The EIJ News

Excellence in Journalism 2016 | New Orleans, Louisiana

[eijnews]

Press freedom advocates encourage media professionals to support New Voices legislation

Student journalists are more vulnerable than ever before, and it’s time for professional media to step in and help, student press freedom advocates said during their Excellence in Journalism session Friday afternoon.

In an effort to give more authority to student media, the nationwide New Voices campaign is going state by state to help introduce anti-censorship legislation that will grant extra protections to student journalists.

“One of the keys to having this legislation in place is that it’s supporting students to get the kind of job training they need, but it also helps students — even those who won’t enter the journalism field — learn how to evaluate and analyze media in a world full of untruths,” said Sarah Nichols, president of the Journalism Education Association. “Students don’t get the experience they need if someone is telling them, ‘Here’s what you can do,’ ‘Here’s what you can’t do.'”

The New Voices movement was inspired by a success in North Dakota, where, in 2015, the state legislature unanimously passed a bill that ensured free-speech rights for journalism students in public high schools and colleges. Since then, four other states have passed similar legislation. Considering student press freedom laws which previously existed in California and Oregon, a total of eight states have now adopted such student protections.

“We’re struggling in several states where principals and school administrators are lobbying against this kind of legislation — many times they think it could be damaging for them, or they don’t want certain stories to be published,” said Frank LoMonte, director of the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida.

“But it’s important to recognize that students are already seamlessly integrated in the media world today,” LoMonte said. “They aren’t just the future of journalism — they’re the present of journalism.”

To date, 16 states have active New Voices campaigns and are still in the process of moving legislation through state legislatures. The remaining 21 states have inactive campaigns or no campaigns at all.

(Megan Fromm, JEA Educational Initiatives Director)

The Student Press Law Center tracks state-by-state laws and pending campaigns, and Indiana, Washington and Missouri are considered the most likely to pass New Voices laws next. Although legislation can take years to pass — if they pass at all – Megan Fromm, JEA’s educational initiatives director, said progress is more likely to be made when the professional media supports the initiatives.

“When we look at the states where legislation was passed successfully, we see support from a wide variety of stakeholders, especially from the media,” Fromm said. “There has been a notable media absence when covering New Voices, and we want to see that change.”

Fromm said media professionals should consider publishing editorials about New Voices legislation and give more attention to the progress — or lack thereof — of state campaigns.

“We can’t afford to not have meaningful, substantial coverage of what’s happening,” Fromm said. “It’s the best thing journalists can do.”

Additionally, professionals are invited to serve as mentors for high school or college students as a part of the SPLC’s Active Voice program. Shine Cho, an intern at SPLC and former Active Voice fellow, said the program helps students better understand their First Amendment rights. By having access to mentorship from media professionals, Cho said students are also more equipped to take on more challenging stories at their schools.

“Students want to have your support, whether that’s by having it through from the work you publish, or from the mentoring you can provide,” Cho said. “Without it, we’re preventing students from being able to tell stories that need to be told.”

To learn more about New Voices, visit www.newvoicesus.com. To learn more about Active Voice, visit www.theactivevoice.org or contact Shine Cho at [email protected] to become a mentor.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/press-freedom-advocates-encourage-media-professionals-to-support-new-voices-legislation/

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Upcoming Job Opening at Society of Professional Journalists for Journalist on Call

A new “Journalist On-Call” position has been created by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. The SDX Board Voted 16-6 in favor of the pilot position. The position would pay up to $180,000 but that includes advertising, travel, salary, and benefits.

SDX Board President Robert Leger explains the role of the new “Journalist On-Call” position.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/upcoming-job-opening-at-society-of-professional-journalists-for-journalist-on-call/

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Pressing Issues: What Makes A Great Podcast?

      “Never lose the idea of who you’re talking to.” – Felix Contreras, Host of NPR’s Alt.Latino. Photo by Pablo Arauz Peña

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Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/pressing-issues-what-makes-a-great-podcast/

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Jake Tapper reminds reporters to be 'equal-opportunity skeptics' at awards ceremony

Jake Tapper speaks after receiving his award.

