SPJ national update IV: When gay men receive the Purple Heart; when Republican men marry each other; and it's a mandate. Army Sgt. Robert Stout wants to remain in the military as an openly gay soldier and says he has not encountered trouble from fellow soldiers. Stout was awarded the Purple Heart after a grenade sent pieces of shrapnel into his arm, face and legs. A report from the Government Accountability Office found that since the "don't ask, don't tell" policy began in 1993, the Army has ejected nearly 10,000 service members, many of whom had valuable language skills. The Army spent $190 million to replace them. More here. ... Arthur Finkelstein, a prominent GOP consultant who has found success defeating Democrats by demonizing them as liberal, married his male partner in a civil ceremony at his home in Massachusetts. Finkelstein, 59, said he married his partner of 40 years to ensure that the couple had the same benefits available to married heterosexuals. More here. ... George W. Bush's approval rating has plunged to the lowest level of any president since World War II at this point in his second term, the Gallup Organization reported last month. All other presidents who served a second term had approval ratings well above 50 percent in the March following their election. Presidents Truman and Johnson had finished out the terms of their predecessors and then won election on their own for a second term. Bush's rating is around 47 percent. The next lowest was Ronald Reagan with 56 percent in March 1985. More here.
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With Dockets Secret, Justice in Question
"America's underground legal system," Miami reporter Dan Christensen calls it, and it springs from super-sealing, or withholding every trace of a court docket from the public record. Even case numbers are confidential when cases go on a secret docket.
"Judges and prosecutors in the know won't even acknowledge such sealed cases exist," Christensen told honorees and guests at the First Amendment Dinner last month. "With no notice or debate, the traditional rules governing public access to court records have shifted."
A court super-seal "casts a total information eclipse that's both extraordinary and pernicious," he said, and to combat it, reporters must become more aggressive. "Judges, court clerks and prosecutors should be put on the spot and questioned about whether the practice is in use in their courthouse. And court records should be watched for clues that might flush important cases from the dark corners that we now know exist in some of our nation's courthouses."
Christensen's far-reaching speech punctuated a Fort Worth SPJ evening of recognition, highlighted by the awarding of $19,000 in scholarships and by Star-Telegram writer Jennifer Autrey receiving the 2005 Open Doors Award for excellence in using public records in investigative reporting. Other winners: Betty Brink, Fort Worth Weekly, Defending the Disadvantaged Award; finalists: Steve Lackmeyer, John Perry, Judy Gibbs Robinson and Ryan McNeill, The Oklahoman, and Mary Alia Robbins, Texas Lawyer. ... Sarah Fenske, Houston Press, Use of Public Records: General News; finalists: Michael Baker and Steve Lackmeyer, The Oklahoman.
Also, Jeff Claassen, Scott Streater and Seth Borenstein, Star-Telegram/Knight Ridder, print, and Dawn Tongish, WB33, broadcast, Use of Public Records: Investigative; print finalists: Randy Ellis and Diana Baldwin, The Oklahoman, and Jennifer Autrey and Toni Heinzl, Star-Telegram. ... Linda P. Campbell, Star-Telegram, Opinion Writing; finalist: Dave Lieber, Star-Telegram. ... Jessica DeLeón, Star-Telegram, Reporting on Open Government; finalists: Dan Malone and Julian Aguilar, Fort Worth Weekly. ... Margaret Downing, Houston Press, Opening the Books; finalists: Yamil Berard, Star-Telegram, and Paul Monies, The Oklahoman. ... Todd Bensman, CBS 11, Online Project; finalist: Marcy Williams, NewsOK.com. Students at UNT and SMU were honored for a story package, "Insecurity on Campus," published Dec. 1 in Fort Worth Weekly.
Kevin Bueker, UTA, Staley and Beverly McBrayer Scholarship; Reneé Gatons, UTA, Donna Darovich Scholarship; Elaine Marsilio, UTA, Jack B. Tinsley Scholarship; and Melissa Winn, UTA, Joe Holstead Scholarship, led the student honors list, and five additional students -- Natalie Kaspar and Christi Snow, Mary Hardin Baylor; Landon Moore, Sul Ross; Kendra Newton, UT Austin; and Chad Peters, St. Mary's -- received Gridiron Scholarships.
