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  Writer's Week  

Society of Professional Journalists

    Cleveland Pro Chapter Newsletter     

July 15, 2014   

 Deadline For Next Edition: July 25, 2014  

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President's Message
Board welcomes two new members,
says goodbye to three departing ones
Rodney Bengston
Rodney Bengston

 

Organizations that do not change often find it hard to survive.

 

The Society of Professional Journalists Cleveland chapter's board has a few new faces in Holly Hammersmith and Faith Boone. (See related story below.)

 

The executive for the coming year will be myself, continuing as president, Kaye Spector stepping up to the role of first vice-president, Hammersmith as second vice-president and Tom Moore continuing as secretary-treasurer. The 11-member board also includes Cheryl D'Mello, Rich Exner, Tony Kozlowski, Stan Bullard, Carrie Buchanan, Chris Mosby and Boone as members at large.   

 

But we need to throw out a few well-deserved plaudits to three departing board members. Anup Kumar may have left the board, but we appreciate that he has offered to still coordinate the Phillip W. Porter Scholarship.

 

Longtime board members Cliff Anthony and Betty Clapp, who each served as chapter president, have earned a respite, but we know that we can count on them if we need advice.

 

Journalism always is evolving, and we will soon be meeting to discuss program ideas for next year. Feel free to suggest any programs you would want to see. You can contact me at rodbengston@sbcglobal.net or at 440-334-0141.

 

Rodney Bengston

President, SPJ Cleveland    

Welcome Holly and Faith to the board
Holly Hammersmith 

 

Holly Hammersmith, who will be second vice-president in charge of membership for the chapter in the coming year, is a print and digital communications professional with more than seven years of experience. Her professional work includes internal communications for Fortune 500 company Lincoln Financial Group and staff experience in the daily newspaper industry at the Sandusky Register and The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette.  

 

Today she works independently, providing content writing and editing services to business owners, organizations and individuals. She also writes freelance articles for web and print-based publications. Holly has written a health and lifestyle blog since 2010 and stays up-to-date on best practices with social media.

 

Holly has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism from Bowling Green State University and earned a Certificate in Marketing Strategy for Business Leaders from Cornell University in 2013. Holly enjoys serving others through her work and has personal commitment to lifelong learning.

 

Past awards and training include: AP Society of Ohio, Sandusky Register, First place in General Excellence, Division III, 2007 & 2008; attendance at the Investigative Reporters & Editors National Conference (Miami), 2008, and attendance at the IRE Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference (Cleveland), 2007.

Faith Boone

 

Faith Boone has a bio in her blog, so check it out there, but these are the basics. She is currently the social media specialist at WEWS Newschannel 5.  

 

Boone was first published as a teen columnist in the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio, and later attended journalism school at Cleveland State, where she was editor-in-chief of The Cleveland Stater in the fall semester of 2008 and spent two years at The Cauldron, where she worked her way up from reporter to arts and entertainment editor. In 2009 she was a copy editor for The Vindicator, a CSU magazine. 

 

After graduation, Boone spent two years at Sun Newspapers as a reporter and blogger, also doing a lot of social media and working on hyperlocal websites for cleveland.com

 

In 2012, Boone switched to public relations, spending two years as an account executive and social media strategist for Stevens Strategic Communications. In late 2013, she returned to journalism, beginning her current job doing social media at WEWS Newschannel 5.  

 

 

Job opportunities
Many thanks to Dave Davis of Youngstown State University for finding the first four jobs on this list, checking them out and determining that they open to entry-level applicants. The jobs listed lower down are for more experienced applicants.

SPORTS REPORTER -
NEW CASTLE (Pa.) NEWS 

  

The New Castle News is looking for a full-time sports reporter. If you love sports, love to write, are willing to work hard, and would like to become a part of the Lawrence County community, this job may be for you.

A college background or the equivalent, experience in writing and excellent grammatical skills are a must for this nighttime position. Candidate also must possess some pagination skills, with a good knowledge of Quark Xpress and Photoshop. Some experience in photography also is a plus.

Candidate must be comfortable in front of a camera as well, in order to become a personality on our Crunch football and Bounce basketball web sites. Position includes paid vacation and health insurance, with 401K plan available.

Mail resume, writing samples and references to Kayleen Cubbal, sports editor, New Castle News, 27 N. Mercer St., New Castle, PA 16101. No emails or phone calls, please.


REPORTER - THE TIMES-LEADER (WILKES-BARRE, PA.) 

The Times Leader
is seeking a reporter to join its news team. 
In this role, you will be responsible for covering news in a highly competitive market; Wilkes-Barre is one of the last two-newspaper towns in the country.

While you'll be writing for our newspaper, your primary responsibility will be to write for our digital audience. 
We try to foster a collaborative atmosphere with a mix of experienced and new reporters. We're very active in breaking news online, and we're proud of the strong lead we've built in connecting to audiences on social networks.

