eChaser: September 2005


	Welcome to our newsletter ... Society of Professional Journalists, Fort Worth Professional Chapter Public Relations Society of America, Greater Fort Worth Chapter International Association of Business Communicators, Fort Worth Chapter eChaser archive [graphics format] We appreciate our advertisers! Advanced Mobility Systems Barr Printing Bass Performance Hall Business Wire DFW Printing Co. Fort Worth Business Press Fort Worth Transportation Authority Fort Worth Zoo Helping Restore Ability InterStar Marketing and Public Relations Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Food Restaurant Jubilee Theatre North Texas Daily Optimist, Abilene Christian University Pancho's Mexican Buffet PR Newswire PRSA Creative Consultants SIG The Shorthorn, UTA Star-Telegram TCU Daily Skiff Tony Roma's The University of Texas at Arlington VMS Weber Shandwick Worldwide Wise County Messenger Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations September 2005 MEETINGS Next at IABC/Fort Worth ... Merely Good? You Can Do Better Robert Morris, a management consultant and Amazon.com book reviewer, will detail how a company can go from "Good to Great" at the September meeting. Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor Parking: $2.50 in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers RSVP by noon Sept. 23: Julie Trowbridge at trowbridgeja@c-b.com ----- Next at Greater Fort Worth PRSA ... Everyday Ethics -- Don't Leave Home Without Them Although corporate scandals may dominate the headlines, it's the small daily choices that more often plague communicators and create a challenge for those determined to practice ethical public relations. Are you ready to make those tough choices to handle today's ethical dilemmas? In observance of National Ethics Month, the September program will involve roundtable discussions that organizers promise will be insightful and thought-provoking. Small groups led by chapter members will tackle hypothetical scenarios and use PRSA's Code of Ethics and the new ethical decision-making guide to choose a course of action. A panel of senior practitioners will lead the discussion. Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14; lunch at noon Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor Parking: free valet in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets Cost: $25 members, $30 nonmembers, $20 students RSVP by 5 p.m. Sept. 9: rsvp@fortworthprsa.org ----- Next at Fort Worth SPJ ... Cold Reality Best-selling author and Emmy Award-winning producer Stephen Cannell will discuss his newest suspense thriller, "Cold Hit," at a luncheon and book signing Sept. 8, at Rivercrest Country Club. "Cold Hit" explores the threat to personal freedoms that Cannell asserts all Americans face from such entities as the Department of Homeland Security, the USA Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Services Act. These threats include wiretaps, miniature satellite tracking devices, roving bugs, secretive government hearings and potentially corrupt leaders unanswerable to any higher power, including the people who elected them. How close to reality is this? Cannell's answer: very close. He will discuss how it is possible under the Patriot Act for federal bureaucrats to take murder cases away from local police and bury the cases so they're never investigated; how it is possible to bug every facet of your life with nothing more than spoken permission from a secret panel of federal judges; how the Patriot Act and FISA have unraveled major portions of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Contact SPJ's Kay Pirtle -- mkpirtle@yahoo.com, (817) 232-0625 -- for reservations. Time & date: 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 Place: Rivercrest Country Club, 1501 Western Ave. Parking: free Menu: three salads (not a choice of, but three salads) -- rustic chicken with red and yellow tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, Israeli couscous with roasted vegetables, and a Greek shrimp salad with cucumbers, olives and feta cheese; for dessert, tiramisu Cost: $35 RSVP by noon Sept. 7: mkpirtle@yahoo.com =================================================== STRAIGHT STUFF "An Evening with Jim Wright" -- a wine and cheese reception for the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, featuring an interview with Star-Telegram books editor Jeff Guinn and a book signing of Wright's latest, "The Flying Circus," all sponsored by Friends of the TCU Library and the Star-Telegram -- will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Kelly Alumni Center on the TCU campus, 2820 Stadium Drive. The event is free, but a ticket is required. Call (817) 257-6109. IABC local update: Organizers vow that the inaugural conference for the IABC Southern Region will not simply stir up a few good ideas. Rather, just as IABC has been shaken up with a realignment of the old districts into new regions, this conference may shake conventional ways of thinking about communications. Presentations from Rolando Santos with CNN Headline News, unlikely Notre Dame football hero Rudy Ruettiger and Jane Cook, U.S. presidential history specialist and former White House webmaster, will highlight Meet 005: Communication -- Shaken, Not Stirred, Oct. 16-18 at College Station. Register at iabc-bv.org/2005conference/index.html. IABC local update II: IABC/Dallas will explore "Copyright in the Digital Age: Legal Issues Every Professional Communicator Should Understand" on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas Hotel in Addison. More at dallasiabc.com. PRSA local update: Tony Katsulos of Jetstream Public Relations will discuss the intricacies of building a practice from the ground up at the PRSA Independent Practitioners SIG meeting Friday, Sept. 16, at Central Market, I-30 and Hulen Street. Networking begins at 11:15 a.m. and the presentation at 11:45 in the upstairs community room. Katsulos founded Trinity PR in 2002 and recently changed the name to reflect the company's new direction and growth. ... More sig-nificance: An education media panel for members of PRSA, the PRSA Education SIG and media representatives covering education is slated for 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, in room 207 at the Texas Wesleyan School of Law, 1515 Commerce St. Parking is available in Lot A off Calhoun Street. Lunch will be provided. Lauren Burkett helped coordinate the event. RSVP to Chris Smith at chris.smith@tccd.edu. PRSA local update II: Add a professional development seminar with Dan Keeney, APR, president of DPK Public Relations in Southlake, to an already above-average lunch menu -- speaker Daniel K. Carpenter, NASA deputy chief of staff -- at the monthly meeting Wednesday, Oct. 12. Details next month. ... Anyone who joins PRSA in September and October ($225, plus $65 initiation fee) will receive a free one-year chapter membership. Former members who have been inactive for at least a year may also participate, but the offer is not valid for associate membership. Applications are available through the chapter or by calling (212) 460-1400. Applicants may also apply online at prsa.org; mention promotion code CHAP2005 to receive the special rate. PRSA local update III: James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, will lead a panel including David C. Rickey, APR, and Robert Frause, APR, Fellow PRSA, through the most visible ethical problems in the news today in the "Resolving Bad Ethical Practice Situations" teleseminar Tuesday, Sept. 6; Wednesday, Sept. 14; and Wednesday, Sept. 21. Same seminar, three days. Pick one. For registration questions call (800) 350-0111. More at prsa.org/_Advance/seminars/090605.pdf. ... Nick Dalley, president of Intentional Communication Inc. and an adjunct professor in SMU's Cox School of Business, will discuss "How to Tell the Whole Story, Not Just the Part Represented by Words" at the Dallas PRSA meeting Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Park City Club, 5956 Sherry Lane. More at prsadallas.com/sept05_lunch.html. SPJ national update: Unbelievable and unthinkable and resilient and personal and arguably criminal; web coverage of Katrina blew away TV news; the strain of Miller time; WaPo frees itself from Freedom Walk; and 21 administration officials involved in Plame leak. Ever since Dan Rather put his body between Hurricane Carla and mainland Galveston in 1961, television and Mother Nature have enjoyed a tempestuous relationship. But with all-day coverage of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, severe weather has a new suitor: the internet. As TV cameras struggled to capture video, web news sites and amateur blogs offered snapshots and analysis that may have been better. More here. ... Numerous New York Times staffers say jailed reporter Judith Miller's legal saga has become a burden, and not just for the paper's 12-person in-house legal team. A cloud of unanswered questions hovers over Miller's reporting and role in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Many of Miller's colleagues are unclear about exactly whom or what Miller is protecting. More here. ... The Washington Post won't co-sponsor the Pentagon-organized Freedom Walk, following internal dissent from Newspaper Guild members and the contention from anti-war groups and others that participating in a pep rally for the Bush administration might be, well, partial somehow. There went the free ads, too. More here and here and here. ... The cast of administration characters with known connections to the Plame outing is here. SPJ national update II: Bob, Bob, Bob, feeling a little tight?; urban students more aware of First Amendment importance; and when journalism and evidence collide. CNN suspended Robert Novak after he swore and left the set Aug. 4 during an exchange with Democratic gadfly James Carville on the network's "Inside Politics" show. A CNN spokeswoman, Edie Emery, called Novak's behavior "inexcusable and unacceptable." Ten days later, the Denver Post, in an editorial posted on its web site, urged Novak "to give a public accounting" of what led to his 2003 column identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. Columnist Cal Thomas said in response to an Editor & Publisher survey: "You can't be a 'partial virgin.' Now that he has spoken about one aspect of the case, he should talk about the rest of it." Thomas was referring to the Aug. 1 Novak column in which he disputed an ex-CIA spokesman's statement about the Plame case. More here and here. ... In a recent study, University of Connecticut researchers found that a lack of awareness and appreciation for the First Amendment is most prevalent in suburban schools. Urban students (86 percent) were more likely than suburban students (81 percent) or rural students (82 percent) to think that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions. More here. ... Photos taken by survivors of the London bombings and the plane crash in Toronto on Aug. 2 are prompting concerns by safety investigators and journalism scholars. At issue: Whether as camera phones and digital cameras multiply, so do the odds that victims will put themselves and others at risk by pausing to take pictures. Questions are also being raised about whether the media may encourage risky behavior by broadcasting the images. On the other side of the debate, such photos may aid investigators. More here. SPJ national update III: Peter Jennings' former brother-in-law has a few kind words; and the ABA backs embattled journalists and the U.S. Constitution. The Star-Telegram's Andrew Marton was a carefree college student in Paris in December 1977 about to embark on one of the most nerve-racking moments of his life: meeting his future brother-in-law, Peter Jennings. "I remember opening the door and hearing him utter my name in that burled-wood voice that had delivered the world to me from faraway datelines like Saigon, Beirut and Munich. And then I remember stammering for the rest of the evening, a jittery fan in the presence of a journalistic hero. ... " More here and here and here. ... The American Bar Association voted to endorse federal protection for journalists refusing to reveal their sources to prosecutors. The nation's largest lawyers group overwhelmingly approved the measure on voice vote at its annual meeting last month. Also at the meeting, ABA president-elect Michael Greco said some of the federal government's investigative powers included in the Patriot Act threaten constitutional rights. He criticized exceptions that the law makes to the Constitution's privacy protections, specifically law enforcement agencies having the power to search a home without the homeowner's knowledge and a judge-approved search warrant. More here and here. SPJ national update IV: Katherine, we hardly knew you; not too proud to change; and no permission, no interview. Infamous former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, now a U.S. Senate candidate, told Sean Hannity on the air Aug. 1 that some newspapers have "colorized" her photographs. "I'm actually very sensitive about those things, and it's personally painful," she said. Asked later to point to an altered photograph, Harris and her staff could not. Her response to the question, a spokesman said, was, "I haven't worn blue eye shadow since the seventh grade when I was in the Girl Scouts." More here. ... The New York Times will combine the news staffs of its print and digital arms, a significant step in an industry struggling with big changes in the way people get their news. The Times web site crew, about 40 people, will merge with the far larger print newsroom. Other newspapers, such