Lina Davis Scholarships, named for the longtime Arlington high school educator, went to Marcela Gonzalez, Daniel Johnson, Carolyn Stephens, Alicia Kania, Andrew Lynch, Lorelei Scanlan, Maria Smith, Angela Tennison and Kevin Bueker.
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PEOPLE & PLACES
The Rotary Club of Fort Worth has named Bill Lawrence of Lawrence & Associates a Paul Harris Fellow, the highest honor awarded by Rotary International. ... Kristy Libotte Keener has received the Award of Honor, logo division, in the International Dalton Pen Communications competition and an Award of Distinction in the Communicator Awards competition. ... Baby daze! Sean and Pamela (past PRSA chapter president) Smith and big sister Shonna welcomed Jordan Elizabeth into their family at 10:14 a.m. April 18. ...
AP Fort Worth correspondent Angela Brown was named AP Staffer of the Year at the Texas APME annual meeting. The UTA Shorthorn was named the state's best university daily, with the North Texas Daily at UNT receiving second place and the TCU Daily Skiff honorable mention. Star-Telegram writer Yamil Berard received first place in FOI reporting for her work on government pensions and the Teacher Retirement System. The Star-Telegram's Mark Horvit, Barry Shlachter, Jennifer Autrey and Toni Heinzl also were honored. ...
UTA Student Publications' triumphant spring continued in Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and regional SPJ competitions. At TIPA, The Shorthorn tied with UT Austin for sweepstakes and won best of show. At SPJ, Renegade was named best magazine. Staffers, former staffers and contributors Jessica Freeman, Kevin Bueker, Mark Roberts, Josh Taylor, William Chop, Brandon Wade, Whitney Shropshire, Andrew Campbell, Richard-Michael Manuel, Reneé Gatons, Mary Richert, Elaine Marsilio, Melissa Winn, Caren Penland, Jessica Ramirez, Jean Weaver, Brad Rollins, Awais Ikram, Tiffany Murphy, Brandon Guidry, Cory Wells, Daniel Worthington, Daniel Buck, Amber Chisholm, Amanda Kowalski and Hayley Harris were lauded for individual work. ...
The Star-Telegram's Anna Tinsley won eight awards and took the Faragher Sweepstakes at the Press Women of Texas convention last month. It was the fifth time she won the sweepstakes prize. ... Jessica DeLeón, also at the Star-Telegram, was one of 30 journalists invited to the Western Knight Center seminar "Going Beyond the Agenda: Investigating Local Government." ...
Star-Telegram page designers and editors received 14 awards -- the most of any Texas newspaper -- in the 26th annual Society for News Design competition. An Award of Excellence marked the redesign that debuted in August. Sports and the LiVe! page, which replaced Encore, also were recognized for redesign. Alex Rodriguez, Cody Bailey, Charean Williams, Linda Meyer, Kate Gorman, Jill Johnson, Sarah Huffstetler, Gregg Ellman, Paul Moseley, Max Faulkner, Celeste Williams, Terry Bigham, Ellen Alfano, Broc Sears, Ryan Peterson, Meredith Poldrack, Amanda Reiter, Spencer Skelley and UTA Shorthorn exes Seth Schrock, Michael Currie and Jessica Felkel all received Awards of Excellence, some more than one. Second-place silver medals went to Currie, Celeste Williams, Ralph Lauer and Clif Bosler.
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GET A JOB
The Tarrant Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse seeks a public affairs coordinator. Requirements include a degree and/or experience in related area and a knowledge of design software. At least two years experience in marketing or nonprofit PR are preferred. Salary $30,000-$33,000. Send résumé to 1701 W. Freeway, Suite 1, Fort Worth 76102, fax (817) 332-2828 or e-mail w.hurford@tarrantcouncil.org. ... The South Tarrant Star needs someone who can edit, report and take pictures, presumably not all at once. Call senior editor Paul Gnadt at (817) 295-0486. UTA Shorthorn ex Kim Pewitt-Jones is already there. She'll save a story for you. ...
