SPJ national update: What's in a name; the books keep coming; spies like us; and it's only money. The Supreme Court ruled, 5-4, June 21 that people do not have a constitutional right to refuse to tell police their names, thus freeing the government to arrest people who won't reveal their identity. Privacy advocates argued that this power could be used to force people who have done nothing wrong to divulge information that may be used for broad database searches. More here. ... July 4 is the release date of "Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror," a current senior intelligence official's condemnation of U.S. counterterrorism policy and the "avaricious, premeditated, unprovoked" war in Iraq. The author asserts that President Bush is taking the country in exactly the direction Osama bin Laden wants, toward all-out confrontation with Islam under the banner of spreading democracy. More here. ... At least $1 billion in taxpayer money has been wasted in inefficient spending in Iraq, the government's top fiscal watchdog, Comptroller General David Walker, said June 15. More here. ... Newsweek reports that the Defense Department wants to gather information on Americans without having to tell them that it is doing so. More here.
SPJ national update II: FCC rules reversed (but what about those fines?); a fan club with credentials; a Republican rules for a Democrat; and the great thing about living in Iraq. The Senate voted June 22 to repeal rules that make it easier for media conglomerates to expand into new markets. The rules, approved a year ago by a divided FCC, struck down the restriction that had prevented one company from owning both a newspaper and a TV or radio station in the same city. See here and here. ... What do retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East in George H.W. Bush's administration; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991, all have in common? They are among 27 retired diplomats and military commanders who recently issued a statement of no confidence in the current administration. More here. ... Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has ruled that Travis County DA Ronnie Earle does not have to reveal details of his grand jury investigation into 2002 Republican campaign finance activities. See here. ... While Americans are shelling out record prices for gasoline, Iraqis pay about 5 cents a gallon -- a benefit of hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies bankrolled by U.S. taxpayers. See here.
SPJ national update III: Even polarizing politicians get gentle media treatment when they die; a liberal 'fesses up; and calling Johnnie Cochran. A number of cartoonists referred to the Berlin Wall in commenting about Ronald Reagan, who is credited with helping end the Cold War. See here and here. ... The Corpus Christi Caller-Times asked John Kerry to apologize for the unauthorized use in a campaign TV spot of photos taken from "South Texas Heroes," a book on veterans published by the newspaper. A Kerry spokesman said June 3 that apologies were made. ... President Bush hired a criminal lawyer, who was at his side when he was questioned for the grand jury investigating the leak of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity. VP Dick Cheney also has reportedly retained counsel. Plame's name appeared in a newspaper column by Robert Novak last July 14 that attributed the leak to "two senior administration officials."
SPJ national update IV: The education of Alexandra Polier; good for Maine; bad for journalists; and bad for the troops. The Drudge Report loved it, Rush Limbaugh loved it, the British press loved it, even Wes Clark loved it. If only it had been true. The woman accused of having an affair with John Kerry tells her story here. ... The Maine Press Association calls a bill signed in May by Gov. John Baldacci the "broadest package of public access reforms in the 45-year history of Maine's Freedom of Access Act." More here. ... The international press freedom group Reporters without Borders expressed concern June 2 about recent attacks and threats against at least 15 reporters in Mexico. More here. ... The Army has issued orders preventing thousands of soldiers designated to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan from leaving the military when their volunteer service commitment ends. The "stop loss" and "stop movement" orders are broader than others issued previously. See here.
SPJ national update V: Good old Golden Rule days. Former Kansas State Collegian adviser Ron Johnson was fired despite his five most recent job evaluations rating him as "excellent" and another saying he "exceeds expectations." The Collegian allegedly failed to adequately cover diversity issues. See here. ... When activist Erin Brockovich rolled into Beverly Hills High School last year on a crusade to expose on-campus oil wells that she said were leaking carcinogens, student journalists began asking questions. Now adviser Jennifer Moulton's teaching contract is not being renewed, and she thinks it's because she refused to be a censor. More here. ... UT Austin has met part of an open-records request for documents related to campus security cameras after a yearlong legal battle. Daily Texan reporter Jonathan York filed the request in October 2002. York wrote in a Feb. 27 story that the university has spent $300,000-$400,000 on cameras over seven years. See here.
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To Make It Work ... Teamwork!
by Tim Tune
Responding effectively when a crisis looms takes a team, a plan and people at the top who are good communicators, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Kay Granger told the IABC/Fort Worth Bronze Quill Awards luncheon last month. "Communication involves a lot of people," said Pat Svacina, who was Fort Worth public information officer for 23 years after a dozen years with The Dallas Morning News. "That's why you need a team."
Someone has to be in charge acting as a quarterback, calling and directing the plays, Svacina said, and a plan must be in place, as well as a primary backup. "You can't wait for something to happen to begin to plan."
In his career with Fort Worth, Svacina helped develop the city's nationally recognized communications program. It has been praised for a team approach that can initiate action within minutes of an emergency, using a range of methods and media to quickly disseminate information. So his IABC audience was listening, especially when he stressed the importance of leadership.
"Leaders set the tone," he said. "Leadership is as important among executives as communications pros. The CEO gives the message developed by the team."
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