Welcome new SPJ Georgia members!

Ingrid Arnesen, national television station producer, Atlanta

Laurel-Ann Dooley, Atlanta writer

Hadil Maarouf, freelance television producer, Atlanta

Christopher Monroe, Traffic Reporter/Director of TCC Ops, Salem Media Group, Atlanta

Neha Negandhi, freelance writer, Atlanta

Lanie Lippincott Peterson, freelance writer, Savannah

Katja Ridderbusch, Senior Foreign Correspondent, Atlanta

Kathleen Saal, freelancer, FlyingKat LLC

Join SPJ Georgia at MediaMixATL in May

SPJ Georgia, along with the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), Southern Asian Journalists Association (SAJA), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, is hosting MediaMixATL, May 18, 2015, at 7 p.m, 300 Marietta Street NW, Atlanta. This event is free, but registration is requested. Link here. Join us for this great media mixer for broadcasting, print, online and radio.

Journalists attend Operation: Freelance to become informed about the business of freelance journalism

Operation Freelance Photo 4 — Katja Ridderbusch, a senior foreign correspondent, spoke at SPJ Georgia’s Operation: Freelance about her experience working as a freelance journalist in Germany and the U.S. Other panelists included Emily L. Foley, a freelance writer for fashion and entertainment and Paul Kvinta, a freelance journalist who has reported for National Geographic and the New York Times. Photo by Sharon Dunten

Operation Freelance photo 2 — SPJ Georgia members and guests attending Operation: Freelance met with three editors to discuss how to query a letter or network with editors. From the left, James Mallory, instructor at KSU and former managing editor at the AJC; Mira Lowe, Senior Editor Features CNN at CNN Digital; and Tova Gelfond, editor of Eidé Magazine. Photo by Sharon Dunten

Operation Freelance photo 1 — Freelance professionals and journalism students met at Kennesaw State University on April 4 for Operation: Freelance. The first date was rescheduled because of predicted ice on the Georgia highways. Photo by Sharon Dunten

Student produces film on what he is facing after graduation

By Sharon Dunten, editor of SPeachJ and president of SPJ Georgia

Alex Moore, a senior at Kennesaw State University majoring in communications and minoring in film, said he was “racking his brain” on what to produce for one of his last class projects at KSU. Facing graduation in more than two weeks, the reality of walking away from the collegiate world gave Moore, 23, the idea of producing a film titled, “The Shadow of Debt.” In early April, the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia announced a nine percent tuition hike for state universities. According to an article in Red&Black, an independent student newspaper for University of Georgia, college students living in Georgia will pay approximately $775 more next year.

But Moore won’t have to to worry about the tuition increase, just his own student debt.

Alex Moore mug — Alex Moore is a graduating senior from Kennesaw State University

As student tuition throughout the U.S. continues to creep higher, it wasn’t the first time Moore faced challenges to pay for his college education. After graduating from a Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia, Moore enrolled in the Art Institute of Atlanta for video production. Before enrolling in Kennesaw State University, Moore took a year off to build up his finances.

Moore told SPeachJ that his goal is to produce documentary films and produce video for broadcast news. “I brand myself as a storyteller,” said Moore. He interned with three online publications including Target Audience Magazine, the Analog Revolution blog, and TALON Magazine to develop his writing skills, but his greatest love is behind the camera and video editing.

He suggests that college students take classes in different areas to receive the best information on what they want to do after graduation. “College is a time to find out what you really want to do,” he said.

Moore said he wants to stay in metro Atlanta after he graduates in May. For more information about Alex Moore, visit his LinkIn page here.

Alex Moore is a member of the Kennesaw State University SPJ student chapter and a collegiate pro with SPJ Georgia.

SPJ Georgia to launch Larry Peterson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism

Larry Peterson, a political writer and editor for the Savannah Morning News, passed away in 2014 after 40 years of working in the journalism industry. His wife, Lanie Lippincott Peterson, a SPJ Georgia member, is a freelance business reporter at the Savannah Morning News and also carries a substantial portfolio in her own journalism career. It is her wish for SPJ Georgia to celebrate Larry by creating the the Larry Peterson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism. It is an award to recognize journalism professionals and students who have produced quality investigative reporting in either broadcast, print, online or radio.

Known as a “dogged seeker of truth,” Larry spent 15 years at the Savannah Morning News and used his investigator skills and knowledge of the local political system to clearly write and explain the nature of the topics he covered for his readers.