As he was honored for his contributions to journalism and maintaining a free press at the Excellence in Journalism conference, CNN chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper  urged a room of reporters to work hard to “earn back the trust of the American people.”

“Being under assault by lying Twitter trolls and hostile foreign governments and juvenile officials in our own countries doesn’t mean we lower our standards,” Tapper said in his speech. “That means we raise our standards. This is potentially — and I think probably — a golden age of journalism.”

Tapper received the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award, which the Radio Television Digital News Association awards yearly.

NBC Nightly News Anchor Lester Holt, who was unable to attend the awards ceremony because he was covering Hurricane Irma, was awarded the Paul White Award, RTDNA’s highest honor that recognizes lifetime contributions to broadcast or digital journalism.

“This is the pinnacle of journalism in the U.S.,” Kathy Walker, RTDNA chair, said. “We need to respect it and understand just how important it is to our freedoms — all of our freedoms — as Americans.”

Audience members listen to Lester Holt’s pre-recorded acceptance speech.

Tapper said reporters should ensure they are being “equal opportunity skeptics” in their coverage or avoiding siding with partisan issues in their work and “cross every T and dot every I” before a story sees broadcast or publication.”

“As we stand up for facts and truth and basic human decency, we in the media now more than ever need to make sure that we are excelling at what we do,” he said.

Tapper has worked with CNN since 2013 and hosts The Lead with Jake Tapper, a one-hour weekday program that debuted in March 2013. Holt also hosts CNN’s morning show, The State of the Union. An author of three books, Tapper, who moderated two debates for the 2016 presidential election, has won awards for his coverage of the election on CNN.

Holt joined NBC as a reporter in 2000, hosting shows such as Dateline, Lester Holt Live and, later, the NBC Nightly News. He is noted as the first African American to be the lead anchor on weekday nightly newscast.

In his live-streamed message from Miami, Holt said reporters must understand the privilege of “having a front row seat” that comes with reporting; however, he said they must exercise caution and compassion when handling others’ stories.

“I’m reminded that so often we step into people’s lives in their darkest, most vulnerable moments,” he said. “Many of them will make news not for what they have done, but because of what they have suffered or witnessed or experienced.”

Standing in front of palm trees on a beach as the wind whipped his shirt, Holt said the “nature” of journalism is to “step into people’s lives” and then “rapidly step out.”

In the same vein as Tapper’s speech, Holt urged reporters to “tune out the noise” of people bashing the press.

“In our pursuit of answers and accountability by our leaders, we cannot slide down the dangerous slope of self-righteousness,” he said.

Previous Paul White Award recipients include Dan Rather, Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, who was also awarded the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/jake-tapper-reminds-reporters-to-be-equal-opportunity-skeptics-at-awards-ceremony/

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Closing the leadership gap: panelists discuss how to be self-advocates

From left to right: Michelle Philo, Sonya Quick, Juilet Murphy, Alan Gibbons and Julie Geisler discuss issues in the gender and leadership gaps.

From the shifting media industry that enlists fewer people who do more for less money to implicit biases that plague workplaces across the U.S., some women in journalism are still trying to navigate disparities in the industry affected by gender.

In a panel titled Closing the Newsroom Gender Pay and Leadership Gaps, author Jill Geisler warned female journalists against taking on extra work for no additional pay, such as serving on committees for diversity.

“My mantra is don’t do invisible work,” Geisler said. “That doesn’t mean ‘don’t do it;’ it means make certain that you report back to someone.”

Geisler, along with Sonya Quick, digital editor of Orange Coast; Juliet Murphy, an author and motivational student; Michelle Philo, corporate counsel at Adtile Technologies; and Alan Gibbons, OC editor-in-chief, discussed some male managers’ predisposition to labeling women who ask for a raise as “greedy” or “selfish.”

Panelists also touched on job hunters’ uneasiness navigating price negotiation.

