SPJ Middle Tennessee

05/11/2020

A case of blacklisting in Memphis where the city removed a nonprofit news operation from its media advisory list and refused to reinstate its journalists. The city has said the organization does not cover the mayor fairly. Now the Reporters Committee is helping this nonprofit with a First Amendment claim.

Nonprofit online news organization MLK50 in Memphis has told a federal judge overseeing a consent decree against the city that the city has violated its journalists’ First Amendment rights an…

03/24/2020

Deborah Fisher, executive director of Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, will host a Zoom meeting at 1 p.m. Wednesday for journalists to discuss and share information about open government during COVID-19, including a new executive order that allows governing bodies to meet electronically and other issues. Paul McAdoo, a Tennessee-based attorney with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, will join the meeting and also be available to answer questions. Email Deborah if you'd like to attend.

01/21/2020

I love sharing this news about free legal support:

Tennessee has a rich news media environment with more than 120 traditional subscription-based weekly and daily newspapers, several free newspapers, alternative press, an established black press, 34…

11/25/2019

A circuit judge in Bentonville, Ark., sentenced a TV news reporter to 3 days in jail because she made an audio recording in court during a capital murder case. She said she was making the recording for "note-taking" purposes only, not for broadcast. But the judge sentenced her anyway. In another story, her lawyer said she came from another state where taking audio recordings for notes was allowed.

The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, along with SPJ’s Region 12 coordinator, call on Circuit Judge Brad Karren to withdraw the unjust and improper jail sentenc…

11/19/2019

Jodie Kirshner, author of "Broke: Hardship and Resilience in a City of Broken Promises," will appear at Parnassus Bookstore on Monday, Nov. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in conversation with WPLN Reporter Meribah Knight.

10/28/2019

Nashville-area SPJ members: You might take interest in this panel talk on Nov. 4 as part off Nashville Design Week. It will bring attention to several niche — or "underground" — news publications. It's hosted by Jon Sewell. Details below!

09/26/2019

I know most of you have heard about our dear friend and colleague, Heidi Hall. But I thought I had to post her beautiful last words here.

(RNS) — I want an afterlife like my life has been: one like Revelation 7:9, a great multitude of diverse people existing together in love of each other and their Creator. It’s not up to me to say who qualifies.

09/09/2019

Lunch and learn at the Know the Law Series #2 at the John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville. Thanks to Robb Harvey and Kevin Elkins with Waller for getting detailed on access to courtrooms and court records! We had great turnout from the journalist community! Stay tuned for #3!

06/12/2019

Troubling case out of Knox County, where the judge is "inclined" to rule that the sheriff can charge for inspections when they have to spend time redacting records to make them ready to view:
https://compassknox.com/2019/06/11/pay-to-see/

05/03/2019

For anyone headed to the national SPJ conference:

CNBC is hosting an invitation-only, interactive workshop at the EIJ 2019 Conference designed to teach general news journalists how to break down financial news events quickly and report stories clearly for a global audience. Some participants may be selected for an opportunity to visit CNBC Global Headquarters for interviews with members of CNBC’s executive team. For more information, visit:

At CNBC, we believe that business is one of society's most compelling activities - a pervasive force in world events, culture and people's lives.

04/05/2019

Congrats to our Region 12 Mark of Excellence finalists and winners. The full list is now available from the SPJ, with winners headed onward to the national competition!

Region 12 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced in Nashville