Those of us who know about the doctrine of "fair use" but are secretly unsure about how to apply it, can tune into the online radio show Studio SPJ, Nov. 10 at 3:30 p.m. on BlogTalkRadio (see link below).  

Hosted by former SPJ national president ethics committee chairman Kevin Smith the show will feature guests Patricia Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi, professors at American University and the authors of "Reclaiming Fair Use - How to Put Balance Back in Copyright." 

Aufderheide, Jaszi and two colleagues published a study this past July that revealed how a great number of journalists don't completely understand the meaning of "fair use" of copyrighted materials - which is understandable, given that copyright owners often claim infringement when it's really fair use.   

"This is extremely valuable information, (for journalists) to be able to do their jobs better, said Smith during a recent interview. "I hope to see a set of principals evolve, which can make it easier to know what's the right thing to do."

So if you have ever silently admitted to yourself that you'd love to be absolutely sure you're using "fair use" properly, click here on Nov. 10 at 3:30 p.m. 

 The 12-day U.S. Presidential Election Reporting Seminar will be making a stop at John Carroll University on Nov. 5 for a panel discussion about "U.S. Election Issues: Race and Gender in 2012"

This panel has been organized by the East-West Center for a group of 11 foreign journalists from Afghanistan, China, Hong Kong, India, Nepal, New Zealand and Vietnam, who are in the U.S. to cover the presidential election. This is the Cleveland leg of a journey that also visits Tampa and Washington. 

In an election as tight as this one, questions of equality can become deciding factors. The visiting journalists have asked to hear about these issues from our Cleveland panel, and the foreign journalists will be given a chance to ask questions of the panelists before any questions are taken from the audience. 

The panel will ask and answer: 

How is the U.S. Presidential Election dealing with the most urgent and important issues in front of ethnic and racial communities?

How are women reacting to the way both the Democratic and Republican parties have been focusing on gender related issues?

This panel discussion will be moderated by SPJer and Writer's Week editor Carrie Buchanan, assistant professor of communication at John Carroll University.

• Arlene Anderson, Executive Director, Cleveland Branch NAACP
• Mike Brickner, Communications and Policy Director, ACLU Ohio
• Penny Jeffrey, President, League of Women's Voters Cleveland
• Marsha A. Mockabee, President and CEO, Urban League Cleveland

Designed to make international coverage of the election deeper and stronger, this event is part of a professional study and reporting tour put together by the East-West Center for foreign print, broadcast and online journalists who will be reporting from some of the key states in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. The public is welcome to attend.

When: Nov. 5 from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m.  

Where: at John Carroll University, Lombardo Student Center, Jardine Room, 1 John Carroll Blvd (formerly North Park Blvd), University Heights 44118.   

Cost: This event is open to the public at no charge.   

Join the panel discussion with Ohio journalists Nov. 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as they discuss what it was like to cover the 2012 elections, the highlights and the special times only they saw. What did they go through to get an interview?  How did they maintain objectivity?

A joint effort between the Press Club of Cleveland and the Cleveland State University School of Communication, the panel includes:

• Rick Jackson/WVIZ/PBS
• Tom Beres/WKYC Channel 3
• Henry J. Gomez/The Plain Dealer
• John Arthur Hutchison/The News-Herald
• Karen Kasler/Statehouse News Bureau

The event is free for press club members, students and CSU professors and only $12.50 for others. It will be held at Waetjen Auditorium, Cleveland State University, 2001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH  44115

For more information and to register click here. 

Almost 25 years ago the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back students' First Amendment rights in the landmark Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier ruling.  

The 2012 First Amendment Law Review Symposium Nov. 9 at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill will focus on the aftermath of that decision.

This year, there will be a special pre-symposium day on Nov. 8, when experts in law, education and journalism will lead a discussion about how censorship has influenced students' readiness to become involved in civic activities. 