Murphy said by the time price negotiations begin, then the interviewee’s job has already been fulfilled, and the interviewer will try his or her best to accommodate the new hire as much as possible.

“I will try my darnedest to get that person because this is like a true love relationship,” Murphy said. “At that point, you’ve found the one and you want the person.”

Richard Chacón, executive news content director for WBUR in Boston, said he’s seen numerous job applicants underestimate their value as reporters in negotiations.

“Don’t give them the opportunity to come down from what they’re thinking of paying you for that salary,” he said.

Women are faced with issues such as navigating maternity leave, vying for promotions and scrounging for raises, sometimes coping with intimidation from older men.

Paired with that, Geisler said, the shrinking industry has weakened the possibility for journalists to remain in a steady job — a fact she described as a “double whammy. Instead, she said, management should offer opportunities for their employees to build an impressive résumé.

“A good manager who can’t give you money is going to give you feedback, training — all of those skills, and know that you may leave,” Geisler said.

The panel also touched on issues young female journalists face while searching for a newsroom job or standing up for themselves in their first job.

Geisler said young journalists are, for once, able to stand out because they are more well-versed in digital media.

“You used to be a junior version of what everybody in the newsroom knew, and that didn’t make you very valuable,” she said. “You’ll be more valuable for the gifts you bring.”

However, although the draw of a new career may be tempting, Raquel Maria Dillon, a digital producer with KALW in Oakland, Calif., said younger journalists should not be afraid to utilize company resources and ask for reimbursement on gas mileage.

“I’ve worked with young women who don’t file for mileage,” Dillon said, “and I feel that’s like leaving mileage on the floor. Unless it’s your passion project, you should be filing for that kind of small stuff.”

Dillon also urged younger journalists to avoid making their “hustle” look “effortless.”

“Make sure that people know how many hours you’re putting in,” she said.

Chacón noted that he’s noticed young print reporters sell themselves short while representing themselves.

“They don’t fully recognize what they’re bringing to the table, especially if they don’t come from diverse backgrounds,” he said. “They sort of just underestimate themselves and what they’re bringing to the newsroom and to the organization.”

  Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/closing-the-leadership-gap-panelists-discuss-how-to-be-self-advocates/

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Pressing Issues: Understanding Native Truths

  Media representations of Native Americans are tangled in a butchered narrative of stereotypes that harken back to the roots of colonialism, say panelists at the “Understanding Native Truths” breakout session at the Excellence in Journalism Conference.

The tropes of poor savages and welfare alcoholics are perpetuated by dated ideas that demean thousands of indigenous groups existing throughout the country. These stereotypes often put native people in a handful of categories that journalists may fall into with their reporting.

For this episode of Pressing Issues — avoiding the inaccurate representation of Native American and Alaskan communities throughout history and in the present day with Crystal Echohawk — CEO of EchoHawk Consulting.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/pressing-issues-understanding-native-truths/

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SPJ committee to present resolutions at business meeting for debate

At the final SPJ business meeting this week, the Resolutions Committee will present at least two issues to spark debate among delegates.

Sonny Albarado, chairman of the SPJ resolutions committee, said the committee has spent the last few weeks creating resolutions, ensuring they’re in the correct format and deciding if the issues are important enough to bring before the delegates.

The first resolution addresses the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the press.

“Basically, the resolution calls on other public officials and members of congress to remind the administration the importance of the freedom of the press,” Albarado said.

The second is a resolution about public information officers, also known as mediated access, an issue SPJ has worked on for a number of years, Albarado said. The SPJ website even includes multiple reports about PIOs.

“Years ago, it was a whole lot easier for a reporter to go and talk to the person who’s actually in charge of a particular issue in local government,” he said. “Now you cannot do that. You’ve got to go through the public information officer, and often you cannot even talk to that person. The information is just relayed to you from the public information officer.”

Albarado added that POIs lead to incomplete reporting or even hazardous situations.

