Region's best named in collegiate journalism

The winners of the Mark of Excellence competition for college journalists from our SPJ region (Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana) were given their certificates at the regional conference this past weekend in Knoxville. Congrats to the UT Daily Beacon, which came in second in the category for all-around student newspaper (bested by the LSU Daily Reveille). See the complete list of winners here.

April 15 deadline to nominate for outstanding pro member, Wells Key

Here's the word from SPJ HQ:

 

SPJ Members: We Need Your Help!

 

Each year, we are proud to honor SPJ members who go above and beyond for the journalism profession and for the organization. If you know one or more of those individuals, please help us recognize them by submitting nominations for the following awards: the Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award and the Wells Memorial Key. 

The postmark deadline to nominate candidates is Thursday, April 15.

Awards will be presented at the 2010 SPJ National Convention in Las Vegas! If you have any questions, contact Awards Coordinator Lauren Rochester at awards@spj.org or at (317) 927-8000 ext. 210.

Wells Memorial KeyEach year, a member who is judged to have served the Society in the most outstanding fashion during the preceding year or over a period of years is presented SPJ's highest honor for a member, the Wells Memorial Key. Read more information online about the award and how to nominate a candidate.

Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award
Howard Dubin is a current SPJ member whose outstanding membership shines through his service to the Society, nationally and at the grassroots level. SPJ is honored to give this award annually to a member who is exceptionally dedication to the mission of the organization. Read more information online about the award and how to nominate a candidate.

Save the date: May 17 on doing FOI when you're SOL

Mark Your Calendar Now!


National FOI Expert Brings "Access Across America" Tour to Nashville

"Doing FOI When You're SOL"

Presented by David Cuillier, national SPJ Freedom of Information chair and co-author of the recent book The Art of Access
Monday, May 17
11 a.m. registration
Two-hour session -- 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Curb Event Center, Beaman A
Belmont University
$20 per person, including box lunch


More details will follow later. Reserve that date!

Tricks and tips for multimedia: It's the new SPJ Digital Media Handbook

Want to know how to Twitter, take better video, or make digital slideshows? We've got the answers. The SPJ Digital Media Committee has published the SPJ Digital Media Handbook, a compendium of some of our best posts from the SPJ Net Worked blog. Yep, it's free. You can download it directly from SPJ's Web site at this link (it's about 50-60 megs, as I recall) or you can read it in a quicker Flash presentation via Scribd.com. (You don't need to register with Scribd to read it there, by the way.)

Positive vibes going out to our friends who were laid off from SouthComm

Seven people were laid off, and I know all of us fellow SPJ'ers are thinking good thoughts for them. (Details: Scene / Tennessean / Tennessean politics blog).

Early bird deadline extended to April 5 for regional conference in Knoxville

Our friends at the East Tennessee Pro Chapter in Knoxville, who are hosting the April 9-10 Region 12 conference, have extended the early bird registration deadline to April 5.

April 5 is also the deadline for booking a room at the conference hotel, the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Convention Center, Regional Director Sonny Albarado said in an e-mail.

The focus for the conference programs on Friday will be environmental journalism, and the focus on Saturday will be sports journalism. You can go both days or just one day. Go to http://etspj.org/ to register.

'Converging Media' discussion with Chattanooga online editor at Vol State April 7

Here are the details from chapter board member Clay Scott at Vol State:

Converging media is the topic for a discussion Wednesday, April 7, at 12:30 p.m., on the campus of Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin.

Ed Bourn, the online and technology director of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press (timesfreepress.com), will discuss the “new media” in the Rochelle Center of the Thigpen Library.

His lecture is titled, “Media: Emerging and Converging.”

Bourn develops the technology and business models that drive seven sites associated with the the Times Free Press.

Timesfreepress.com was named the 2009 Best Overall Website in 14 states by the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association.

This year, timesfreepress.com and its six sister sites won eight American Advertising Federation Addy Awards.

Editor & Publisher ranked the Times Free Press #22 among the Top 25 Daily Newspapers in Print and Online Growth last year.

Before coming to the Times Free Press, Bourn was the director of product management at Everstream, where he was managing over 250 newspaper and community online sites, powered by components developed by the company.

Bourn’s visit is part of Communication Week at Vol State. Events are planned throughout the week to celebrate the field of communication and the accomplishments of our students.

Bourn’s visit is funded by a grant from the Tennessee Press Foundation.