Featured speakers include: 

• Erwin Chemerinsky, dean, UC-Irvine School of Law 
• Francisco Negron, general counsel, National School Boards Association 
• Frank LoMonte, executive director, Student Press Law Center 
• Sam Chaltain, author, American Schools: The Art of Creating a Democratic Learning Community 

The deadline to register is Nov. 2. Students pay $10 for one day and $15 for both. For non-students the cost is $30 for one day and $50 for both. For more information and to register, click here. 

Zanny Minton-Beddoes, the economic editor of The Economist, assures us that the U.S. economy is re-inventing itself. Though the recession is not over yet, things are looking up!  

She will be discussing the subject as part of the Town Hall Speaker Series on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. Tickets cost $45.

Prior to signing on with The Economist, Minton-Beddoes was an economist at the International Monetary Fund. She has written surveys of the World Economy, Latin American, global and Central Asian finance. As well as her work as editor, she is a regular commentator on NPR's Marketplace, a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a member of the Research Advisory Board of the Committee for Economic Development. 

For more information and to purchase tickets, click here. 

If you're planning a trip to Chicago around Nov. 9 you might want to stop by the Navy Pier for the daylong SPJ JournCamp.  

For $35 for SPJ members ($55 for non members) including breakfast and lunch you can take advantage of 4 different trainers offering sessions in: 

• Entrepreneurial Journalism
• FOI, Public Records and Data Journalism
• Visual Storytelling
• Social Media as a Reporting and Engagement Tool
• Mobile Newsgathering
• Copyright and Fair Use (particularly for a digital age)
• Web Programming Basics

For more information and to register before the Nov. 2 deadline, Click Here.   

 PART TIME TALENT - CBS RADIO Q104 Auto req ID 12945BR. WQAL (FM) P/T Disc Jockey Q104 Cleveland is looking for great talent that is available to fill in on weekends, holidays, vacations, etc. on a part-time basis. Apply online at www.cbsradio.com and email audio to jobs@q104.com. Required Skills/Experience Creative and organized. Preferred Skills/Experience Prefer knowledge of digital audio equipment and one year broadcast experience. Additional Candidate Instruction: Please indicate on your cover letter where you saw our job posting.

 COPYWRITER - STERLING JEWELLERS Principal responsibility of developing web based copy content to support all corporate and brand internet commitments, most notably the Kay e-commerce site (over $70 million business and growing) and the Jared e-commerce site on an as-needed basis($27 million and growing). Involved in the process to continuously improve and further enhance all website executions. Assures total quality of all copy content. Assures timely updates of product copy content. Provides meaningful copy content updates throughout the site with regards to education, new product introductions, anything that continuously improves the customer's online experience. Accountable for total quality control. Will also be called upon to participate in branding projects such as naming new product introductions.Requirements: Bachelor of Arts Degree or equivalent experience Excellent written communication skills. Familiarity with MAC operating system. Ability to adapt to internal operating systems such as WPS, IMS, Websphere 7 content management system. Previous website experience is a definite plus. Ability to think visually a plus. Apply Here

PUBLIC RELATIONS, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR COLLEGE OF THE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION To develop and teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in our rapidly growing public relations/corporate and strategic communication programs. A Master's degree in a relevant field (Public Relations, Communication, Marketing, Public Affairs, Journalism, Management) and substantial record of professional experience is required. Senior-level public relations agency or corporate communication professional experience and a terminal degree (M.F.A. or doctorate) are preferred.Department of Communication Elizabeth Birge, Chairperson birgee@wpunj.edu 

 Just in time for Halloween, Robert Sberna is launching his book "House of Horrors, The Shocking True Story of Anthony Sowell, the Cleveland Strangler." 

Sowell's neighbors saw him as a nice guy who gave barbecues in his front yard. If they had gone into his house, they would have found him living among the corpses of his victims. Instead, they blamed the growing neighborhood stench on the sausage business next door. 

House of Horrors is true story that draws us into the serial killer's mind through interviews with Sowell himself, members of his family and surviving victims.

Sberna is an investigative journalist who worked police beats and covered the courts in the Midwest. He's a contributor to The Washington Examiner, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Neoconomist, and Ohio Magazine.