“The [resolution] we’re going to present to delegates on Saturday asks reporters to make an even stronger effort to oppose having to only deal with public information officers,” he said.

The committee is asking journalists to tell their bosses, paper publishers, broadcast station owners, readers and listeners when they encounter a situation where the only source is a PIO.

“Tell them why it’s not a good idea that the only way you can get information, and therefore the only way the public can get information, is to get an official version of things from the public information officer,” Albarado said. “It’s a chilling effect on the freedom of speech.”

The business meeting is 2:30 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Platinum 9 Ballroom.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/spj-committee-to-present-resolutions-at-business-meeting-for-debate/

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SPJ may create additional student chapter awards

Student SPJ chapters may soon have more ways to receive recognition at the regional level.

“What we’re hoping to do is address what we saw as an imbalance,” said Andrew Schotz, SPJ Awards and Honors Committee Chair. “There are many more student chapters than there are pro chapters.”

Currently, each SPJ region presents 12 chapter awards annually to professional chapters, covering topics from ethics to diversity. All student campus chapters within a region compete for a single “Outstanding Campus Chapter Award.”

“That didn’t sit right with some of us, but the problem is we can’t just start adding [awards],” he said. “We might have too much as it is. We didn’t want to tinker with it too much.”

The board has tentatively decided to add a “Best Program” award for student campus chapters and divide the single “Outstanding Campus Chapter” into two—a first place and runner-up, to allow two student chapters recognition at the regional level.

Schotz said the decision for the additional student chapter awards will not take place at this Saturday’s business meeting because the process is less formal and only includes regional directors.

“The chapter awards are something we review and give out as a group,” he said of the regional directors. “We’re just going to make sure we all agree on our final plan. If there’s any objections, we might tinker with it a little bit more.”

Triston Giesie and Jakob Rodriguez, both co-presidents of Texas State University’s student SPJ chapter, said the idea of additional awards was motivating to them.

“I’m about winning awards, honestly,” Rodriguez said.

Giesie explained that his chapter membership numbers have dwindled and their chapter is a shell of what it once was. The duo plans to work hard to improve membership and programming to hopefully win an award.

“We’re going to take this opportunity to be like a phoenix and rise from the ashes,” Giesie said.

Schotz emphasized that the regional directors are still considering this addition, and it’s not confirmed at this time.

“This may not be the final plan, but I have a feeling it will be the plan close to it,” he said.

Schotz said the regional directors may decide to confirm the addition of two new student chapter awards by this Sunday, Sept. 10.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/spj-may-create-additional-student-chapter-awards/

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Creating a video at the 'I don't always create videos' breakout session.

Journalism is continually changing, and video is becoming more necessary. Journalists do not always create video, but when they do, that video is often used for social media. This Deep Dive Workshop provided hands on experience for journalists looking to enhance their skills with video.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/creating-a-video-at-the-i-dont-always-create-videos-breakout-session/

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Dunia Elvir's Tips for Reporting

Dunia Elvir of Telemundo 52 Los Angeles stopped by the #EIJ17 Newsroom and offered her advice for finding success in the newsroom and for reporting on natural disasters.

On standing out to audiences, Elvir said, “If you study your DMA (data and marketing association) and you know your DMA, you have that strength to the company that you’re coming (to). They’re going to pick you over the other person because you know who you’re serving.”

For reporting on natural disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey and Irma, Elvir said, “People don’t remember what you tell them. They remember how you make them feel when you tell them.”

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/dunia-elvirs-tips-for-reporting/

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New Database Tracks Attacks on Reporters

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

On June 4 in Portland, Oregon, Alex-Jon Earl, a student news editor working for the Portland State Vanguard, was pepper-sprayed while covering a protest and counter-protest.

“Things got a little heated,” Earl said. After counter-protesters broke off to march away, Earl followed other reporters and was in turn followed by ACLU and National Lawyers Guild observers. As Earl fell behind to catch some footage, he received a frantic message from a few hundred yards away that one of his fellow reporters was being detained. He ran to the scene and saw “a few dozen people being kettled by police,” including Anna Williams, one of his contributing writers. Williams was held and her license was photographed prior to her release.

