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In This Issue:
Thriving at Thirty
DPA Founders to Be Honored at Milestone Celebration
by Katherine Ward, DPA Historian
Be a part of the festivities as we celebrate the 1977
founding of Delaware Press Association (historically Delaware Press Women)
and salute our founding, charter and first-year members. We’ll introduce our
special guests at the DPA Annual Meeting and Contest Awards Banquet on April
24 at the University & Whist Club in Wilmington. There will be a display of
DPW/DPA memorabilia, a brief address by charter member Gloria Galloway, a
slide show created by Karen Galanaugh and gifts for everyone.
Delaware Press Women charter member and first president,
Priscilla Tuminello, of Fort Collins, Colo., sets the stage for our
founding. “The 1970s,” she says, “was a time of real awakening by women in
the U.S. and around the world to the many inequities in society due to
gender bias. There was no family leave act; there was no diversity training;
there was no pay equity; there was minimal understanding of the true meaning
of sexual harassment or sexual discrimination.”
Gloria Stuber addressed many of those issues in New
Directions for Women in Delaware, a quarterly feminist newspaper she
founded in 1973. When a copy of New Directions caught the eye of a
National Federation of Press Women regional director in 1976, Gloria was
asked to form a statewide communications group affiliated with NFPW in order to have
a national network of supportive female journalists and to gain entrée to
affordable conferences, workshops and other professional development
opportunities.
 Believing
that NFPW could help women in the field of communications throughout
Delaware, Gloria contacted fellow IABC members Priscilla Tuminello and
Frances Naczi, who called friends such as Margaret Towers, a communication
specialist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Delaware, and Suzanne Bush,
supervisor of creative services and co-editor of the News Journal Company’s
in-house publication Viewpoints. They engaged others in the ensuing months,
drew up the necessary papers, paid dues of $15 each and—thirty years ago
this month—received a charter from NFPW.
By 1997, when male membership in DPW had grown to 20 percent
of its 90 members, thanks to outstanding programs and a prestigious annual
communications contest, Delaware Press Women, believing “a name change—not a
values change—would help build a more inclusive community of women and men
devoted to practicing excellence in communication,” we voted to adopt
“Delaware Press Association” as our new name.
And by 2003, DPA played host to our NFPW colleagues from
across the U.S. when we held the highly successful NFPW/DPA “Brave New Media
World” national communications conference in Wilmington.
Read
short history and some DPA highlights through the years.
 We
hope you will join us in the ballroom at the elegant University & Whist
Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, on Tuesday, April 24, for our 30-year
celebration and to honor those who entered the 2007 DPA Communications
Contest. Social hour with cash bar begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30
p.m. There will be a display of award-winning contest entries and, following
dinner, an address by DPA charter member Gloria Galloway, presentation of
certificates to the contest award winners and cash prizes to the contest
sweepstakes winners.
There is a parking lot at the club (to the left and the
rear), as well as free on-street parking on adjacent streets should the lot
be full. Valet parking is available at the front door, and there is a
handicap access ramp into the club from the parking lot at the rear of the
building.
Directions to University & Whist
Club: From Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 52) heading south into Wilmington,
turn right onto Broom Street (if heading north out of the city, turn left
onto Broom). Landmark: the Church of the Holy City is on the SW corner of
Pennsylvania Avenue and Broom Street. After the turn onto Broom, go past
Padua Academy (on right) to the next stop sign. Cross through the
intersection and turn right into the University & Whist driveway (on the
corner of 9th & Broom).
Cost: $35.
– Make a reservation –
DPA executive director Katherine Ward is also the DPA
historian. For more information on the banquet, contact Katherine at
302-655-2175 or DelawarePress@aol.com.
^Top
Listen Up!
“The Future of Print Journalism” in the Hear and Now
 The
February DPA meeting was a lively discussion on the future of print
journalism by people from The News Journal who grapple with the
subject every day: Mike Mika, VP of new media and director of
delawareonline.com; John Sweeney, editorial page editor; and Matt Sullivan,
editor of Spark Weekly. Trends in readership, Internet technology,
the cost of printing presses, surprising statistics and much more sparked
questions and comments from the audience.
If you were one of our members who expressed disappointment that you
couldn't attend the February meeting and asked if someone would please tape
the discussion, your wish has been granted.
Beth Miller taped the entire session, including the Q & A. She gave the tape
to WDEL 1150 AM news director Chris Carl, who had it converted into the MP3
link below that is now available on WDEL’s server. Those who didn’t go to
the meeting will enjoy listening to the conversation about when, where and
how we’ll be getting the news in the foreseeable future. There’s always a
new technological horizon beyond the one in view now.
LISTEN to the panel
discussion on “The Future of Print Journalism”
^Top
007 DPA Communications Contest
Results Not Just for Your Eyes Only
by Claudia Young, 2007 Contest Manager
 The
DPA contest awards banquet, honoring all who participated in the 2007 DPA
Communications Contest—entrants, judges, committee members—will be special
this year as it falls on the 30th anniversary of the founding of Delaware
Press Association. A number of our founders and charter members will be
present as we offer a display of winning contest entries and present the
awards in the ballroom of the University & Whist Club in Wilmington.
One of the joys of running the annual contest is the opportunity to see all
of the excellent and diverse work that comes to us from the Delaware
communications community. The judges agree and offered comments such as:
“really tight competition,” ”wonderful resource for readers” and “superb,
quality work.”
Of the 272 entries in the 2007 contest, 84 received first-place awards and
are eligible for the NFPW Communications Contest. National winners will be
announced at the NFPW communications conference in Richmond, Va., in
September, but Delaware winners will be notified when results become
available in July.
Join Annie Nefosky and Jean Hull Herman, this year’s contest directors, and
me at the University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, on
Tuesday, April 24, for the social gathering, the banquet and all of the
awards, beginning at 5:30 p.m. And, of course, we will name those whose
entries garnered the most points in the contest sweepstakes. Cash prizes of
$250, $150 and $100 will go to the top three.
Congratulations and thanks to all who participated, and best wishes to those
who produced all of the first place entries that will compete in the
national contest!
Get directions to the University & Whist Club . . .
^Top
From the President: Pursuing Truth
with Integrity
by Beth Miller
At first I was shocked. The offer was so bold.
“We’d love to take you out on the yacht, out on the
Chesapeake sometime. We’ll bring the crabs and the beer. You bring your
friends. Just say when.”
A lovely invitation, especially for someone who loves the
water, loves friends, and has no boat on which to enjoy both at the same
time. But the bait did not disguise the menacing hook. The invitation came
from someone who was in the middle of a controversial matter I was covering
for The News Journal.
It was early in my career, and it was my first such offer.
Unfortunately, it was not the last. And I often have been glad to work for a
newspaper with a strong ethics policy, one that provides specific guidance
and reasoning on why integrity, accuracy and fairness matter.
It has helped, too, when the suggestions were less about
great seats at an Orioles game and more about self-preservation.
“Write that in your newspaper, and you will regret it.”
“Yes, it’s a public meeting, but don’t put what he just said
in the newspaper, okay? You wouldn’t want us to stop talking to you, would
you?”
“I know the editor up there, and I’ll have your job.”
“I have friends who can make sure you don’t come back to
this town—ever.”
Now this is a high horse I’m about to saddle up, so let me
make something clear before we set out. I subscribe to the belief of Nobel
Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who in his remarkable Gulag
Archipelago brought the issue home: “The line separating good and evil
passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political
parties either—but through all human hearts.” Including mine.
