6 Free Trainings for Reporters in 2012

Mark your calendars for these free training workshops for reporters on important topics you and your news organizations are covering now.  Travel and tuition are paid for by a grant from The McCormick Foundation.  Apply now for these workshops: 

• Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans return home, straining government resources for veterans beyond capacity. (Hosted by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University, which plans a workshop March 5-7 in Boston. Details and an application at www.necir-bu.org.  Deadline to apply is Feb. 20.)
  
• Covering globalization at the local level — beyond the G8/NATO summits. (Hosted by DePaul University in Chicago and organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Poynter Institute.  Workshop March 19-21. Details and an application at www.poynter.org/12sriglobal.  Deadline to apply is Feb. 29.)

• Investigating Super PACs -- following the money. (Hosted by the Sunlight Foundation, which plans a workshop April 21-22 in Washington, D.C.  Details and an application at http://sunlightfoundation.com/training/sri/.  Deadline to apply is March 11.)

Watch for details on these workshops later in the year:

• Stress, suicide and the economy – the recession and mental health. (Hosted by Local Media Foundation (formerly Suburban Newspapers of America) and Associated Press Managing Editors. Workshop will be this summer in Chicago. Details to come.)
• Covering social protest movements in an age of social media. (Hosted by California State University, Fullerton, and the Orange County Press Club, which plan a workshop in October at Cal State Fullerton.)
• Covering school violence and discipline. (Hosted by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.  The workshop will take place in October in Chicago.)

Reporters from small and medium-sized news organizations are especially encouraged to apply for these two- and three-day workshops, called McCormick Specialized Reporting Institutes. Watch for a live chat on each topic in the month or so before each workshop on Poynter.org.


If you can't attend the workshop, you can learn key lessons from the training through a webinar that will take place after each workshop on Poynter's e-learning site, News University (www.NewsU.org).  NewsU will also host a page of resources on each topic, sharing sources, tip sheets, story ideas and more.
Questions, email mccormicksri@poynter.org.

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Apply Now for $35,000-$50,000 to Host a Reporting Workshop

Have an idea for a workshop for journalists? The Robert R. McCormick Foundation, in partnership with The Poynter Institute, welcomes applications from universities, journalism organizations and others to develop two-day training programs on key topics in 2012. Learn more and apply now to host a Specialized Reporting Institute in 2012.

Specialized Reporting Institutes (SRIs) are designed to meet the growing need to provide journalists and others with subject-specific expertise and practical reporting training on issues in the news. This year’s hosts conducted training for reporters on these topics:

• Covering the impact of the economic crisis on American families (Suburban Newspapers of America Foundation/Associated Press Managing Editors Foundation)
• Tracking stimulus dollars and covering the budget crisis in your community (Boston University/New England Center for Investigative Reporting)
• Covering public pensions (Society of American Business Editors and Writers)
• Political polling (American University School of Communication)
• Census coverage: Going deep with demographic and economic data (Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona State University)
• Covering Islam in the Bible Belt (Middle Tennessee State University School of Journalism)
• Elections 2012:  The campaign for social media, a workshop planned for Oct. 25-27 (The Poynter Institute).

Applications are being accepted from universities, non-profits, training groups and others who would like to host an SRI in 2012.  For details, go to http://www.newsu.org/resources/mccormick-sri/. Apply by Nov. 15.

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Reporters: Apply Now for the Covering Islam in the Bible Belt Training

Covering the topic of Islam is becoming an increasingly challenging assignment for journalists. To help those who report on issues involving Muslim communities, the McCormick Foundation, through its Specialized Reporting Institute program, is sponsoring a conference and workshop, featuring veteran reporters and experts in Islamic history and culture.

The Middle Tennessee State Univ. School of Journalism is hosting the event which will take place Aug. 21-23, 2011. Participants, limited to 24 and selected through an application process, will have their travel, lodging, meals and tuition covered. Preference will be given to journalists who work in the South and Chicago-area journalists.

For more information and to apply, please click here

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Specialized Reporting Institute: Covering Families during the Recession

Earlier this month on April 5-6, 2011, the Suburban Newspapers of America and the Associated Press Managing Editors hosted the latest in the series of Specialized Reporting Institutes (SRI) in Chicago: Effects of the Current Economic Crisis on American Families.

The two-day workshop brought together community journalists from all over the country, and explored topics such as “The Big Picture: How the recession’s fallout will shape the next decade,” and the recession’s impact on marriage, family structure and gender roles.

