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After hearing that media employees in Cedar Rapids‚ Iowa City‚ Vinton and Waterloo‚ Iowa‚ were facing significant damage to their own homes while continuing to provide top-level reporting of the devastating floods in that state‚ members of the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) pro
chapter board voted to donate $500 to a fund created to assist these journalists. |
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NEW BRUNSWICK‚ NJ — The past‚ present and future of Journalism in New Jersey came together this past June when the NJ Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists (NJSPJ) held its annual awards luncheon and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the chapter’s founding. Held on Saturday‚ June 28 at the University Inn and Conference Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick‚ the event honored approximately 140 journalists in over 60 award categories covering daily and weekly newspapers‚ radio and television stations‚ magazine‚ newsletters and online publication. To be eligible‚ entries must have been published or broadcast during the calendar year of January 1 to December 31‚ 2008. Featured speakers were Andy Lagomarsino‚ Matt Romanoski‚ Mike Scott‚ Garrett Morrison and Joe Tyrrell‚ five of the founders of the Internet site‚ NewJerseyNewsroom.com.
Guy Baehr‚ past officer of the NJSPJ chapter‚ holds up a copy of Jersey Jottings‚ the chapter’s first newsletter The Past: Some Things Have Changed; Some Have Stayed the Same In his welcome presentation‚ Guy Baehr‚ past chapter officer and longtime member‚ noted that 2009 was both the 50th anniversary of the chapter and the 100th anniversary of the national organization. Holding up an issue of Jersey Jottings‚ the chapter’s first newsletter (which had been produced on a mimeograph machine)‚ Baehr used the newsletter to illustrate how some things had changed while some had stayed the same. He said that the organization’s name was originally “Sigma Delta Chi‚” reflecting its roots as a college and professional fraternity‚ originally established by students at DePauw University in Indiana. The current name was not adopted until 1988. “You’ll also notice that all the members are men‚” Baehr went on. “That’s because it took the national organization until 1969 – 40 years ago – to begin admitting women as members.” It would take another decade for the national organization to elect its first woman president. Dues were also lower back in 1960 — a mere $2 for the local chapter and $5 for the national. And finally‚ there were only 60 members‚ about half of the chapter’s membership in more recent years. Baehr pointed out members who have gained state or national prominence. Among them were Wilson Barto‚ who went on to serve as editor of both The Trenton Times and The Trentonian; Hugh N. Boyd‚ the publisher of The Home-News in New Brunswick when it was a family-owned newspaper; William Caldwell‚ a columnist for The Record of Hackensack who was the first New Jersey journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize; and Bernard Kilgore‚ then president of The Wall Street Journal and one of the leaders of a successful effort to reorganize the national organization from a fraternity to a professional organization. “What may not be obvious from the newsletter‚” said Baehr‚ “is that it was published during a pivotal time in SPJ’s history. The conversion from fraternity to professional organization stirred wide interest among journalists and SPJ’s reorganization helped it fill a void in what was becoming a profession rather than a craft or trade. “One element of that void was the lack of national and grassroots journalism organizations to fight for freedom of the press and freedom of information. Giving that high priority to the sometimes lonely job of defending and expanding the public’s right to a free press is something that’s stayed the same for SPJ since that time‚ both nationally and here in New Jersey.”