This is not a democracy/communism problem. It’s not a
rich/poor problem. It’s not a red/blue problem. It is a heart-of-the-beast
problem that requires strong medicine and constant vigilance.
The News Journal’s ethics policy helps. It has clear
directives on maintaining independence, being fair with sources and rarely
using unnamed sources. It forbids lying, misrepresenting ourselves to get
access or information and twisting coverage to fit a bias. It deals with
conflicts of interest, community involvement, political activities and
financial involvements.
It carries strong sanctions.
We have to read the policy and sign it every year, lest we
forget the finer points or why it all matters. I have read portions of our
policy to some whose suggestions cross the line, whether intentionally or
not. And a few have said, “I won’t tell anybody if you don’t.”
That’s not an option, of course. And if I take that approach
to ethics—doing whatever I think I can get away with—I have let everybody
down. I have ignored an important boundary line, and, as G.K. Chesterton
wrote, “Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason why it was
put up.” It could be a matter of life and death. It could be a matter of
good and evil.
It is our duty to pursue the truth with integrity, treating
people with dignity and respect, acknowledging our failures. Our credibility
depends on it. Our readers, viewers and listeners deserve nothing less.
And nobody, as Solzhenitsyn says, is immune to the lure of
evil.
So when I hear that a public official has traded votes for
something else, I try to remember how good those deals can sound. When I
read that a preacher has been caught in a compromising position, I try to
remember my own struggle with temptations. When the dark side of a human
being is exposed publicly, I wince.
Ethics policies are essential—but the heart of the matter
lies in me.
• • •
Read
The News Journal Ethics Policy
For good supporting articles and arguments to strengthen your own commitment
to honesty, fairness and ethical conduct in your work, check out these
links.
The Society of Professional Journalists
The National
Federation of Press Women
The
Poynter Institute
^Top
Ethics Advice Line for
Journalists
 The NFPW Code of Ethics states in part: “With truth as my ultimate goal, I
will adhere to the highest standards of professional communication, never
consciously misleading reader, viewer, or listener; and will avoid any
compromise of my objectivity or fairness.”
In the course of telling the truth, being objective and fair, and upholding
an obligation only to the people’s right to know, writers are faced daily
with ethical dilemmas. It’s not always easy to determine exactly where the
moral compass should point. After all, telling the truth sometimes can cause
irreparable harm to others, and one caveat for the journalist is to minimize
harm.
If you are on the horns of an ethical dilemma, you are not alone. An
excellent online resource specifically for “professional journalists in need
of guidance on reaching ethical decisions while covering the news” is the
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists, a free service sponsored by the Chicago
Headline Club Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Loyola
University Chicago Center for Ethics and Social Justice. The Ethics
AdviceLine allows you to submit a dilemma to an expert who will call you,
usually within 24 hours. Confidentiality is guaranteed.
Go to Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists.
For a tutorial on ethics in journalism, click on the following links.
NFPW Code of Ethics
SPJ Code of Ethics
Gannett Newspaper Division Principals of Ethical Conduct
The News Journal Ethics
Policy (addendum to Gannett Newspaper Division Principals of Ethical
Conduct)
^Top
First Amendment Matters
Let the Sun Shine In!
by Mary Lou Ponsell
Editor’s note: NFPW First Amendment Chair Marsha
Shuler says, “Information is power for the people—power to hold their
government and its officials accountable for their actions.” We rely on
Freedom of Information laws and scrutiny by oversight agencies to help keep
public officials honest. Yet a recent AP survey found that the FOI laws in
most every state are routinely violated, and secrecy prevails. FOI laws are
randomly enforced, and penalties for breaking those laws are often mild. The
problem of closed government is systemic, and nothing less than public
trust—a cornerstone of democracy—is at stake. We hope this article by Mary
Lou Ponsell and the accompanying Sunshine Week cartoon, drawn by Rob Tornoe,
will shine some light on the subject and inspire you to take action. You
will find a sunshine action strategy at the end of the article.
 The
tide of public opinion is rising against the conduct of public business
behind closed doors in Delaware's General Assembly. The need for open
government is now a favorite subject of news articles, op-ed columns, radio
news and talk shows, Delaware blogs, and was featured in an in-depth article
in the February issue of
DPA NewsBreak.
When the legislature passed the Freedom of Information Act, it exempted
itself from FOIA's provisions. The result is often referred to as the
"Delaware Way"—not a label to be proud or boastful of in any circles—in
which bills of vital interest to Delaware citizens are suppressed in
committees by chairmen who oppose legislation that they then refuse to
release to the floor for debate and vote.
Efforts to remedy this sorry state of affairs have thus far been
unsuccessful. Only recently House Bill 4— an attempt by Rep. Greg Lavelle
(R-Sharpley) to open a window for public review of the budget process in the
legislature—was defeated. Many voting against the bill had campaigned for
open government and were elected in good faith by the voters on that
platform. What say the voters now?
 Relief
may be found in three bills pending in the Senate:
-
S.B. 4 proposes including the General Assembly as a
public body covered by the FOIA.
-
S.B. 12 bestows legislative authority on the citizens of
Delaware by allowing initiative and referendum.
-
S.B. 13 states any amendment to the Delaware
Constitution must be ratified at the polls.
These bills are now in the Senate Executive Committee awaiting the action of
Chairman Thurman G. Adams to move them to other committees and then to the
floor for debate.
The sad truth is that a majority of legislators do not favor passage of
these bills. The good news is that the number of legislators supporting them
is growing. Only the voters can make a difference by supporting this
legislation in letters, e-mails and phone calls to their representative and
senator, with copies to Sen. Adams and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.
The legislature reconvened in early March. Time is of the essence if
citizens are to secure the democracy they once thought they had.
See below for contact information.
SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
As a communicator invested in First Amendment rights and
responsibilities, what could be more important than using your voice to
persuade our state officials to support bills and laws that open the
legislative process to public scrutiny. Let’s give new meaning to the
refrain from our state song: “For the sun is shining over our beloved
Delaware.”
Sunshine Action Strategy to be pursued by individuals or groups:
Bills still in committee:
Senate Bill 4: This bill, introduced by Senator Karen Peterson, has been
assigned to the Senate Executive Committee, which will decide whether to
bring the bill before the full senate for a vote. The committee is chaired
by Senator Thurman Adams, and members are Patricia M. Blevins, Charles L.
Copeland, Anthony J. DeLuca, Liane M. Sorenson and James T. Vaughn.
Senate Bill 28: This bill has been introduced and can be downloaded
from the state Web site under “bill tracking.” Synopsis: This bill broadens
the definition of “meeting” for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act
and defines a quorum for purposes of the Act. It also eliminates the 60-day
statute of limitations for citizen suit enforcement, leaving only the
six-month deadline that a citizen has to file suit in order to challenge an
action by a public body under FOIA.
-
Write letters to legislators. Ask them
specifically to petition SB4 out of Executive Committee so that
it may be voted up or down.
Committee Chairman
Sen. Thurman Adams, Jr. (D) Bridgeville
P.O. Box 367
Bridgeville, DE 19933
302-337-8281
Thurman.Adams@state.de.us
-
Make telephone calls to legislators—considered very
effective.
• Call the Legislative Information Office in Dover at 302-744-4260.
• Call the state offices in Wilmington at 302-577-3210.
-
Write an Op Ed letter to newspapers.
Contact other legislators and insist on Open Government
For contact information for your state legislators, click on links below:
•
State Senators
•
State Representatives
Protect the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
You have the right and the obligation to fight for open government and
freedom of information.