Last month, The Freedom of the Press Foundation introduced a website to count press freedom violations. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker brings together 30 press freedom groups to create a centralized repository for research to help inform advocacy, journalism and legal action.

In 2017, there have been 20 arrests of US journalists, 12 searches and seizures of equipment, 16 alleged physical attacks on US journalists, and 4 border stops of US journalists.

“We at RTDNA are proud to be a founding participant of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. It is the archive of record of attacks on press freedom in America in the current divisive political and ideological environment,” Dan Shelley, incoming Executive Director of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), said.

“In a time when the important work of journalists is constantly under attack, especially by those in positions of power within the current White House administration, it’s essential for us to document and examine the challenges reporters face,” Sarah Nichols, President of the Journalism Education Association (JEA), tweeted. “The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is an important and necessary initiative to protect the work journalists do and an excellent resource in the classroom for discussion about press freedom with data and evidence to shape meaningful dialogue.”

In May, Montana GOP congressional candidate Greg Gianforte grabbed reporter Ben Jacobs and knocked him to the ground, said Fox News correspondent Alicia Acuna. Acuna said the violence “was so out of context for where we were. We weren’t covering a protest. We weren’t covering something where you knew at any moment that something could happen. We weren’t girded for it.”

In a portion of audio from Jacobs, published in The Atlantic, the candidate can be heard shouting, “I’m sick and tired of you guys! The last guy that came in here, you did the same thing! Get the hell out of here!” After winning the election, Gianforte apologized.

The First Amendment Task Force of RTDNA issued a condemnation of the assault.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/new-database-tracks-attacks-on-reporters/

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RIAS Berlin Commission Alumni Discuss Neo-Nazism in 2017

The Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) is celebrating a quarter-century partnership with the Radio in the American Sector (RIAS) Berlin Commission, an organization which serves as an exchange program between journalists in Germany and the United States.

The organizations met at #EIJ17 where RIAS Executive Director Erik Kirschbaum and alumni gathered to reminisce and network. They offered their unique perspectives to EIJ News about the neo-Nazi and white supremacist protesters who descended on Charlottesville, Va. which ended in one death.

“The big issue of Charlottesville is not necessarily what happened there,” said Kirschbaum. “It’s what the president said. Which was so unusual that the president seemed to show understanding for the neo-Nazis, whereas it’s not something you’d ever see in Germany.

The politicians in Germany were shocked that President Trump was talking about both sides. It’s not something anybody in Germany in their right minds would say,” Kirschbaum said.

The RIAS Berlin Commission, founded by former president George H.W. Bush was created during the Cold War in West Germany to strengthen relations and understanding between the two countries.

Alumni in the exchange program said it opened their minds to new ideas and different perspectives.

“It really broadens your horizons,” said Heather Sullivan, an anchor for WWBT in Richmond, Va. and a RIAS Berlin Commission alumna. “It broadens your awareness, it makes you more aware of what’s going on internationally, it gives you a much better understanding of the political issues between the United States and Germany, and really the entire world.”

Nazism in Germany today is treated very differently than in the United States. The history of National Socialism and the Holocaust are taught as part of the German curriculum in schools. Students visit a concentration camp or holocaust museum to learn history in a personal way.

Alexis Garcia, a producer at Reason magazine and a RIAS Berlin Commission alumna, says she witnessed the terrible violence in Charlottesville and believes RIAS helped her understand the conflict from a different perspective.

“Being part of this program kind of gave you a context for what this movement is about, what it represents,” Garcia said. “And in Germany, I think they have a very difficult task of how do we remember the past without necessarily celebrating or making sure that we don’t do something disrespectful that will give people the idea that this is something that could come back.”

