Enterprise journalist Wudan Yam is writing today for Poynter about her experience during the pandemic and the realizations she’s had about experiencing journalism as an identity, rather than a profession.
You can find those insightful reflections here.
If you checked out over the Thanksgiving holiday, you are likely just learning about the COVID-19 omicron variant.
Poynter compiled everything you need to get up to speed. Learn more here.
The Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks nominations for the Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics. Now in its 13th year, the Shadid Award recognizes ethical decisions in reporting stories in any medium, including print, broadcast and digital, by journalists working for established news organizations or publishing individually.
The award focuses on current journalism and does not include books, documentaries and other long-term projects. Entries should involve reporting done for stories that were published or broadcast in 2021. Individuals or news organizations may nominate themselves or others.
The nomination window opens November 15, 2021.
Deadline for submissions is January 18, 2022.
The Shadid Award includes a $1,000 prize and travel expenses to accept the award and discuss the reporting at an awards ceremony held in New York City on May 17, 2022.
The Shadid Award is different from other journalism prizes in that it seeks to recognize the difficult, behind-the-scenes decisions reporters make in pursuing high-impact stories and in fulfilling their ethical obligations to sources, to people caught up in news events, and to the public at large.
“At its best, journalism brings important stories to light in a way that shows a real duty of care for people whose lives will be affected by the reporting,” says Lucas Graves, chair of the judging committee. “The Shadid Award gives us a chance recognize the tough ethical choices reporters face and the steps they take to minimize harms from their work.”
Previous winners of the award include:
A graduate of UW-Madison, Anthony Shadid died in 2012 on a reporting assignment in Syria for the New York Times. He won two Pulitzer Prizes for his courageous and insightful foreign correspondence. Shadid sat on the the Center for Journalism Ethics advisory board and strongly supported its efforts to promote public interest journalism and to stimulate discussion about journalism ethics.
Letters of nomination must include:
Nomination letters of three pages or less should be saved in pdf format and attached to an email sent to ethicsaward@journalism.wisc.edu
Deadline for submissions is January 18, 2022.
By entering this competition, you grant the Center for Journalism Ethics permission to use your entry as a positive example of ethical decision-making. If you are chosen as a finalist, your nomination letter will be posted on our website and your work may be selected for inclusion in the , our ethics curriculum for student journalists.
With the expectation of potential unrest in the news, it’s time for journalists to prepare themselves for covering these high-risk events.
RTDNA is providing this training to help you and your fellow reporters in the field.
Kasey Chronis is joining FOX 32 (WFLD-TV) in Chicago as a reporter after four years at FOX 6 (WITI-TV) in Milwaukee.
“Since graduating from Indiana University, it has truly been an honor to bring awareness, give a voice to, and share what matters most to the wonderful people of South Bend, Indiana and Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” she wrote on social media.
Chronis expects to sign off on WITI-TV on Nov. 25.
Milwaukee television news veteran Jessie Garcia is joining CBS 58 (WDJT-TV) as news director.
Garcia will lead all news programming efforts on television and digital platforms for CBS 58, WMLW “The M” and Telemundo Wisconsin.
She joins CBS 58 from WTMJ-TV where she most recently served as the editorial director. In her more than 25-year career at the station, she also held the positions of broadcast director and sports anchor/reporter.
One of Garcia’s early and notable career accomplishments was that she was the first female sports anchor in Wisconsin at WISC-TV in Madison.
Current News Director Kent Harrell and Garcia will work closely together to transition leadership of the news department in early 2022.
“I am passionate about Milwaukee, the people who live here and what happens in our community,” said Garcia. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the CBS 58 News team to further deepen and enrich its commitment to covering the news in Southeastern Wisconsin.”
“Jessie is the right person at the right time. Her demonstrated ability to lead a newsroom, her proven track record of innovation, coupled with her deep knowledge of Milwaukee is a win for our team and our viewers,” said General Manager Anne Brown.
An award-winning journalist, Garcia’s involvement in the community that she serves extends beyond the newsroom. For five years, she taught journalism at several local universities including the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Marquette University, Carroll University and Mount Mary University. Garcia is a published author and serves on the board of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Chicago Chapter.
Three Madison TV stations led a successful effort to fight a defense motion in a homicide case to bar stations from livestreaming the proceedings.
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, Wisconsin Newspaper Association, and Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council joined the motion arguing the media should be allowed to livestream the trial of Chandler Halderson, scheduled for early 2022.