• Visit the National Freedom
of Information Coalition Web site:
http://www.nfoic.org
Open government is the foundation of American democracy. The National
Freedom of
Information Coalition works to protect the public's right to oversee its
government.
• Visit the Freedom of
Information Center Web site:
http://foi.missouri.edu
A reference and research library in the University of Missouri School of
Journalism on the Columbia, Mo., Campus, the Center was established in 1958.
In addition to a wide collection of online documents accessible through its
Web site, the center has a collection of more than 1 million articles and
documents about access to information at federal, state, and local levels.
• Visit the US
Department of Justice Web site:
http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/index.html.
Protect the First Amendment
• Join the First Amendment Network (FAN). Contact FAN Director and NFPW 1st
Vice President
Marsha Shuler at
mshuler@theadvocate.com; or 800-960-6397; or 225-342-7279. Membership is
free if you’re a member of NFPW. Marsha urges everyone to go to the
expanded
First Amendment section on the NFPW Web site that showcases more of what
NFPW is doing.
• Visit the Freedom
Forum Web site:
http://www.FreedomForum.org.
Editor and publisher of Delaware Today for several years shortly
after its founding, Mary Lou Ponsell went on to a twenty-five-year career as
library director and associate professor at Wilmington College, where she
also taught print journalism. She is a charter member of Delaware Press
Association. This article appeared as a letter to the editor in The News
Journal on February 12, 2007. Contact Mary Lou at
mlponsell@aol.com.
Rob Tornoe, page designer/graphic artist at Community Publications, is
also a freelance illustrator, political cartoonist, and a member of the
American Association of Editorial Cartoonists. His work appears regularly in
the Press of Atlantic City, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Star-Ledger,
The New Jersey Herald, Daily Record, NJBiz, and several
weeklies throughout Delaware and New Jersey. More of Rob’s work can be found
on his Web site,
www.boltcomics.com, or his blog,
tornoe.blogspot.com. Read
about the exhibit of his work at the Delaware Art Museum in the
Media Mavens column in this issue of NewsBreak.
Contact Rob at rob@boltcomics.com.
^Top
Spotlight: Gordon DelGiorno
Independent Filmmaker to Raise Curtain, Money on Feature
Film
DPA member Gordon DelGiorno, of Wilmington, and brother
Greg, of Newark, formed Film Brothers Productions in 1999 and, as
independent filmmakers with focus and flair, have put Delaware on the
cinematic map. Movies such as the comedies Franks and Wieners and
Getting Even have played to packed theatres and at a number of film
festivals. The April 12 premier of their new feature film, Jack of Clubs,
at Theatre N @ Nemours in downtown Wilmington sold out long ago, and few
tickets remain available for the other showings in Wilmington and Newark.
Gordon says, “Our movie Jack of Clubs is a story
about Jack Simon, a man who gets a second chance in life when he is
sentenced to community service at a local Boys & Girls Club. He and five
youngsters try to figure out how they all can try to be friends, even
through their differences.”
The brothers were members of Boys & Girls Clubs themselves
when growing up in Wilmington, and Gordon, "Youth of the Year 1983" at the
Clarence Fraim Club, says they got a positive start there. Jeffrey Chase,
Pegasus ArtWorks Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, says, "Gordon's
unique position as an artist and former Club member makes him a great
advocate for our Arts programming efforts. His life experience gives him
perspective on being a member, on promotion and on artistic impact."
And now, after the success of their previous movies, the
brothers are giving back to various charities and community organizations
through the philanthropic events and promotions surrounding Film Brothers’
movies. A charity bar-b-que, auctions, receptions, parties for kids and more
have created enormous good will and community spirit while raising funds not
just locally but nationally and around the globe.
“When asked to tell the story of how I started filmmaking,”
Gordon says, “I often start by saying, ‘I was born a used car salesman’s son
. . .’ Hey, I want to gain credibility right away. Actually, my father sold
cars at a time when community meant everything. Kids played with each other
in the neighborhoods, there were corner markets bustling with business and a
handshake was your word. I often meet old-timers who say, I bought my first
car from your dad. We loved doing business with him.
 “Anymore,
kids are playing video games and chatting online to meet people, the
multiplexes and big chain stores are the routine shopping outlets, and
contracts and opt out clauses are the business norm.
“I’m not so quixotic as to believe I can take things back to
that neighborhood feel again,” Gordon continues. “But I do want to bring
people together, and filmmaking is just the tool for the job. Usually once a
year, Film Brothers premieres our latest feature film, and 500 to 1000
people from the community come together for an ‘experience’ at our movie
events. Whether they like our movie or not, they can relax and forget about
their on-the-go, technology-is-our-best-friend,
we-need-to-climb-the-corporate-ladder lives for a few hours.
“What I’ve loved most about the events around the movies is
hearing comments such as:
‘I met my wife at your movie premiere’ and ‘We saw friends we hadn’t seen
for years, and we’re getting together for dinner next week.’
“So I really major in promotions with a minor in filmmaking.
Of course, I also love to hear that people enjoy our movies. But I like it
even more when they say they enjoyed their experience at the event.
 “So
now it’s April 2007, and we get to do it all over again! This time it’s for
the premier of Jack of Clubs. We decided to write a script based on
our experiences growing up around the Boys & Girls Club and pitched the idea
to Delaware BG Club President and CEO George Krupanski.
“Because we wanted to film at the Clubs, have their children participate and
use the finished movie as a fundraiser for their programs, we set up the
casting call through Mike Lemon Casting in Philadelphia (Sixth Sense,
Philadelphia, 12 Monkeys, Unbreakable). We set up a film crew from
Baltimore/DC to shoot in June 2006. My brother Greg and I directed the film
and wrapped shooting at the end of July. We immediately partnered with Barry
Mac Monegle’s Immagine Studios in Wilmington for post-production.
“As the editing process continued, we filmed some people with familiar names
and faces from the Delaware area for cameo spots in the movie. Some of the
guest stars are Sen. Tom Carper, Congressman Mike Castle, Wilmington Mayor
Jim Baker, Judy McKinney-Cherry, Tina Betz, Joyce Evans, David Bromberg,
Pastor D, Harry Kalas, Newark Mayor Vance Funk, Sen. Liane Sorenson, Sen.
Charlie Copeland and many more.
“Six Jack of Clubs movie events are planned for April in Wilmington
and Newark. The response for tickets has been incredible. Five of the events
are sold out with only a few tickets left for the sixth. Greg and I hope to
see you at one of them.”
Gordon and Greg are serious about hoping to make millions for the Boys &
Girls Clubs. Gordon says, “Film Brothers has prepared a step-by-step
instructional package that will be presented to each of the 3,500 Boys &
Girls Clubs across the United States to enable them to host their own movie
premieres for promotional awareness and fundraisers. One hundred percent of
the proceeds from each club’s movie premier will go towards their individual
programs.”
To see video clips of Jack of Clubs and other FB movies, read about
the Jack of Clubs cast and crew, order merchandise, buy tickets or get on
the Film Brothers’ mailing list, go their Web site at
www.filmbrothers.com.
Contact Gordon DelGiorno at
gordon@filmbrothers.com.
^Top
Focus on Freelancing
NFPW Survey Gives Writers a Voice of Their Own
by Lise Monty
Editor’s note: This is the first article of a 4-part
series on freelancing.