L-r: New JerseyNewsroom.com’s Andy Lagomarsino‚ Matt Romanoski‚ Mike Scott‚ Garrett Morrison and Joe Tyrrell. The Future: Here It Comes‚ Ready Or Not When 40 staffers from the Newark Star Ledger were let go in January 2009‚ they didn’t get angry — they got going. To the Internet‚ that is‚ and NewJerseyNewsroom.com was born. Today‚ the staff of the virtual newsroom has more than doubled‚ and while the search for financial backing continues‚ the site’s About Us section declares that “combined‚ our experience adds up to over 1‚000 years... [our] goal is to provide high-quality news for New Jerseyans and not just about New Jerseyans. We will do our best to gather all the stories you want‚ regardless of the original sources. If it is of interest to you‚ we will write it or link to it. We know how to get to the facts‚ get it right‚ and‚ when necessary‚ provide analysis. We will strive to provide unique content and news you can use...” “We work out of our living rooms to keep costs down‚” explained Garrett Morrison‚ who spent 13 years on the Star-Ledger sports desk. Many of the newsroom writers are currently living on their severance paychecks. Still‚ Morrison and his colleagues remain hopeful that NewJerseyNewsroom.com will not only survive but flourish. “Yesterday‚” said Matt Romanoski‚ a veteran journalist of 20 years‚ “we had more hits than in our first two weeks — 190‚000 hits‚ up from 40‚000 in the first month.” Romanoski also described how going online has changed the relationship between reporters and readers. Working for a newspaper‚ he said‚ reporters are often too busy to worry about the public. Online‚ however‚ “You have to get it right the first time. If you screw up out there‚ everyone knows. But if you do something well‚ everyone knows it too.” Mike Scott‚ another veteran of two decades in the news business‚ agreed. “You know someone is actually reading you and contact between a news gatherer and the reader can only make you better ...We can’t be everything to everybody‚ but the readers are telling us want they want from us.” “People are giving us angles we never thought of‚” Romanski added. And who’s in charge? “There is no hierarchy‚” said Romanoski. “Everyone gets a vote.” “You can write about what you want‚” said Joe Tyrrell‚ who has won awards for his 30 years of investigative‚ environmental and breaking news reporting. Andy Lagomarsino‚ another newspaper veteran of over three decades‚ said that the website is currently searching for advertising support. There are no plans‚ however‚ to charge for subscription. And what will happen when the severance money runs out‚ asked an audience member during the Q&A session that followed. Will the NewJerseyNewsroom.com staffers be as committed to their pioneering project? “I don’t know and I don’t know‚” said Scott with a rueful laugh. “I only know I don’t expect to be doing this for free forever.” The Present: The Major Award Winners
L-r: Ron Miskoff‚ past NJSPJ officer‚ presents Bill George‚ editor/publisher of the Amboy Beacon with the Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for civic journalism. THE STUART AND BEVERLY AWBREY AWARD This year’s Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for civic journalism went to Editor/publisher Bill George‚ and the Amboy Beacon. The citation reads: Bill George's detailed coverage of the Vas administration followed the facts and‚ over time‚ began highlighting critical budgetary and other festering problems that emerged during the second decade of Vas's long tenure as mayor. The Beacon served its community well as it continued its critical but fair and factual coverage despite efforts by the administration to curb the paper's independent coverage‚ including pulling the city's legal advertising‚ removing it from its normal press notification list and even timing important announcements for just after the weekly paper had to go to press. The Beacon's coverage was consistently penetrating and courageous‚ exemplifying the best public service traditions of a free and independent press by providing its community with critically important facts needed to make timely electoral decisions -- all at some cost to the paper's bottom line and even risk to its continued existence. The Awbrey award is named for the husband and wife team whose decades-long ownership and operation of the Cranford Chronicle made the 100-year old weekly a model for how local newspapers can make a unique contribution to the civic life of a community.
L-r: The Daily Record’s Executive Editor‚ James Flaschsenhaar thanks Ron Miskoff‚ current president of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (FOG)‚ and Joe Tyrrell‚ FOG’s first president for the Tim O’ Brien Award. THE TIM O’ BRIEN AWARD The 2008 Tim O’ Brien Award for best investigative reporting using the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) was presented to The Daily Record’s Executive Editor‚ James Flaschsenhaar. Colleen O’ Dea‚ Laura Bruno‚ Joe Ugaro and Matt Manochio of The Daily Record of Morris County won the award for “Super Perks: Morris taxpayers foot the bills for school superintendents big benfits‚” a package of articles that led to changes in state regulations requiring greater public disclosure of administrative spending and placing tighter controls on travel stipends and severance benefits for school administrators. The judges said of the winning entry: “The Daily Record spent nine months doggedly collecting mounds of records from dozens of school districts to show the outrageous perks enjoyed by school administrators. Information from the documents was then boiled down into an easy-to-read chart and put on the Web for anyone to search for an individual district. The paper also provided a good explanation for the public on how it got the documents‚ including anecdotes of unnecessary reactions by some agencies. Ultimately the work led to change and great public awareness of how tax dollars are spent. Great work!”