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/09/rias-berlin-commission-alumni-discuss-neo-nazism-in-2017/

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Pressing Issues: What Makes A Great Podcast

“Never lose the idea of who you’re talking to. Try to imagine one imaginary typical listener — that’s who you always want to have in mind when you’re talking into the microphone.” – Felix Contreras Photo by Pablo Arauz Peña

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How do you start a podcast? And what does it make a great one?

For this episode of Pressing Issues, Tabitha Redder speaks to Felix Contreras about the best way to make a great podcast.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/08/pressing-issues-what-makes-a-great-podcast/

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Pressing Issues: Covering Hate In Hostile Times

“Don’t let extremism define the terms of discussion.” – Ryan Lenz, Senior Investigative Reporter at The Southern Poverty Law Center. Photo by Sierra Hubbard

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Since the tragedy at Charlottesville this summer, terms like the “alt-right” and “white nationalists” are more prevalent than ever. The growth of these extremist groups comes with the need for more solid and accurate reporting.

For this episode of Pressing Issues, how do journalists address rising extremism all across the country? And how do we cover them without giving these groups too much publicity?

Sierra Hubbard sat down with Marc Lacey of The New York Times, Ryan Lenz of Southern Poverty Law Center and Rachel Glickhouse of ProPublica’s Document Hate project about best practices when it comes to covering hate.

Audio produced by Pablo Arauz Peña.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/08/pressing-issues-covering-hate-in-hostile-times/

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CNBC Hosts Business Reporting Workshop to Recruit at #EIJ17

NBCUniversal’s business network CNBC hosted a news cycle simulation workshop to teach attendees about the network’s daily operations. The fast-paced, hour-and-a-half breaking news workshop ended with a two-minute speed interviewing session for tbe Business News Associate program position at CNBC headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

University of Houston graduate Ilse Hernandez is one of about 30 students selected for the workshop after a competitive process of interviews and a writing test. She says she applied hoping it would lead to a position at CNBC.

“It was a good learning experience because I want to be a producer,” Hernandez said.

CNBC vice president of talent development and senior executive producer Mary Duffy moderated a panel with some of the company’s experts, like Nasdaq reporter Bertha Coombs, assistant managing editor Ellen Egeth and editorial director of digital properties Matthew Rosoff. The panelists discussed their teams’ editorial processes, such as morning meeting pitches for the assignment desk, social media strategy and how CNBC merges television content with digital.

The workshop had attendees simulate a day’s news cycle. Teams of participants were paired with a member of the CNBC panel and they discussed breaking news stories of the day. Participants then pitched their stories to the panel, simulating the CNBC editorial process for multiple platforms.

Workshop attendee pitching a business stories to a panel of CNBC professionals

Nicholas Kjeldgaard of NBC7 San Diego says the workshop was a great opportunity to hear from the producers and talent. “It’s a lot to learn about every single aspect of it,” Kjeldgaard said.” Not just the broadcast side but also the web and digital and social media.”

Ayanna Runcie, a recent graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, says she wishes she had more time with recruiters. “I think the two-minute interview was great because she was very approachable and I was able to have a conversation. Only thing is I just wish is was longer,” Runcie said.

National Association of Hispanic Journalists president Brandon Benavides helped bring the workshop to EIJ to connect the company with diverse candidates.

“This is something that has been ongoing,” Benavides said. “I’m happy that they’re doing it. We are working to continue the partnership together.”

CNBC even brought out the carpet president Obama walked on for his presidential debate, which Mary Duffy said they now use to welcome other presidential candidates and CNBC Business News Associate attendees.

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/08/cnbc-hosts-business-reporting-workshop-to-recruit-at-eij17/

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LA Times reporters offer advice in investigative process

Left to right: Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton and Peter Pringle discuss their investigation of events that occurred before Dr. Carmen Puliafito’s resignation.

In publishing a series of investigative reports on a University of Southern California dean that brought his school reputation and revenue, five LA Times reporters did what the university and Los Angeles Police Department failed to do — publicly acknowledge the dean’s secret double life involving prostitutes and drugs.

