The Quill articles from April 2001

The Quill archives from April 2001

Use criticism to create discussion.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Carry on the ideas in this issue to future conversations. Criticism is sometimes a difficult thing to take. This is true for anyone, but it seems especially true for journalists. Perhaps it is because we find ourselves the object of...

Book sales benefit SPJ.(Society of Professional Journalists)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Improve your writing and support the Society's Quill endowment. Here's a situation where everyone truly does win. Many years ago, when SPJ was still known as Sigma Delta Chi, a group of members created the Quill Endowment. When...

Our decisions change lives.(journalistic practice)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Sources, subjects and colleagues deserve our respect as we carefully consider the effects of our coverage. Love the truth. Don't cut corners. This edition of Quill addresses ethics in journalism and how journalists can better do...

DOCUMENTS SHOW GANNETT PAID CHIQUITA $14 MILLION.(settlement agreement made public as Lawrence K. Beaupre files civil suit.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Gannett's expensive, embarrassing out-of-court settlement with Chiquita Brands International was finally disseminated through the media in January as a judge refused for the second time to dismiss the civil suit filed by former editor of the...

REPORTER DOESN'T HAVE TO HAND OVER NOTES.(Washington Court State of Appeals)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Washington state Court of Appeals made a precedent-setting ruling on Feb. 5 that a reporter's notes were privileged and confidential, overturning an earlier order by a King County Superior Court judge that the notes be given to plaintiff...

NEWSPAPERS OUTDO OTHER MEDIA ON WEB.(The Media Audit, survey)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Web sites operated by daily newspapers are attracting much larger audiences than other local media in nearly two-thirds of the American markets, according to a recent telephone survey. The Media Audit, a service of Houston-based...

CALIFORNIA POWER WOES HIT NEWSPAPERS HARD.(Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times, Press-Times etc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Five years ago, The Orange County Register made a pact with South California Edison to turn its power off during electricity crises -- then very rare -- in an effort to save on power bills. But now, in the middle of a statewide energy crisis,...

MAGAZINE INDUSTRY HITS TOUGH TIMES.(AOL Time Warner Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The first quarter of 2001 was a cruel one for the magazine industry, where hard times have spurred layoffs, advertising policy changes, publication sales and closings. Especially hard-hit were the magazines now under the stewardship of AOL...

NEW YORK TIMES MAKES CYBER-DEALS, SELLS MAGS.(New York Times Co.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The New York Times Co. unveiled plans to enter into deals with two Internet companies in the first quarter of 2001, even while planning to slash 17 percent of its own digital unit's work force. The Times Co. started the year by selling...

POST SUBSIDIARY BUYS 10 MARYLAND PAPERS.(Gazette Co., Washington Post Co. subsidiary)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Gazette Co., a subsidiary of the Washington Post Co. that publishes 35 Maryland community newspapers, said in February that it will add 10 papers to its portfolio when it acquires the Southern Maryland division of Elkton-based Chesapeake...

BOSTON HERALD PURCHASES NEWSPAPERS.(Community Newspapers Co. acquired)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Boston Herald's purchase of Community Newspapers Co. was completed Feb. 1, Herald president Patrick J. Purcell said. Terms were not disclosed, but the $150 million figure has been widely reported, according to Editor & Publisher. ...

Civic journalism: Still hanging on.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... You may not solve them, but at least give as much time to possible solutions as you do the problems. When we were tossing around some ideas for this ethics edition of Quill, the words "civic journalism" somehow escaped into the...

Weighing public perception.(a look at public opinion surveys)
April 1, 2001... Polling data is a valuable reporting resource. Follow these suggestions for using it wisely. The public opinion survey is one of the most powerful tools of modern political campaigns. In democracies the size and scale of the United...

Election night reforms need to go a step further.(Voter News Service, election polls)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... More scrutiny and newer computers for VNS don't eliminate the need for another source of raw data. Just in case the wounds weren't fresh enough, the congressional committee brought a blooper reel. Here were the blown projections, the...

Arm's-length coverage falls short.(ethics in journalism)
April 1, 2001... In your rush to report the news, don't ignore the people for whom you are reporting. There seems to be a lot of concern these days that news media are losing touch with their respective audiences. Now, I don't profess to be a...

Corporate climbers leave public behind.(ethics in reporting)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Get off the ladder and out of the newsroom -- become a better journalist by taking time off. I have a serious proposal for the journalists who work for national news organizations: get out of the business. No, not permanently, just for...

A beacon of truth.(journalistic ethics)
April 1, 2001... When the easy-to-find story threatens to obscure the real issues, keep your eye on the truth. I wanted to be a writer when I was in high school. I wanted to find the truth and show it to everyone. But my mother wondered where I'd...