Resources from the workshop and upcoming SRIs will be posted on Poynter’s News University Resources section.

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Announcing the 2011 Specialized Reporting Institute Winners

We are excited to reward $250,000 to six organizations for our 2011 Specialized Reporting Institute (SRI) program, which provides issue-specific training for journalists nationwide. Back in December, we received more than 60 applications on very interesting topics, including the economy, environment, digital training and community news.

From these, we worked with out partner, Poynter Institute, to select the following organizations to host SRIs this year:

• American University's School of Communications for a June workshop in political polling;
• Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication for a May training on reporting the census;
• Middle Tennessee State University's School of Journalism for an August workshop on Islam in the Bible Belt;
• The New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University for a May workshop to help reporters track the impact of stimulus funds on their communities;
• The Society of American Business Editors and Writers for a June training in Phoenix on covering the crisis in funding public pensions; and
• The Suburban Newspapers of America Foundation and AP Managing Editors Foundation for an April training in Chicago on the effects of the economic crisis on families.

We hope to see you at one of the workshops. Also, stay tuned for NewsU resources, such as story ideas, tip sheets and webcasts, on each of these SRI topics.

For program details or to apply for a workshop, please go to the host organization's website.

To see the press release, click here.

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Specialized Reporting Institute Recap: Census 2010 Boot Camp for Journalists

The University of Michigan last month hosted a McCormick Foundation Specialized Reporting Institute: Census 2010 Boot Camp for Journalists.

The McCormick Foundation's goal with the three-day U of M workshop was to inform and prepare journalists to cover next year's Census. The participants were offered resources and opportunities to learn what impact an accurate Census can have on governance and civic engagement, and the important role that journalism plays in uncovering the resulting issues and stories.

The 25 journalists represented a diverse audience, including freelance writers and reporters and editors from NPR, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Chicago Tribune's Red Eye, The Seattle Times and the Miami Herald. For more details, view the agenda, materials and photo album from the boot camp. 

The McCormick Foundation launched the Specialized Reporting Institute series in 2006 as a platform to assist journalists in their coverage of timely, sophisticated topics of interest to news audiences. We are currently reviewing applications for new workshops and will announce the 2010 series in January. To learn more about the Specialized Reporting Institutes, please visit our Web site.

Above: Robert Groves and Barbara Bryant, current and former Census Bureau directors

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Call for 2010 Specialized Reporting Institute Applications

The McCormick Foundation (MF) invites non-profit 501(c)3 organizations to submit letters of inquiry (LOI) to conduct a McCormick Foundation Specialized Reporting Institute (SRI). These intensive journalism workshops provide subject-specific expertise and practical reporting training in timely, specialized topics of importance to media consumers. Some topics are initiated and solicited by the Foundation. However, the Journalism Program welcomes unsolicited letters of inquiry for topics that may be of interest to working journalists.

The growing appetite for specialized training on emerging news issues is in recognition of widespread newsroom layoffs and deep cutbacks in media training budgets.  At the same time, many of the hot button issues are complicated and sophisticated. The projects aim to equip reporters and editors with the kind of specialized information they need to cover sophisticated, timely stories. Please see the list of previous SRIs (right click to open in a new tab and download) for sample agendas and programs.

The goal is to arm participants with an expanded source network, valuable reference materials and a list of solid story ideas. The MF institutes will offer participants the opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues, provide “grounding” for generalists to tackle timely emerging issues and rekindle enthusiasm for veteran beat reporters.  We're especially interested in engaging community and ethnic reporters in the SRIs, as well as in projects that incorporate new tools and technology to share the resources and information that come out of the events.

Typically, Specialized Reporting Institutes:

• Receive grants of $35,000-$50,000.
• Are organized and administered by a managing partner. The selected grantee is responsible for planning and administering the program from start to finish.
• Are titled, “McCormick Specialized Reporting Institute: XXXXX (Topic)”
• Last two to three days  
• Convene 15-20 working journalists from all media types, particularly from mid-size markets.
• Require participants to submit an application consisting of a resume, supervisor nomination letter, three work samples and a short essay for consideration.
• Cover all or most of journalists’ travel, lodging and tuition costs.
• Feature speaking and discussion sessions and a practical/simulated reporting component or reporting field trip, if applicable.
• Feature a diverse faculty of topic experts and professionals and journalists who excel in covering the topic.
• Encourage participants to generate stories and ideas based on the workshop. They also are encouraged to host a brown bag or newsroom training session for colleagues.
• Are located at the managing partner’s city or at an appropriate travel-friendly location relevant to the topic.
• Reflect diversity in participants, news organizations and faculty.
• Are supported primarily by MF.
• Have a four month to six month planning cycle.
• Are evaluated both during the institute and three months to six months later.

