Chapter News

SPJ Oklahoma Pro chapter will provide scholarships for up to two students to attend the national SPJ conference in Las Vegas Oct. 3-5. Applications are due Friday, Aug. 27 and requirements are here. For more information, contact Kenna Griffin at kgriffin@okcu.edu. Contest news: The Oklahoma SPJ contest will make a major change this year as the contest period changes to the calendar year. During this transitional year the contest period will cover a year and a half – July 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2010. The contest materials will be mailed and posted online in late November 2010. Entries will be due in late January 2011. If you have questions, please e-mail Contest Coordinator Lisa Potts at spjcontest@gmail.com. This year’s SPJ convention, taking place Oct. 3-5 in Las Vegas, promises to bring hands-on training with 50+ workshops, many focusing on the use of multimedia and social networking tools packed into two days. From the Las Vegas Sun, Rob Curley, well known for his work in managing multimedia in the newsroom, will be joining the conference as a keynote speaker. More info and registration.  Access Across America tour comes to Oklahoma City June 8. Get FOI training in accessing public records sponsored by SPJ through a grant by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. More info and registration. National SPJ workshop in OKC! "Writing that Works Online" is an information-packed, two-hour workshop planned for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 1, at The Oklahoman's auditorium, 9000 N. Broadway. More info and registration. Winners of the 2010 SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter awards have been announced! See the entire list, including Lifetime Achievement Award winners John Greiner and Gary England, and Teacher of the Year Philip Patterson. Congratulations to all the winners! The Woodhull Institute will present a nonfiction writing workshop on the University of Tulsa campus March 6 and 7. Nonfiction professionals will demonstrate how to write editorials, opinion pieces, magazine articles and nonfiction book proposals, offering writing instruction, one-on-one critique, and fundamental knowledge about blogging and publishing. More info and a link to register. The SPJ Awards Banquet is Saturday, Feb. 20 at Rocky's in Bricktown.  Join us for cocktails beginning at 6:00 p.m., and dinner is served at 7:00.  Following the awards ceremony, celebrate at the after-party until midnight! More info Overnight guests for the banquet can stay at the Hampton Inn just across the street from Rocky's. A special room rate of $109.00 is reserved for SPJ guests.  Judging results of the 2009 contest are in! Check this alphabetical list of winners to see if your work is among the winning entries. All categories are now back from the judges. 2009 CALL FOR ENTRIES 3/6: The SPJ Lifetime Award winner from last year, Ed Montgomery, died Tuesday (March 3rd) at 91. Click Here to read the article from The Norman Transcript. 11/8: Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists extends its sympathies to the family and friends of longtime board member Carter Bradley. Please read more here. 11/8: Congratulations to Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists treasurer Scott Cooper on being elected SPJ Region 8 director. More information can be read here. 3/19: STATEMENT: The Oklahoma Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists joins with Freedom of Information Oklahoma Inc. and the Oklahoma Press Association in denouncing the recent decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to restrict information on court documents and access to the Oklahoma Supreme Court Network website. Oklahoma SPJ will be working with FOI Oklahoma and OPA to convince the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision before the new rule goes into effect on June 10, 2008. Signed, Oklahoma SPJ Board