grades. Of utmost importance is a commitment to urban education in order to close the achievement gap and ready students for success in rigorous post-secondary education settings.

To apply to Job Id 1662, please visit: http://www.applitrack.com/hartford/onlineapp/ or www.hartfordschools.org and follow the appropriate link.  Additional inquiries may be directed to Nancy Shannahan Williams, Senior Talent Recruiter, at nwilliams@hartfordschools.org.

The state legislature is reviewing two bills that limit the public’s ability to get public information.

Both proposals prohibit journalists from fully doing their jobs and prevent the public from remaining fully informed on issues of public concern.

The first is the proposal to redefine meetings under the FOI Act (Bill No. 1148). This proposal would allow “members of different political parties” to hold closed-door discussions about proposed legislation or action of their public agency.

That’s a concerning change to the current law, which allows closed-door meetings (executive sessions) in only specific scenarios, with a statement of what topic will be discussed.

So if this bill is approved, what could be discussed behind closed doors?  What discussions of public concern will be shielded from review? The consequences are frightening.

The Connecticut SPJ Board is drafting a statement opposing the proposal. Click here to get more information on the bill, including testimony from a public hearing held March 25. Click here for an overview on the Hartford Courant’s Capitol Watch blog.

The second concerning proposal is the effort to limit public access to death certificates, in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings on Dec. 14 (Bill No. 5733).

In testimony before the Joint Committee on Public Health, opponents of the bill outlined the limited information already included in death certificates, and argued that there are legitimate reasons why open death certificates are useful to the public. For example, if a child dies while at a child-care center or in state custody, it is important to understand better what happened.

The Hartford Courant and the New London Day had editorials this week opposing the bill.

“Emotions should not drive public policy,” The Day’s editorial says.

Click here for an article on the proposal from the Hartford Courant.

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 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.

The Institute for Justice and Journalism is accepting applications for its 2013 Immigration in the Heartland professional fellowship program, which will focus on children in immigrant families, who count for one in four of all U.S. youngsters. The program will explore the economic and educational challenges these children face and how immigration policies have deeply impacted them, even though about 88 percent are U.S. citizens.

About 15 journalists will be chosen for the weeklong conference, “Immigration in the Heartland: Children and Families,” to be held April 21-25, at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The application deadline is Feb. 22.

“Our program will provide journalists with information, context and reporting techniques so they can produce richer stories about immigrant children and families in their communities,” said Phuong Ly, IJJ’s executive director.

As part of their applications, journalists must propose an enterprise project on immigrant children to be undertaken through the fellowship for publication or broadcast. Each fellow will receive a $500 stipend upon completion of the story project and a “Story Behind the Story” account.

IJJ, a nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif., seeks to strengthen journalism on social justice issues through fellowships, reporting workshops, direct support of in-depth stories and the development of digital resources for reporters. Since its founding in 2000, IJJ has conducted 14 successful fellowship programs, involving more than 300 journalists and resulting in high-quality, award-winning stories and commentary.

This is the fourth year that IJJ has organized an “Immigration in the Heartland” conference in partnership with OU’s Gaylord College and its Institute for Research and Training. The Heartland programs explore national immigration topics, with special attention to Midwestern states, where immigrants are the fastest growing part of the population.

The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation has funded all four Heartland programs. The 2013 program also is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States.

This year’s program will include:
Discussions led by experts on the impact of immigration enforcement and state laws such as Arizona’s SB1070 on immigrant families; the economic and educational conditions faced by the children; and the political mobilization of immigrant youths.
A session on data on immigrant children and families and how to find and use data to enhance reporting, led by researchers from the Casey Foundation’s Kids Count project.
Hands-on training using investigative tools such as FOIA and the TRAC database to get information about immigration-related agencies. The session will be led by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Martha Mendoza, of the Associated Press, and Dianne Solis, senior reporter at the Dallas Morning News.
A session on demystifying immigration laws and policies, led by noted immigration attorney Daniel Kowalski.
A visit to a charter school in Oklahoma City, where nearly all the students are from immigrant families.

Guidelines for Applicants

Eligibility

All journalists reporting stories or providing commentary for print, television, radio or online distribution are eligible. Applications are encouraged from those employed by news outlets as well as from independent journalists, including bloggers and other online content producers.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or non-citizens with unrestricted employment authorization. Students are not eligible.

Selection of Fellows: The selection committee will consider applicants’ professional accomplishments, individual and organizational commitment to the aims of the program, plus the quality of the story project proposal.

Terms: IJJ and the Gaylord College will provide the educational sessions, lodging and meals, and travel. IJJ also will award a $500 stipend to each fellow upon completion of the story project and “Story Behind the Story” account.

Fellows are expected to:

• Participate fully in all scheduled activities and designated online offerings, including those before the start of the program.

• Provide monthly progress reports on the status of the story project.

• Complete fellowship project stories or commentary and a “Story Behind the Story.”
• Commit to remaining involved with IJJ and sharing what they have learned with colleagues and others.

Fellows’ news organizations are expected to:

• Publish or air fellowship project stories that meet their standards.

• Provide time off for Fellows to take part in the Oklahoma sessions.

• Agree to IJJ’s re-publication or broadcast of project stories (with appropriate credit).

Checklist for Applicants

Materials Required for Submission: Application materials must be submitted via email in two Word attachments.Include this material in the email:

Attachment 1. A completed application form, which can be downloaded: Heartland 2013 application.

Attachment 2.

A. A description of the enterprise project you would like to pursue as part of your participation in the program. Be as specific as possible about the story angle, your reporting strategy and potential sources and data you envision for your project. Explain why this story topic or story framing is significant. Word limit: 400 words.

B. An assessment of what you would expect to gain from the fellowship experience, and what you would bring to it (e.g. how past accomplishments relate to current professional interests). 200 words.

C. For independent journalists only: Specify where you would expect to publish or broadcast your work. Has your work been published/broadcast in that media outlet before? Word limit: 100 words.

D. Work Samples: Relevant samples of your work that demonstrate your journalistic abilities. (For work published or broadcast in a language other than English, provide a short summary in English for each sample submitted.) See application for instructions.

Letter of Recommendation

A one-page letter of recommendation is required. It should be emailed separately by the person writing the letter to ijj@justnews.org. The same Feb. 22 deadline applies.

—For members of a news staff: A letter from your supervisor endorsing the application and story project, and committing to publish/broadcast the story project if it meets its standards.

—For independent journalists: A letter of recommendation from a person familiar with your professional work and describing the basis for the recommendation, or a letter confirming interest in the journalistic project you are proposing.

Application Deadline

The complete application packet, as outlined above, must be e-mailed before 11 p.m. (applicant’s local time) on Feb. 22. The deadline also applies to the letter of recommendation. Email to ijj@justnews.org. No faxed or late applications will be accepted.

Questions

Questions may be directed via e-mail to ijj@justnews.org.

To nominate someone write a 1-page letter indicating why you think this individual should be considered. All nominations must include the form (download form here).

A committee appointed from the CT SPJ Board of Directors judges the nominees and chooses those to be honored.

Rules: Those chosen to the Hall of Fame must have made a “significant, enduring contribution to journalism in Connecticut.”

They may be active, retired or dead. Please nominate individuals you think deserve this honor. No self-nominations are permitted.

The deadline for nominations is April 5, 2013.

Please direct questions and nominations to Jerry Dunklee at dunkleej1@southernct.edu.