Pulitzer-Prize winner speaks to SPJ

A Pulitzer-Prize winner and OSU alum visited The Lantern newsroom today to speak to members of SPJ about his time at OSU and what today's journalism students can expect once we hit the real world.

Jim Schaefer, The Lantern's editor-in-chief in 1986, talked about his experiences at the Detroit Free Press (where he won his Pultizer in 2009 for local reporting) and things student journalists should learn before leaving school, such as turning off our emotions while reporting (but still realizing when to act human), experience and internships are key, and you will piss people off...although he said that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If journalists get equal negative feedback on both sides of an issue, then they've "walked the line" and done a good job on the story, Jim said.

Between bites of free Adriatico's pizza (courtesy of the university!), Jim gave the students words of encouragement, joking that there's more opportunities in the job market for "young" journalists like us than "old" journalists like him. Jim also added that students can apply to be a number of things, such as graphic designers, multimedia editors, web designers, and more, positions that weren't as popular or didn't even exist when he graduated college in 1988.

Jim has covered a variety of topics in the news, most notably his year-long investigation into the illegal drug trafficking of Fentaynl, and his award-winning work uncovering scandals of then Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick.

SPJ plans to have more visitors like Jim in the future, so stay tuned to the blog and our Twitter, @spjohiostate, to see who will be visiting us next!

Welcome back!

Hi Future Journalists!

Welcome to a new year with SPJ at Ohio State!

We have a lot of exciting things planned for this year, including guest speakers and celebrating SPJ's 100th anniversary. And with a new year comes new leadership, so meet your new Ohio State SPJ officers!


President: Molly Gray
"I am a senior studying journalism and international studies. I have worked for The Lantern for three years as a sports writer, arts editor, graphics editor and managing editor of design. I have aspirations to work for a newspaper doing international reporting. After I graduate in June, I hope to attend graduate school in the D.C. area."



Vice President: Zack Meisel
"I am a senior journalism/econ double major with an undying passion for sportswriting that's constantly challenged by neverending disappointment and heartbreak from my hometown Cleveland sports teams. I'll be entering my second year as sports editor for The Lantern in the fall and hope to continue to pursue a career in the field of sports journalism after graduation. This summer, I interned with the Cleveland Indians in the communications department."


Treasurer: Noah Brown

"I am a senior studying public affairs journalism, with a minor in Political Science. I am a member of the Politics Society and Laws Scholars Group. I hope to one day get into sports writing and broadcasting. I would love to be a baseball broadcaster, or to have my own sports radio talk show, probably in the Philadelphia area."


Relations Executive: Lauren Hallow

"I am (sadly) in my last year at Ohio State, where I am majoring in public affairs journalism and minoring in criminology. This is my second year writing for The Lantern, and this summer, I interned in the newsroom of WGN Radio. My dream is to write for a newspaper, but I'll work in any newsroom, really--print, radio, or television. I think I'm cool enough to make a difference..."


We had our first meeting a couple weeks ago, where we met representatives from The Lantern and Ology magazine. Keep an eye on the blog for information on future meetings, as well as links to journalism resources and general information on SPJ.

Hope to see you at our next meeting!

Final Meeting of the Quarter: SPJ@OSU Elections!

Hey guys! We will be having our last meeting of the quarter on Tuesday June 1 at 6 p.m. and we will be meeting in Room 106 in the Journalism Building.

At the final meeting we will be holding elections for the following positions:

President – handles all interactions with the university and oversees the board meetings and group meetings.

Vice President – Assists the president.

Treasurer – Handles the bank account and money from the university. Handles all food orders for meetings.

Relations Exec – Handles the blog and twitter account and assists with announcing meetings.

All members must attend board meetings and group meetings.

Contact Molly Gray, molly.e.gray@gmail.com, if you are interested in applying for any of the positions or just show up at the meeting.

See you then!

May Meeting — Journalism Ethics

We have finalized our meeting time and place for our May SPJ@OSU meeting.

We will be getting together at 6 p.m. on May 6 in Room 106 of the Journalism Building for pizza, soda and an ethics discussion with instructor Sharon West!

West teaches Comm 604, an outstanding class on media ethics and will be leading a discussion involving several of the interesting cases of media ethics on OSU's campus in the last school year.

We will also be discussing applications for the executive board (which will be voted on in June!).

Please come and tell all of your friends!

Founders Day 2010

You are invited to attend ...

Founders Day 2010

The untimely death of Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer and the subsequent appointment of Franklin County probate judge Eric Brown as interim chief justice has put the court in a political spotlight it normally tries to avoid.

Justice Paul E. Pfeifer, who is seeking his fourth term on the court, will be the keynote speaker for this year's annual Founders Day event, Thursday, May 13. He'll talk about the changes taking place in the state's highest court, Moyer's legacy and prior court decisions. A veteran of the press conference from his days in the Ohio Senate, Pfeifer also will participate in a Q&A; session.

In addition, the chapter will present college scholarships and its First Amendment, Brick Wall, Distinguished Service and Appreciation awards.

Tickets are $30 ($20 for students). Reservation deadline: midnight, May 6.

The evening starts at 6 p.m. with a cash bar and networking,
followed by dinner and the program at 7 p.m.

Join us for an evening of fellowship at the River Club Restaurant
at Confluence Park, 679 W. Spring St.

Date
Thursday, May 13, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Location

The River Club Restaurant
679 West Spring Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Social Media Conference — May 1st

Hey guys! We just got news of this great event that SPJ is putting on in Columbus at the Dispatch. It's a great opportunity to learn and network! Hope you can make it!

Learn how to make social media work for you!

The Society of Professional Journalists invites you to its program, Social Media Training, May 1 in Columbus, Ohio.

Social media has quickly become a big part of everyday life as well as to the journalism industry. Learn how to wield social media as a positive and effective tool for your newsroom. Come to this training session to meet new people, network and learn how to make social media work for you!

SPJ Newsroom Trainer Jeff Cutler will hold the training program at The Columbus Dispatch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 1. Click here to read more about the training that costs only $20!

Registration ends April 19, so don’t delay! Register online today.

If you have questions, please contact Heather Porter at (317) 927-8000 ext. 204.

Hope to see you in Columbus!

April Meeting

Hey guys!

I hope you all enjoyed your Spring Break! We are kicking off our Spring Quarter activities right away. Our first meeting is THIS Thursday April, 1st at 6 pm in Central Classrooms rm 209. OSU Lecturer Nicole Kraft will be discussing her role as editor of Hoof Beats Magazine and, as always, refreshments will be provided. So come out, eat some free food and learn about one of the many fascinating career paths you can take as a journalist!

Eryn Bostwick

President

SPJ @ OSU