as The Tampa Tribune, have gone even further, adding television to a portfolio of news operations managed from a single building. More here. ... Student journalists at South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., will need the principal's permission to call school district employees for interviews. The students said they believe the new policy stems from lingering resentment Robinson has over a story on athletic recruitment that exposed the district to negative press. More here. SPJ national update V: A soldier's story; and so much money, so little progress in Iraq rebuilding. Terry Rodgers came back from Iraq a changed man, and it's not just because of the bomb. "So we're driving down the road and it's midnight, so it's pitch-black, and when you're driving at night you don't use any lights, but we can see fine because we've got night-vision goggles." He's sitting in the living room of his mother's townhouse in Gaithersburg, Md., telling the story of his last night in Iraq. He's still got his Army crew cut, and he's wearing a t-shirt with an American flag on the chest. ... Despite pouring more than $9 billion into rebuilding Iraq over the past two years, the United States apparently has made only limited progress in key areas such as oil and power. Three U.S. government reports released the last week in July say ambitious reconstruction goals are falling short. The Government Accountability Office said power generation in Iraq is at a lower level than before the U.S. invasion in March 2003. Likewise Iraq's oil output has also dropped in the past two years, according to the GAO. More here. =================================================== PEOPLE & PLACES Baby daze! Cindy Mendez (La Estrella) and her husband, Carlos (Star-Telegram sports), have a son, Samuel Alexander, born at 10:45 p.m. Aug. 22. ... Jason Hoskins (what's going on in S-T sports?) and wife Chelse's son, Roen, was born at 6:43 a.m. July 20. Bill Lawrence has been elected to the PRSA College of Fellows, joining the chapter's Doug Newsom, Carolyn Bobo and Mary Dulle. Fellows must be accredited and have 20 or more years in PR. There are only about 400 in the whole world. Go to Media Room inside News at prsa.org for more. ... Kelly Strzinek has been promoted at the American Heart Association to vice president of communications for the Texas affiliate. "I'm absolutely thrilled," she says. "The new position will be an exciting opportunity and challenge. I'll continue to office in Fort Worth but will be a frequent visitor to our offices across the state." =================================================== GET A JOB A couple of web designers in Southlake need copywriters for their small-business clients. Projects run 15-20 hours per week for 2-3 weeks. Much can be done by e-mail, but expect two or three client meetings face to face on each project. Call Barbara Tipton, (8l7) 329-0318. ... A director of events and recognition is sought to lead teams responsible for conceptualizing, planning and executing business theater and event production, world-class multimedia graphics, company-wide recognition programs, awards and incentive programs, management of corporate travel, meeting planning and logistics, and corporate audio-visual support. The position profile is here. ... Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations has positions open for an account executive to work in health care and for an account coordinator. Send résumé to jobs@bsapr.com. ... Brooks & Associates Public Relations seeks an experienced web site copywriter who can take on a project writing web copy for a construction-industry client through mid-October. It's about 70 percent on-site work. Send résumé and agency rates to info@brooksandassociatespr.com. ... The American Heart Association seeks a communications director for the Fort Worth area. Requirements include a bachelor's degree in marketing, PR, journalism, communications or advertising and experience in media relations and marketing; bilingual a plus. E- chronological résumé and work history highlights to txaresumehica@heart.org with "FW Communications" in subject line. Deadline is Sept. 12. ... Irving-based Valor Telecom seeks a corporate communications manager with 8-10 years external/internal communications experience, a B.A./B.S. in journalism or PR, and all attendant traits and talents; understanding of rural communities a plus. E- résumé to valorresumes@valortelecom.com. Indicate position title in the subject field. ... Missouri City, southwest of Houston, is accepting applications for a media relations specialist. Salary based on experience and qualifications. Excellent benefits. Contact Human Resource Office, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City 77489, or visit ci.mocity.tx.us. Résumés may be faxed to (281) 261-4233. ... A "full-service creative agency working alongside industry-leading marketing consultants" and with a Fortune 1000 client base needs a senior web designer/developer with at least five years of agency or in-house experience and expert Dreamweaver/Flash/HTML/XML/ASP/Javascript skills. Send résumé, portfolio and salary requirements to seniorweb@insidermarketing.com. ... Lewisville needs a tourism director (announcement FY0405-85). More at cityoflewisville.com, or apply at the city's Human Resources Department, 151 W. Church St., Lewisville 75029-9002. Job line: (972) 219-5000, code 1346. ... The Brunswick News in Brunswick, Ga., seeks an entry-level public safety reporter. Writes government reporter Keith Laing: "If you're a recent college graduate seeking daily experience, it's a wonderful place to start. You not only get experience working a daily paper, but you get the experience of covering a beat, which will make you a better reporter and more attractive candidate when you leave. In just a little over a month covering the government beat, I have amassed almost 40 stories." More at journalismjobs.com. ... The Kansas City Star needs entry-level education, government and sports reporters as well as photojournalists. Send a cover letter, résumé and clips/portfolio to Michael Nelson at 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108. =================================================== NEW MEMBERS IABC ... Carol Massey, Alcon Labs ... Kelly Owen, intern, Richards/Gravelle PRSA ... Kristen Dyer, GCG Advertising ... Anna Lazarus, MedStar 911 ... Alicia Rowntree, CIC Texas ... Tracy Syler-Jones, TCU ... Jennifer Walker, Tarrant Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse ... Shawn Yujuico, Concussion ... Julie Wilson, APR, Reasons Inc. ... Beletra Atwaters, Moroch ... G. Marcello Bruni, Lockheed Martin ... Linda Jacobson, Cavok Group ... Chad Lorance, Tarrant Regional Water District ... Kelly Owen, intern, Richards/Gravelle =================================================== PRESIDENT'S