You'll start off as a general assignment reporter. After you've learned our area and the players, you'll be groomed for either a topical or geographic beat. 

The Times Leader is a Civitas Media news organization. We offer full medical, dental and vision benefits, as well as life insurance and a 401(k) retirement plan.

To apply, please send your resume, a cover letter, your salary expectations and three clips to Executive Editor George Spohr by email at gspohr@civitasmedia.com.  
Please send your application material as PDFs.

http://www.timesleader.com/

PAGE DESIGNER/COPY EDITOR -
THE TRIBUNE DEMOCRAT
, JOHNSTOWN, PA.

The Tribune-Democrat, a newspaper and media company based in Johnstown, Pa., seeks a creative page designer/copy editor to join our night desk team. Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field required. Two years experience preferred. Skill with news, sports, business and features a plus. This position requires skills in the areas of page design, headline and caption writing, page proofing, story editing, web content publishing and social media. Qualified candidates should send resume, cover letter and work samples to: Chip Minemyer, editor, The Tribune-Democrat, 425 Locust St., Johnstown, PA 15907-0340; or by email to: cminemyer@tribdem.com

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/

REPORTER - THE DAILY RECORD, WOOSTER

The Daily Record in Wooster is seeking a full-time Reporter to work in its Millersburg office. Experience preferred, but recent graduates will be considered. In addition to solid writing skills, candidates should be comfortable using social media. Please send a cover letter, resume and samples of your work to Lance White, managing editor, at lwhite@the-daily-record.com

http://the-daily-record.com/

ASSISTANT EDITOR - EARLY AMERICAN LIFE MAGAZINE

Firelands Media Group LLC is interviewing for the position of Assistant Editor for Early American Life magazine. The position is full-time with benefits. The ideal candidate will have writing and editing skills for both print and electronic media, a knowledge and appreciation of American history and historic styles, and the ability to represent the magazine in public forums, both online and in person.

Duties include making assignments to outside writers, creating original content, editing for style, copy editing, and interfacing with the art department. Because we attend shows, the position requires flexibility and the availability to travel. Fluency in Microsoft Word and sufficient understanding of Adobe Creative Suite to work with the art department are required.

Early American Life is a national consumer magazine with headquarters in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and is published seven times a year.

Applicants should contact Tess Rosch, publisher, at 440-543-8566 or submit resumes by email to this address.


REPORTER - SIOUX CITY JOURNAL

Sioux City Journal Communications is hiring a writer for The Weekender, its weekly entertainment/young reader publication. The hire will be someone who is brimming with ideas, is endlessly curious about culture and the arts, and is an expert at striking just the right tone for connecting with our audience. Please apply online here by Sunday, July 20. 

FINANCE REPORTER - CRAIN'S CLEVELAND BUSINESS
Info and apply here
 
MANAGER - IDEASTREAM
90.3 WCPN 
Info and apply here

MANAGING EDITOR - NEWS
IDEASTREAM 90.3 WCPN
Info and apply here 

Events
There is more information on the events below and at the online links. Job listings are below at left and student internships are below at right.
The Press Club
Behind the Scenes with Cleveland Newsmakers: The RNC and CLE
Thursday, July 17
8 to 9:30 a.m.
Continential breakfast at 8 a.m.
Program begins 8:30 a.m.

Cost $15 for members
$25 for non-members

Register online here

See article immediately below for more information

-----------------------------

Northeast Ohio
Society of Technical Communicators
NEO-STC

"Styles Gone Wild?
CSS Concepts in a Nutshell"
will be presented by Neil Perlin

Friday, July 18, 2014
1 to 2 p.m.

at Parker Hannifin
6035 Parkland Blvd.
Mayfield Heights, Ohio 44124

Cost $5 at the door for members or nonmembers
Registration limited to 8 attendeed
Contact Linda Mileusnich to register

   

 

 

 

Featured Event
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH CLEVELAND NEWSMAKERS:
THE RNC AND CLE

Hear the story behind the story of Cleveland landing the 2016 Republican National Convention.  What did it take -- and what will it take between now and 2016 to pull it off?  Featuring an all-star panel of newsmakers at the heart of the decision and the coverage, and time for audience questions.

Thursday, July 17, 2014
8-9:30 a.m.

(Continental breakfast 8 a.m.; program begins promptly at 8:30 a.m.)
The Union Club
1211 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, OH  44115

Panelists:
Tom Beres, Senior Political Correspondent, WKYC-TV
Terrance "Terry" Egger, Executive Chair, Cleveland 2016 RNC Host Committee
David E. Gilbert, President & CEO, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission and Positively Cleveland
Joe Roman, President and CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership
Andrew J. Tobias, Cuyahoga County and City Hall Reporter, Northeast Ohi Media Group

Moderator:
Russ Mitchell, News Anchor, WKYC-TV, and Vice President, The Press Club of Cleveland

 

 


Open to the Public; RSVPs required.  
Register online here
or by calling the Press Club office at 440.899-1222 to pay with a credit card by phone.


