Month: June 2011

Events

#ARWX Panel Set For Saturday

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One of the most useful times to use social media is during a natural disaster. It’s also one of the most fraught.

This Saturday, Arkansas SPJ is hosting a forum on the use of social media during natural disasters.

We’ll be talking about how best to use Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and live streaming during disasters, when many residents are without electricity and are looking at their phones for information.

We’ll also being talking about how to verify whether the information you see on social media is correct. Continue reading “#ARWX Panel Set For Saturday” →

Uncategorized

David Remnick Coming to Arkansas

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The Oxford American is bringing several noteworthy writers and editors to Arkansas as part of its Summit for Ambitious Writers, not the least of whom is David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker since 1998.

Local journalists have a unique chance to meet this Pulitzer Prize-winner after his appearance Friday at 2:00 p.m.
 
Remnick will be interviewed by the OA’s Marc Smirnoff at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain, and a reception will follow. SPJ members are invited to attend and meet Remnick.
 
All you need to do is RSVP at: http://summit.oxfordamerican.org/registration/
 
Also appearing this week are William Whitworth, formerly of The Atlantic Monthly, and Pico Iyer, the highly-regarded travel writer.

Freedom of Information

Paper Says PCSSD Leader Violated FOI – Update

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The publisher of Stephens Media newspapers in central Arkansas has filed a criminal complaint against the superintendant of the Pulaski County Special School District over an alleged FOI violation.

Dennis Byrd (who has served as the state’s Sunshine Chair in the past) says that Charles Hopson didn’t turn over copies of text messages to and from his cell phone in response to a May 2 request.

The district says the messages are on Hopson’s personal phone, and it doesn’t have access to them.

Lots more detail here.

Update: The prosecutor says he won’t take action on the request, because of a doubt over whether the FOI applies to the employee’s personal phone in this case.

Events

See the Farkleberry Follies One Last Time

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If you’ve never had a chance to see the legendary Farkleberry Follies, or if you’d like to reminisce about the show, you’ll get chance this Thursday.

The Butler Center is screening the video “Hello Folly! A Brief History of the Farkleberry Follies” the the Main Library downtown at 6:30 p.m.

The legendary skits skewering Arkansas politicans and newsmakers were produced by journalists as a fundraiser for SPJ. 

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Craig Douglass, Bill Lancaster and Ben Combs, skit creators and performers for some of the shows.

The screening is free, but you’ll get a copy of the video if you make a donation of $25 or more to the Butler Center to continue programs like this one.

Events

Reminder: Carol Griffee Tribute

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Just a reminder, in case you missed the first post, that the Arkansas Press Women is holding a tribute to Carol Griffee this evening at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in the River Market district. 

Carol didn’t want a “memorial,” but I guess journalists are known for pushing the limits.

The tribute lasts from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There’ll be light refreshments and, I’m sure, a lot of good stories.

Events

Panel Tackles Social Media and Natural Disasters

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Arkansas SPJ is announcing two great events for Saturday, June 25th, for anyone who has to cover natural disasters.

And really, after this spring’s tornadoes, isn’t that all of us?

First, we’re hosting an episode of the national online radio program “Studio SPJ” at 11:00 a.m. on the topic of social media and disaster coverage.  Guests include:

  • Karen-Lee Ryan, Director of Online Content at the Nashville Tennessean, which was nominated for a Pulitzer for its coverage of local floods last year.
  • Rick Smith, who works with the National Weather Service out of the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla.

Then, we’re doing an in-person panel at 2:00 p.m. at the Cox Creative Center in Little Rock. Continue reading “Panel Tackles Social Media and Natural Disasters” →