As a result of First Amendment advocacy efforts by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists, the Minnesota Department of Corrections has decided to allow photojournalists back into Minnesota State Prisons to take photographs and video under certain conditions. This is a significant step forward after cameras were completely banned by a policy implemented in 2015. MNSPJ leaders met with Department…

Martiga Lohn, a former newswoman for the Associated Press who works for the state Department of Human Services, wrote the following for SPJ’s ongoing Tell us Your Story series, a salute to former journalists who have moved on to new adventures. For more than 20 years, I gave journalism everything I could.  But when I had a child and needed…

The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists is excited to announce Tony Webster, a public records researcher and data activist, as its 2017 Peter S. Popovich Award winner.  Webster’s dogged work to make government more transparent exemplifies the spirit of the award, which honors those who fight for First Amendment rights.  Journalists could learn a lot — and many have —…

Minnesota SPJ members running for the 2017-18 Board of Directors have submitted the following statements. Electronic ballots will be mailed to all MNSPJ members currently in good standing with both the national organization and local chapter. Didn’t receive a ballot in your email but think you should have? Contact minnesota.spj@gmail.com Ballots must be submitted no later than noon on Friday, June…

In two photo spreads over the Memorial Day weekend, Colleen Harrison of the Albert Lea Tribune chronicled the return of the remains of Glaydon Iverson, a sailor from Minnesota who was killed more than 75 years ago in the attack on Pearl Harbor.   Iverson’s remains, identified in March, were returned to Minnesota on Thursday and buried near his parents’…

The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists defends the right of KSTP-TV and its journalists to pursue the truth and report it. In that pursuit, KSTP has relied on confidential sources to shine a light on sexual harassment allegations at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota law protects the rights of journalists to keep their sources confidential as part of the Free Flow…

MNSPJ and the Minnesota State Bar Association present “Approaching the Bar: Journalists and Lawyers Face Off” WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m (Registration begins at 4:45).  Please join us for cocktails and complimentary hors d’oeuvres after the presentation.      WHERE: Titanic Room, Kieran’s Irish Pub, 85 N 6th Street in Minneapolis REGISTER (deadline May 16): COST: $10.00. Call Jennifer Carter at…

The 2017 Page One Banquet will celebrate the best in Minnesota journalism. Hannah Allam, a veteran journalist who covers U.S. Muslim life for BuzzFeed News, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Page One Banquet. Allam previously reported for McClatchy, spending a decade as bureau chief in Baghdad during the Iraq war and in Cairo during the Arab Spring…

The 2017 Page One Banquet will celebrate the best in Minnesota journalism. Hannah Allam, a veteran journalist who covers U.S. Muslim life for BuzzFeed News, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Page One Banquet. Allam previously reported for McClatchy, spending a decade as bureau chief in Baghdad during the Iraq war and in Cairo during the Arab Spring…

The Minnesota Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is seeking director candidates for the 2017-18 board year. This year’s election will begin on May 29, with candidate statements due to MNSPJ by May 26. Results of this year’s election will be announced at the MNSPJ annual meeting, 6:30 p.m. June 28 at The Cardinal in South Minneapolis.  …