 Freelance
writing is not for sissies. Not if your goal is a livable income or
consistent, fair compensation, however one defines it. That was a popular
theme among the comments made by many of the respondents to the recent
survey on freelance work conducted by the National Federation of Press
Women. Others among the almost 200 who completed the national survey felt
differently, which will come as no surprise to anyone who has dealt with the
vagaries of the business.
Clear-cut conclusions on remuneration could not be drawn
because the responses varied so widely. The pay reported for a 3000-word
feature, for example, ranged from $35 to $3000. (More survey results
follow.) But there was much to be learned from the many insightful
observations and words of advice shared by freelancing pros.
Their opinions ran the gamut, but they were expressed
clearly, often with passion. Several used word repetition to emphasize
strong convictions. “Everyone wants to know how to get the most money for a
job, but I haven’t figured that out yet,” wrote one well-established
practitioner. “My solution is to work, work, work with pubs of all
pay scales to get to the overall income that I want. That usually means
50-hour work weeks, writing and editing for at least 10 publications.”
Another advises that freelance work is “great for a person
who is self-directed, motivated, disciplined and willing to market,
market, market himself/herself.” This writer never leaves home without
her business cards and gives them out everywhere . . . “sometimes in the
most unusual places and times.” She even enlists the help of her family to
give out her cards, and she’s always looking for new opportunities while
keeping a close eye on what’s going on in her community and region.
One respondent concurred “no one is going to get rich
freelancing.” But for those who want to do it well enough to get published,
“you need to research the markets you want to write for and you need to feed
your mind . . . so read, read, read.” From a respondent who focused
on non-monetary rewards: “Continue to learn. Subscribe to good online
newsletters, and a couple of good writer magazines . . . and write,
write, write. Money is important, but it isn’t everything.”
A few reported success at negotiating for better rates or
for expenses to be covered; others faced a “take it or leave it” attitude
from editors who have set fees and are not inclined to raise them.
Publications in the New York area simply "pay what they pay," wrote another.
“A writer should expect to do whatever is necessary (however many
interviews, phone calls, etc.) to get the story done.”
“It’s a tough, competitive business,” another respondent
wrote. “You have to make sure you do a good job every time you get an
assignment, because if you don’t, there are plenty of other freelancers out
there ready to take your place.”
The idea of per-word payment generated some strong negative
responses, including these three:
“Work should be paid on the basis of its value, not on how
verbose a writer can be. In our writers' guidelines, we let people know that
stories are not paid per word, and we ask them to be concise.”
“Word counts are absurd in the 21st century. A great story
of 250 words is far superior to a mediocre story of 2,000 words. It's no
longer the 19th century.”
“Word count is a pittance: 500 words for $5 dollars? Never.
Difficult material, high-profile people, size of audience, phone tag with
important sources, and time wasted following false leads. Writers are
battling new media; their work is siphoned into newspapers, newsletters and
hyperspace, where copyright is just a typo to delete. Writers are
professionals, not nineteenth century drudges.”
Summary of Survey Results
Total number of respondents: Nearly 200 from 39 states and
one currently in South Korea.
Statistics based on 175 replies per question (on average)
and rounded off
72% live in urban areas; 28% in rural areas
67% write for local publications; 56% for regional; 43% for national
91% write; 47% edit; 18% do layout & design
48% work in a wide variety of other communications
Per hour pay: $10 to $400
Stories of approximately 500 words: 20 cents–$2 per word;
$35–$1,000 per article
Stories of approximately 3000 words: 5 cents–$2 per word; $35–$3,000 per
article
Photographs: $25–$125 per picture
Features: $20–$3,000
Briefs: $25–$1,500
Three years ago freelance writer Lise Monty retired after
ten years as external affairs manager for the Delaware Art Museum. While at
the helm of Delaware Today from 1987 to 1994, she won several
prestigious national awards for the magazine’s “general excellence.” Lise
was the first female Bureau Chief for Fairchild Publications in its Boston
Bureau and worked as Tokyo correspondent for Women’s Wear Daily. She
is the author of Images of Delaware and Wilmington: on the Move,
coffee-table books featuring photographs by Mike Biggs. Lise chaired the
pre- and post-conference tours committee for the NFPW/DPA “Brave New Media
World” conference held in Delaware in 2003 and was named Delaware Press
Association’s 2003 Communicator of Achievement.
Contact Lise Monty at
montyleary@aol.com.
Look for the next article in the Focus on Freelancing
series, “Working for Free – Pros and Cons,” in the September 2007 NewsBreak.
^Top
DPA Welcomes New Members
DPA extends a warm welcome to all of our new members, a
number of whom joined after the newsletter deadline. We will be including
those individuals in the September NewsBreak.
Gene Ashley
WHYY TV Photographer / Video Editor
Howard Berlin –
w3hb@yahoo.com
Retired electrical engineering professor; author; writer
Jamie Brown –
the_broadkill_review@earthlink.net
Bookshop owner; publisher, online literary journal; director, poetry
festivals, competitions and series
Joann Colameco –
jcolameco@whyy.org
Production Engineer, WHYY TV
John Krepol –
jkrepol@whyy.org
Engineering Supervisor, WHYY TV
Gary Lindstrom -
glindstrom@whyy.org
Williamstown, N.J. – ENG Photographer / Editor, WHYY TV
Mary E. Loewenstein-Anderson -
melanderson1@mac.com
Elkton, Md. – Photographer; teacher mentor
Zach Maupin -
zmaupin@whyy.org
Collingswood, N.J. – Photographer, WHYY TV
Laura Messinger -
laura.messinger@verizon.net
Author; director, Extended Day Program, Elementary Workshop Montessori
School
Lillian Shah -
lillianshah@mac.com
Retired founder / director of Elementary Workshop Montessori School, author
Lisa Sherwood -
kittykatz@peoplepc.com
Chadds Ford, Pa. – freelance communications consultant and writer
Lisa Shiner -
lshiner@whyy.org
Exton, Pa. – Director, WHYY TV
Lyndsey Teague -
lteague@whyy.org
Sellersville, Pa. – Photojournalist / Editor, WHYY TV
Read about many of these new members in the
DPA Media Mavens & Mavericks column.
^Top
DPA Media Mavens & Mavericks
 The
DPA Media Mavens column contains information about the personal and
professional achievements of our members. Names of new DPA members featured
in this column are starred.
Please note that we are updating the DPA membership
directory, and we would like to include YOU!
The directory, which will be available to members-only in a
secure section of our Web site, will include information about all members.
However, members who have not updated their information and paid their
dues by June 1 will not be included in the directory.
Read membership director Allison Levine’s article about how to submit your
contact information and pay 2007 dues.
Please send any information about your honors,
achievements and awards to
news@delawarepressassociation.org by the 15th of any month for
publication in the next issue.
DPA members featured in this issue:
Mary Allen
Kay Wood Bailey
Howard M. Berlin*
Bev Crowl*
Mark Fowser / Annie Nefosky / John Watson / Mike Corey
Tara Lynn Johnson
Mary E. Loewenstein-Anderson*
Lynn Maniscalco
Laura Messinger* / Lillian Shah*
Marion Kallfelz Rechsteiner
Jerry “Crabmeat” Thompson
Rob Tornoe
Billie Travalini /
Jamie Brown*
Jean Lamensdorf
Mark Nardone
Michael Pollack
Sally Rinard
Bob Yearick
Claudia Young
• Mary Allen is the public relations officer at
Widener University School of Law. She handles all press inquiries for the
school's two law campuses, in Wilmington and in Harrisburg, Pa. She has
spent her entire career working in communications and was a newspaper
reporter for 13 years in New York, Maryland and Delaware—including five
years as the legal writer for The News Journal—before moving into
public relations at Widener in 2005. She loves that the job continues to
feed her appetite for court stories as she monitors big cases in the
national news and stays on top of legal issues to be well-informed when
reporters call. Highlights of her recent work so far have included meeting
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Ruth
Bader Ginsburg while traveling to Washington, D.C., with a group from
Widener and getting C-SPAN coverage of a Harrisburg-campus lecture on
judicial independence given by U.S. District Judge John E. Jones, after he
presided over the "intelligent design trial."
