Society of Professional Journalists » region 3

South Florida’s Darcie Lunsford Named SPJ Regional Director of the Year

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:49:40 +0000

August 30, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism-advocacy organization, named South Florida Business Journal’s Darcie Lunsford as the 2009 Regional Director of the Year.

Lunsford has served as the Regional Director for Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina since 2007. When she assumed the responsibilities of being a Regional Director, a voluntary board position, she took time away from her personal and professional life to serve SPJ members. By volunteering to serve on SPJ’s national board of directors, she planned spring conferences, acted as a resource to chapters and performed exemplary service to the states’ SPJ members.

“This year, Darcie has gone above and beyond the call of duty for SPJ,” outgoing SPJ President Dave Aeikens said. “She served on the executive committee and volunteered to serve on the committee that reviewed the chapter star rankings … (and she) is currently serving on the executive director search committee.”

SPJ honors one outstanding Regional Director each year for exceptional service and contributions to his or her region and the Society during the preceding year. Nominations for the award may be made by chapters or members. Lunsford was honored at the President’s Installation Banquet Saturday, Aug. 29, during the 2009 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Indianapolis. At the banquet, 2008-09 SPJ President Dave Aeikens officially passed his duties to incoming president Kevin Smith.

Reprinted with permission from www.spj.org.

SPJ Region 3 Convention – An Unconventional Success

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:57:52 +0000

What’s “fair use,” and when can I use a photo from MySpace in a story? How much emphasis should I put on certain words when I report on camera? Do I have enough experience listed on my resume? What’s it like to be a journalist in countries that deny civil liberties? These questions and many, many more were answered at this year’s Society of Professional Journalist’s Region 3 Convention, a.k.a. Unconventional ’09. The event, co-sponsored by the Florida College Press Association (FCP), drew journalism students, educators, and professional from the Southeastern U.S. to Hollywood, Florida for two days of learning, networking, and fun.

While Unconventional ’09 had some conventional moments — including SPJ and FCP board meetings, the unconventional ruled. Attendees participated in an Ethics Hold’em poker tournament on Friday, April 3rd. The goal of this card game wasn’t really to win chips but to review journalism ethics. And, on Saturday, April 4th, sessions with experts like Frank LoMonte of the Student Press Law Center and Connie Hicks of Barry University were unconventionally balanced with what convention organizer Michael Koretzky of the South Florida Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Florida Atlantic University dubbed a “violent lunch.” The lunch offered convention attendees a taste of the “First Amendment Free Food Festivals” that many college SPJ chapters are hosting on their campuses. Only convention attendees who agreed to sign away their civil rights could eat. Finally, on the evening of April 4th, about 50 convention attendees took charge of the Homeless Voice newspaper. They wrote, edited, shot, and designed a special issue of the paper, which is published in Broward County, Florida.

Look for more information about Unconventional ’09 to appear on the SPJ Region 3 website.

Here are more photos from the event:

UNCONVENTIONAL ’09: SPJ’s Region 3 Convention

admin — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:55:36 +0000

The SPJ South Florida and the Florida College Press Association are hosting this year’s Region 3 Convention, and it is sure to be an unconventional affair. Join us April 3rd & 4th in Hollywood, Florida. The cost is $40, but the experience will be — as the commercial says — PRICELESS.

Here are some of the highlights of the schedule:

On Friday, April 3rd at 4PM, the conference kicks off with separate meetings of the SPJ and FCPA in a Wine Bar. That’s right, no boring hotel meeting room.
On Friday night, we play Ethics Holdem’ poker for valuable prizes.
On Saturday, the convention begins at 9:30 AM at Dave and Buster’s. Again, no boring hotel meeting room.
On Saturday night, you write, edit, shoot, and design an edition of the Homeless Voices newspaper.

For more information, including registration information, check out the UNCONVENTIONAL ’09 web site.