L-r: Joshua Riley‚ Asbury Park Press; Timothy J. Carroll‚ Hudson Reporter; Tricia Tirella‚ Hudson Reporter; John Soltes‚ The Leader; Michele Donohue‚ The Non-Profit Times. Not pictured: Heather Appel‚ Herald News. THE WILSON BARTO AWARDS The Wilson Barto Awards for first-year journalists is names for the NJSPJ’s first chapter president. As a long-time editor working for newspapers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey‚ including The Trentonian and The Trenton Times‚ Barto took a special interest in nurturing new members of his staff. This year’s winners are: DAILY NEWSPAPERS
WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS
MAGAZINE
For the rest of this year’s winners in daily and weekly newspaper‚ design‚ photography‚ broadcast‚ magazine‚ newsletter and online categories‚ click here. |
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Avoiding Libel in Cyberspace |
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Join the Society of Professional Journalists on March 31 for an important talk about libel, privacy and journalism. Once of the most dangerous challenges to journalists is the possibility of being sued for something they wrote. This is especially true in online journalism, where the rules change all the time, including the fact that each nation has different laws about libel. Find out what your rights are and how to protect them in this fascinating talk by one of the leading experts on libel. Charles J. Glasser Jr. is a media counsel to Bloomberg News. Before joining Bloomberg, he represented a wide range of broadcasters, magazines, and newspaper publishers. A former daily newspaper and wire-service journalist, he has litigated many of the issues covered in this book. He has published numerous articles on press law and free speech rights and is admitted to several trial and appellate courts in the United States. Glasser is the author of International Libel and Privacy Handbook, a nation-by-nation summary of libel law, offering a unique view of the privacy and libel-related legislative frameworks across Europe, Asia and the Americas. In the modern era of instant global information, ignorance of media law is a dangerous liability. Tuesday, March 31, 7 p.m. |
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CENTENNIAL PARTY AND NETWORKING MIXER |
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Join the New Jersey Pro Chapter and New York's Deadline Club as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Society of Professional Journalists, founded on April 17, 1909. Bring you business cards to network with colleagues and get to know fellow journalists. Friday, April 17, 2009 |
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| MULTIMEDIA TRAINING SEMINARS MAY, JUNE, JULY 2008 | |||||||||
Knight Digital Media Center - University of California‚ Berkeley‚ Graduate School of Journalism Application Deadline for all three seminars: April 11‚ 2008 The Knight Digital Center Multimedia Training Program is accepting applications for 20 fellowships per workshop for journalists to attend these seminars that combine practical instruction in multimedia reporting with in-depth exploration of issues in online publishing. Participants will receive six days of intense hands-on instruction on how to do multimedia stories for the Web‚ including:
Fellows create multimedia projects as part of the seminar. In addition‚ there are evening and noontime presentations by online publishing experts on the most pressing issues in digital media. WHO SHOULD APPLY: Professional print and broadcast journalists seeking multimedia skills. Fellowships include lodging‚ meals and instruction. Cost of travel to the workshop must be paid by the applicant’s news organization. HOW TO APPLY: An application form and instructions are available online. We are accepting concurrent applications for the May‚ June and July 2008 workshops. Applicants may apply to any or all of the workshops. Because we receive far more applications than we can accommodate‚ applicants are encouraged to apply for multiple workshops to increase their chances of being accepted into one of them. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY APRIL 11‚ 2008 If you have any questions‚ please contact Lanita Pace-Hinton‚ director of multimedia training‚ at pacel@berkeley.edu or (510) 643-7429. The Knight Digital Media Center is a collaboration of USC Annenberg School for Communication and the University of California‚ Berkeley‚ Graduate School of Journalism‚ funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Additional funding for the multimedia training seminars is provided by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. For more information on the Knight Digital Media Center and other programs we offer‚ please visit our main Web site. |
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| MEDIA TELLS PRSA/NJ OF CHECKS AND BALANCES AFFECTING THEIR NEWS COVERAGE | |||||||||
Balancing the public’s “right to know” with the possibility that news coverage could hurt or ruin a subject is a decision many reporters face. Although they have different methods of weighing the pros and cons of coverage‚ many reporters say being careful about what details they expose is an important component of their coverage. The New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America‚ in conjunction with the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists‚ presented a November 16‚ 2007‚ event‚ “Meet the Media Lunch Panel: How We Cover Controversial Stories‚” at the PSE&G headquarters in Newark. Media members participating on the panel included:
