Society of Professional Journalists

Ginger Gibson of Politico has this interesting story today on how some U.S. Senators have taken to shunning the press when approached in public, instead deflecting questions to their spokespeople.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/the-silent-senators-88643.html

CT.com had this ironic story about a former Hartford Advocate writer who has crafted his own dark and bitter brew: Unemployed Reporter Porter.

The recent round of buyouts at the New York Times has claimed one of the more creative editors at the paper, according to this profile in New York Magazine.

Evan Osnos of The New Yorker had this interest post about the patient accumulation of detail that he dubbed “Slow Journalism.”

The New York Times reports that its computer system and employee email have been under siege for four months in a cyber attack traced to China.

The Los Angeles Times reports on the arrests of suspects in a series of burglaries in which a list of people with newspaper vacation holds appears to be how the victims were targeted.

First, you must remember that this is not YouTube.

So says Anne Herbst, a runner-up for the 2012 NPPA Video News Photographer of the Year.  Herbst works as a video journalist for The Denver Post.  Her work goes online, but it’s beautifully shot and edited.

Herbst spent several years shooting TV news, but she says she has 5 tricks that have helped her be better at shooting for the even more immediate nature of the Web.

1. Your phone is your friend.  Herbst says Voice Memo or Voice Recorder can be used to create voice tracks as they come to you, or to record reminders of a great shot you’ll want to be sure to use when you begin editing.

2.  Know your weaknesses. “Budget more time for what you’re weakest at,” said Herbst.  She knows she’s a fast video editor, so she leaves less time for that and more time for writing and crafting the story.

3.  Be organized. Whether it’s making sure your gear is in perfect working order or that you have all the information you need before you head out the door, this is critical.

4. Find a mentor.  “Nice critiques don’t help,” Herbst said.  She suggests you find someone who will be tough on you when you show him or her your work — constructive, but not afraid to hurt your feelings.

5.  Tight shots are your BFF.  Herbst suggests you cluster 10-15 tight shots all together when you’re shooting.  You can come back to that section of your video in a pinch and much more quickly finish editing on deadline.

Herbst took part in a day-long workshop and webinar called Video Storytelling with the Pros: Creativity on a Deadline, sponsored by NPPA and hosted by Poynter.

Lisa Carricaburu of The Salt Lake Tribune had this interesting profile of Thomas Nast biographer Fiona Deans Halloran, a guest on an upcoming Studio SPJ broadcast.

Scott Sherman of The Nation has this interesting 50-year-look back in Vanity Fair on a sad and defining chapter in New York City newspaper history.