Contact Mary Allen at
mallen@mail.widener.edu.
• Kay Wood Bailey, President and CEO of A.B.C.
Consulting Services, Inc., of Smyrna, was the Liberty Tree Celebration
consultant for the planting of Delaware's Liberty Tree at the Delaware State
Visitors Center in Dover, across from Legislative Hall, on March 28. Prior
to the American Revolution, Liberty trees were meeting places for local
patriots throughout the 13 colonies. To thwart the colonists, the British
tried to cut many of them down. The last remaining Liberty Tree, a
96-foot-tall tulip poplar that stood on the campus of St. John's College in
Annapolis, Md., was about 600 years old when it was severely damaged by
Hurricane Floyd and was felled in 1999. The Mt. Cuba Center, in Greenville,
Del., has raised saplings for each of the original thirteen American
colonies from seed gathered from the Maryland Liberty Tree. The Providence
Forum, a non-profit organization from Pennsylvania, has encouraged each of
the thirteen states to plant one of these historic Liberty trees. Three
states now have done so—Massachusetts, Georgia and, most recently, Delaware.
Delaware’s sixteen-foot-tall tree was delivered to the site by Mt. Cuba’s
executive director and crew and planted shortly before the ceremony began.
Contact Kay Bailey at
kwbailey@harringtonera.com.
• New member Howard M. Berlin, is a retired
electrical engineering professor and the author of 31 books (all
non-fiction) on subjects ranging from electronics, financial markets,
film/cinema and numismatics. He currently is working on two more books, and
two of his books have won awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild.
Combining his love for travel and coin collecting, he now writes a regular
column for WorldWide Coins about his travels to museums around the
world that have exhibits about coins and/or currency. Recent trips include
London, Oxford, Cambridge, Switzerland, Morocco, Jerusalem, Berlin,
Istanbul, Athens, and Rome/Vatican. Future trips scheduled this year include
Ireland, Israel, Frankfurt, Monte Carlo, Venice and Milan. "It’s a tough
grind, but someone has to do it. Better it be me." In his spare time, he
plays folk and bluegrass music on the guitar and 5-string banjo.
Contact Howard Berlin at
w3hb@yahoo.com. Visit his Web site at
www.drberlin.com.
• New member Bev Crowl spent the last year
re-orienting to U.S. culture after 21 years in Greece. Taken abroad in the
early 1980s by a handsome, Greek orthopaedist, Bev learned to speak Greek,
to argue passionately about everything, to drive with no regard to rules or
inhibitions, and to revel in the simple things of life such as finding a
parking space within a quarter-mile of a destination. Professionally, she
wrote for English language newspapers and magazines and served as Director
of Public Relations and Alumni Affairs for a U.S. university’s overseas
branch campus. She also was involved in the American Women’s Organization of
Greece as editor of their monthly bulletin, and board member and Greek
representative to the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas. Bev was
involved with the establishment of Friends of Habitat for Humanity in
Greater Athens and worked as well with Helping Hands, a refugee center in
central Athens.
Bev now serves as Public Relations Specialist for Delaware
Hospice. Her goal is to tell the community stories about the services
Delaware Hospice provides to patients and families. She says, “There are so
many misperceptions in the public surrounding hospice issues. Hospice care
is all about life, not death. It’s about choice and living peacefully and
comfortably during the most precious moments of your life. It’s about
working through grief with children and adults who don’t know how to grieve.
And it’s about the remarkable gifts of time and treasures from volunteers
and donors who deserve as much recognition as we can give them.”
Contact Bev Crowl at
bcrowl@delawarehospice.org.
• Mark Fowser, program director and “Delaware This Morning”* news
anchor for 1450 WILM NewsRadio, made a residential move just a few months
ago, and now he's moved again, but this time his business address has
changed. Clear Channel Radio-Delaware has consolidated two New Castle County
locations into one. WILM, formerly located at 1215 French Street in downtown
Wilmington, and WRDX (The River 94.7) and WWTX (1290 The Ticket), formerly
at 3001 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, are now located in the Creekwood Office
Complex at 920 W. Basin Road, New Castle. Clear Channel says that having the
three stations in one combined location "will allow for greater synergy
among co-workers and will allow the stations to take full advantage of new
technology providing an improved listening product." Morning news co-anchor
and reporter Annie Nefosky and talk show host John Watson,
also of WILM, and Mike Corey, Voice of the Blue Hens for WRDX, are
now at the new Basin Road location, too. If you're visiting, Mark says, "go
all the way to the back parking lot and take the elevator to the fourth
floor. Then, ring the door buzzer with your elbow. (You're not coming
empty-handed, are you?)” Call the stations at 302-395-9800.
*“Delaware This Morning” also airs on Clear Channel station
WDOV, which remains in Dover.
Contact Mike Corey at
mikecorey@clearchannel.com.
Contact Mark Fowser at
markfowser@wilm.com.
Contact Annie Nefosky at
annienefosky@wilm.com.
Contact John Watson at
johnwatson@wilm.com.
• Freelance writer Tara Lynn Johnson has “hit the big
time” again with an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer. She says,
“It's true what I've always heard (and what I have done as a reporter):
newspaper people NEVER throw anything away. Five years ago, I submitted a
Personal Journey for the newspaper’s travel section and heard nothing. A few
weeks ago, I received a letter from the assistant travel editor who said the
Inquirer was 'doing a special on family vacations' and wanted to use
my journal. My recollection focuses on the things my parents made me do for
pictures and, boy, is the 80s hair in that picture regrettable.”
Click here to read Tara’s write-up in the Sunday, April 1, 2007, edition of
the Inky.
• Mary E. Loewenstein-Anderson is one of the
photographers for Special Olympics Delaware and has helped edit their
yearbook for more than ten years. She was a special ed teacher at Elkton
Middle School and now works as a Mentor Teacher for new special ed teachers
in Cecil County, Md. The mentoring position includes helping new teachers
with record keeping, lesson planning and assorted teaching requirements
during their first year. Also an artist, Mary especially enjoys making and
exhibiting pottery. She and her husband were co-owners of The Bit O'
Scotland Bakery in Newark for many years.
Contact Mary Loewenstein-Anderson at
melanderson1@mac.com.
• Lynn Maniscalco was one of two photographers named
a Senior Fellow of the Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography
this year, along with an entrant from Portugal. The other seven so honored
throughout the past 74 years for photographic achievement include one other
Delaware photographer and one each from Florida, Utah, New York,
Pennsylvania, The Netherlands and Canada.
Contact Lynn Maniscalco at
Ltmphoto@juno.com.
• Marion Kallfelz Rechsteiner, Esq., recently served
as a juror for a Mock Trial at the Chester County Courthouse, West Chester,
Pa. The event was part of the 2007 Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide
Mock Trial Championships for high-school students. Marion was impressed with
the students who argued a civil case about e-mail tampering.
Contact Marion Rechsteiner at
mrechs@aol.com.