You can read stories from each station about Tuesday’s hearing:
Poynter is offering journalists a two day session on covering jails and police reform. Check it out:
This free workshop will help journalists more confidently cover America’s criminal justice system, from learning about COVID-19 inside jails to proposed changes in local policing. Accepted applicants can attend either online or in-person at Poynter’s waterfront campus in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida.
Throughout the entire program, Poynter faculty will lead robust discussions around journalism ethics when it comes to how we cover the accused and convicted. The sessions will be practical, inspiring and non-political. Apply as soon as you know this program is for you. Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Cost: Free, including hotels. Apply by Friday, Dec. 10, 2021.
From our friends at the Radio Television Digital News Association:
Applications for the Radio Television Digital News Foundation’s 2022 scholarship and fellowship program are now open!
RTDNF plans to award nine scholarships this spring to talented college students interested in careers in radio, television or digital journalism.
Applications are due Jan. 12. Click here for the application form.
Interested students will have to submit 3-5 work samples, a cover letter, a resume and a letter of recommendation. Learn more about each scholarship and the application process here. Learn more about our fellowships here.
RTDNF has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships and fellowships to more than 500 young journalists since 1970 as part of its mission as the educational arm of RTDNA. Scholarships are open to college students pursuing careers in radio, television, or digital journalism. Winners must be officially enrolled, full-time sophomores. juniors or seniors in good standing.
Recipients have gone on to enjoy careers from reporter, anchor, and news director to White House speechwriter, media regulatory attorney, and journalism educator. Several have served as RTDNA board members and many are Murrow Award winners. See past winners here.
RTDNF plans to award four fellowships to promising young-career journalists this spring. Apply now! Fellowships are open to professional broadcast or digital journalists with fewer than 10 years of experience. Learn more about our fellowship opportunities here.
Scholarship and fellowship winners will be invited to attend RTDNA22 in September.
Resources like this are made possible by donors like you to the Radio Television Digital News Foundation. Support future journalists now.
Newsradio 620 WTMJ is excited to name Vince Vitrano, longtime morning news anchor at TMJ4 News, as the new host of “Wisconsin’s Morning News,” replacing Gene Mueller, who announced his retirement after 44 years in Milwaukee radio. Mueller will retire in February 2022 as Vitrano segues into the role.
For Vitrano, the move to 620 WTMJ fulfills a lifelong broadcasting dream. “For a kid born and raised in Wisconsin, this job is like playing for the Brewers and the Bucks! Salute to Gene Mueller, who is a friend, a colleague, and someone I’ve looked up to in our business. To succeed him in this role is truly an honor,” Vitrano said. “The job presents a different opportunity while continuing with the legacy of great stations.”
“Vince Vitrano is a perfect choice to fill ‘the big chair’,” said Gene Mueller, on-air host on Wisconsin’s Morning News. “He’s a true Wisconsinite— a solid news veteran who shares the interests, sensibilities, and concerns of our listeners. I will sleep better and longer knowing Vince is there, continuing a legacy broadcast with passion, care, and integrity.”
Vitrano is an Emmy award winning reporter and anchor, joining TMJ4 in the spring of 2000 as a general assignment reporter. He has earned numerous honors from the Associated Press, the Milwaukee Press Club, and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. He is active in the community, on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Wisconsin, and The First Tee Southeast Wisconsin.
Steve Wexler, Vice President and Market Manager of Good Karma Brands, which owns and operates Newsradio 620 WTMJ said, “We are excited to welcome Vince to WTMJ Radio and are thrilled that WTMJ’s tradition of excellence, community service and news, both in TV and radio, continues today. As we thank Gene for his amazing career and contributions, we can’t wait for Vince to lead us forward.”
Joe Poss, Vice President and General Manager at TMJ4 said, “We are thrilled for Vince. It is not a goodbye for TMJ4, as we have been a news partner to 620 WTMJ since the dawn of local television. This is an opportunity for a colleague and friend that we support and celebrate. Don’t be surprised if you continue to see Vince on TMJ4 News from time to time, even with his new role down the hall in radio. Congratulations to Vince and WTMJ.”
WTMJ-TV (owned by E.W. Scripps) and WTMJ Radio (locally owned by Good Karma Brands) are broadcast partners, and both stations are located at Radio City in Milwaukee. In 2022, WTMJ Radio will re-locate to downtown Milwaukee.
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