Society of Professional Journalists
Improving and protecting journalism since 1909

A full day of training, lunch, and a chance to meet fellow journalists and connect with knowledgeable trainers. Check. All for $35.

South Florida journalists, you're invited to attend SPJ's JournCamp Saturday, Nov. 8 at Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus. Get training on mobile video, turning your beat into a book, emerging trends in video, and working with data online. Get all the program details and register here. Did we mention it's only $35?

Registration is open now, and you can find more details — including scheduled sessions and speaker bios — here.

Journcamp Recaps:
— Nashville, January 2014
— Minneapolis, November 2013
— Washington, D.C., June 2013
— Chicago, January 2012

Freedom of the Prez Blog: Latest Entry

It’s been three weeks since my last post, and a lot has happened in SPJ and the journalism world in that short time. Here are a few highlights. >Continue reading Highlights through Oct. 22

More from Freedom of the Prez:
– Highlights through Oct. 22
– Highlights through Oct. 1
– Highlights, week of Sept. 15
– SPJ now has an International Journalism Community!
– SPJ members share EIJ highlights

Founded in 1909, the Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

It also has a rich history, which you can explore in detail with this pair of interactive timelines compiled by SPJ member Jennifer Peebles.

— Historic Moments: A timeline of SPJ’s development
— SPJ Presidents: An interactive timeline
— Chester C. Wells: His True Life Story

The Independent Journalist Blog: Latest Entry

Guest blogger: Ricardo Torres  If there’s one thing most freelancers need to know, if they don’t already know it, is that editors get thousands of emails a week. Even editors with the smallest audiences normally get several hundred messages a week. Getting noticed is always tough and sometimes writers need to get creative. When I started freelancing in 2011, I established a relationship with the Wisconsin Reporter, a political website funded the by Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, by stealing a move from one of my idols, Hunter S. >Continue reading Look outside the box to establish relationships with editors

More from The Independent Journalist:
– Look outside the box to establish relationships with editors
– Dealing with rejection
– Freelancers who lunch
– Expand your freelance network – join SPJ’s freelance community!
– Managing writing projects

Code Words Blog: Latest Entry

Ebola virus disease is a terrifying ailment. After transmission, symptoms start two to 21 days later. The often-deadly disease usually begins with a fever and progresses to more serious symptoms, such as internal and external bleeding. Even more terrifying, the disease is caused by a virus that’s invisible to the naked eye. As a health writer, I watched since early this year as reports of the current Ebola virus disease outbreak trickle out of West Africa. Fear and anxiety spread among Americans as it became clear that the disease would eventually reach the U.S. >Continue reading Ebola in America

More from Code Words:
– Ebola in America
– Caring About Sharing
– The Road Ahead
– Ethics Code Revision: Final Draft
– Ethics of covering suicides

This free site from the Society of Professional Journalists contains thousands of links helpful for reporters, editors, educators or anyone else doing research.

Edited by former Los Angeles Times reporter and DePaul instructor Mike Reilley, the site is organized by beats and industry topics such as Public Records, Crime, Legal Issues, Science, Environment, Journalism Jobs, Sports and more.

The Toolbox is updated twice weekly and several times a day during prominent global breaking news events.

The SPJ Code of Ethics is a statement of abiding principles supported by additional explanations and position papers that address changing journalistic practices. It is not a set of rules, rather a guide that encourages all who engage in journalism to take responsibility for the information they provide, regardless of medium. The code should be read as a whole; individual principles should not be taken out of context. It is not, nor can it be under the First Amendment, legally enforceable.

The newest revision of the SPJ Code of Ethics — approved at EIJ14 at 4:49 p.m. on September 6 — is now available to download as a flyer, poster and two-sided bookmark.

Related:
– Revised Ethics Code: Complete text
– In review: The Ethics Code Revision Project

SPJ hosted a college/post graduate #youngjournojobs Twitter chat with more than 60 participants, all about finding jobs in the world of journalism. Kenna Griffin, an assistant professor of Mass Communications at Oklahoma City University — and the curator of profkrg.com, an invaluable website for young journalists — led the discussion. Here is the chat in its entirety.

Related: #Youngjournojobs Twitter Chat by the Numbers

More from SPJ's Storify channel:
– Journo Jobs for All
– #Youngjournojobs Twitter Chat #1
– #EIJ14 Day Three
– #EIJ14 Day Two
– #EIJ14 Day One

EIJ14 — a joint effort between SPJ and RTDNA — was an incredible success. Couldn't join us? This collection of recaps, photos, session replays (free to all SPJ members) and student news teams coverage is the next best thing to being there.

Session Replays:
— Super Session with Kara Swisher
— Honoring a Lifetime of Excellence in Journalism
— Breakout Sessions

Coverage and More:
— #EIJ14 in Pictures
— EIJ News Stories and Videos
— RTDNA Newsroom
— Storify Recaps

And because it's never too soon:
— Check out the early details about next year's conference.

Learn the ins and outs of better photography with this seven-part series. On Demand sessions are available to all SPJ members at any time and are included as part of your SPJ membership.

– Part 1: 5 Tips for Better Photos
– Part 2: Understanding Exposure
– Part 3: Understanding Color and White Balance
– Part 4: Focus Control
– Part 5: Your Camera’s Metering System
– Part 6: Understanding Flash
– Part 7: Shutter Release Modes

Follow this link to see all available sessions, which touch on data visualization, video editing, social media tools, Freedom of Information Act assistance, freelancing and more.

You’re taking a bold step along with SPJ. The Freelance Community is a virtual chapter that meets online, linking SPJ members who are freelancers, no matter their locale. We want this to be the most useful place for freelance journalists on the web. To get there, we want your help.

The most powerful thing about SPJ is its breadth. No other organization takes on the biggest issues facing journalism. Now we can more easily put SPJ’s power to bear on the things we care about as individuals who make a living creating great journalism. Continue reading

– Visit the Freelance Community page
– More information/FAQ