Minnesota SPJ

25th Annual Silha Lecture – Oct. 18

Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by scott.theisen.

Are video games that allow players to “kill,” “dismember,” or “sexually assault” images of human beings protected by the First Amendment as free expression? Or do they encourage antisocial behavior, justifying government restrictions on their availability to children?

In February 2009, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals struck down a California statute banning the sale of violent video games to minors as an invalid content-based restriction on speech. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the decision, and will be asked to uphold the California law’s provisions, which are similar to those used to censor obscene speech.

Attorney Paul Smith will discuss the constitutional challenges to regulating the media that minors consume at the 25th Annual Silha Lecture on Monday, October 18. Smith will argue on behalf of the video game dealers’ group in Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association when it is heard by the Supreme Court this autumn.

A partner in Jenner & Block’s Washington, DC office and a member of the firm’s Policy Committee, Smith is also Chair of the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court, Creative Content, and First Amendment Practices. He has had an active Supreme Court practice for many years, making oral arguments in 13 cases, including Lawrence v. Texas and United States v. American Library Ass’n. Smith also represents various clients in trial and appellate cases involving commercial and telecommunications issues, the First Amendment, intellectual property, and election law.

Smith graduated from Amherst College and Yale Law School, and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell. In 2008, Legal Times listed him as one of 30 “Champions” of the past 30 years in Washington, DC, honoring attorneys who uphold the profession’s core values of public duty and client service. In 2010, the National Law Journal named him one of the 40 Most Influential Lawyers of the Past Decade.

The Silha Lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. in Cowles Auditorium at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center on the West Bank Campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and will include an opportunity for audience Q&A. The event is free and open to the public. No reservations or tickets are required.

The Silha Center is based at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. Silha Center activities, including the annual Lecture, are made possible by a generous endowment from the late Otto Silha and his wife, Helen.

Parking is available in the 19th Avenue ramp across the street from the Humphrey Institute, and at the 21st Avenue Ramp nearby. More information about directions and parking can be found at www.umn.edu/pts.

For further information, please contact the Silha Center at 612 625 3421 or silha@umn.edu, or visit www.silha.umn.edu

(Information provided by the Silha Center)

Continue Reading

Last Call For Board Election Candidates

Posted on 27. May, 2010 by scott.theisen.

Are you interested in becoming more involved with the Minnesota SPJ pro chapter? Then consider running for a spot on our board of directors! Our 13-member board is the heart and soul of the SPJ chapter, putting on programs throughout the year and staying at the forefront of issues that matter to you as a journalist.

We are looking to fill at least four vacant spots on our board of directors. Terms are as follows:

-Board of director terms are two years long, going from July 1 to June 31
-Officer terms (president-elect, secretary, treasurer) are one year long, going from July 1 to June 31

If interested, please send an email to minnesota.spj@gmail.com with the following information:

-Name
–Tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been an SPJ member.
–Why you are interested in becoming a board member.

Please email your statement no later than noon on Saturday, May 29. Ballots will then be mailed out to Minnesota SPJ members.

Continue Reading

Register Today For The SPJ 2010 Convention

Posted on 27. May, 2010 by scott.theisen.

This year’s SPJ convention, taking place Oct. 3-5 in Las Vegas, promises to bring hands-on training to conference-goers. There will be 50+ workshops with many sessions focusing on the use of multimedia and social networking tools packed into two days. From the Las Vegas Sun, Rob Curley, well known for his work in managing multimedia in the newsroom, will be joining the conference as a keynote speaker. SPJ continues to put on a no-frills conference for journalists, educators and students that offers the perfect mix of professional development training and networking opportunities (and a lot of fun) – at an affordable price. SPJ’s national conference is one of the best buys out there when compared to other journalism conferences happening each year.

SPJ members, be sure to arrive by 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, for the Opening Business Session, regional meetings, chapter leaders’ sessions and the Opening Night Reception.

Registration is now open and you can book your room at Planet Hollywood at an outstanding rate of $129/night! Please visit www.spj.org/convention.asp to view the schedule, room rates and registration fees.

Continue Reading

Partner event: See Change | May 20-21

Posted on 13. May, 2010 by scott.theisen.

Click on the flier to view the details for the See Change visual communication conference.

Continue Reading

FOI Event: Art of Access

Posted on 07. Apr, 2010 by scott.theisen.

The Art of Access: Strategies for getting public records to improve your reporting and life

Stretched thin with daily stories, Web postings, and extra responsibilities? Feel like you can’t do the kind of depth reporting you want? Or maybe you just want to improve your reporting skills and bolster your already stellar stories? Then make sure to attend this special session on strategies for acquiring public records by Society of Professional Journalist Freedom of Information Committee Chairman David Cuillier.

When: Tuesday, May 11 | 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Murphy Hall Room 100 | University of Minnesota | 206 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455

Cost: Cost: $10 (SPJ Members) | $15 (non-members)

Sign up now!

Here is what he’ll cover:
• Great ideas for document-based stories you can do in your community
• Strategies for effective records requests and overcoming denials
• Psychological skills for getting officials to give you what you need
• Tips for making records part of your daily routine
• Rousing inspiration for doing great journalism in tough times

Each participant will receive a binder filled with handouts.

David Cuillier is chairman of the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee and has been a FOI newsroom trainer for SPJ for five years. He is a former reporter and editor and now teaches journalism at the University of Arizona. He is co-author of “The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records,” teaches courses on access, and conducts research on access strategies.

Sponsors
This tour is funded by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, a non-profit organization that aids SPJ and journalism initiatives, with assistance from the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

Continue Reading

Minnesota SPJ Workshop: Covering the GLBT Community

Posted on 25. Mar, 2010 by scott.theisen.

Please join us on Thursday, March 25th for a Minnesota SPJ workshop on covering the GLBT Community: the mishaps, triumphs, and mistakes of GLBT coverage, and how to take gay journalism in Minnesota to the next level.

A discussion with:
straight reporters who cover GLBT issues, gay journalists, and GLBT community leaders.

Attend this free, two-hour program, and you’ll walk away with answers to some tough questions:
• How do I search for Minnesota GLBT-related story ideas?
• What organizations exist that could help me find sources?
• What GLBT stories have been all but ignored by the media in Minnesota?
• What are some common errors that reporters make when covering the GLBT community?
• What is the community’s preferred language? Is the AP Style Manual up to date?

This event is sponsored by the Minnesota Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. It is free and open to the public.

Griggs Midway Building, Room S330
1821 University Avenue, St. Paul, MN (corner of University Ave. and Fairview Ave.)
Thursday, March 25, 6:30 p.m.

View Larger Map

Questions? Email us at minnesota.spj@gmail.com.

Continue Reading