• Lillian Shah and Laura Messinger are
co-authors of Keeping Healthy by Keeping Track: A Complete Guide to
Maintaining Your Own Medical Records (Infinity Publishers, 2006).
Lillian co-founded the Elementary Workshop Montessori School in downtown
Wilmington where she taught and served as director for 30 years. After
Lillian retired, she and Laura began researching and writing Keeping
Healthy. Her motivation for writing the book was an interest in healthy
aging and having an informed doctor/patient partnership. Lillian was
particularly interested in providing a book that would be a solid resource
for caregivers. She says, "We become caregivers for a simple reason—we love
the ones we love."
Laura says, “The book contains all of the appropriate forms and charts a
patient, parent or caregiver will need to gain control over the myriad bits
of medical and personal information so that it is all organized and easy to
find when needed.” Laura is director of the Extended Day Program at the
Elementary Workshop.
Contact Laura Messinger at
laura.messinger@verizon.net.
Contact Lillian Shah at
lillianshah@mac.com.
• Playing guitar, mandolin and harmonica, Crabmeat Thompson,
accompanied by Jim McGiffin on bass, performed folk music and original songs
from his new CD album Birthday Trampoline in the Mezzanine Auditorium
of the Carvel State Office Building on March 2. Recipient of the 2007
Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist: Fellow in Folk Art - Music
award, Crabmeat had toes tapping as he entertained the audience with an old
favorite, "Poodles from Hell," as well as his new material. To get Crab's
new CD, drop him a line at
crabmeat@crabmeat.net.
Read about Crabmeat in the March 21 edition of Midstate Living under the
general heading "25 who matter" and titled "An artist of folk music."
Contact Crabmeat Thompson at
crabmeat@crabmeat.net.
• Rob Tornoe has selections of his cartoon artwork on
display in conjunction with the Delaware Art Museum's current exhibition,
Art in the 'Toon Age, on view through May 13, 2007. Organized by the
Kresge Art Museum at Michigan State University, this exhibition represents
artists' individual reactions to a visual culture that has embraced comic
strips, cartoons, animation, and commercial art. Rob's work, featured in the
Bank of America Education wing from April 16–May 13, includes a sampling of
his political cartoons, illustrations and comic book art. In addition,
visitors can take a tour of Art in the 'Toon Age with Rob on Friday,
May 4, at 6:00 p.m. For further information, go to
www.delart.org or Rob's
Web site at
www.boltcomics.com.
Contact Rob Tornoe at
rob@boltcomics.com.
• DPA will be well represented at the New Castle County
Writers' Conference on April 14, sponsored by Delaware Literary Connection
and Wilmington College. The conference is in celebration of the 10th
anniversary of DLC’s founding. Conference organizer Billie Travalini
says, “The day offers something for everyone and may even kick-start a
career or two!” Travalini will be joined by presenters and moderators
Jamie Brown, Jean Lamensdorf, Mark Nardone,
Michael Pollock, Sally Rinard, Bob Yearick
and Claudia Young. The event is free of charge, but as seating
is limited, reservations are recommended.
Click here to see the New Castle Writers’ Conference schedule, read the
author bios and get the reservation form.
Contact Billie Travalini at
btravalini@aol.com.
^Top
Be Sure You're Included in the DPA
Directory
Deadline June 1: Update Your Info & Pay Your Dues
by Allison Taylor Levine, APR
 We
are updating the DPA membership directory, and we would like to include
YOU!
The directory, which will be available to members-only in a secure section
of our Web site, will include information about all members. Members who
have not updated their information and paid their dues by June 1 will not be
included in the directory.
If you’ve already paid your 2007 dues, please go directly to the DPA Web
site. It will only take a minute to fill in and submit the form. Please
click here to go to
Members’ Area and scroll down to Contact Information for DPA
Membership Directory. Even if your contact information hasn’t changed
since our last directory update, please complete the entire form and send
no later than June 1.
DPA membership remains a real bargain at $20. Membership affords you:
-
Great networking opportunities with communications professionals from print
media to broadcasting, from photography to the Web, from PR to poetry
-
Professional development
-
An online quarterly newsletter
-
Timely e-blasts about job opportunities and events of
interest
-
An annual professional communications contest
-
And more!
If you haven’t yet paid 2007 dues, please click here to
join or to renew DPA-only membership or click here to
join to or to renew DPA/NFPW membership and send dues as indicated on
the appropriate form. Then go to the Members’ Area of the DPA Web site (link
above) to fill in and submit the directory update form.
If you’re not sure whether your dues are current or if you don’t have the
password for the Members’ Area, contact us at
DelawarePress@aol.com.
Allison Taylor Levine, APR, a public relations consultant for
Synchrogenix Information Strategies, Inc., is DPA’s Membership Director.
Contact Allison at aljay89@yahoo.com.
^Top
WordPlay . . . for Wordsmiths
by Bob Yearick
 Getting
the Lead Out
I have a friend who is waging an ongoing battle with The News Journal
over the word “led.” Seems the NJ often—he would say always—mistakenly
uses “lead” when what is needed is “led,” as in the recent headline,
“Troubled Deal Lead to Slayings.” But so far, my friend says, his phone
calls, letters and e-mails have been to no avail. Of course, in his e-mail
to me and others describing his campaign for excellence in usage, he
committed an error himself by putting a period outside a quotation
mark: We had a convivial conversation on this misuse of the past tense of
the verb “to lead”. Hey, nobody’s perfect. (Of course, he would have
been correct if he lived in Great Britain or Australia.)
Better Than Than Then
The almost-always flawless Time and the somewhat less perfect
Philadelphia Inquirer recently committed the same error: substituting
“then” for “than.” Time offered this quotation from Jim Carrey: “I’d
rather hear someone spout to me about their spiritual journey then
someone complaining that the studio didn’t give them a trailer that’s big
enough.” This is common among the great unwashed, and among some daily
newspapers. But Time? I guess the combination of a voluminous amount
of copy and a weekly deadline are bound to lead to a slip-up now and then.
The Case of the Disappearing Languages
In the last WordPlay, I complained about the verb “lend” disappearing from
the language. But things are far worse than I thought. Seems whole languages
are disappearing. According to the Web site of “The Connection” (a
nationally syndicated radio show that was distributed by NPR), two languages
disappear every month, thanks to industrialization, globalization and
advances in communication, and 75 languages are in danger of disappearing in
the U.S. alone.
Connection host Dick Gordon asks some important questions: what is lost when
we lose a language?, how far should we go to save a language?, and in the
future will our grandchildren be speaking only one of the big three:
Mandarin, English and Spanish?
And finally . . .
Just to demonstrate yet again that words can be fun, I recommend to you the
movie Trixie. This 2000 gem stars Emily Watson, an English actress
who has demonstrated Oscar-caliber chops in other roles. It’s a comedy/drama
in which Trixie, a security guard aspiring to be a private detective,
commits 72 linguistic errors (a friend of mine actually counted them),
consisting mostly of mixed metaphors and malapropisms. A few examples:
You’re a big wheel in a small pond.
Money is the root canal of all evil.
The ball is in your camp.
Let’s jump off that bridge when we come to it.
I can’t go back to square zero.
Time to fish or get off the pot.
And my favorite: I’m absolutely ravishing; where’s the
food?
If you enjoy the English language and what we Americans do
to it, this movie’s a hoot. And even if you don’t, it’s a pleasant evening’s
entertainment.
Until next time, remember to send your pet peeves, suggestions and
questions for WordPlay to:
allwriter@comcast.net.
And remember: Always write right—and tight.
