JCCF NEWS SUMMARY
February 8, 2013


Casey Medal Winners On: 
Reporting, Best Practices

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Reporting Best Practices
Video by Lyndsey Wallen

 

Susan Snyder and John Sullivan of the Philadelphia Inquirer were part of a team who spent nearly two years investigating violence in Philadelphia's public schools for the series "Assault on Learning."  They reveal their toughest obstacles, give advice and share how the series impacted them.  

 

"Assault on Learning" earned both a 2013 Casey Medal and America's Promise Journalism Award for Awareness. Watch the video here.  

 
Apply now for the 19th annual Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism.
   
Jump to:
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FMLA Turns 20
 
On Feb. 5, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act  (FMLA) into law. It was the first piece of legislation Clinton signed as president, and he says he receives more thanks from citizens for FMLA than for any other accomplishment.

FMLA gives employees up to 12 weeks per year of unpaid leave in order to recover from a serious medical condition, provide care for ailing family members, or care for a new child. 
 
But a number of restrictions prevent all workers from using FMLA, and many workers' rights and family advocates are calling for an expansion of the law and are pushing for paid leave. Meanwhile, even unpaid leave can be difficult for employers to track and grant, especially at small companies.
 
What are the family and medical leave laws in your state?
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NewsNEWS OF NOTE

TIME Ideas, Wendy Kopp | Feb. 7

The founder and CEO of Teach for America calls for legislation to make it easier for undocumented high schoolers to get a college education. 

 

More Male Caregivers, More Discrimination at Work

CNN Money, David Koeppel | Feb. 5

In what is still a predominantly male corporate culture, many companies are not getting the message that caretakers of both genders must be treated equally under the law, employment lawyers say.

 

FMLA Not Really Working For Many Employees

NPR, Jennifer Ludden | Feb. 5

Twenty years after President Bill Clinton signed the Family Medical Leave Act, a number of restrictions still force many employees to choose between their family or their job.

 

Why Homelessness is a Transportation Issue

The Atlantic Cities, Emily Badger | Feb. 4

The homeless often wind up living at transportation sites: rest areas, roadside rights-of-way, the underside of highway bridges, train stations or even train cars or buses. This means that transportation employees are often the first responders to homelessness.

 

Traditional Families - Who Also Happen to Be Gay

Slate, David Rosenberg | Feb. 4

Alix Smith's "States of Union" uses the power of photography to change people's perceptions of LGBT families.

 

Concerns About A.D.H.D. Practices and Amphetamine Addiction

The New York Times, Alan Schwarz | Feb. 2

Medications like Adderall can markedly improve the lives of children and others with the disorder. But a segment of doctors are fueling prescription drug abuse when they skip diagnostic procedures, renew prescriptions reflexively and fail to accurately monitor side effects.

 

Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune, Barbara Peters Smith

| Feb. 2

Older drivers have long been considered highway dangers who need to be nudged off the road. But outreach efforts in Florida and across the nation represent a policy shift: Don't take away aging drivers' keys unless absolutely necessary.

 

Coping With The Loss Of A Newborn Child

WAMU (Washington, D.C.), Emily Berman | Feb. 1

First-time parents learn one of their twin boys has a terminal birth defect and experience grief, loss and letting go.

 

KPBS, Angela Carone | Feb. 1

Kimberly Bell, 19, wrote her play "A Broken Promise" while she was serving time in juvenile hall. It was one of the winning scripts in the California Young Playwrights Contest and will be performed on stage.

 

Aging Boomers with HIV Teaching Doctors to Keep Them Independent

New America Media, Carolyn Beeler | Feb. 1

As better drugs keep HIV patients alive longer, patients and health care providers must juggle treating the virus and the other chronic illnesses that come with aging.

 

Playing with Fire

Philadelphia Public School Notebook/NewsWorks, Benjamin Herold | February 2013

Many warn that the plan to close 37 Philadelphia schools could spark violence between students from rival neighborhoods. Community advocates worry that the school district has not put together a strategy to prevent violence.