African journalist speaks out on press freedom.(Pius Njawe lecture)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Members of the Fort Worth Pro Chapter recently got an international perspective without leaving the Lonestar State. Pius Njawe, editor-in-chief of Le Messenger in Cameroon, Africa, was the featured speaker at the chapter's March 26...

Chapter examines how KSU case was won.(Kentucky State University yearbook press freedom case)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Bluegrass Pro Chapter in Frankfort, Ky., recently sponsored a panel discussion a controversy surrounding a Kentucky State University yearbook. Principal players in this landmark case on student press freedoms served as panelists for...

SPJ Web site to get face-lift.(Society of Professional Journalists)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Redesign, redevelopment of www.spj.org to be ready by mid-summer INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists National Headquarters will redesign and redevelop the Society's Web site, www.spj.org. It is still too early to...

Society denounces Zimbabwe's violence against journalists.(Society of Professional Journalists protest)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists is calling for Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to stop a growing campaign against journalists and other independent voices in the African nation. "It can cost you liberty or life to...

Society protests Ohio county's encrypted dispatching system.(Society of Professional Journalists)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... INDIANAPOLIS -- Preventing news organizations and the public from hearing police, fire and EMS unit dispatches impedes the public's right to know and the media's role as a watchdog of the government, says the Society of Professional...

SPJ fights court's attempt to withhold public information in murder trial.(Society of Professional Journalists )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists and other media outlets fought a motion to shut off public information in a highly watched Montana murder trial. Attorneys in the case say releasing information to the public...

Society declares victory in Huntsville, Texas, open records case.(Society of Professional Journalists )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists helped convince a federal appeals court that the details of a police discrimination lawsuit settlement were sealed improperly by the trial judge. The U.S. Fifth District Court of...

Society calls for electronic access to federal judicial records.(Society of Professional Journalists )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists joined an effort Jan. 26 to ask the federal Judicial Conference to ensure that Americans have broad electronic access to federal court records. The Judicial Conference, made up of...

Add a personal touch to SPJ membership.(Society of Professional Journalists)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... I've been in the association management field for nearly 20 years, and there has always been one constant: Membership is a one-on-one very personal thing. In thinking about my own association memberships, the decision to join - and often...

Sixth Circuit Court.
April 1, 2001... who worked with Orwin on the case and argued it before the full panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals when the full court heard the case last year * Laura Cullen, the adviser of the Kentucky State yearbook at the time the...

Cleveland chapter has big 'fat' religion talk.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Cleveland Pro Chapter celebrated Fat Tuesday with an informal discussion on journalism and God. Members gathered at ta pub for a networking party and to discuss the ins and outs of reporting religion. Special guests were Bob...

Chapter brings light to hot ethics topic.(Valley of the Sun Pro Chapter)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Valley of the Sun Pro Chapter recently joined forces with the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America to discuss a hot ethics topic. The two organizations sponsored a breakfast panel Feb. 20 at the Heard Museum in...

Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame Inducts four noted professionals.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... GREENCASTLE, Ind. -- The Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame is inducting four new members during its April 7 induction ceremony. Journalists to be inducted are: * John Bushemi, a Gary native, was a photographer for the Gary Post-Tribune...

Cincinnati chapter chooses three Hall of Famers.(Queen City Pro Chapter)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... CINCINNATI -- The Queen City Pro Chapter will induct three new members into its Journalism Hall of Fame this year. The induction ceremony -- hosted each year by the Queen City Pros -- will take place June 15 at the chapter's annual awards...

Community connections.(media and communities)
April 1, 2001... This is the ninth in a series of case studies exploring how top media managers make difficult decisions. The best of times or the worst of times? Newspaper publishers and other top managers ask themselves this question as they try to...

Covering the Human Genome Project.(Critical Essay)
April 1, 2001... This backgrounder examines some unanswered questions and ethical issues involved in the recent completion of a major phase of the Human Genome Project. In the giddy atmosphere following this summer's announcement that two teams of...

A moment of silence, please.(automobile drivers' records access restricted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... After more than six years, policies restricting access to drivers' records will become a reality in every state. Call this column an obituary. After seven years of struggle, the public's right to inspect an entire class of public records...

COURT TOSSES GAG ORDER IN OVERWEIGHT-CHILD CASE.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A gag order in the case of an overweight 3-year-old girl who was taken into state custody for more than two months has been tossed out by the New Mexico Supreme Court. But the girl's family says they will stop abiding by the gag order only...