Contact WordPlay columnist Bob Yearick at
allwriter@comcast.net.
^Top
Life in the Media Demands
Organization
by Sue Frost
 Organization
for media professionals boils down to preparation and efficiency. When I was
a new business owner in need of publicity, it made sense to have a few
stories on hand in case an opportunity arose. That strategy allowed me to do
my best work, before a deadline ever was mentioned.
For those working with breaking news, such preparation is
more difficult. However, there are ways to streamline the process. News
Journal reporter Victor Greto finds taking notes during an interview
more efficient than recording the conversation. He says, “The time lost
listening to the tape and weeding out unnecessary information isn’t worth
it.” In addition, people typically speak freely when they are not being
recorded, making the interview more effective. Efficiency is the most
important perk of organization. I urge clients to scrutinize routines. Look
for ways to eliminate unnecessary steps and busywork.
Multitasking isn’t efficient, especially while performing
creative tasks like writing. Richard Gaw, special sections editor for
Community Publications, prides himself on a tidy, methodical style. Even
before he had an office, Gaw knew intuitively to make time to focus by
putting a sign on his desk that read “Writing time.”
Any fast-paced profession will give rise to some
disorganization, but these tips can restore order to your day:
-
Clear your desk of unnecessary items.
-
Create a simple filing system to ensure the likelihood
of finding and retrieving information when you need it. Don’t risk
losing the details that can make your story.
-
Take 10 to 15 minutes each day to maintain organization
of tasks, files and your schedule for the next day.
-
Add work time to your schedule as you would any
appointment. If at all possible, pad those work appointments by 25
percent. Most people underestimate the time needed for an assignment.
-
Some people use electronic devices while others prefer a
paper calendar to see a week or a month at a glance. Either is fine.
Choose the one that works for you. Don’t worry about perception. The
bottom line will speak for itself.
-
If you can avoid it, don’t answer the phone and return
e-mail messages all day long. Designate two time slots for each, every
day.
-
Figure out what time of day you have more energy. Plan
tasks that require more oomph during that time. That’s when you will see
your best results.
Sue Frost, a freelance writer and professional
organizer, is owner of Organize My Life.
Contact Sue at 302-690-2144 or
info@organizemylife.net.
^Top
Style File
Creativity Is Fine on Stage, Not on Printed Page
by Patricia Lake
 Following
AP style, or the rules of whatever stylebook complements your work, eases
the task for both writers and editors. Writing and getting feedback from
editors is the best way to learn a style. And ultimately, explicit
guidelines provide writers and editors with useful and consistent boundaries
within which to work.
When I started my job at Key Professional Media Inc., which produces “Super
Lawyers” and other publications in host magazines such as Texas Monthly,
and special advertising sections in newspapers including The New York
Times and the Miami Herald, I bought a Black’s Law Dictionary
to be able to alchemize legal terms into golden, reader-friendly prose.
That was a good start, but a bigger challenge was dealing with writers (and
even a copy editor) who 1) refused to use open-ended questions for Q&A’s,
claiming “that’s the way people talk at parties” and 2) blended AP, Chicago,
MLA and APA styles.
Although initially confused by the lack of style consistency, I learned that
“Super Lawyers” is an outgrowth of Law & Politics, a magazine
distributed exclusively to lawyers. The publisher is an attorney who
successfully relates to his audience. However, the company president hired
me not only to edit “Super Lawyers,” but also to generate supplements geared
toward a consumer audience.
Fortunately the other editors, based in Minneapolis and Seattle, agreed that
the publications lacked consistency and journalistic professionalism. We
changed that by establishing only a few exceptions to AP style. I also
received permission to bring Q&A’s in-house so a journalist, not a lawyer,
could write them, which helped launch style-consistency standards.
Last year, the American Society of Journalists & Authors invited me to a
“Personal Pitch” session, during which writers from all over the country
sell their services and story ideas to editors. During one of the 15-minute
pitches, an animated, stylish woman sat down across the table from me and
said: “I’m your perfect freelancer. I’m a lawyer.” Inwardly I groaned. Many
lawyers are excellent writers, but the majority, having been trained in
rhetoric—not in efficient, crisp writing—favor esoteric legalese unless they
have written extensively for magazines and newspapers. Give me a trained
journalist any day.
To illustrate the value of AP or any other style, consider my experience as
a teacher of creative movement and ballet. Ballet is easier to teach because
the discipline requires adherence to precise standards; creative movement
requires no such precision—therefore, preparing lesson plans and teaching
the movements is more difficult.
If you struggle with style, just remember my experience as a dance
instructor. Creative movement is fine on stage, but not on the printed page.
Managing editor at Key Professional Media Inc. during the last two
years and previously senior managing editor at Delaware Today,
Patricia Lake is looking forward to going back into freelance writing and
editing as well as teaching. Contact Pat at
plake1@earthlink.net.
^Top
Virginia Press Women are “Still
Making History”
VPW to Host 2007 NFPW Conference in Richmond
 Mark
your calendar right now and plan to join Virginia Press Women in September
as they host a dynamic National Federation of Press Women Communications
Conference, featuring a variety of top-notch speakers and topics. The
speakers, workshops, activities and tours will fulfill your expectations for
professional development, networking with colleagues from across the US, and
historical/cultural enrichment. Expect extra festivity this year as it is
the 70th anniversary of NFPW!
The conference will be held September 20–22 in Richmond,
Virginia.
The Richmond Marriott, located next to the Convention Center and across
from the Federal Courthouse, will be the full-service site for most of the
conference activities. The hotel, including guest rooms, is non-smoking, and
the room rate will be $111. The hotel provides a shuttle service to area
attractions.
When you prepare to attend the 2007 conference, plan to take
a big notebook, an appetite for new ideas, an item to contribute to the NFPW
Silent Auction and comfortable shoes.
During the pre- and post-conference tours, VPW will show you
the rich 400-year history and natural beauty of the Commonwealth. There will
be a three-day pre-conference trip September 17–19 to the "Historic
Triangle" of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg. Plan to take a leisurely
post-conference tour of the Charlottesville/Piedmont region of Virginia
September 23–25.
Whether you’ve been to numerous NFPW conferences or never
have attended an NFPW national event, plan to join your DPA friends and
colleagues as we travel to Richmond for the opportunity to hear and talk
with exciting and thought-provoking authors, journalists, and communications
specialists; receive awards in the national communications contest; and
cheer for our 007 Communicator of Achievement, Katherine Ward, as she
competes in the national COA competition.
VPW has been working on the 2007 conference for three years,
and it promises to be outstanding. We’ll send notices over the summer to
keep you abreast of travel plans and room arrangements, but make the
commitment and put the dates on your calendar now. The conference never will
be closer or more convenient (unless we host it again, and then it would
just be closer).
For more details about the conference tours, go to
www.virginiapresswomen.org/nfpw-07/tours.html.