CORNER Heather Senter, Greater Fort Worth PRSA Unlike gas prices, PRSA luncheon fees have remained the same for the past six years. Since luncheon prices have continued to rise steadily over the past few years, the board decided to review luncheon meeting costs at other chapters throughout the state and at other chapters similiar in size. Starting this month, our luncheon prices will be members $25, nonmembers $30 and students $20. Parking will continue to be included in our luncheon cost, and our RSVP structure will remain the same. As always, we strive to provide value to you as a public relations professional. If you have ideas on ways that we could better serve you, please don't hesitate to contact me at heathersenter@charter.net. ----- PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Richard Maxwell, IABC/Fort Worth It's back-to-school time, and on Aug. 23 former UTA PR director Donna Darovich schooled IABC/Fort Worth on two things of importance to journalists: So what? Who cares? If you were there you know how informative and entertaining she was. If you weren't, then you missed out on a lively discussion of the only questions reporters really want answered. On Sept. 27 be sure to catch management consultant and Amazon.com book reviewer Robert Morris speak on how your company can go from "Good to Great." Join us at the Petroleum Club at 11:30 a.m. for networking, fine dining (read great desserts) and an outstanding professional development program. Want to join IABC or renew that lapsed membership? This month IABC is offering a membership incentive for new and former members by waiving the application fee. That's a $40 value ($30 online). In addition, the chapter is having a contest for our members in September and October. If you refer someone who submits an application during these months, you will receive a $25 gift certificate for an area restaurant and be eligible for a drawing to win a free year's membership in IABC or the cash equivalent. See membership VP Paul Sturiale for details. Hope to see you Sept. 27. ----- OVER & OUT John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ Friends of the Fort Worth Public Library offers a splendid opportunity for journalists in September -- timely and interesting enough to count as the monthly SPJ meeting. Go back to p. 1, read about it again, then contact Kay Pirtle at mkpirtle@yahoo.com. Time is short. ... SPJ joined 13 other media organizations or companies in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in New York federal district court that argues that FOIA exemptions should not be used "to hide incendiary evidence of government misconduct." The brief supported an earlier court decision directing the Defense Department to release photos related to Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse to the ACLU. The Defense Department refused and filed a partially sealed brief arguing that release of the materials could result in harm to U.S. citizens and military personnel overseas. More here. ... Clayton Woullard, vice president-elect of the SPJ chapter at Metropolitan State College of Denver, has created a blog for student journalists. "This is sort of an experiment for me," he says, "so I'd like feedback." E- him at claythescribe@comcast.net. ... Former SPJ president Robert Leger, editorial page editor of The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, recently received two Best of Gannett awards, competing among the company's largest newspapers. He won for a selection of columns related to the First Amendment and for general editorial writing that criticized Springfield building inspectors for a raid on a church that provided shelter for 32 homeless people. Robert was national prez in 2003, the year FW hosted the national convention. Think we still owe him one of those miniature branding irons. Thanks, Robert. Again. ... Closing words, Katrina edition: "The only dangerous hurricanes so far are the ones we've been drinking. We can't get out, so we might as well have fun." -- Fred Wilson of San Francisco, as he sipped on the mixed drink of fruit juices and rum at Pat O'Brien's Bar in the French Quarter the night before Katrina struck New Orleans. ... "We've lost our city. I fear it's potentially like Pompeii." -- Marc Morial, a former mayor of New Orleans, four days later ... "A moment of truth is arriving in the form of a decision whether this Administration's policy will be to regulate and/or tax CO2 as a pollutant. The question is whether environmental policy still prevails over energy policy with Bush-Cheney, as it did with Clinton-Gore." -- former George W. Bush campaign strategist and now Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour in a March 2001 memo to the vice president that Bush cited for reversing his position and not backing a CO2 restriction; the memo derided the idea of regulating CO2 as "eco-extremism" and scoffed at the idea that environmental concerns would be allowed to "trump good energy policy, which the country has lacked for eight years." ... "My results suggest that future warming may lead to an upward trend in [hurricanes'] destructive potential, and -- taking into account an increasing coastal population -- a substantial increase in hurricane-related losses in the 21st century." -- MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel in a paper appearing in the July 31 online edition of the journal Nature Closing words II, G.W.B. & the Pharisees bracket: "We understand the Americans have sided with the Shi'ites. It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values. They have spent so much blood and money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state. ... I can't believe that's what the Americans really want or what the American people want." -- a secular Kurdish politician, quoted by Reuters, on a U.S.-approved draft constitution for Iraq that makes Islam "a main source" for legislation and bans laws that contradict religious teachings Closing words III, doddering, lying, squint-eyed televangelist division: "We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator (referring to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez). It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with. ... You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we are trying to assassinate him, we should go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot easier than starting a war." -- religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on his TV show "The 700 Club," Aug. 22 ... "I didn't say 'assassination.' I said our special forces should go 'take him out,' and 'take him out' could be a number of things, including kidnapping. There are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted by the AP, but that happens all the time." -- Robertson on "The 700 Club," Aug. 24