Larry Peterson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism will also carry a monetary award. The Peterson Award winners will receive a $400 for journalism professionals along with the award and a student will receive $100.

Watch for more information about Larry Peterson in future SPeachJs, SPJ Georgia social networks and email blasts. Information about the application process and criteria will be coming soon.

Congratulations to all SPJ students and collegiate pros graduating in May

Notes for March meeting – SPJ Georgia board of directors

A $500 gift was given by Dr. Rick Kenney to establish a scholarship for students who need assistance in attending SPJ and SPJ Georgia events. Watch for more information on the application process.
SPJ Georgia is still in need of a treasurer. If a SPJ Georgia member is interested in this position on the board of directors, please contact Sharon Dunten at sdunten.spjgeorgia@gmail.com
SPJ Georgia has a new stand up banner thanks to Dr. Rick Kenney’s donation for the banner.
Sharon Dunten attended the Southern Regional Press Institute as a panelist representing SPJ Georgia
SpeachJXpress was sent out in February
SPJ Georgia gained 12 new members
The SPJ Georgia board of directors voted to implement committees
Information will be coming out in SPeachJ about collegiate pro memberships
Operation: Freelance was a great success. Thank you Lindsay Gladu!

Discounted online subscription offered to SPJ members

SPJ National has partnered with the Associated Press to offer you a 20 percent discount on an AP Stylebook Online subscription.

To receive your 20 percent discount get your SPJ member ID ready, (You can find it on the label of your Quill magazine or on the SPJ website when you log in. You can also call the SPJ office at 317-927-8000.), go to the secure AP Stylebook order form and choose “SPJ member” as the customer type on the right side of the form, enter your ID number and you should see a 20 percent decrease.

This discount will apply whether you are a new or renewing member, and will apply on top of your member discount, if you work for a news organization that is a member of AP’s news cooperative.

SPJ National offers six-month dues waiver

SPJ members and chapters are the lifeline to the Society of Professional Journalists.

It has been painful to watch our SPJ Georgia members, our friends, who have lost jobs as a result of the economy and drastic industry changes. In an effort to help through this rough time, the SPJ National is now offering a six-month dues waiver to current members who have been laid off as a result of these unfortunate circumstances. To see if you qualify for the waiver, and to submit a request, please download this form and return it to SPJ headquarters. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.

Also, check and SPJ Georgia social media websites frequently. We list new job listings all the time on Facebook and Twitter.

We need each other more than ever.

Become a member of SPJ Georgia and national Society of Professional Journalists

YOU CAN JOIN SPJ Georgia as a new member and further your journalistic ambitions and the industry in Georgia. For more information, email sdunten.spjgeorgia@gmail.com or call Sharon Dunten at (317) 410-7217. Would you like to receive a SPJ Georgia Directory? SPJ Georgia members please email SPJGeorgia@gmail.com.

SPEACHJ Breaking News

When breaking news about a journalist or journalism is occurring in Georgia (or nationally), the SPeachJ Breaking News will be covering it. The breaking news will be email blasted immediately to our SPJ Georgia members and SPJ Georgia social media. If you have news about a journalist or journalism occurring in Georgia that needs to covered in SPeachJ Breaking News, contact SPJGeorgia@gmail.com or call Sharon Dunten at (317) 410-7217 or Ellen Eldridge at ellen@elleneldridge.com. The journalist does not need to be a SPJ or SPJ Georgia member. We are advocates for all journalists.

SPeachJ editorial deadlines

The next editorial deadline for SPeachJ is Feb. 23, 2015. For a complete list of SPeachJ editorial deadlines, contact SPJGeorgia@gmail.com. We will be happy to send you the dates.

SPeachJ is the official publication of the Society of Professional Journalists Georgia Professional Chapter with all rights reserved. Any of the copy published on SPeachJ is copyright protected. All authors of individual articles published on SPeachJ own their own copyright to their assigned or contracted articles; yet each author has a contract with SPJ Georgia or SPJ National to use those articles at any time without the author’s permission. For additional information on SPJ Georgia’s copyright policy, contact SPJGeorgia@gmail.com.

Editors: Sharon Dunten: sdunten.spjgeorgia@gmail.com or call (317) 410-7217; Ellen Eldridge: ellen@elleneldridge.com