Monthly Archives: July 2021

The Journalist Protection Act (JPA) was introduced Thursday in the 117th Congress.  According to RTDNA, “The Journalist Protection Act would make it a federal crime to intentionally intimidate or cause bodily harm to a journalist or media organization in the course of newsgathering or reporting. It would bring justice to... - MORE -

Poynter is helping journalists prepare for the release of in-depth demographic statistics from the 2020 census, which is expected in the coming weeks. The data will reveal how the ethnic, racial and voting age makeup of neighborhoods, cities, counties and states has changed since the 2010 census, as well as... - MORE -

cold-call /ˈkōl(d) ˌkôl/ verb make an unsolicited call on (someone), by phone or in person, in an attempt to sell goods or services. Ah, yes. A very popular tool amongst the sales folks. Welp, I’m going to hijack the term and let you know cold-calling is something reporters can add... - MORE -

Local radio and TV newsrooms can help in educating the public about media literacy. KMOX news Director Beth Coghlan, writing for RTDNA, wrote this article explaining how they’ve used their broadcasts to include education about media literacy. The newsroom also produced a podcast on the topic.... - MORE -

Bob Wills, the former editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel and founder and first president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, passed away last week at age 95.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published this story about his life.... - MORE -

If you’re new to reporting, you’ll likely find this checklist from Poynter helpful: 14 questions for new journalists to consider when filing a story... - MORE -

Social media is an incredible tool for connecting with your audience. But the line between sharing and oversharing is a fine one. Sara Maslar-Donar is the anchor of WKOW’s Wake Up Wisconsin Weekend morning show and reports for the weekday morning show. She was also recipient of the WBA’s ‘Best... - MORE -

Poynter is offering a free workshop for journalists of color. “Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color” is taking place Nov. 18-21. The (workshop) is a transformative, four-day seminar that helps journalists of color find their voice and build skills for writing opinion pieces and personal essays. ... - MORE -

In response to recent incidents of violence involving broadcast journalists, the following statement was made by NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith: “NAB is gravely concerned by recent incidents of violence directed against broadcast journalists who are covering local news. A cornerstone of American democracy is the right of the... - MORE -

The Madison Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists is holding a free virtual training session on July 28 to help journalists set mission statements for their beats. In 2019, Megan Garvey led the dozens of reporters in her Southern California newsroom as they, for the first time, set explicit ... - MORE -