In observance of National Ethics Month, the September program will involve roundtable discussions that organizers promise will be insightful and thought-provoking. Small groups led by chapter members will tackle hypothetical scenarios and use PRSA's Code of Ethics and the new ethical decision-making guide to choose a course of action. A panel of senior practitioners will lead the discussion.

Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14; lunch at noon

Place: Petroleum Club, Carter-Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor

Parking: free valet in parking garage at Seventh and Commerce streets

Cost: $25 members, $30 nonmembers, $20 students

RSVP by 5 p.m. Sept. 9: rsvp@fortworthprsa.org

Next at Fort Worth SPJ ...

"Cold Hit" explores the threat to personal freedoms that Cannell asserts all Americans face from such entities as the Department of Homeland Security, the USA Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Services Act. These threats include wiretaps, miniature satellite tracking devices, roving bugs, secretive government hearings and potentially corrupt leaders unanswerable to any higher power, including the people who elected them.

How close to reality is this? Cannell's answer: very close. He will discuss how it is possible under the Patriot Act for federal bureaucrats to take murder cases away from local police and bury the cases so they're never investigated; how it is possible to bug every facet of your life with nothing more than spoken permission from a secret panel of federal judges; how the Patriot Act and FISA have unraveled major portions of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.

Time & date: 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8

Place: Rivercrest Country Club, 1501 Western Ave.

Menu: three salads (not a choice of, but three salads) -- rustic chicken with red and yellow tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, Israeli couscous with roasted vegetables, and a Greek shrimp salad with cucumbers, olives and feta cheese; for dessert, tiramisu

RSVP by noon Sept. 7: mkpirtle@yahoo.com

===================================================

"An Evening with Jim Wright" -- a wine and cheese reception for the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, featuring an interview with Star-Telegram books editor Jeff Guinn and a book signing of Wright's latest, "The Flying Circus," all sponsored by Friends of the TCU Library and the Star-Telegram -- will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Kelly Alumni Center on the TCU campus, 2820 Stadium Drive. The event is free, but a ticket is required. Call (817) 257-6109.

IABC local update: Organizers vow that the inaugural conference for the IABC Southern Region will not simply stir up a few good ideas. Rather, just as IABC has been shaken up with a realignment of the old districts into new regions, this conference may shake conventional ways of thinking about communications. Presentations from Rolando Santos with CNN Headline News, unlikely Notre Dame football hero Rudy Ruettiger and Jane Cook, U.S. presidential history specialist and former White House webmaster, will highlight Meet 005: Communication -- Shaken, Not Stirred, Oct. 16-18 at College Station. Register at iabc-bv.org/2005conference/index.html.

IABC local update II: IABC/Dallas will explore "Copyright in the Digital Age: Legal Issues Every Professional Communicator Should Understand" on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas Hotel in Addison. More at dallasiabc.com.

PRSA local update: Tony Katsulos of Jetstream Public Relations will discuss the intricacies of building a practice from the ground up at the PRSA Independent Practitioners SIG meeting Friday, Sept. 16, at Central Market, I-30 and Hulen Street. Networking begins at 11:15 a.m. and the presentation at 11:45 in the upstairs community room. Katsulos founded Trinity PR in 2002 and recently changed the name to reflect the company's new direction and growth. ... More sig-nificance: An education media panel for members of PRSA, the PRSA Education SIG and media representatives covering education is slated for 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, in room 207 at the Texas Wesleyan School of Law, 1515 Commerce St. Parking is available in Lot A off Calhoun Street. Lunch will be provided. Lauren Burkett helped coordinate the event. RSVP to Chris Smith at chris.smith@tccd.edu.

