The Society of Professional Journalists is recognizing Jerry Green, Roland Martin, John Quiñones, Clarissa Ward and Bill Whitaker as Fellows of the Society, the highest professional honor awarded by SPJ, for extraordinary contribution to the profession of journalism. “We at SPJ are honored to recognize five of the best journalists in the country who continue to seek the […]
MMJs Sound Off On Safety In Town Hall

A virtual town hall discussion on Saturday hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists found a wide swath of multimedia journalists calling for more safety training and open lines of communication with newsroom leaders over well-being concerns following an MMJ being hit on-air by a car.
Rebecca Aguilar has became the first Latina national president of the Society of Professional Journalists in its 112-year history. She was sworn in on Sept. 4 by SPJ National President Matthew T. Hall at the President’s Awards Ceremony during the SPJ21 conference. Aguilar, who is celebrating 40 years as a journalist, is a freelance reporter […]
The Society of Professional Journalists, College Media Association and Associated Collegiate Press have come to an agreement to partner for the 2022 conference. All three boards voted to approve finalizing details. “I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with ACP and CMA,” SPJ National President Matthew T. Hall said. “Emerging journalists are not just the future of journalism, they’re the […]

The Society of Professional Journalists has announced the recipients of the 2020 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.
The Society of Professional Journalists today appointed veteran nonprofit leader John Shertzer is its new executive director. “SPJ is excited to welcome John and looks forward to introducing him to our members,” said SPJ National President Patricia Gallagher Newberry. “His stated goal is to establish SPJ as the ‘preeminent and most influential journalism organization in […]
A Good Start To Mending Mistrust Of Media
The Society of Professional Journalists has retained Talbott Talent to assist with the search for SPJ’s next executive director and an on-site organizational assessment. The Indianapolis firm works exclusively with nonprofit organizations to increase their effectiveness through executive searches, people management and organizational assessments. “I am excited to be taking this next step in the plan that was […]
Watch Winning SPJ SDX Award Entries

The winners of the annual awards for exceptional professional journalism will be honored at an awards banquet June 21 at the National Press Club in Washington. Entries included submissions from television and radio broadcasts, newspapers, online news outlets and magazines. The TV station winners included KPRC, WDIO, KARE, WVUE, WTHR, KCCI, KDVR, WVUE, KNTV and WVUE.
In an effort to address the issue of dwindling trust in the media, the Society of Professional Journalists has named veteran journalist Rod Hicks as its first Journalist on Call. SPJ’s Journalist on Call is a unique, three-year position, developed and funded by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, which supports the educational mission of SPJ. Hicks, a native […]
SPJ’s Director: Stem Attacks On Journalists
Alison Bethel McKenzie has been a reporter and editor for big-city papers like the Boston Globe and the Detroit News, has directed Legal Times and the Nassau Guardian, and, for five years, was executive director of the Vienna-based International Press Institute. On Monday, she was named executive director of the Society of Professional Journalists. She talks about the evolving mission of the association.
The Society of Professional Journalists today announced that veteran journalist and association leader Alison Bethel McKenzie will become its 20th executive director. “Alison is a game changer for SPJ,” said SPJ National President Rebecca Baker. “Her track record of successes, both as a working journalist and a tireless advocate for press rights and the practice of […]
ASU’s ‘Cronkite News’ Named Top Newscast
ASU’s Cronkite News Named Top Newscast
The Society of Professional Journalists announced the recipients of its 2016 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism. TV stations honored were WJZY Charlotte, N.C.; KGAN-KFXA Cedar Rapids, Iowa; KMGH Denver; WHP Harrisburg, Pa.; KTUU Anchorage, Alaska; WCAU Philadelphia; and KPIX San Francisco.
The Society of Professional Journalists has joined an amicus brief with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in a case involving a defamation lawsuit in California that concerns the “actual malice” standard. The court’s ruling, according to the brief, would severely constrain the ability of the press to “effectively expose deception in the government” and “preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know.”
An NAB session outlines how to apply traditional journalistic ethics to the use of social media in both collecting and distributing information. The discussion focused on best practices for using social media as part of the profession, even if there is no way of formally encoding them. “We are not giving you all the answers,” says SPJ’s Andrew Seaman, who recently participated in updating SPJ’s Code of Ethic to extend to social media. “The only absolute we have in the code is do not plagiarize.”
In a new report, The Society of Professional Journalists and the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, find science and environmental reporters struggle to obtain information from government agencies for their stories and often must go through a public information office (PIO) to contact subject matter experts within agencies to […]
The Society of Professional Journalists is reiterating its call to the Environmental Protection Agency to stop banning leading national scientists from communicating with the press and the public. In recent days the EPA has reaffirmed in great part its policy released earlier this year restricting the communications of independent scientists who advise the agency, according to a memorandum from the EPA’s chief of staff. In response, SPJ sent another letter to the EPA on Monday decrying its decision.
Whoa! Journalism’s New Code Of Ethics
The journalism profession is trying to reduce speeding on the information superhighway. The Society of Professional Journalists adopted a new code of ethics this month and the main difference between the revamped code and and the one that had been in place since 1996 is that the new version addresses the alarming tendency to rush stuff onto the Web as soon as we hear about it, without taking the time to make sure it’s true.
The Society of Professional Journalists today announced the recipients of its annual Sigma Delta Chi Awards, which recognize exceptional professional journalism produced in 2013. Judges selected 85 honorees from nearly 1,800 submissions. The TV station winners are KNTV San Francisco; KWTX Waco, Texas; WFTS Tampa, Fla.; WVUE New Orleans; KBMT-KJAC Beaumont, Texas; KUSA Denver, KHQ Spokane, Wash; and WKBT La Crosse, Wis.