San Diego SPJ Wins National Award for Campus Outreach
The San Diego Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has been awarded a 2023 Circle of Excellence Awards from SPJ national for Small Chapter Campus Relations. The award noted a number of activities in the over the last year that caught the judges’ attention:
- A mentorship program that pairs college students with industry professionals.
- Sponsoring the San Diego Union-Tribune’s inaugural Festival of Journalism.
- Participated in The Writer’s Symposium by the Sea at Point Loma Nazarene University.
- Hosted an “Ask Me Anything” event at San Diego State University where veteran journalists shared career advice with students.
The award follows SPJ-SD’s three national awards last year: two Circle of Excellence Awards for our work on newsroom diversity and First Amendment advocacy and the award for Large Chapter of the Year.
SPJ-SD’s board wants to thank SPJ national for recognizing our efforts to mentor young reporters and to provide continuing education and outreach to the region’s journalists and journalism-adjacent professionals.
Journalists: Considering a Career Transition?
In light of recent troubles in the local media industry, including a wave of buyouts and layoffs, the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists is teaming up with the San Diego Press Club to host a panel and mixer where former print journalists who’ve transitioned into other career paths can share advice.
Our panel will be moderated by SPJ board member Hafsa Fathima, who herself transitioned from print media to become a production assistant at NPR, and will include…
– Leah Carter, freelance journalist
– Tanya M. Castaneda, PRM Consulting (formerly of the Union-Tribune)
– Jon Horn, City of Carlsbad (formerly of the Union-Tribune and ABC 10News)
– Nicole Vargas, San Diego City College (formerly of the Union-Tribune and San Diego State)
Attendees should anticipate a short panel followed by a mixer, during which panelists will be available to answer questions about their career paths.
All current and upcoming journalists are welcome to this resource-sharing event, as well as those in journalism-adjacent fields who may be able to offer their own insights. Snacks will be provided and drinks will be available for purchase.
This event will be hosted at the Kensington Club located at 4079 Adams Ave. on Thursday, Aug. 31, at 6:30 p.m.
See you there!
2023 Bench/Bar/Media panel focuses on mental health
San Diego SPJ is honored to be a co-sponsor of the annual Bench/Bar/Media panel discussion where lawyers (the bench), judges (the bar) and journalists (the media) come together to discuss a subject of common interest. This year’s topic is the toll our jobs can have on our mental health. Panelists include retired San Diego Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren; Amy Lansing, the director of Cognitive and Neurobehavioral Studies in Aggression, Coping, Trauma and Stress at UC San Diego; and Dana Littlefield, public safety editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego Superior Court Judge Frank Birchak will be the panel’s moderator. The event takes place Thursday, Aug. 17, at the San Diego County Bar Association’s Conference Center, starting with a reception at 5 p.m. and program at 6 p.m. See the flyer below for details and please RSVP.
San Diego Society of Professional Journalists 