Bloomberg’s Servetah‚ and several other panelists‚ said their news outlets’ attorneys will often vet controversial pieces to check for possible instances of libel or slander. This gives their reporters an extra level of confidence that they are providing the news in an appropriate manner. Kane added that he will personally write the “teases” for his News 12 New Jersey investigative reports‚ as part of his checks-and-balances process‚ rather than run the risk that a colleague who quickly viewed the piece will misinterpret the story and create an incorrect impression of the piece. Reid of Dow Jones has his reporters approach stories that might damage “good” people from the standpoint of whether the public has the right to know. Some details about a story subject may not need to be reported if they have little bearing on the topic‚ he noted. Doyle of WBGO agreed‚ noting that he’ll weigh the coverage of a story that might negatively impact an individual or organization on the basis of whether the coverage will serve the public good. AP’s Rassmann echoed those comments by saying his reporters are frequently determining if story leads and details would serve the public interest or if they are merely sensational. At DiversityInc‚ Frankel and her staff often cover discrimination issues‚ and those topics warrant careful examination of whether pieces are presenting both sides of the story. Jones of the New York Times uses a simple strategy when determining if his articles have the proper amount of viewpoints from both sides. He will look at the piece as if his name was in the place of an accused subject’s name and see if he felt “his” side of the story was told properly. On the subject about whether to use anonymous sources‚ My9’s Taylor cautioned that these sources can be “terrifying‚” as it can be hard to determine if they have an ax to grind. But‚ just like reporters have to know what sources they can trust‚ PR people need to know what reporters they can trust when considering whether to talk off the record‚ she added. This can best be done‚ Taylor noted‚ by adhering to a good rule of PR: get to know the reporters before you need them or they need you. Ken Hunter |
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| The "Meet The Press" panel members discuss the practice of reporting controversial stories. From left to right: Stacie Servetah‚ Trenton Bureau Chief‚ Bloomberg News; Walt Kane‚ I-Team Investigative Reporter‚ News 12 New Jersey; Doug Doyle‚ News Director‚ WBGO Radio; Barbara Frankel‚ Executive Editor‚ DiversityInc Magazine; Rich Rassmann‚ News Editor‚ Associated Press; Michael Reid‚ Deputy Managing Editor‚ Dow Jones News Service; Barbara Nevins Taylor‚ Investigative Reporter‚ My9 News‚ and Rick Jones‚ Newark Bureau Reporter‚ New York Times. | |||||||||
| WERE YOU AT GROUND ZERO? | |||||||||
The New York Press Photographers Association is conducting a health survey of those who were at Ground Zero covering the events of Sept. 11. If you were one of those people‚ please go to www.nyppa.org and take the short survey at the bottom of the page. For more information‚ email David Handschuh‚ a member of the NYPPA‚ at h2photo@optonline.net. Please take a few minutes to check it out. |
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| TOTAL IMMERSION | |||||||||
By Eli Holtzman. I write by total immersion. I sink myself into my subject‚ and become as knowledgeable as possible about what I’m writing. And at all times I am thinking‚ thinking‚ thinking. Even as I go about other tasks. I’ll be writing something in my head -- turning a phrase‚ making sure all the "i’s" are dotted‚ and the "t’s" are crossed. Continued > |
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| SPJ’S 2007 ESSAY CONTEST WINNER | |||||||||
Jonathan Emont an 11th grader at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood New Jersey is the local winner of SPJ’s 2007 Essay Contest. Essay writers were asked to address the question “Why Free News Media Are Important.” Jonathan’s essay‚ entitled‚ “The Fourth Branch” will now go on to compete at the national level. Congratulations to Jonathan and thanks to all the New Jersey high school students who wrote essays! |
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SESSION ON HOW TO USE OPRA SET FOR OCT. 1 AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY A comprehensive learning session on how to use the New Jersey Open Public Records Act will be held at Rutgers University on Monday evening, Oct. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. Beth Mason, the president of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, will conduct the session and will explain the process for those who want to find out how to obtain records. Mason is also a citizen activist and a councilwoman in Hoboken. The Foundation for Open Government is a non-profit organization which works to keep government open. The session will be held at the Rutgers Student Center on College Avenue, in Room 410. This session is free and open to the public. It is designed to help students, journalists and anyone interested in obtaining information from state or local government. The event is being co-sponsored by the Journalism Resources Institute, New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, Rutgers Department of Journalism and Media Studies, the Rutgers Chapter — Society of Professional Journalists, and the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists The Open Public Records Act (OPRA) was signed into law in 2002. It allows anyone to look at or photocopy records of any state, county or local government agency. Federal records are covered by the Freedom of Information Act. For more information on the OPRA Learning Session . For more information on OPRA. |