Quick Links

SPJ Job Bank

Join or Renew Membership
(Be sure to scroll down on the application form and sign up for the Cleveland Pro Chapter, as well as the national SPJ)
Learn InDesign
this summer at  Lorain County Community College

Lorain County Community College is offering an In-Design course with an emphasis on newspaper/magazine design.

The class begins on Aug. 26 and the hours are 11a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

Journalists, who need to upgrade their skills, may take the class on an audit basis.

For more information, please contact Cliff Anthony at
canthony@lorainccc.edu

 

Internships for journalism and communication students
VIRTUAL INTERSHIPS
THE CELEBRITY CAFE

We are looking for dedicated interns who understand the culture TheCelebrityCafe.com embodies. We have nine different internships opportunities; Marketing and Social Media, Business Administration, Research, Copy Editing, Graphic Design and our News, Music, Entertainment and Sports Writing internships.

This is a 12-week internship for students in a virtual office for academic credit only.

We had previously asked students to dedicate 10 hours minimum per week, but will be increasing the requirement to 15 hours each week. As the online forums for writers grow, we want to continue to guide students to the best of our ability and and help them understand how an online magazine operates, and found that this can not be properly done within our original time requirements.

Additional program descriptions are online here

We also want to highlight the importance of our Marketing and Social Media internship. Students who are interested in this internship will become knowledgeable in an array of online communication, and will learn how to combine online marketing with overarching outreach goals in a professional setting. This is a necessary skill for students to acquire upon entering professional work settings, many that are heavily internet focused.

Openings for the internships are limited. Please have interested students apply here as soon as possible.

 

Scholarship for
Technical Editing
The Nertheast Ohio Society for Technical Communication announces:
The deadline for applying for the Diane Feldman Technical Editing SIG Scholarship program has been extended to July 25. The SIG will be awarding two $1,400 scholarships.
 
The first scholarship assists students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in technical communication (or a related area, such as professional writing or digital media) and the second assists students who are pursuing a graduate degree in Technical Communication (or a related area, such as professional writing or digital media).
 
Students applying for one of these scholarships are expected to be able to demonstrate their focus on topics related to technical editing through their academic studies, current jobs, special projects, or undergraduate/graduate program.
 
The winners will be announced in the Technical Editing SIG newsletter.

For complete details, see this website

 

CSS webinar
from Northeast Ohio
Technical Communicators
"Styles Gone Wild?
CSS Concepts in a Nutshell"
will be presented by Neil Perlin

Friday, July 18, 2014
1 to 2 p.m.
(Note: This webinar was rescheduled from May 30.)
 
Description:
New online content techniques like multichannel publishing and responsive design rely heavily on best practices for development. One of the most important of those practices is the use of styles and style sheets, in line with W3C recommendations that style codes be removed from HTML files and put in a style sheet, or CSS, instead. The result will be cleaner, more future-proofed content.

If you're new to CSS, it may look impenetrable but there actually is logic to it. Understand that logic and the rest begins to fall into place. That's the purpose of this presentation. We'll look at:
The basic logic of CSS
How CSS styles differ from Word styles
Two definitions of "cascading"
Why relative font sizes are important for future-proofing our content
CSS3, media queries, and responsive design
Some best practices
Sources of information
If you've decided that it's time to make serious and correct use of styles but aren't sure where to start, this presentation will get you going.

Location:
Parker Hannifin
6035 Parkland Blvd.
Mayfield Heights, Ohio 44124
 
Click for map and directions
 
Registration:
If you'd like to attend this webinar presentation, please RSVP to Lisa Mileusnich. Attendees should not register on the STC site. You need to go to Parker Hannifin on the day of the webinar, and sign in at the front desk.
 
Registration is limited to 8 attendees.
 
Cost:
NEO STC members and nonmembers: $5 payable at the door (Cash or check only)

 

infoaboutusWriter's Week is a service of the Cleveland chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. This e-newsletter is edited by Carrie Buchanan, assistant professor, Tim Russert School of Communication & Theatre Arts, John Carroll University, and assistant editor Chris Mosby, a reporter, editor and graduate of John Carroll University.

Please send news items and job & internship postings to spjcleveland@gmail.com    

 

Street Address: Cleveland SPJ, 4337 Chanticleer Drive, Fairview Park, Ohio 44126-1906

Chapter email: Cleveland@spj.org

President: Rodney Bengston  

Chapter web site:  www.spjchapters.org/cleveland/

  

      The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. SPJ is dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi and based in Indianapolis, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed public, works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists, and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press.