TRIAL REPORTERS WON'T FACE BACKGROUND CHECKS.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... In an abrupt reversal of plan, officials in Mariposa County; Calif., said on Feb. 12 that they would no longer require criminal background checks for reporters covering the trial of Yosemite killer Gary Stayner. Stayner is charged with...

We need ethics examples.(journalism)(Brief Article)(Column)
April 1, 2001... Today's news media offer few role models for students studying journalism ethics. You ought to feel sorry for me. I teach an undergraduate course in journalism ethics at a time when ethics seems to matter less and less in the conduct of...

PAPER SPARKS DEBATE BY INTERVIEWING 'ARSONIST'.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A young journalist unexpectedly found himself at the center of an ethical firestorm when the Phoenix New Times, a weekly alternative newspaper, published his lengthy newspaper interview with a man who claims he's one of those responsible for...

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO RAISES EYEBROWS BY SELLING WALL SPACE.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... While National Public Radio is banned by law from selling its airwaves, it's going ahead with plans to farm out space on the side of its building that faces the Capitol in Washington, D.C. According to an NPR memo obtained by The...

OFFICIAL BUSH PHOTOS RESULT IN RESIGNATION.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The day after President Bush's inauguration, a Los Angeles Times photographer named Paul Morse was taking his official portrait. In some respects, he was following the examples of better-known photographers like David Hume Kennerly, who left...

JOURNALIST BREAK-IN MEETS SURPRISING SUCCESS.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A TV consumer reporter in Salt Lake City apparently went too far on Jan. 17 when he tested an electric garage door without getting permission from the homeowner first. KUTV-Channel 2 anchorman Bill Gephardt, a 25-year veteran reporter...

Passion and purpose for the ethnic press.(Column)
April 1, 2001... Ethnic papers continue to serve an important role in the communities they cover. They crusade against social injustices. They stimulate a sense of cultural pride in a people. They articulate the very essence of their community. They are...

FREEDOM FORUM UNVEILS NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Freedom Forum announced in February that it plans to fully fund and operate an academic journalism program for American Indian college students June 3-29 at the University of South Dalcota in Vermillion. The month-long program, called...

Life after Journalism school.
April 1, 2001... Many recent graduates found themselves unprepared for the pressures of the real world. When Jonathan Nelson graduated from the University of Texas at Austin this past spring, he thought he was prepared for whatever might be ahead. ...

GHIGLIONE NAMED NEXT DEAN OF MEDILL.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Loren Ghiglione, director of the School of Journalism in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, will become the next dean of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism this summer. "Ghiglione has...

GORE CLASSES SPUR TALK ON STUDENTS' FREE SPEECH.(Al Gore lectures gag ordered)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... On Feb. 6, former Vice President Al Gore's lecturer debut at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was officially "off the record," a decision that drew criticism for placing the future journalists in the odd position of being...

Focus on work and learning.(guide to being a journalist)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... It takes more than a college degree to make a journalist. I've spent my career at community newspapers, and I have seen countless beginning reporters struggle to get a foothold in news-rooms where editors are too harried to talk and the...

DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENTS: CPJ ON PRESS FREEDOM ISSUES.(freedom of the press in Venezuela)
April 1, 2001... Radio Chavez: The press and the president in Venezuela Editor's note: The following article is excerpted from a special report in "Attacks on the Press in 2000," published March 2001 by the Committee to Protect Journalists and available...

SATIRICAL PAPER HITS NEWSSTANDS IN SYRIA.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A new publication is for sale on newsstands in Syria, and it's the country's first privately owned paper in nearly 40 years. The 12-page weekly paper, called Al-Domari or "Lamplighter," includes cartoons and satirical items. Al-Domari's...

JOURNALISTS CHOOSE JAIL OVER EXORBITANT FINES.(Sudanese journalists charged with libel)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... On Feb. 19, the appeals court in Sudan ordered the release of two journalists who had been charged with defaming the governor of Khartoum, pending an appeal. Amal Abas, editor of the Al-Rai Al-Akhar, a left-leaning independent daily,...

Show, don't tell.(good descriptive writing is an important skill)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Use clear, descriptive words to paint a picture in readers' minds. The worst description I ever read was by a novelist whose work appears regularly on best-seller lists. She sized up World War II this way: "The war was just terrible."...

PEOPLE PLACES.(newspaper appointments, resignations, retirements)
April 1, 2001... As its joint operating agreement with the Rocky Mountain News became official on Jan. 22, The Denver Post's parent company, MediaNews Group Inc., announced several management reorganization moves: * MediaNews said that executive vice...