SPJ annually awards scholarships to help members attend the national conference.  This year, SPJ has teamed up with RTDNA to present Excellence in Journalism 2011, to be held Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans. There are two opportunities to help SPJ members attend. Both scholarships include a conference registration, three nights at the Sheraton hotel, airfare to New Orleans and tickets to three meal events. Deadline is June 13.

Terry Harper Memorial Scholarship

SPJ awards up to five conference scholarships in memory of Terry Harper, SPJ’s executive director from 2002 to 2009. Terry passed away on June 2, 2009 after a two-year battle with brain cancer. In honor of Terry’s lasting efforts to improve SPJ and the entire journalism community, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation set up a memorial fund.

Click here to apply.

Diversity Leadership Fellows Program

The Diversity Leadership Fellows Program supports SPJ’s efforts to promote a broader voice for diverse journalists in newsrooms across the country. Its goal is to increase the diversity participation of SPJ members within national committees and on the national board of directors. Due to their underrepresentation in our profession and subsequently in SPJ leadership positions, journalists of color have been the program’s primary focus.

We have since expanded to include other historically underrepresented groups such as LGBT journalists and journalists with disabilities. As part of the program, we bring SPJ members of color as well as members of other underrepresented groups to the convention to begin a year-long immersion and education program.

Click here to apply.

If you have any questions, please email Heather Dunn or call 317-927-8000 ext. 204.

So board meetings can be a royal commuting pain in the butt.

Conference calls don’t work much better – 13 journalists on the phone all talking over each other. So we recently tried something brand-new…

GoToWebinar is a super-sized version of GoToMeeting, which maybe you’ve used before (or at least heard about).

We used GoToWebinar to host a board meeting that had a lot of items to vote on. It was easy, because the online software easily logs and records any polls you conduct.

This may sound like an advertisement, but trust us, we’re not getting compensated. In fact, we’re paying $90 for a month of GoToWebinar – and we want to offer it to you for free.

That’s right, SPJers. Run a board meeting of your own using GoToWebinar, and it costs you nothing. As skeptical journalists, you’re probably muttering, “OK, what’s the catch?”

Because of course there’s a catch.

If we get 9-10 chapters interested in holding occasional meetings with GoToWebinar, we’re gonna lobby SPJ headquarters to sign up for a year (at a deep discount we negotiated). HQ can pay itself back by charging $10 per meeting for the privilege – a heck of a lot cheaper than buying pretzels and cola at a regular face-to-face board meeting.

What do you think? Email SPJ South Florida president Michael Koretzky with questions or to take advantage of this amazing free offer. Act now!

If enough chapters are interested, we’ll actually meet using GoToWebinar – so you can see just how it works.

FORT LAUDERDALE – BrowardBulldog.org celebrated its first year of operation in style Tuesday evening at YOLO in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Attended by nearly 100 friends and supporters, the online newspaper’s first fundraising event raised more than $10,000 to help pay for additional reporters, photography and expanded coverage.

“The backing and encouragement of our many supporters is very much appreciated, as we all realize how important the presence of quality journalism is to our community,” said Kevin Boyd, chair of BrowardBulldog’s Board of Directors. “Having these experienced and ethical journalists working in Broward County will do much to encourage the checks and balances needed to ensure a high quality of life and stability in our community.”

BrowardBulldog.org is a nonprofit investigative news site dedicated to reporting in the public interest. As traditional media falter because of declining revenues, a new model of journalism is emerging. By shifting to nonprofit public media where news is supported by memberships, sponsorships and grants, reporters are free to pursue those issues of most importance to the community.

“Journalism is essential to a properly functioning democracy – that’s not a motto, it’s the truth. Our mission is to write the stories that are going uncovered because of lack of resources and changing priorities in our area’s traditional newsrooms,” said Dan Christensen, BrowardBulldog.org’s founder and editor. “We are filling that gap with original, in-depth reporting to give Broward County residents critical information they need.”

The event was also the official launch of a redesigned website. BrowardBulldog.org has a new look and features making it easier to navigate and engage readers. The new design includes a feature story, friendlier links to social media and search functions.

Among new additions to the site is advertising to support BrowardBulldog.org, and “See Click Fix,” a service that helps readers identify problems in their neighborhoods that government officials should fix or repair.

The site has racked up some impressive numbers for an independent newcomer. In its first year, BrowardBulldog.org can boast 1.5 million hits and more than 425,000 page views. The site is drawing more than 8000 unique IPs each month and should grow quickly with the introduction of sharing tools.

As always, the new site will contain the same vigilant watchdog journalism that has distinguished BrowardBulldog.org as one of the top investigative news websites in South Florida.

“Successful entrepreneurial news takes more than excellent reporting,” said Kevin Davis, CEO for the Investigative News Network. “It takes patience, a good business plan, and the ability to tap into local support. BrowardBulldog.org is an excellent example of the non-profit journalism revolution happening across the country and throughout our Network.”

On Thursday, Oct. 21, South Florida Pro will celebrate its recent national recognition as SPJ’s Chapter of the Year while also voting on the proposed update to the chapter bylaws. Come by Maguire’s Hill 16 in Fort Lauderdale at 7 p.m. to join the festivities and partake in the voting! RSVP here.

The nine-month process, conducted by a committee of board and general members, has been deliberate and thoughtful. It creates a strong legislative framework that we believe will guide our chapter to a strong future while cleaning up ambiguities and conflicts that now exist in the bylaws as written today.

The South Florida board has approved recommending these changes to the general membership. A general membership meeting will be held to discuss and vote on adoption of these updated bylaws.

The business meeting will be followed by a South Florida journalism mixer where you can munch on Sheppard’s Pie from one of Fort Lauderdale’s oldest Irish Pub’s.

The South Florida chapter recently won National Chapter of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with you. Stay after the event for the live band and poker games.

Click here to review the old bylaws.

Click here to review the proposed bylaws.

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