 

Autism Inc.: The Discredited Science, Shady Treatments and Rising Profits Behind Alternative Autism Treatments

The Texas Observer, Alex Hannaford | Jan. 30

Texas has become a center for alternative autism treatment and the anti-vaccine crusade. At best, alternative remedies remain unapproved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, at worst they are downright dangerous.

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EventsEVENTS

 
Feb. 11, 5:30 - 7 p.m. ET
American Enterprise Institute
Washington, D.C. or webcast
Middle-class American women are now voluntarily reproducing at about the same rate as Chinese women, who have been subject to 30 years of a one-child policy. Why is this happening, and how can we reverse the trend?

Feb. 12, 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Center for New York City Affairs
New York
Hurricane Sandy revealed the vulnerabilities of public housing. What about next time? What will a carefully planned and managed disaster response look like in New York City's low-lying, low-income neighborhoods?

Feb. 12, 1 - 2:45 p.m. ET
American Enterprise Institute
Washington, D.C.
A conversation about how to help cultivate and sustain powerful cultures of teaching and learning. Panelists include Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Kaya Henderson and former Chancellor Michelle Rhee, now the head of StudentsFirst. 

Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
New America Foundation, The Hill and Impact Arts and Film Fund
A screening of the Academy Award-nominated documentary film and a conversation about what action can be taken to expose and end sexual assault within the U.S. military. 

Feb. 21, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. ET
Center for New York City Affairs, New York Juvenile Justice Funders Initiative
New York
The city has overhauled its juvenile justice system to keep more young people out of confinement and in their communities. How can city government engage communities and tap into the strengths of local groups that work with teens and families?


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OpportunitiesOPPORTUNITIES
 
 
Deadline: Feb. 8
Radio Television Digital News Association
Honors outstanding achievement in electronic journalism. The 2013 RTDNA/UNITY Award is presented to news organizations that show commitment to covering their diverse communities. 
 
Deadline: Feb. 8
Associated Press and Google
Fosters new journalism skills in undergraduate and graduate students developing projects at the intersection of journalism and technology.
 
Deadline: Feb. 15
Child Welfare League of America
Recognizes journalists whose coverage of child welfare issues advance knowledge and understanding of the state of vulnerable children and families. 

Deadline: Feb. 15
Ms. Foundation for Women
This one-year fellowship will fund a early to mid-career individual to pursue a project addressing a critical issue such as child sexual abuse, economic justice, reproductive justice or the sexualization of girls. 
 
Deadline: Feb. 22
Institute for Justice and Journalism
At least 16 journalists will be chosen for the weeklong conference. The professional fellowship program will explore the economic and educational challenges children in immigrant families face. 
 
Deadline: Feb. 28
Earth Day Network, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and The Edible Schoolyard Project
A competition for student journalists designed to bring the facts about school food to entire school communities. 
 
Deadline: Feb. 28
University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication
The award recognizes journalists and news organizations that have  demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to ethical conduct, even when faced with economic, personal or political pressure. 
 
Deadline: March 1, 2013
Youth Communication
Young people will receive awards for submissions to an essay contest promoting a more positive image of New York City foster youth. Open to current or former foster youth in the New York City foster care system who were born in 1992 or later are eligible. 
 
Deadline: March 1, 2013
Journalism Center on Children & Families
The Casey Medals honor distinguished coerage of children, youth and families. First-place winners receive a $1,000 prize and are eligible for the America's Promise Alliance Awards for Awareness and Action. 
 
Deadline: March 15, 2013
Asian American Journalists Association
A six-day training camp and multicultural journalism program for high school students.
 
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ABOUT THE JCCF NEWS SUMMARY

Mina Dixon, Editor 


The Journalism Center on Children & Families, a program of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting media coverage of children, youth and families, particularly the disadvantaged. The JCCF News Summary helps journalists and others keep in touch with the latest news, policy analysis and research reports on critical social issues that impact families and communities. We encourage redistribution of this material with credit given to the Journalism Center on Children & Families.

Journalists are encouraged to submit their stories for consideration for publication in the JCCF News Summary and on our website. Please send story links to: [email protected]. Stories should be archived and free of access charges for at least seven days.
 
JCCF thanks The Annie E. Casey Foundation for its generous support of our work.
 
www.journalismcenter.org

 

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