Writer's Week
Oct. 20, 2015
 
Deadline for next edition Oct.31
President's Message
Kaye Spector - high res
Kaye Spector 
On the right to be forgotten

Many of us who are parents tell our children to be careful about what they post on the internet. We worry that someday, a college admissions officer or employer might find an embarrassing photo or status and torpedo our child's chance to attend a choice school or land a job.
News organizations are struggling with a similar situation, with the same fact at its core: The internet is forever. For someone who commits a minor crime and is named in a story on a news website, this can create a problem. You may never break another law, but years later, the internet record of that one minor incident is still out there on the web, just a Google search away from being found by family members, potential employers and others.
As a result, most newsroom managers now routinely receive requests to unpublish stories involving minor crimes that took place years ago.
One such unpublish request made to a newsroom manager that I heard of recently was by a family member of someone who had just died. The family member didn't want people Googling for the obit to bump into a long-ago story that named the deceased as the driver in a DUI arrest.
In the past, when news was delivered on a printed page, no self-respecting journalist would ever retract a story unless it was completely wrong. Today, many news operations retain these print-age policies for stories that appear on their websites.
But do these long-held principles apply in a different medium that often has its own set of rules and logic? The forever-ness of the internet has some news managers wondering if it's time to consider a different approach, one that allows these sorts of long-ago minor-mistakes-made-public to fade away.
Northeast Ohio Media Group is attempting to come up with an answer to this question, and Chris Quinn, NEOMG's vice president of content, has convened a group of reporters and editors around the issue. His column from late September says the group is working on a set of criteria to help guide decisions around whether or when to unpublish these stories or conceal them from search engines.
I look forward to learning about what the group comes up with.
Along those lines, the staff of the Gainesville Sun recently received an Ethics in Journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists for their work in dealing with this very issue.
Executive Editor Douglas Ray and the Gainesville Sun staff won the award for their new policy on how they handle crime reporting. The award nomination notes the policy attempts to balance two of the four principles of SPJ's Code of Ethics:
  • Seek Truth and Report It
  • Minimize Harm
The Gainesville Sun's policy includes cycling mugshots off the news website after 90 days and tagging stories so they don't appear on major search engines, upon request and under certain circumstances. However, the stories will still be available on the news website.
"We need to balance the public interest in knowing about crime in our community with the damage that this can do in people's lives, and their ability to move on from mistakes," Ray writes in his blog. "This seems like the right balance to us."
What do you think of the Gainesville Sun's policy? Drop me a line at mks0511@gmail.com 
Kaye Spector
President, SPJ Cleveland Pro Chapter
 
This newsletter goes out to members two days earlier than to our many subscribers who are not SPJ members. This gives our members first crack at the jobs and other opportunities listed here. If you're not yet a member of SPJ, but thinking about it, check out this list of other reasons to sign up:



Group of event related 3D words. Part of a series.
Careers
  
Oct. 24 
Ohio SPJ Awards 
Hosted by the Cincinnati Pro Chapter
Aboard the Belle of Cincinnati
Newport, Kentucky


Oct. 27
Press Club of Cleveland
Behind the Headlines Series
Police Reform: The Challenge Ahead
 
 
  
Nov. 13
Press Club of Cleveland
2015 Journalism Hall of Fame Dinner
and Chuck Heaton Award Ceremony


Oct. 24
Career Day
The National Association of Television Program Executives, I Heart Media, WEWS News Channel 5, in Cleveland, and the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences, Lower Great Lakes Chapter are co-sponsoring a free career day, job fair, station tour of WEWS Newschannel 5
Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To RSVP and for complete details 
Click here 


Nov. 14 
SPJ Central Ohio Chapter
 Career Development Workshop
 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free, hands-on workshop targeted toward central Ohio journalists who are transitioning or looking for new career opportunities.
For the many central Ohio journalists who have been laid off, may be laid off or are transitioning to new jobs. 
Click here 


Members' benefits: The national website   

A membership in SPJ unlocks a world of resources for journalists on the national website. Training, support for freelancers and job hunters, FOIA and other access to information videos from leading experts, and much more. Keep up with issues in journalism practice and ethics through our members' portal.


Find out more here
 
Job opportunities
STATEHOUSE REPORTER 
Gongwer News Service
Columbus

Gongwer News Service is seeking a full-time reporter to cover state government and politics from the company's Columbus offices. The person  selected will contribute to Gongwer's Ohio Report, which is read by leaders across the state and nation. 
 

That work would include covering legislative committees and sessions, statewide officeholder activities, state agency meetings and developments, and political news.

The reporter will also contribute to the company's variety of online news and legislative information services.

A background in daily news reporting is strongly recommended.Experience in covering government operations and politics, and interest in public policy is preferred. Familiarity with blogging, social media and web design a plus. 