Letter of Inquiry (LOI) Guidelines

To apply for funding to serve as a managing partner for a McCormick Foundation Specialized Reporting Institute in 2010, please fill out the application cover sheet (right click to open in a new tab and download) and submit an LOI of no more than two pages that describes:

• The topic, its timeliness and the need for specialized education for journalists
• The organization’s qualifications to organize and host the event
• Potential programming ideas, sessions and faculty
• Proposed cost and tentative budget

The deadline for consideration is November 13, 2009. You will receive a confirmation that we have received your application. The Journalism Program will contact the organization if it needs more information. Please send LOIs electronically to:

Alexandra Altman

Consultant, Journalism Program

McCormick Foundation

aaltman@mccormickfoundation.org

205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 4300

Chicago, IL 60601

Photo credit: Lindsey Drakert 

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This Week @ McCormick Journalism: Military and Media Convene, TrueStar Shines

It's been a big week  for the Journalism Program. We announced a series of approvals of grants for more than $3.8 million over two years in the Journalism Program's new grantmaking categories of Content, Audience and Rights. Here's a recap of this week's conferences and news articles about our grantees.
 
Journalism Program Events

• More than 20 members of the military and media gathered at Cantigny this week for a conference on the "Current State of Military-Media Relations: Where Do We Go From Here?" Sessions included panels on Information Practices in Irregular Warfare and the Impact on Military Media Relations and Military Media Relations in an era of declining media power, resources and audiences. Much of the debate centered on the use of new media tools and technologies in the coverage of warfare. Since 1992, the Foundation has hosted a series of conferences (this was the 10th) at Cantigny that bring together journalists focused on national security with military top brass to discuss best practices and challenges. These off-the-record conferences on timely topics are a well-regarded contribution to coverage of national security. Stay tuned for the conference report, or view the 2006 conference report. Conference attendees can keep in touch with participants through our Ning site.
  
• Specialized Reporting Institute: The Energy Solutions Conference hosted by Ohio State University concluded this week. Conference presentations and resources will be posted soon on the event's Ning site.
  

Grantees in the News

• TrueStar Magazine was featured in the Chicago Tribune this week. Former Executive Stars Guiding Teens: True Star Magazine's success leads to True Star Radio, offering more opportunities for students. 
  
• TrueStar was also featured on WCIU First Business. View the video clip.
• The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication was mentioned in an AP article, "Journalism Finding Recruits, If Not Profits," which cited the most recent 2008 Annual Survey on Journalism and Mass Communications. "Only six in 10 graduates from journalism and mass communication schools during the 2007-08 academic year had full-time employment within six to eight months of leaving school, the lowest since the annual survey began 23 years ago. At the same time, those programs granted more degrees than ever, about 55,000."
• The University of Georgia survey was also cited this week in a Chronicle of Higher Education article, "Stop the Presses! Revamped Journalism Courses Attract Hordes of Students: Even as job prospects dim, a focus on new media and entrepreneurship produces record enrollments." 
• Street-Level Youth Media held its annual 2009 benefit at the Red Canary. Anthony Ponce, NBC Chicago reporter, Wendy Turner, managing director of Vocalo, and Ray Noland, graphic artist, were presented with the Power-Up Awards, which recognizes media and digital arts professional serving as positive role models for youth.
  

Other news/opportunities

• Youth Media:YO! Youth Outlook and WireTap magazine is hosting its Eighth Youth Media Blog-a-Thon: Yes We Care! Young People Weigh in on the Health Care Debate. Details on how to participate. 
• Clarion-Ledger reporter Jerry Mitchell wins prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. One of two dozen new MacArthur fellows, Mitchell plans to use the $500,000 grant to work on unsolved civil rights-era crimes and complete a book. Larry K. Whitaker, president and publisher of The Clarion-Ledger, was quoted in the paper, "I speak for the entire Clarion-Ledger family when I say that Jerry's latest honor solidifies his position as one of the nation's top journalists. This is an incredible accomplishment that is a result of Jerry's dogged reporting and his refusal to give up on cases others considered unsolvable. We couldn't be prouder of this outstanding achievement."

Please e-mail us if you have news or announcements to share about your projects. We look forward to hearing from you.

