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The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) does not endorse any company, product, or service sold by any corporation, institution or member supporting our organization. Corporate partnerships, advertisers and sponsors are not an endorsement of a product or service and may not be represented as such, in any way. The use of the ASJA name and/or logo, or representation of such, without the written consent of ASJA, is strictly prohibited.
This is my favorite time of the first half of the year. April to May in the DC area, where I live, generally features relatively pleasant weather and plenty of flowers, beginning with the annual showing of the cherry blossoms. Of course, this is the precursor to the humidity, mugginess, and persistent, gross sweating in ALL the places that comes with summer around here. Also, this year, GIANT WEIRD BUGS. But for now, I love seeing the bright azaleas, the fluffy peonies, the bi-colored irises, the bushes of sweet-smelling roses as I take daily constitutionals through the neighborhood. I’m trying to focus on the flowers. Extrapolate a metaphor if you’re so inclined. All the best, Holly Leber Simmons, ASJA Weekly editor
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The Hits Keep on Coming
ASJA
Have you been keeping an eye on the ASJA Facebook page as the winners of the 2021 ASJA Writing Awards are rolled out? It’s a great way to get a daily serving of the eloquent writing, complex research and top-notch reporting by ASJA members and friends. Of course, if you want the whole list at once, that’s available too — Awards Chair Janine Latus introduces the winners and explains the judging process. A huge congratulations to all the winners!
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3 Tips for Better Tele-Connections
ASJA
The Tele-Connections team is proud to offer a record-breaking number of meetings with editors, agents, and content marketing managers next week on May 24 and 25! To prep for successful meetings: 1) Log in to the Jujama platform TODAY to find your meeting assignments and times; 2) Read up on the outlets you're meeting and convert your meeting times to your local time zone. These are business meetings that have been reserved just for you; don’t miss them! Questions? Email co-chairs Jeanette Hurt at jeanettehurt@sbcglobal.net and Erin O'Donnell at erinod1@gmail.com. Good luck!
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We Want to See You in Action
ASJA
ASJA is looking for outstanding photos of members for placement in the banner of the new website — photos showing members in the field, conducting interviews, covering stories witnessing wars, documenting celebrations or scientific discoveries, writing, collaborating, you name it! Send images and questions to Arielle Emmett at aemmettphd@gmail.com
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A Report from the Pro-Act Frontline.
ASJA
This Forbes article discusses how companies may be impacted by anti-independent contractor legislation. It shares an Upwork report using Bureau of Labor Statistics data that shows a significant opportunity to use remote freelancers outside of tech - showing 37% of non-tech industry jobs could be done remotely by freelancers. Companies will be afraid to use freelancers if the current administration pursues regulations stifling independent contractor work. Said one source, “the largest impact of these rules will be on industries where workers are not paid based on time they spend at work, but based on output.”
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Are You Reporting on Threats to Journalists in the US?
ASJA
The U.S. Press Freedom Accountability Project, a collaboration between the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the News Leaders Association (NLA), offers grants for between $2,000 and $5,000 to journalists reporting on threats to journalists in the U.S. The reported piece must already be accepted for publication in order to be eligible.
Next deadline is May 21. Get more information and complete the application here.
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ASJA Volunteer Opportunities
ASJA
• SIG (Special Interest Groups) – Lead special interest groups. Looking for someone to lead sessions on Word Press, health writing and content marketing. Contact Jennifer Billock at jenniferjoanbillock@gmail.com.
• Website Committee – Write web copy to help populate all 100+ pages of ASJA's spiffy new website. Take on as many or as few assignments as you wish. Contact dara@darachadwick.com.
• Virtual Pitch Slams – Find editors for monthly pitch sessions and handle registration logistics. Learn more about the program here. Contact Wendy Helfenbaum at wendy@taketwoproductions.ca.
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Member News
ASJA
Veda Boyd Jones has a short fiction mystery in the May 24th issue of check-out magazine Woman’s World and a short story in the June 14th issue.
Randi Minetor saw four of her Rowman & Littlefield titles released on May 1: the narrative Historic Disasters of New England, the second edition of her Best Easy Day Hikes: Rochester, NY, and the first two books in her new series, Best Easy Bird Guides, for Cape Cod and Acadia National Park. The birding books feature nature photography by her husband, Nic Minetor.
The June issue of Trains Magazine includes a feature by Dan Zukowski: “The Moment of Birth” reveals the never-before-told story of how Amtrak came to be 50 years ago this month through multiple interviews with the behind-the-scenes government staffers who actually developed and wrote the plan for the nation’s passenger railroad.
Christine Heinrichs continues to write a monthly column about the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas along California's Central Coast. The seals attracted plenty of visitors throughout the Covid pandemic, as an outdoor, free attraction.
Susan Johnston Taylor has sold a children's poetry collection to Gnome Road Publishing. Colorful Creatures: Poems About Animals in Surprising Shades takes kids around the world to discover a rainbow of animal colors and poetic forms. It's slated for publication in spring 2023.
Holly Leber Simmons published an article for Northern Virginia Magazine on a topic every parent of a school-aged child is thinking about: How to prepare children emotionally for the (hopeful) return to full-time in-person school in September.
Do you have professional news you'd like to share with the group? A new job, a story you've published (in article, blog post, book, cave painting, etc. form), a new project you've launched, an interview with someone fascinating, a speaking gig? Send your news (50 words or less) and a link if applicable to Holly Leber Simmons, ASJA Weekly editor at hello@redpeneditorial.co (that's .co like Coco Chanel).
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.MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE NEWS
America's is-ought problem
The Atlantic
The job of a news reporter today is to declare what you can’t yet know to people convinced that they already do. Journalism on deadline has always been stressful. A gruff editor orders a reporter to simplify controversy, and submit the copy in a couple of hours. The shortcut is this: When you fail to become an expert, phone one.
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How journalists can avoid amplifying misinformation in their stories
Nieman Lab
When we’re covering misinformation, it can be important to feature visuals.
Visual examples of misinformation — screenshots of posts from social media, for example — can provide evidence for our claims, and make our stories more engaging, memorable and informative.
But there’s a problem. Including images of misinformation can cause harm by amplifying it.
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More Americans now see the media's influence growing compared with a year ago
Pew Research Center
Americans’ views about the influence of the media in the country have shifted dramatically over the course of a year in which there was much discussion about the news media’s role during the election and post-election coverage, the COVID-19 pandemic and protests about racial justice. More Americans now say that news organizations are gaining influence than say their influence is waning, a stark contrast to just one year ago when the reverse was true.
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Building a platform for Black stories by Black journalists
RJI
For far too long, stories about the Black community have been sparse, often relegated to the back pages of newspapers or buried at the end of a TV newscast. For years, we have encouraged newsrooms to diversify their staff, their stories and their coverage. Unfortunately with minimal meaningful change in the industry, until the recent racial reckoning in America moved the needle a little more.
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'Treat rejection as a networking opportunity'
Journalism.co.uk
Job searching is a long, painstaking process and getting to an interview alone can be difficult.
When crafting an application, use the job description as a guide for how to fill the daunting blank space on an application form, advises Daniell Morrisey, a careers expert and senior editorial early careers schemes manager at the BBC. He suggests using the bullet points or list in the job description as "a set of questions or a set of headings."
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Building trust in media: Users don't see it the same way as journalists
Poynter
The evergreen topic of “trust in media” has been getting a fresh examination of late. Several new studies suggest that users and producers of journalism are not necessarily on the same page.
The Reuters Institute at Oxford University released a report that found that journalists seem especially focused on transparency about how news is made and engagement with audiences at a human level.
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