^Top
Calendar of Events
Poetry At The Beach is a reading series now
entering its second year. Funded in part by the Delaware Division of the
Arts, the program is sponsored by the Rehoboth Art League, South Coastal
Library (Bethany Beach), Rehoboth Beach Public Library and the Lewes Public
Library. All readings are held at the three libraries at 7:00 p.m. on the
dates scheduled.
|
04-12 Lewes: |
Anne Colwell, Wendy Ingersoll, Russ Endo |
|
05-09 Rehoboth: |
H.A. Maxson, Carol Bruce, Russ Endo |
|
06-14 Bethany: |
Anne Colwell, Joe Allen, Carol Bruce |
|
07-12 Lewes: |
H. A. Maxson, Carol Bruce, Joe Allen |
|
08-09 Rehoboth: |
Anne Colwell, Joe Allen, Wendy Ingersoll |
|
09-13 Bethany: |
H.A. Maxson, Wendy Ingersoll, Russ Endo |
APRIL
05 Crabmeat Thompson at First Thursday LIVE, 7 pm – 9
pm, Delaware City Arts Center, Delaware City.
www.crabmeat.net/calendar.html
09 Deadline for submitting applications for Metcalf
Institute diversity fellowships in environmental reporting. Ten-month
fellowships support 6 minority journalists to study marine and environmental
science, beginning with an environmental justice workshop and 4 weeks of
independent study with mentorship at the University of Rhode Island. Visit
www.metcalfinstitute.org for an application.
11 Workshop: Developing Effective Ads. Sponsored by
Philadelphia Advertising Club (PAC). 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., Channel Radio
Corporate Offices, Red Conference Room, Bala Cynwyd, PA. Free for members;
non-members $25; Students w/ ID $10. Top creative talent will explore
broadcast, print and interactive advertising approaches. For more
information and directions, visit
www.phillyadclub.com/event_article.php?id=546.
14 The New Castle County Writers Conference. 10
a.m.–3:30 p.m., Wilmington College, 320 DuPont Hwy., New Castle.
Co-sponsored by Delaware Literary Connection and Wilmington College, there
will be an author session, panel discussions, and readings in fiction,
nonfiction and journalism. FREE but space is limited. For more info or to
reserve a seat, go to:
http://www.wilmcoll.edu/events/writersconference07/index.html. Questions:
contact DLC Director Billie Travalini at 302-764-0982 or
btravalini@aol.com.
14 Delaware Book Fair and Authors Day. 10 a.m.–3:00
p.m., Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, Route 13, Dover. More than
70 authors will be in attendance from all over the Delmarva Peninsula. Free
admission. Lunch available. Contact the Delaware Heritage Commission for
further information: 302-577-5044 (New Castle), 302-744-5077 (Kent and
Sussex), or on the web at
www.state.de.us/heritage.
14 Second Saturday Poets - Poetry reading by Eileen
D'Angelo. 5 p.m., Genelle's, 8th & Market streets, Wilmington. For
further information, contact Joe Allen
jopollen@hotmail.com or see the group’s Web site at
www.2ndsaturdaypoets.com.
19 How to Build a "Buzz": Word-of-Mouth Marketing.
Sponsored by IABC/Lehigh Valley. 6:00 pm, Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA. $15
Members; $25 Non-Members. Hear Mike Drabenstott, Principle Partner, Spark
Creatives, discuss word-of-mouth marketing. For more information, e-mail
lviabc@yahoo.com or see
www.lviabc.com/events-calendar.html.
19–21 Delaware Christian Writers Conference.
University of Delaware Conference Center, Newark. Visit
www.delawarechristianwritersconference.com for the schedule. A Young
Writers Program will take place on Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Conference fee: $590. Questions: contact conference director John Riddle at
johnriddle@sprintmail.com or
302-834-4910. Pay by credit card via PayPal or by check.
20 April Is for Authors, 6-9 p.m., Historic Downtown
Middletown. The event “includes poetry readings, book-signings, storytelling
and more at local shops and retail locations. Also wine and food samples.
Sponsored by Middletown Main Street, Inc. The event is free of charge. For
further information, call the Middletown Main Street office at 302-378-2977
or e-mail ldion@middletownde.org.
24 DPA Contest Awards Banquet & 30th Anniversary
Celebration. 5:30 p.m. social
gathering; 6:30 p.m. dinner, anniversary and awards presentations.
University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom St., Wilmington. Cost: $35. For more
info, call 302-655-2175 or e-mail
delawarepress@aol.com.
MAY
12 Second Saturday Poets - Poetry reading by The Twin
Poets. 5 p.m., Genelle's, 8th & Market streets, Wilmington. For further
information, contact Joe Allen
jopollen@hotmail.com or see the group’s Web site at
www.2ndsaturdaypoets.com.
23 DPA Board Meeting. 6:30 p.m., Methodist Country
House (Stirling Conference Room), 4830 Kennett Pike, Wilmington.
JUNE
01 Contest Deadline – Capitolbeat Excellence Awards.
Sponsored by Capitolbeat, the national Association of Capitol Reporters and
Editors.
• The John Aubuchon Freedom of Information Award,
honoring the best State House reporting in print, broadcast and online media
by recognizing “extraordinary examples of persistence by journalists in
obtaining access to documents and meetings that are critical for public
understanding of state government issues.”
• Excellence in State House Reporting Awards (Beat Reporting, Single
Report, In-depth Reporting, Columns/Commentary/News Analysis) for print,
broadcast and online media.
Entries must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2007. For
contest rules, categories, and entry fees, see
http://capitolbeat.wordpress.com/contest-info/. Questions? Contact Linda
Kleindienst, contest chair, at
lkleindienst@sun-sentinel.com.
08-10 Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, Holiday Inn,
Independence Mall, Fourth and Arch streets, Philadelphia. Writers
representing many disciplines will be in attendance. Topics will include
fiction and non-fiction writing as well as writing for magazines, the
juvenile market and the Internet. Also poetry, mystery writing, blogging,
script and screen writing . . . and more! For further details, see
www.pwcwriters.org/brochure/workshop-schedule.htm.
09 Second Saturday Poets - Poetry reading by Beverly
Andrus. 5 p.m., Genelle's, 8th & Market streets, Wilmington. For further
information, contact Joe Allen
jopollen@hotmail.com or see the group’s Web site at
www.2ndsaturdaypoets.com.
13 Deadline for submitting applications for the
Innovations Awards. The Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in
Journalism reward innovative ideas, large and small. Entries can consist of
multimedia advances, new participatory journalism ideas or novel ways to
engage audiences in important issues. "Big-J" and "Small-J" ideas
encouraged. Grand Prize is $10,000; $6,000 in Special Distinction and Wild
Card Awards. Details are available at
www.J-lab.org.
AUGUST
2-4 Join Capitolbeat, the national Association of
Capitol Reporters and Editors, in Philadelphia for their annual
conference. Keynote speaker: Rebecca Rimel of the Pew Charitable Trusts.
From Medicaid to the minimum wage, from mercury emissions to casino
gambling, there are few areas of public life that aren't affected by the
debates in our 50 statehouses. This conference will enhance the skills of
well-trained reporters and editors who tell readers what they need to know,
when they need to know it. Full registration: $180 for non-members. Special
day-rate: $100/day. See
www.capitolbeat.org for the schedule of events and registration
information. To contact conference chairman John Micek: 717-783-7305 or
john.micek@mcall.com.
SEPTEMBER
20–22 NFPW/VPW “Still Making History” Communications
Conference & NFPW 70th Anniversary Celebration. Richmond Marriott,
Richmond, Va. For more info visit
http://nfpw.org/conference.htm.
Send information for the Calendar of Events to
news@delawarepressassociation.org.
^Top
NewsBreak is the official newsletter of Delaware Press
Association.
Mary Leah Christmas, Editor
Katherine Ward, Copy editor/Layout
Submit editorial content to:
news@delawarepressassociation.org
Copy deadline for next newsletter: August 15, 2007
Contact Us:
Katherine Ward, Executive Director
Delaware Press Association
email: delawarepress@aol.com
phone: 302-655-2175
web:
www.delawarepressassociation.org
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