PRSA local update II: Add a professional development seminar with Dan Keeney, APR, president of DPK Public Relations in Southlake, to an already above-average lunch menu -- speaker Daniel K. Carpenter, NASA deputy chief of staff -- at the monthly meeting Wednesday, Oct. 12. Details next month. ... Anyone who joins PRSA in September and October ($225, plus $65 initiation fee) will receive a free one-year chapter membership. Former members who have been inactive for at least a year may also participate, but the offer is not valid for associate membership. Applications are available through the chapter or by calling (212) 460-1400. Applicants may also apply online at prsa.org; mention promotion code CHAP2005 to receive the special rate.

PRSA local update III: James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, will lead a panel including David C. Rickey, APR, and Robert Frause, APR, Fellow PRSA, through the most visible ethical problems in the news today in the "Resolving Bad Ethical Practice Situations" teleseminar Tuesday, Sept. 6; Wednesday, Sept. 14; and Wednesday, Sept. 21. Same seminar, three days. Pick one. For registration questions call (800) 350-0111. More at prsa.org/_Advance/seminars/090605.pdf. ... Nick Dalley, president of Intentional Communication Inc. and an adjunct professor in SMU's Cox School of Business, will discuss "How to Tell the Whole Story, Not Just the Part Represented by Words" at the Dallas PRSA meeting Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Park City Club, 5956 Sherry Lane. More at prsadallas.com/sept05_lunch.html.

SPJ national update: Unbelievable and unthinkable and resilient and personal and arguably criminal; web coverage of Katrina blew away TV news; the strain of Miller time; WaPo frees itself from Freedom Walk; and 21 administration officials involved in Plame leak. Ever since Dan Rather put his body between Hurricane Carla and mainland Galveston in 1961, television and Mother Nature have enjoyed a tempestuous relationship. But with all-day coverage of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, severe weather has a new suitor: the internet. As TV cameras struggled to capture video, web news sites and amateur blogs offered snapshots and analysis that may have been better. More here. ... Numerous New York Times staffers say jailed reporter Judith Miller's legal saga has become a burden, and not just for the paper's 12-person in-house legal team. A cloud of unanswered questions hovers over Miller's reporting and role in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Many of Miller's colleagues are unclear about exactly whom or what Miller is protecting. More here. ... The Washington Post won't co-sponsor the Pentagon-organized Freedom Walk, following internal dissent from Newspaper Guild members and the contention from anti-war groups and others that participating in a pep rally for the Bush administration might be, well, partial somehow. There went the free ads, too. More here and here and here. ... The cast of administration characters with known connections to the Plame outing is here.

SPJ national update II: Bob, Bob, Bob, feeling a little tight?; urban students more aware of First Amendment importance; and when journalism and evidence collide. CNN suspended Robert Novak after he swore and left the set Aug. 4 during an exchange with Democratic gadfly James Carville on the network's "Inside Politics" show. A CNN spokeswoman, Edie Emery, called Novak's behavior "inexcusable and unacceptable." Ten days later, the Denver Post, in an editorial posted on its web site, urged Novak "to give a public accounting" of what led to his 2003 column identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. Columnist Cal Thomas said in response to an Editor & Publisher survey: "You can't be a 'partial virgin.' Now that he has spoken about one aspect of the case, he should talk about the rest of it." Thomas was referring to the Aug. 1 Novak column in which he disputed an ex-CIA spokesman's statement about the Plame case. More here and here. ... In a recent study, University of Connecticut researchers found that a lack of awareness and appreciation for the First Amendment is most prevalent in suburban schools. Urban students (86 percent) were more likely than suburban students (81 percent) or rural students (82 percent) to think that people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions. More here. ... Photos taken by survivors of the London bombings and the plane crash in Toronto on Aug. 2 are prompting concerns by safety investigators and journalism scholars. At issue: Whether as camera phones and digital cameras multiply, so do the odds that victims will put themselves and others at risk by pausing to take pictures. Questions are also being raised about whether the media may encourage risky behavior by broadcasting the images. On the other side of the debate, such photos may aid investigators. More here.

SPJ national update III: Peter Jennings' former brother-in-law has a few kind words; and the ABA backs embattled journalists and the U.S. Constitution. The Star-Telegram's Andrew Marton was a carefree college student in Paris in December 1977 about to embark on one of the most nerve-racking moments of his life: meeting his future brother-in-law, Peter Jennings. "I remember opening the door and hearing him utter my name in that burled-wood voice that had delivered the world to me from faraway datelines like Saigon, Beirut and Munich. And then I remember stammering for the rest of the evening, a jittery fan in the presence of a journalistic hero. ... " More here and here and here. ... The American Bar Association voted to endorse federal protection for journalists refusing to reveal their sources to prosecutors. The nation's largest lawyers group overwhelmingly approved the measure on voice vote at its annual meeting last month. Also at the meeting, ABA president-elect Michael Greco said some of the federal government's investigative powers included in the Patriot Act threaten constitutional rights. He criticized exceptions that the law makes to the Constitution's privacy protections, specifically law enforcement agencies having the power to search a home without the homeowner's knowledge and a judge-approved search warrant. More here and here.

