SPJ June Newsletter: A message from the president

A message from the president

June 2018

Congratulations to all the winners

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2017 Excellence in Journalism awards ceremony on May 24. It was a great night celebrating all of the great work from journalists around the state. We honored the late Lucy Crosbie, long time publisher of the Chronicle in Willimantic and a trailblazer for women in Connecticut Journalism, by inducting her into our Hall of Fame. We also recognized the efforts of former Connecticut Public Affairs Network President Paul Giguere in improving transparency of government at the state level with the Connecticut Network. We hope to see you all again next year at our annual May dinner.

EIJ 2018 travel

We are pleased to announce that, for the fourth year in a row, we’re offering a travel grant for one member and one student to attend the 2018 national conference. This year’s Excellence in Journalism Conference will be held in Baltimore from Sept. 27-29. Last year’s winners were Jill Kopnoka of WVIT-30 NBC and Analisa Novak, recent graduate from CCSU.

Connecticut SPJ is offering a grant of up to $1,000 to cover the cost for one member to attend, as well as another $500 to help a student attend. If you’re interested in applying for the grant, please send a a short essay, along with your SPJ member number, to Cindy Simoneau, a past president of the CTSPJ board, at simoneauc1@southernct.edu. Simoneau will prepare all entries for a blind review by the CTSPJ board.

Applications are due by June 29 at noon. The winners must be members in good standing of CTSPJ. New members are welcome to apply.

Have you listened to our Podcast yet?

In case you missed it — and where have you been —, Connecticut SPJ has launched its own podcast, with episodes airing twice per month. June’s episodes include conversations with Society of Professional Journalists about the Facebook Journalism Project and Whistleblower Project, and an interview with retiring Day publisher Gary Farrugia. While you’re on our Soundcloud page, be sure to check out past programming including our first episode with Connecticut SPJ President Mike Savino and Board Member Pete Paguaga, and the audio from our Women in Journalism event in March.

Come celebrate FOI

Our friends at the Connecticut Council for Freedom of Information are holding their annual meeting luncheon on June 26 beginning at 11:30 a.m. At the luncheon, CCFOI will honor the work of some journalists and FOI advocates, including Hartford Courant reporter Matt Kauffman and former First Amendment Lawyer and CCFOI president Dan Klau, who recently became a state of Connecticut judge. The CCFOI Board of Directors also plans to nominate Mike Savino, outgoing CT SPJ president, as its new president.  

The event is at the Pond House at Elizabeth Park in Hartford, and tickets at $55 at the door.

Reporting on suicides

After the CDC said earlier this month that suicide rates have jumped around the country, a report that was released in between celebrity suicides, Poynter posted several articles looking at how journalists generally cover suicides. Poynter reposted a 2014 story looking at suicide contagions and the media’s role in copycats, the organization also published suggested best practices. Covering suicides is clearly a difficult task for journalism, including decisions on when and how to report on them. While journalists are certainly free to agree or disagree with Poynter, we suggest they review the SPJ Code of Ethics whenever they are tasked with covering suicide. This is useful when it comes to a specific incident or the topic as a whole.

Another loss for CT journalism

Peter M. Casolino, longtime photographer for the New Haven Register and Hartford Courant, died on June 15 after a brief illness. He was a photographer and editor for the Register from 1991 through 2014, and more recently worked as a contract photographer for the Courant. He also graduated from Southern Connecticut State University.

Peter was only 51 and leaves behind a young son. A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help Peter’s son, Ryan, get through the loss and to pay for his future education.

New CT SPJ President

At the annual dinner in May, Connecticut SPJ elected Bruno Matarazzo, of the Republican American, as its new president beginning July 1. Bruno joined the board in 2014 and currently serves as treasurer. He replaces Mike Savino, who reached his term limit. Savino will now serve as immediate past president. Congratulations to Bruno!

Job Openings

See who’s hiring

Looking for work, or know someone who is? Perhaps you know a student looking for an internship opportunity. Check out the jobs bank we’ve just added to our website. We’ll keep adding job postings as we learn of them, so please share with us any openings. Keep in mind that some of these postings may have expired or been filled.

See all the opportunities here

Thanks for your continued support.

Your president,

Mike Savino