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FORUM ON STEM CELL RESEARCH INFORMATION TO BE HELD AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY Imagined risks and societal well-being are inseparable aspects debated in lay and expert discussions of embryonic stem cell research, and while media and political experts have long weighed in, voters will cast their ballots on this topic during a referendum held at the time of this fall’s New Jersey legislative elections. The stakes are high, as labs across the country – including important ones in New Jersey -- make discoveries that heighten the promise of stem cell research, and raise public expectations, while, nationally, stem cell research is caught in the moral cross-hairs, wedged between an administration’s convictions, and the potential of an emerging science. How do journalists currently cover embryonic stem cell research – as science, politics, or a matter of ethical concern? What factors shape their coverage? In what way are values, information, trust in science and government, and mass media important to public opinion, as voters weigh in on this controversial science issue? A forum entitled, “Embryonic Stem Cell Research, The Media, and The Public: What Journalists Should Know” will be held Wednesday, September 19, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rutgers University Alexander Library, in the Scholarly Communication Center on the fourth floor. The library is located at the corner of College Avenue and Huntington Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. This forum is part of the 2007 Johnson and Johnson Blue Ribbon Health and Medical Speakers Series Risk and Well-Being in Everyday Life. For more information, contact Montague Kern. Keynote Plenary Panel: Plenary Address: |
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| JOURNALIST SETS SAIL FOR NEW HORIZON By Eli Holtzman. The following article appeared in The Home News Tribune on Thursday‚ April 19‚ 2007‚ on Page D3 of the Community section. |
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 Guy Baehr |
Guy Baehr drives a two-seated white 1992 Mazda Miata with 130‚000 miles on it. He has a sailboat berthed at the Raritan Yacht Club in Perth Amboy. He calls the boat “Sonrisa‚” which‚ he says‚ means “smile” in Spanish. That’s because he likes sailing so much he usually smiles when he’s aboard the boat. |
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He’s always liked living near water‚ and that’s a basic reason he enjoys Perth Amboy so much. That‚ and the city’s sense of its historical background and unique place in the area’s history. Guy is now a Rutgers journalism teacher and a key person in the operation of the Journalism Resource Institute at R.U. He is a veteran newsman‚ now retired‚ who has graced the area for 25 years as a reporter for the Star Ledger. Even as a young old-timer‚ though‚ he keeps up with what’s new in computer transmission of news‚ and friends say he likes to read news on-line. But Baehr’s reasons for going into journalism transcend “new vs. old” methods of news presentation‚ and seem almost universal. “You can change the world in some way‚” he said in what was almost a paraphrase of what many people -- such as myself -- said when they started out in journalism. And‚ as a fellow newsman‚ I enjoyed rubbing elbows with Guy‚ and just listening as he participated in the activities of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)‚ a group he had at one time led. So it was with some sadness when we at SPJ learned that Baehr would be resigning from the New Jersey chapter. He’s moving to the Dominican Republic‚ where he spent two and a half years in the Peace Corps during the Vietnam War. “I’m going to build a house there‚” he told the group. “This will be another stage in my life.” It wasn’t only I that was sad. We all were. Baehr always added his special knowledge and flavor to the meetings. David M. Levitt of Highland Park‚ New Jersey SPJ Past President ‚ observed: “Guy’s leaving will be a tremendous loss for us. There are so many things that he’s done. He’s chapter treasurer now‚ and has been a regional chairman and a national officer. “He’s a huge part of what we do‚ beyond which his is a great conscience. And he is a great guiding light.” Levitt is a former Home News reporter and now works in New York City for Bloomburg News. Later‚ Ron Miskoff‚ a journalism instructor at Rutgers and former Home News reporter‚ commented: “I’ve known Guy 20 years. He’s one of the great journalists of New Jersey. He’s done so many things. I wish him well. He’s a friend‚ a mentor and an authority on open government.” On the subject of open government‚ Baehr was one of the key people involved in promoting the establishment of “F.O.G.” -- the Foundation for Open Government -- which led the way in getting the Open Public Records Act passed in the New Jersey Legislature in January‚ 2002‚ and which is a landmark in helping New Jersey journalists get to the truth. “To be a good journalist‚” Guy has said‚ “your first loyalty is to the truth.” Early on‚ before deciding on a career‚ Baehr considered going to law school. He would have been another lawyer. Maybe a very good lawyer. And chances are he would have made significantly more money. But it’s likely he wouldn’t have interviewed Hubert Humphrey and Mikhail Gorbachev and Walter Mondale‚ “percs” which went along with the reporting job. “Journalism can be a business‚ a job‚ a craft‚ or a calling‚” Baehr says. And it is evident that Baehr has made journalism his calling‚ even though at this point he hasn’t decided exactly what he’s going to do in the Dominican Republic‚ other than live modestly and do a lot of sail boating. “I get satisfaction from telling somebody’s story‚” he said.