Conducted by Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton, Paul Pringle, Sarah Parvini and Adam Elmahrek, the Times’ investigation uncovered photographs and videos of Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the dean of USC’s medical school, ingesting drugs. Another showed a woman, 22-year-old Sarah Warren, who met Puliafito while working as a prostitute and visited him frequently, sitting in his lap as she smoked meth.

Ryan said Puliafito was crucial in helping the university garner resources and funds.

“He was more than just an administrator,” she said. “He was sort of the key person in their strategy to become a nationally known school.”

However, sources from USC told the team that university staff members previously raised concerns over his obsessive drinking, inappropriate comments and short temper and suggested he was unfit to continue as dean.

“One female employee was so taken aback by how he dressed her down that she went to the bathroom and vomited,” Hamilton said. “There were a lot of red flags that USC was aware about, but they continued to keep him on as dean for a second term.”

The Times was tipped off on Puliafito’s somewhat-secretive habits in March 2016 and began filing Freedom of Information Act requests the next month. After the state government officials denied public records requests or university staff ignored them, the team turned to less traditional outlets: the internet and social media.

Hamilton found a drug dealer who knew Puliafito by locating the dean’s Venmo account. He also found accounts on sites such as Backpage.com and sugardaddy.com, which are known for escort services. By the time the team received some public records, they had already made headway.

Then came the in-person interviews.

Warren eventually spoke to the Times after being persuaded by the team members and some of her friends. People who knew or said they ingested drugs with Puliafito gave the team photos and videos of him smoking out of a pipe or placing an orange ecstasy tablet on his tongue.

“This guy was so cocky … in the life that he led that he allowed himself to be photographed and videoed doing drugs,” Pringle said. “Eventually, we were able to persuade some people who have copies of those images to give them to us.”

Asked how younger investigative reporters should tackle investigative stories, panelists offered this advice:

Find someone with more experience in your newsroom to help walk you through the process. “If you just have ambition but you don’t have somebody to help form those ambitions, then it’s going to be almost impossible for you to become an investigative reporter,” Ryan said. “You have to work with people who are better than you.”

Know your state FOIA laws.

Become comfortable asking multiple people for the same records. “Sometimes an agency might have similar records so that they can go at it at a different angle,” Hamilton said.

Escalate your requests as needed. Pringle advised reporters to discuss denied FOIA requests with someone whose public image could be harmed by withholding records.

Report government attempts to stonewall your research. “Once you hit a wall like that,” Pringle said, “you should do a story on the wall and let people know that these public officials … are engaging in this type of behavior.”

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/08/la-times-reporters-offer-advice-in-investigative-process/

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Do’s and Don’ts for covering news in a dangerous situation

Whether you are covering a forest fire, a protest, a hurricane, or an earthquake, reporters can find themselves in dangerous situations. It’s a reality news crews, or journalists alone on assignment could face on assignment, and was the focus of a session Friday, “News Safety and Stress for Journalists: An Open Discussion” at the Excellence at Journalism Conference 2017 in Anaheim, California.

Here are some tips from KNX Radio’s 40 year veteran radio reporter, Pete Demetriou, for staying safe in the field:

Do realize that your life is more important than the story

Do scope out the area first in your car. Drive around the block four or five times before you get out and make sure it is safe

Do ask yourself: Do I feel comfortable getting out of the car here?

If you encounter tear gas or pepper spray do: Use this solution to help. Half saline solution or distilled water with half Johnson’s No Tears Baby Shampoo. Pour in your eyes until you can see clearly.

Avoid getting between the police and the protestors

Do consider the risk factor, assess the situation before you get involved, if it appears to be sketchy be prepared.

Do walk away if need be

If you are going to wear a bullet proof vest, do wear it under your clothing so as not to be a target.

Don’t stand down-wind from pepper spray or tear gas

Do keep your car pointed away from the danger and keep the engine running with the AC off

Do talk to others at work about the stress you have endured covering traumatic events

Link: http://www.eijnews.org/2017/09/08/dos-and-donts-for-covering-news-in-a-dangerous-situation/