About

The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists meets monthly for programs and networking in central Arkansas. Membership is available to all professional journalists in good standing with the national Society of Professional Journalists.

From 1975-1976, chapter member Robert “Bob” McCord served as the national president of SPJ following tours as executive editor of the Arkansas Democrat and associate editor of the Arkansas Gazette. From 2012-2013, board member Sonny Albarado served as SPJ’s national president.

The Arkansas Pro chapter is a member of SPJ’s Region 12. Previous regional directors/coordinators from the chapter include Meredith Oakley of the Arkansas Democrat (1987-1991), Keith Inman of Mountain View Broadcasting in Batesville (1995-1997), Sonny Albarado of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (2006-2010), and Kelly P. Kissel of The Associated Press (2011-2012, 2017-2019). Board member Jennifer Ellis of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has filled that role since 2019. 

According to the SPJ publication “100,” the chapter received Outstanding Professional Chapter recognition for a small chapter (i.e. less than 75 members) in 2002. The chapter also won back-to-back Small Professional Chapter of the Year awards in 2018 and 2019. 

The publication “100″ also notes SPJ marked Little Rock as a National Historic Site in 1966 for John N. Heiskell and the Arkansas Gazette, what was the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi until its demise in 1991.