Excellence in Journalism, SPJ National Conference – Sept. 4-6, 2014
The Florida International University Chapter of SPJ attended the 2014 Excellence in Journalism national SPJ conference at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. FIU-SPJ was represented by five of their executive board members: Marisol Medina, president; Katie Lepri, vice president; Kathleen Devaney, marketing director; Jasmine Richardson, treasurer; and Alexis Fernandez webmaster. The students attended multiple panels, networked with professionals and peers, and participated in the nightly events from Thursday night to Sunday morning. The students used this conference to help bridge the gap between the professional and their academic world. On Friday night, FIU-SPJ was awarded the Outstanding Campus Award for Region III for the second year in a row. Chris Delboni, FIU-SPJ’s academic advisor, was bestowed the 2014 David L. Eshelman Outstanding Campus Advisor award. Both SJMC Dean Raul Reis and Associate Dean Allan Richards were present for the ceremony. In addition, Delboni, Richards and former student and SPJ member Barbara Corbellini Duarte hosted their “Starting, Building and Maintaining an Academic Newsroom” panel Saturday morning. The workshop discussed the creation and development of FIU’s South Florida News Service, which has provided upper level college students the opportunity to pitch and write stories for the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post. FIU-SPJ pictures and tweets were featured on the EIJ 2014 twitter and storify account at the end of the conference.
Mini Talk: The Art of Interview – Sept. 17, 2014
SPJ-FIU Vice President Katie Lepri held the first mini-talk of the semester. She discussed the basic principles of interviewing, using CNN’s Tips to master the art of interviewing as a basis for discussion. Additionally, she introduced the students that attended the mini-talk on how to sell yourself in a 30-second elevator pitch. Her talk was a two-part demonstration about the importance of being a good interviewer and how to sell yourself in a job. Lepri led the interactive mini-talk, which began at 5:30 and lastly for approximately one hour. Eleven people attended the event, which took place after FIU-SPJ’s weekly business meeting.
News Engagement Day -- Oct. 7, 2014
The Florida International University Chapter of SPJ joined the discussion on how staying informed should be a national priority by participating in the first National News Engagement Day, organized by The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). SPJ members contributed to the effort by hosting a tabling event on Oct. 7.
Armed with 10 boxes of pizza, fully charged phones and an overflow of excitement about engaging passersby in the conversation, e-board members engaged students through Instagram videos, extensive tweets, and even got a message from the dean of the school of journalism and mass communications."Keep up with your news," Dean Raul Reis, who keeps up with the news these days not only from traditional outlets but also through social media warns students, told students. Soon thereafter during a News Engagement Day panel, SPJ members Kathleen Devaney and Crystal Chew presented a video they produced on the impact of technology on journalism today. Students and professors continued the conversation archiving 81,901 twitter impressions for the record. For a behind the newsroom perspective, Howard Saltz, editor of the Sun-Sentinel, Anne Vazquez, associate editor, and Marian Lui, editor of SouthFlorida.com offered students helpful tips on how to stay connected with readers in a digital age. The ability to identify reliable news and information in the 21st century is essential not just for individuals but also for a democracy.
Guantanamo Bay Panel featuring Dave Wilson – Oct. 8, 2014
Dave Wilson, one of the senior editors at the Miami Herald and the chairman of the board for First Amendment Florida, spoke about the challenges of covering Guantanamo Bay, a long-term project he considers a "microcosm of extreme examples of access." GTMO, as it’s often referred, is a United States military prison in Cuba. At the Herald, Wilson is editor of journalist Carol Rosenberg, the reporter who has been covering Guantanamo since January 2002. As the Herald's only GTMO reporter, Rosenberg manages the Guantanamo Bay Miami Herald website. She has managed to get the names of mora than 800 detainees who have gone through Guantanamo Bay through FOIA, Freedom of Information Act, requests. He considers accuracy and credibility the reason the Miami Herald is allowed the access it’s been given to the facility. "You have to have ethics and integrity and get both sides," Wilson said. "For most of our recent history, the U.S. has been a shining light of democracy, but this doesn't fit this model." He said that that's the main reason explaining why the Herald has stuck with the story for so long. Approximately 30 people attended the event held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in FIU's Wolfe University Center.
Mini Talk: Reporter's Dirty Dozen -- Oct. 8, 2014
SPJ-FIU President Marisol Medina led a mini-talk to introduce members to the digital tools that can be used for storytelling. Through mobile apps such as Videolicious and Storycheck, Medina demonstrated how the tools can help both seasoned and amateur reporters reach new audiences. Medina called Storycheck, an Android-only application, a great tool for newer journalists during the reporting process. The app acts as a checklist for stories. Other must-use websites included Tweetdeck, Storify and Geofeedia. FIU journalism professor Neil Reisner and SPJ-FIU's academic adviser Chris Delboni joined nine chapter members in attending the mini-talk.
Mini Talk: How To Design An Awesome Flyer -- Oct. 29, 2014
SPJ-FIU Web Director Alexis Fernandez taught members a trick or two on how to create a flyer. Even though some members feared the use of Photoshop, Alexis demonstrated how two images, catchy phrases and font typography were really the only elements required to create a fantastic flyer. In a world of visualization, the need to put images and text together is almost a mandate. This mini-talk was meant to give members a creative alternative. Adviser Chris Delboni warned students of copyright issues and suggested that they use stockfree images. For more tips on how to create a flyer
Meet the Boss Ladies -- Nov. 10, 2014
Barbara Corbellini Duarte emceed the first FIU-SPJ panel featuring three women in leadership roles. The boss ladies included: Marian Liu, online entertainment editor for the Sun Sentinel/ SouthFlorida.com; Sarah Dussault, video coordinator for the Sun Sentinel; and Lori Todd, social media manager for the Sun Sentinel. The three women acknowledged their early interest in taking initiatives during their internships as one of the reasons for now being in management roles. "Being aggressive in internships and willing to move helped me," Dussault said. "I was willing to make personal sacrifices." Both Liu and Todd agreed. She added that that the risks she took in the beginning of her career also made her more marketable. "I had something no one else had: professional journalism experience and professional marketing experience," she said. In addition the women talked about what it was like to be a higher up in a normally male-dominated setting; sexual harrassment; and how they manage their personal lives and their work lives. "I decided I would value my personal time more and I would value my off time," said Todd. "I think that has allowed me to be a better employee." At the end of the panel, each woman offered valuable advice to students in the audience and handed out their business cards. Approximately 25 students attended the panel.
Everglades Wilderness Writing Expedition Panel -- Nov. 13, 2014
SPJ-FIU co-hosted the Everglades writing expedition panel that featured 11 students, including one SPJ-FIU member, as they discussed their experience exploring and writing about the national park. The writing expedition was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964. It was the first time that the park held an expedition open to students. Sabrina Diaz, one of the park's rangers, led the six-week long expedition where students spent hours in South Florida's expansive Everglades territory on the weekends. For their expedition, the students stayed inside the park canoeing and hiking long stretches of the natural environment, an experience they highly suggested everyone should consider doing. National park writer-in-residence Bill Maxwell led the hour-and-a-half discussion. The students shared turns talking about what they learned and what they miss now out of the wild. They ended the night sharing samples of their written work with the audience. 50th anniversary pins were given out to celebrate the event that approximately 10 people attended.