SPJ national update IV: Katherine, we hardly knew you; not too proud to change; and no permission, no interview. Infamous former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, now a U.S. Senate candidate, told Sean Hannity on the air Aug. 1 that some newspapers have "colorized" her photographs. "I'm actually very sensitive about those things, and it's personally painful," she said. Asked later to point to an altered photograph, Harris and her staff could not. Her response to the question, a spokesman said, was, "I haven't worn blue eye shadow since the seventh grade when I was in the Girl Scouts." More here. ... The New York Times will combine the news staffs of its print and digital arms, a significant step in an industry struggling with big changes in the way people get their news. The Times web site crew, about 40 people, will merge with the far larger print newsroom. Other newspapers, such as The Tampa Tribune, have gone even further, adding television to a portfolio of news operations managed from a single building. More here. ... Student journalists at South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., will need the principal's permission to call school district employees for interviews. The students said they believe the new policy stems from lingering resentment Robinson has over a story on athletic recruitment that exposed the district to negative press. More here.

SPJ national update V: A soldier's story; and so much money, so little progress in Iraq rebuilding. Terry Rodgers came back from Iraq a changed man, and it's not just because of the bomb. "So we're driving down the road and it's midnight, so it's pitch-black, and when you're driving at night you don't use any lights, but we can see fine because we've got night-vision goggles." He's sitting in the living room of his mother's townhouse in Gaithersburg, Md., telling the story of his last night in Iraq. He's still got his Army crew cut, and he's wearing a t-shirt with an American flag on the chest. ... Despite pouring more than $9 billion into rebuilding Iraq over the past two years, the United States apparently has made only limited progress in key areas such as oil and power. Three U.S. government reports released the last week in July say ambitious reconstruction goals are falling short. The Government Accountability Office said power generation in Iraq is at a lower level than before the U.S. invasion in March 2003. Likewise Iraq's oil output has also dropped in the past two years, according to the GAO. More here.

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Baby daze! Cindy Mendez (La Estrella) and her husband, Carlos (Star-Telegram sports), have a son, Samuel Alexander, born at 10:45 p.m. Aug. 22. ... Jason Hoskins (what's going on in S-T sports?) and wife Chelse's son, Roen, was born at 6:43 a.m. July 20.

Bill Lawrence has been elected to the PRSA College of Fellows, joining the chapter's Doug Newsom, Carolyn Bobo and Mary Dulle. Fellows must be accredited and have 20 or more years in PR. There are only about 400 in the whole world. Go to Media Room inside News at prsa.org for more. ... Kelly Strzinek has been promoted at the American Heart Association to vice president of communications for the Texas affiliate. "I'm absolutely thrilled," she says. "The new position will be an exciting opportunity and challenge. I'll continue to office in Fort Worth but will be a frequent visitor to our offices across the state."

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A couple of web designers in Southlake need copywriters for their small-business clients. Projects run 15-20 hours per week for 2-3 weeks. Much can be done by e-mail, but expect two or three client meetings face to face on each project. Call Barbara Tipton, (8l7) 329-0318. ... A director of events and recognition is sought to lead teams responsible for conceptualizing, planning and executing business theater and event production, world-class multimedia graphics, company-wide recognition programs, awards and incentive programs, management of corporate travel, meeting planning and logistics, and corporate audio-visual support. The position profile is here. ...

Blanchard Schaefer Advertising & Public Relations has positions open for an account executive to work in health care and for an account coordinator. Send résumé to jobs@bsapr.com. ... Brooks & Associates Public Relations seeks an experienced web site copywriter who can take on a project writing web copy for a construction-industry client through mid-October. It's about 70 percent on-site work. Send résumé and agency rates to info@brooksandassociatespr.com. ...

The American Heart Association seeks a communications director for the Fort Worth area. Requirements include a bachelor's degree in marketing, PR, journalism, communications or advertising and experience in media relations and marketing; bilingual a plus. E- chronological résumé and work history highlights to txaresumehica@heart.org with "FW Communications" in subject line. Deadline is Sept. 12. ...

Irving-based Valor Telecom seeks a corporate communications manager with 8-10 years external/internal communications experience, a B.A./B.S. in journalism or PR, and all attendant traits and talents; understanding of rural communities a plus. E- résumé to valorresumes@valortelecom.com. Indicate position title in the subject field. ... Missouri City, southwest of Houston, is accepting applications for a media relations specialist. Salary based on experience and qualifications. Excellent benefits. Contact Human Resource Office, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City 77489, or visit ci.mocity.tx.us. Résumés may be faxed to (281) 261-4233. ...

A "full-service creative agency working alongside industry-leading marketing consultants" and with a Fortune 1000 client base needs a senior web designer/developer with at least five years of agency or in-house experience and expert Dreamweaver/Flash/HTML/XML/ASP/Javascript skills. Send résumé, portfolio and salary requirements to seniorweb@insidermarketing.com. ... Lewisville needs a tourism director (announcement FY0405-85). More at cityoflewisville.com, or apply at the city's Human Resources Department, 151 W. Church St., Lewisville 75029-9002. Job line: (972) 219-5000, code 1346. ...