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An inside look at the the 2016 Summer Olympics bid

Caption: SRI participants interview Richard Pound at the Cliff Dwellers club overlooking downtown Chicago.

Participants of the McCormick Foundation’s Specialized Reporting Institute's (SRI) three-day journalist symposium, "An Inside Look at Chicago's Bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics," left with a better understanding of how the Chicago 2016 bid works and the tools and resources to better report about the bid and the Games, should Chicago win the bid. DePaul University's College of Communication hosted the panels in its new building at 14 E. Jackson from Sept 13-15:

· Twitter as Journalism: DePaul's Twitter expert Craig Kanalley talked about his BreakingTweets.com

· The Economic Impact of the Olympic Games. Panelists included Bill Rosen, president of Leo Burnett's ARC Worldwide; Charlie Besser, CEO of Intersport, Inc.; Misty Johanson, professor at DePaul's School of Hospitality Leadership; and Rita Athas, executive director of World Business Chicago.

· Technology of 2016: What can we expect?: Panelists included Jim Corno Jr, president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago; Jimmy de Castro, media industry pioneer of Content Factory and MusicToGo; Mitch Rosen, program director of WSCR-AM The Score radio; and Tracy Schmidt, ChicagoNow.

· Paralympics: The OTHER Games: Speakers included Charlie Huebner, Chief of Paralympics for the USOC; Linda Mastandrea, Chicago2016's Paralympic director and Paralympian gold medal winner; Karen Tamley, commissioner of Chicago's Office for People with Disabilities; and Dr. Joel Press, founder of the Spine and Sports Rehabilitation Center in Chicago.

· What's Next?: Panelists included Lori Healey, President of Chicago2016; Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association; Dr. Carson Cunningham, professor of Olympic history at DePaul University; and Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune Olympic reporter.

Keynote speakers included:

· Bob Lang, from Kennesaw State University, who was in charge of Georgia Tech's Olympic Village security during the 1996 Atlanta Games.

· Dick Pound from the IOC spoke during dinner at Cliff Dwellers Monday night. With the latest announcement that President Obama was not planning on attending the Oct. 2 meeting in Copenhagen where the host city will be announced, the question on everyone's mind was how this would affect Chicago's chances.

Group site visits included: Chicago Architecture Foundation's Boat Tour of the Chicago River, and a Bus Tour of the Washington Park site where the Olympic Stadium would be built and Michael Reese Hospital where the Olympic Village would be constructed. Journalists talked with Chicago Alderman Manny Flores, Washington Park Advisory Council President Cecilia Butler, and John McCarron from the Local Initiatives Support Coalition.

--Compiled by Lindsey Drakert, DePaul University journalism student

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Specialized Reporting Institute: McCormick Energy Solutions Conference Online: Starts Sunday

Join us online for the McCormick Energy Solutions Conference to take place this weekend.

The three-day conference will focus on how we will power our future—examining energy alternatives as well as the impact of proposed energy legislation. The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, one of the nation's longest-running journalism fellowship programs and a leader in the digital media field, is co-hosting this conference with the McCormick Foundation, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Battelle and Ohio State's Institute for Energy and the Environment.

A select group of journalists and experts will gather on September 20-22 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and you can take part through the Web.

Here’s how:

Tune into live video online at http://mccormickenergyconference.ning.com to hear the latest from these top experts:

• Don McConnell, President of Energy Technology at Battelle, the world's largest nonprofit research and development organization (9/20 at 3:00 pm )
• Dr. Marilyn Brown, Georgia Tech, formerly of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (9/21 at 8:30 am)
• Dr. Steven Koonin, Under Secretary for Science, U.S. Department of Energy (9/21 at 4:00 pm)
• Richard Sandor, "father of carbon trading" and founder of the Chicago Climate Exchange (9/21 at 12:30 pm)
• Steve Yurkovich, Center for Automotive Research, Ohio State University (9/22 at 8:30 am)
• Connie Schultz, Columnist, Cleveland Plain Dealer (9/22 at 12:30 pm)

There are four ways to participate online:

1. Watch live streaming and ask questions via chat
2. Follow updates on Twitter at twitter.com/kipworkshop and add your thoughts to the conversation by including #KipNRG in your tweets
3. Check out the livestreaming, videos, pics and comments on the conference Ning site
4. Fan us (McCormick Energy Solutions) on Facebook for conference highlights
   

Questions? Email us at McCormickEnergyConference@gmail.com.

