Society of Professional Journalists: Difference between revisions

==Overview==

The stated mission of SPJ is to promote and defend the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] guarantees of [[freedom of speech]] and [[freedom of the press]]; encourage high standards and ethical behavior in the practice of [[journalism]]; and promote and support [[Multiculturalism|diversity]] in journalism.<ref name="mission">[http://www.spj.org/mission.asp Society of Professional Journalists - "Our Mission"]</ref>

SPJ has nearly 300 chapters across the United States that bring educational programming to local areas and offer regular contact with other media professionals. Its membership base is more than 6,000 members of the media.

SPJ initiatives include a Legal Defense Fund that wages court battles to secure First Amendment rights; the Project Sunshine campaign, to improve the ability of journalists and the public to obtain [[Freedom of information legislation|access to government records]]; the magazine ''Quill''; and the annual [[Sigma Delta Chi Award]]s, which honour excellence in journalism.

It has also drawn up a [[Code of ethics in media|Code of Ethics]] that aims to inspire journalists to adhere to high standards of behavior and decision-making while performing their work.

Members of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) claim to have a strong belief that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The journalists claim to work to ensure that the free exchange of information is accurate, fair and thorough.<ref>{{cite web|title=SPJ Code of Ethics|url=http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp|website=Society of Professional journalists|access-date= November 23, 2015}}</ref> The SPJ's code of ethics states that journalists should "seek truth and report it" and that "journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information." The society declares the following four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism;<ref>{{cite book|last1=McIntosh|first1=Shawn|last2=Pavlik|first2=John V.|title=Converging media : a new introduction to mass communication|date=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=9780199342303|edition=Fourth }}</ref>

# Seek truth and report it: Ethical Journalism should be accurate and fair. Ethical journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

# Minimize harm: Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.

# Act independently: The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.

# Be accountable: Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one's work and explaining one's decisions to the public.<ref>{{cite web|title=Code of Ethics pdf|url=https://www.spj.org/pdf/ethicscode.pdf|website=PDF file|access-date= November 23, 2015}}</ref>

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) encourage the use of these principles in its practice by all people in all media.

[[File:The_crest_of_Sigma_Delta_Chi.png|thumb|left|The original logo of {{lang|grc|ΣΔΧ}}; the pin was similar.]]

==History==

The Society of Professional Journalists was established on April 17, 1909, as a men's [[professional fraternity]] named '''Sigma Delta Chi''', the ten founding members of which were Gilbert C. Clippinger, Charles A. Fisher, William M. Glenn, H. Hedges, L. Aldis Hutchens, Edward H. Lockwood, LeRoy H. Millikan, [[Eugene C. Pulliam]], Paul M. Riddick, and Lawrence H. Sloan.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=16880| title=Sigma Delta Chi, Honorary Journalism Fraternity, Founded at DePauw| publisher=DePauw University| access-date=August 21, 2010}}</ref> The organization continued to function as a fraternity until 1960, when it became a professional society. At the 1969 San Diego convention, Sigma Delta Chi made the decision to begin admitting women into the society. In 1973, the society changed its name to '''Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi'''. Finally, in 1988 "Sigma Delta Chi" was dropped from the name altogether and the present '''Society of Professional Journalists''' name was officially adopted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spj.org/quill_issue.asp?ref=1481|title=Join us in celebrating 100 years of SPJ at DePauw University in April|first=Dave|last= Aeikens|magazine=Quill|date=March 3, 2009 }}</ref>

==Budget==

In 2009, The Society of Professional Journalists had revenue of $1.4 million. It spent $1.6 million.<ref name="2009 SPJ annual report, page 10">2009 SPJ Annual Report, page 10.</ref>

The same year, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation had a revenue of $934,731 and expenditures of $766,690.<ref name="2009 SPJ annual report, page 10"/>

Sigma Delta Chi received $312,500 in grants in 2009.<ref>2009 SPJ Annual Report, page 6.</ref>

==Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award==

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

| Renee Dudley, ''[[The Island Packet]]'' of Bluffton, S.C.<ref>"Reporter Dudley wins award" October 7, * 2010 ''The Post and Courier'' retrieved November 8, * 2015</ref>

| Terry Francke, Peter Scheer and the California [[First Amendment Coalition]]

| Dr. William Lawbaugh, [[Mount Saint Mary's University]]

==Kunkel Awards==

Responding to concerns originating in the [[Gamergate controversy]], in 2015 the SPJ launched the Kunkel Awards (named after pioneering [[video game journalism|video game journalist]] [[Bill Kunkel (gaming)|Bill Kunkel]]) for game journalism.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/gamergate_spj_ethics.php | title=Why some SPJ leaders are engaging Gamergate | website=Columbia Journalism Review | date= November 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.podcat.com/podcasts/uyTvOl-original-gamer-podcast/episodes/akF6eo-161-gamergate-debate-talk-with-spj-s-michael-koretzky |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 29, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808142649/https://www.podcat.com/podcasts/uyTvOl-original-gamer-podcast/episodes/akF6eo-161-gamergate-debate-talk-with-spj-s-michael-koretzky |archive-date=August 8, 2016 }}</ref> The award was folded into the [https://www.spj.org/a-moe.asp Mark of Excellence Awards] in 2020<ref>Koretzky, Michael. [https://blogs.spjnetwork.org/kunkel/2020/05/10/over-not-out Over, not out]. Society of Professional Journalists. 10 May 2020.</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

| 2019<ref>[https://www.spj.org/kunkel-winners-2019.asp Kunkel Awards - 2019 Winners]. Society of Professional Journalists. 2019.</ref>

| 2018<ref>[https://www.spj.org/kunkel-winners-2018.asp Kunkel Awards - 2018 Winners]. Society of Professional Journalists. 2018.</ref>

| 2017<ref>[https://www.spj.org/kunkel-winners-2017.asp Kunkel Awards - 2017 Winners]. Society of Professional Journalists. 2017.</ref>

| 2016<ref>[https://www.spj.org/kunkel-winners-2016.asp Kunkel Awards - 2016 Winners]. Society of Professional Journalists. 2017.</ref>

| 2015<ref>[http://www.spj.org/kunkel-winners-2015.asp Kunkel Awards - 2015 Winners]. Society of Professional Journalists. 2016.</ref>

== Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement ==

| 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=990|title=SPJ honors David Perlman with lifetime achievement award}}</ref>

| [[David Perlman]] (science journalist for the [[San Francisco Chronicle]])

| 2009<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=907|title=Civil Rights-era journalist Robert Churchwell honored with Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement}}</ref>

| 2008<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=823|title=Caryl Rivers Honored with Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement}}</ref>

| 2007<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=698|title=Chuck Stone Honored with Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award}}</ref>

| 2006<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=606|title=Stan Chambers Honored with Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award}}</ref>

| 2005<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spj.org/news.asp?ref=530|title=SPJ honors Alan Walden with lifetime achievement award}}</ref>

| 2004<ref name="spj-htala"/>

| 2003<ref name="spj-htala"/>

| Ed Barber ([[The Independent Florida Alligator]])

| 2002<ref name="spj-htala"/>

| [[Tom Gish|Tom]] and [[Pat Gish]] ([[The Mountain Eagle (newspaper)|The Mountain Eagle]], [[Whitesburg, Kentucky]])

| 2001<ref name="spj-htala"/>

| 2000<ref name="spj-htala"/>

==Other Awards==

The SPJ also administers the Green Eyeshade Awards and the Sunshine State Awards. The Green Eyeshade Awards annually recognize journalists in [[Alabama]], [[Arkansas]], [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Kentucky]], [[Louisiana]], [[Mississippi]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Tennessee]], and [[West Virginia]].<ref>"http://www.greeneyeshade.org/"</ref> The Sunshine State Awards are given each year to journalists in Florida, [[Puerto Rico]], and the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]]. <ref>"https://spjflorida.com/sunshine-state-awards/"</ref>