The Brunswick News in Brunswick, Ga., seeks an entry-level public safety reporter. Writes government reporter Keith Laing: "If you're a recent college graduate seeking daily experience, it's a wonderful place to start. You not only get experience working a daily paper, but you get the experience of covering a beat, which will make you a better reporter and more attractive candidate when you leave. In just a little over a month covering the government beat, I have amassed almost 40 stories." More at journalismjobs.com. ... The Kansas City Star needs entry-level education, government and sports reporters as well as photojournalists. Send a cover letter, résumé and clips/portfolio to Michael Nelson at 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108.

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IABC ... Carol Massey, Alcon Labs ... Kelly Owen, intern, Richards/Gravelle

PRSA ... Kristen Dyer, GCG Advertising ... Anna Lazarus, MedStar 911 ... Alicia Rowntree, CIC Texas ... Tracy Syler-Jones, TCU ... Jennifer Walker, Tarrant Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse ... Shawn Yujuico, Concussion ... Julie Wilson, APR, Reasons Inc. ... Beletra Atwaters, Moroch ... G. Marcello Bruni, Lockheed Martin ... Linda Jacobson, Cavok Group ... Chad Lorance, Tarrant Regional Water District ... Kelly Owen, intern, Richards/Gravelle

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Heather Senter, Greater Fort Worth PRSA

Unlike gas prices, PRSA luncheon fees have remained the same for the past six years. Since luncheon prices have continued to rise steadily over the past few years, the board decided to review luncheon meeting costs at other chapters throughout the state and at other chapters similiar in size. Starting this month, our luncheon prices will be members $25, nonmembers $30 and students $20.

Richard Maxwell, IABC/Fort Worth

Want to join IABC or renew that lapsed membership? This month IABC is offering a membership incentive for new and former members by waiving the application fee. That's a $40 value ($30 online). In addition, the chapter is having a contest for our members in September and October. If you refer someone who submits an application during these months, you will receive a $25 gift certificate for an area restaurant and be eligible for a drawing to win a free year's membership in IABC or the cash equivalent. See membership VP Paul Sturiale for details.

John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ

SPJ joined 13 other media organizations or companies in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in New York federal district court that argues that FOIA exemptions should not be used "to hide incendiary evidence of government misconduct." The brief supported an earlier court decision directing the Defense Department to release photos related to Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse to the ACLU. The Defense Department refused and filed a partially sealed brief arguing that release of the materials could result in harm to U.S. citizens and military personnel overseas. More here. ...

Former SPJ president Robert Leger, editorial page editor of The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader, recently received two Best of Gannett awards, competing among the company's largest newspapers. He won for a selection of columns related to the First Amendment and for general editorial writing that criticized Springfield building inspectors for a raid on a church that provided shelter for 32 homeless people. Robert was national prez in 2003, the year FW hosted the national convention. Think we still owe him one of those miniature branding irons. Thanks, Robert. Again. ...

Closing words, Katrina edition: "The only dangerous hurricanes so far are the ones we've been drinking. We can't get out, so we might as well have fun." -- Fred Wilson of San Francisco, as he sipped on the mixed drink of fruit juices and rum at Pat O'Brien's Bar in the French Quarter the night before Katrina struck New Orleans. ... "We've lost our city. I fear it's potentially like Pompeii." -- Marc Morial, a former mayor of New Orleans, four days later ... "A moment of truth is arriving in the form of a decision whether this Administration's policy will be to regulate and/or tax CO2 as a pollutant. The question is whether environmental policy still prevails over energy policy with Bush-Cheney, as it did with Clinton-Gore." -- former George W. Bush campaign strategist and now Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour in a March 2001 memo to the vice president that Bush cited for reversing his position and not backing a CO2 restriction; the memo derided the idea of regulating CO2 as "eco-extremism" and scoffed at the idea that environmental concerns would be allowed to "trump good energy policy, which the country has lacked for eight years." ... "My results suggest that future warming may lead to an upward trend in [hurricanes'] destructive potential, and -- taking into account an increasing coastal population -- a substantial increase in hurricane-related losses in the 21st century." -- MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel in a paper appearing in the July 31 online edition of the journal Nature

Closing words II, G.W.B. & the Pharisees bracket: "We understand the Americans have sided with the Shi'ites. It's shocking. It doesn't fit American values. They have spent so much blood and money here, only to back the creation of an Islamist state. ... I can't believe that's what the Americans really want or what the American people want." -- a secular Kurdish politician, quoted by Reuters, on a U.S.-approved draft constitution for Iraq that makes Islam "a main source" for legislation and bans laws that contradict religious teachings

Closing words III, doddering, lying, squint-eyed televangelist division: "We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator (referring to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez). It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with. ... You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we are trying to assassinate him, we should go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot easier than starting a war." -- religious broadcaster Pat Robertson on his TV show "The 700 Club," Aug. 22 ... "I didn't say 'assassination.' I said our special forces should go 'take him out,' and 'take him out' could be a number of things, including kidnapping. There are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted by the AP, but that happens all the time." -- Robertson on "The 700 Club," Aug. 24