Gongwer offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive insurance package, a 401(k) retirement plan, with employer matches and several other benefits. 
 Those interested should send a cover letter, resume, clips and salary requirements to Kent Cahlander, Editor, at kcahlandergongwer-oh.com by Nov. 6.

To apply click here 


GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER
Times-Gazette
Ashland

The Times-Gazette in Ashland, Ohio, is seeking a full-time reporter for the Ashland area. Must have solid writing and reporting skills. This position requires the reporter to be highly productive in addition to producing quality writing. Comfort with social media would be a plus. Send cover letter, resume and examples of your work to Lance White, editor, lwhite@times-gazette.com. 

Click to apply  
 
MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER
Cleveland Clinic 
Cleveland
 
Produces high quality health news content for the Cleveland Clinic News Service. Develops consumer-friendly, interesting health content for news outlets and social media channels that advance the health education mission of Cleveland Clinic. Arranges and conducts interviews and writes medical/health news material for local, regional, national and international media outlets and Cleveland Clinic social media channels. Assesses the most important medical/health news stories of the day, quickly disseminating complex information from medical journal studies and pitches those stories to media outlets around the world. Creatively generates health related social media content to be distributed on social media channels. Identifies, in a timely fashion, the best possible physician or other health expert within the Cleveland Clinic to interview for the medical news story of the day. Quickly grasps the most substantive part of the story and asks the questions necessary to produce a compelling, accurate and easy to understand story for the media outlets. Transcribes interviews and video for future news stories. Produces long-form stories which require knowledge of new innovations and medical procedures that are happening at Cleveland Clinic. Uses that information to report, produce and write accurate and compelling stories that media outlets will find interesting enough to air. Maintains and updates the Cleveland Clinic News Service Website on a weekly basis. Responsible for writing high-quality, factual content that requires minimal editing. Works effectively in a team environment and within tight deadlines. Supports requests from media contacts in meeting their deadlines. Works closely with the photojournalist and editor to advance the look of a compelling story. Edits video and audio on a non-linear editing system as needed. Other duties as assigned. 
 
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree required with emphasis on Communications, English, Journalism or related field.
 
 
EDITOR
Civitas Media 
Southeastern Ohio

 
We are offering a great opportunity as editor of a southeastern Ohio newspaper and multimedia organization. Primary responsibilities include overseeing a news staff and directing the coverage of a dynamic and diverse region. Benefits include working with a great team of local employees across all departments.

Previous experience as an editor is preferred. The ideal applicant will have strong strong leadership qualities, a positive attitude, team oriented perspective, creative personality, good editing and writing skills, knowledge and skills across all digital and social media platforms, and the ability to oversee and produce multiple stories per day on deadline. Salary commensurate with experience. Vacation, sick leave included, insurance coverage available. 

Apply with resume and a cover letter explaining why you are the ideal individual for this position. Also include editing, writing or reporting samples. Send to gabernathy@civitasmedia.com.  

REPORTER
Cleveland Jewish News 
The Cleveland Jewish News has an Immediate opening for a full time reporter with that old-fashioned "nose for news" to cover breaking news, hard news, spot news, features and entertainment for our weekly newspaper and 24/6 website as well as taking photos, videos, social media, etc. Reporters also write long form for our style and fashion magazines.  
We compete with all other media to break stories, have won 34 awards in the last two years, including being named best non-daily newspaper in Ohio this year. We have expanded the reach of our newspaper and this past year covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Republican Presidential Primary - stories not typically covered by a weekly newspaper.  
In addition to the newspaper and magazines, we also publish magazines for various communities and have a robust events division. 

Candidates should have a minimum of two years of daily newspaper experience, be self-starters, work independently, be team players, have the ability to handle multiple assignments, adhere to rigorous deadlines, produce high-quality content and know AP style.  
If interested, please send a resume and three clips to editorial@cjn.org.

The Cleveland Jewish Publication Co. offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits, including medical, dental and 401(k). The CJPC is an equal opportunity employer. 
 
Internships & Fellowships
ALTERNATIVE PRESS

Alternative Press, a national music magazine published in Cleveland, is looking for interns, particularly students with experience as section editors, artists and marketing students. Their offices are at West 78th Street. See their website for more information about the magazine.
Apply by email to

internship@altpress.com  

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Writer's Week is a service of the Cleveland chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 

This newsletter is produced by

Editor: Carrie Buchanan, assistant professor, Tim Russert School of Communication & Theatre Arts, John Carroll University,
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Phelps, broadcast journalist.

Contact us: Please send news items and job & internship postings to spjcleveland@gmail.com    
 
Chapter President: Kaye Spector, mks0511@gmail.com