A Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists



September 14th, 2018 • Quill Blog, Freedom of the Prez
Honor those who sacrificed their lives practicing ethical journalism

In the fall issue of Quill, we examine the state of local news from a writer who visited dozens of newsrooms across the country. Those of us who work in local newsrooms, or have friends and colleagues working there, know all too well about the challenges they face under relentless financial pressures.


June 13th, 2018 • Quill Blog, Freedom of the Prez
Let’s work together to protect student journalism

One of the best parts of my SPJ presidency has been meeting young people who are interested in journalism. This spring, I was delighted to meet dozens of talented student journalists at our regional conferences in Chicago, Philadelphia and Little Rock, Arkansas.


March 19th, 2018 • From the President
To regain trust, journalists should tell our own story

How can the media rebuild public trust? That’s a question journalists have grappled with for decades. But now it’s more important than ever to examine the causes of and possible solutions to this vexing problem. The good news is that most people value accurate, well-told news stories.


January 16th, 2018 • Freedom of the Prez
The ‘power’ of respect in the newsroom

I was honored to represent SPJ this month at “The Power Shift Summit,” a meeting of more than 100 media leaders in Washington, D.C. who came together with a shared purpose: “to address the problem of sexual misconduct in newsrooms and to identify solutions for creating meaningful and sustainable change.”


November 2nd, 2017 • From the President
It’s time for SPJ to go public

“Seek truth and report it.” What a challenge those five words have proved to be. Figures in government at all levels are making it harder to find, let alone report, the truth. And elected officials have found it easy to scream “Fake news!”