“And‚ I do feel like hanging around with other journalists.” And he has strong feelings about the responsibilities of those who choose to go into the field.In addition to his wide-ranging background in promoting open public records and a freer scholastic press‚ he now teaches a highly successful course in investigative reporting at Rutgers. Barbara Reed‚ also a member of SPJ‚ is a prize-winning Rutgers academic and one of the outstanding teachers in the training of young journalists. She also had words of praise for colleague Baehr. “Guy Baehr is a solid teacher‚” she said. “His course has really been a rousing success‚ and he has had his students do interesting things…” Dr. John V. Pavlik‚ chair of the Journalism Department at Rutgers‚ called Baehr’s investigative reporting course “particularly remarkable.” “Guy's students have produced a series of investigative reports that not only have been published but have won awards and recognition for their excellence. “Beyond the classroom‚” Pavlik continued‚ “Guy also served for five years as associate director of the Journalism Resources Institute (JRI)‚ our bridge between the classroom and the newsroom. Through his efforts at JRI‚ we have established an important project on ethnic and immigrant media in New Jersey and New York. He has also directed our collaboration with the New Jersey Press Association in producing annual workshops for journalists on covering municipal budgets. Guy has also led the expansion of our annual Merck Science Journalism Awards program.” In his first newspaper job‚ at the Passaic Herald News‚ (my original home-town newspaper‚ which I delivered on a bike while in high school)‚ Guy’s knowledge of Peace Corps Spanish came in handy because of the changing demographics of Passaic. It also has been handy in Perth Amboy‚ where Baehr has lived since 1982. Baehr has been with SPJ during the 1980’s and was state chapter president for two years‚ beginning in 1991. He has won numerous awards‚ and has been extremely active in conducting the state-wide SPJ newspaper writing and excellence contest. He has limited his own entries to avoid the appearance of conflict. As for moving to the Dominican Republic‚ there’s an uncertain target date. Also‚ he says‚ “It’s not like I’m moving to Timbuctoo.” “I probably won’t miss the traffic in New Jersey.” He expects he’ll be doing some sail-boating down there‚ and may even run into some Raritan Yacht Club members who make their way down there. What occurred to him while thinking about his being a journalist? One key question: “How does the world really work?” And an observation: “The work that I do is a lot of fun. A lot of people don’t get that opportunity.” And: “You get to know people. Many people.” The house he’ll build in the Dominican Republic is in a town called Luperon‚ on the northern coast of the country‚ near Puerto Plata‚ a resort area. “It’s near the water‚” Baehr points out‚ “and is naturally shielded from hurricanes.” The Dominican Republic occupies half of the island called Hispaniola‚ and is Spanish speaking. The other half of the island is actually Haiti‚ and is French speaking. Baehr got his graduate journalism degree at Columbia University‚ the stellar graduate school for journalism. While he was an undergraduate at Wesleyan University in Connecticut‚ he attended an anti-war protest at the Pentagon. It was the protest‚ he recalls‚ where an iconic photograph was made of protesters placing flowers into the rifle barrels of the soldiers sent to watch over them. Baehr came back to campus to write the story for the Wesleyan Argus about the arrest of four Wesleyan students. He was a newsman‚ even back then. During the summer of 1967 at Wesleyan‚ he completed a Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class‚ which would have made him eligible for the rank of Marine Corps second lieutenant. But he felt that the military was not his cup of tea. His own “Semper Fi” turned out to be journalism. |
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| IN CELEBRATION OF SUNSHINE WEEK 2007 | |||||||||
Closed Doors; Open Democracies? Sponsored locally by:
What: A dialogue on open government and secrecy. The event consists of an interactive national program webcast from the National Press Club in Washington‚ DC‚ followed by a discussion of how transparency issues affect New Jersey residents. Visit www.sunshineweek.org and www.openthegovernment.org to learn more about Sunshine Week and the national event. When: Monday‚ March 12‚ 2007 12:30pm – 3:00pm Where: Rutgers University‚ Newark Campus‚ Room 449 of Conklin Hall‚ the corner of University Avenue and Bleeker Street. See www.newark.rutgers.edu/maps for maps and directions to campus. This event falls during spring break‚ so parking near campus should be better than usual. Background If you have questions about the event contact Suzanne J. Piotrowski‚ Assistant Professor of Public Affairs and Administration‚ Rutgers – Newark at spiotrow@rutgers.edu Let us know you are coming! RSVP to erborry@pegasus.rutgers.edu |
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