Awards allow heroic storytelling, “celebration of journalism”
A few dozen people attended the final workshop before the Keystone Press Awards
dinner in May, and it was a great cap to a day of idea sharing.
The session, featuring investigative award winners, highlighted local journalism
at its finest.
Cindy Bailey, editor and publisher of GreeneSpeak, talked about how she questioned
why Habitat for Humanity homes were sitting vacant -- for months -- while needy
residents looked on and wondered.
Melissa Nann Burke, reporter for the York Daily Record, discussed
how -- shortly after she was hired -- she pursued the case behind the death of a
U.S. Marine off the coast of Africa and found that the helicopter crash could have
been prevented.
Other Keystone winners shared the stories behind the story, and moderator Randy
Parker, managing editor the York Daily Record, pointed out that they all showed
“an awful lot of guts, an awful lot of smarts and a heckuva lot of perseverance.”
It’s too bad the session wasn’t aired live in newsrooms around the state, because
it rightfully put the spotlight on watchdog reporting that makes a difference in
our communities.
Earlier sessions at the Harrisburg Hilton featured niche products that are working
for our newspapers and print and online ideas that stand out -- here or anywhere.
The marathon awards dinner that night -- after all of this idea sharing -- became
a celebration of journalism and the good work we’re producing every day and night.
Challenged as we are, with change surrounding us, we should hold that feeling
and build on it, and it’s my hope that we will with our work at the Pennsylvania
Society of Newspaper Editors this year.
I’m pleased to lead the group as we move ahead on a number of projects, all with
the goal of involving more journalists and sharing ideas.
Among our plans:
- -- We’ll begin to embrace online work in the annual contest and in the PSNE
itself. We invite online members and now have two online board members, Carl Lavin
of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Karl Smith of the Bucks County Courier Times. Behind
as we are, we also want to make strides on the PSNE Web site, www.psne.net, to offer
idea sharing and information for members and those interested in our organization.
- -- We’ve formed a group of editors from around the state to offer ideas for
future Pennsylvania Newspaper Association training. The group, led by Dave Erdman,
managing editor of the Allentown Morning Call and PSNE vice president, wants to
know what your newsroom needs. Early on we’re talking about online training, from
video to breaking news writing. Send your ideas to Erdman at derdman@mcall.com.
- --- We’re reaching out to college newspaper editors by forming a Student Editors’
Interest Group. With a workshop planned Sept. 18 at the PNA, we’ll bring a group
from around the state together and offer professional guidance that will continue
after they leave and start networking. We have interest from nearly 20 colleges
and universities already, from Gannon to Drexel.
- -- We’re also forming -- for the first time -- a committee of board members
to examine our existing
May conference schedule and Keystone dinner and offer changes.
Should we have a speaker? Should we cut down on the awards program, and, if so,
how? Should we have a PSNE members-only reception? What more can we do to attract
journalists for a day of sharing and recognition? For now send your ideas to me.
I’ll write further about these initiatives in future columns and hopefully provide
updates in a blog format on our expanded Web site.
Clearly, we have big plans and we’ll do our part to see that a celebration of
journalism continues to abound in Pennsylvania. I invite you to join us, by becoming
a member of PSNE or at least by sending us your feedback and ideas.
Bob Heisse, executive editor of the Centre Daily Times in State College, is president
of the Pennsylvania Society of Newspaper Editors. Contact him at
bheisse@centredaily.com or at (814) 231-4640.