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SRI Update: Stories on the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid

Panelists discuss "What's Next?" for Chicago's Bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Sept. 14, 2009. Photo credit: Lindsey Drakert

Follow the first of many stories that will come out of McCormick's Specialized Reporting Institute, hosted by DePaul University's College of Communication, on An Inside Look at Chicago's Bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

MSNBC: IOC Member said Obama's Absence Would be Noted

Huffington Post: Obama's Absence from 2016 Olypmics Vote Would be Noted

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/15/obamas-absence-from-2016_n_286969.html

and Paralypmics: Bonus Beyond Olympic Games

Xinhua News Agency: IOC Urges Chicago to Get Obama to Support Olypmic Bid

Photo gallery (compliments of Lindsey Drakert): SRI: An Inside Look at Chicago's Bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics

Follow EJC600words' TwitPics and read Esther J. Cepeda's "live" blog updates and reflections

Thanks to DePaul's Media Relations team for tracking more coverage by Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo! Finance, Boston Globe, ABC News and more...

WBBM-AM 780

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Public Radio

Chicago Tribune

Have you seen other stories that came out of the event? Please e-mail us.

Stay tuned for a recap of the week's events.

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DePaul University to host Specialized Reporting Institute on Chicago’s 2016 Summer Olympic Bid

Some 26 journalists will gather in Chicago on Sunday for a three-day McCormick Foundation Specialized Reporting Institute on the city’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The goal of the reporting institute is to help peel back the multi-layered Olympic bid process and give the media a closer look for covering the story in an in-depth, objective manner.

As the media landscape changes and new delivery systems and reporting techniques take root, platforms used as recent as the 2008 Olympics in Beijing have been become outdated. Participants , including journalists from USA Today, Associated Press, Reuters, Financial Times, WLS-TV (Ch. 7), Chicago magazine and Chicago Public Radio, can learn from each other just as they learn about Chicago's bid.

The effort involves a confluence of topics, including politics, government, architecture, culture, environment, and economics, that present a unique opportunity for journalists to present vital information and stories to the public. Speakers at the event will include Lori Healey, president of the Chicago 2016 Committee; Richard Pound, a voting member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Charlie Huebner, executive director of the U.S. Paralympic Association.

As the International Olympic Committee voting Oct. 2 to determine the site for the 2016 Olympic Games nears, it is the goal of McCormick and DePaul to help journalists gather and interview specific, informed sources that can assist them in a timely fashion whether or not Chicago is successful in getting the Games.

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How Do They Get Away With It?

On April 1-2, 2009, the John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice in New York held an MF-sponsored Specialized Reporting Institute on covering financial crimes. Entitled “How Do They Get Away With It? Tracking Financial Crime in the New Era,” the well-received two-day conference and workshops featured panelists including former SEC regulators, FBI agents, economics professors and even a white-collar crook.

To see the agenda, background papers, reporting that resulted from the conference and a Bill Moyers interview with Professor William Black, click here:
http://thecrimereport.org/2009/04/16/financial-crimes-resource.

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Washington State Hosts Specialized Reporting Institute on Second Life

Word was that the questions from the Avatars were tougher than those that came from the real world audience.

WSU’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication has just wrapped up a two-day, MF-funded conference for reporters on covering virtual reality, with real-life and 2nd Life speakers Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer converging on stage at the same time. There was, as you’d expect, a good amount of new media coverage of this one as it unfolded.

To follow some of this fascinating event, visit links below.

Some great coverage can be found at:
http://nwn.blogs.com
http://eurekadejavu.blogspot.com/2009/04/launch-of-journalistic-experiment.html

Live photo stream at:
http://www.koinup.com/sim/WSU+II

Twitter round up at:
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%22virtual+journalism+summit%22

A humorous read at:
http://foo.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2009/04/virtual-journalism-heavyweights-gather-in-virtual-journalism-summit.html

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Climate Change Reporting Opp - Apply Now!

Are you writing about major droughts or trying to explain the science behind rapidly melting glaciers? Do you want to better understand climate change, its impact on your community and how govermnents plan to respond?

If so, you can join a select group of journalists from across the country for this all-expenses paid Climate Change conference. This cutting-edge environmental conference, one of four Specialized Reporting Institutes that McCormick funds each year, will take place Oct. 12-14 at the John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

For more information, go to http://mccormickc3.com/overview/overview.html.

Applications, which are due Sept. 8, are at: http://mccormickc3.com/application/McC3_Application.pdf.

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