A Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists



July 9th, 2008 • Quill Archives
A free press comes with responsibility

When I visited Taiwan earlier this year as part of an SPJ delegation, I expected to encounter a fair number of surprising things. I expected to eat strange sea creatures, find myself lost a few times and meet wonderful, welcoming people.


May 1st, 2008 • Quill Archives
The Investment Puzzle

Journalists love to complain about how poor they are. Along with the terrible working hours, it’s one of our chief complaints. However, just because you may be bringing in less cash than most of the people you cover doesn’t mean you should skimp on investing.


May 1st, 2008 • Quill Archives
Getting Away

Journalists are workaholics. It’s the nature of our profession. We’re expected to be available around the clock and willing to forfeit nights, weekends and sleep. But sometimes, you just need to get away. A much-needed vacation can help clear your mind, refresh your stressed-out self and introduce you to new places and people.


November 26th, 2007 • Quill Archives
Bloggers vs. Journalists

As journalists lobby for a federal shield law, they should also be concerned about the legal rights of bloggers, a national blogging advocate said during the 2007 SPJ Convention & Journalism Conference on Oct. 6. “Unless blogs have legitimate financial resources defending them like publishers, they run the risk of being picked off one by one,” said Robert Cox, president of the Media Bloggers Association.


November 26th, 2007 • Quill Archives
Clint Brewer

Clint Brewer, executive editor of The City Paper in Nashville Tenn., was sworn in as SPJ’s president during the 2007 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he was awarded the SPJ Sunshine Award in 1992 for his part in a lawsuit against the U.S.


November 26th, 2007 • Quill Archives
Wells Memorial Key

New York Deadline Club member Betsy Ashton, above, is not known for being quiet. However, she appeared to be at a loss for words during the 2007 SPJ convention when Immediate Past President Christine Tatum announced she was the recipient of the 2007 Wells Memorial Key.


November 26th, 2007 • Quill Archives
Watergate: 35 years later

Famed journalists Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein and Ben Bradlee received a hero’s welcome when they entered the ballroom for a historic session during the 2007 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C. Journalists of all ages rushed the stage, nearly blinding the reporting legends with camera flashes.


August 1st, 2006 • Quill Archives
Young journalists — take the initiative to better yourselves

A reporter once told me he knew everything he needed to know to be a good journalist. Too bad being a successful journalist isn’t that easy. Journalism isn’t a science; it’s not a recitation of facts or formulas. It’s an ever-evolving craft that demands that its practitioners step up to the challenges each story offers.


December 10th, 2004 • Quill Archives
Legal Defense Fund Auction raises nearly $30,000

Betsy Ashton’s antics at the 2004 Legal Defense Fund Auction during the SPJ National Convention nearly got the best of her. They certainly got the best of her wallet. Ashton engaged in a fierce bidding war over four framed photos taken at the 2003 auction of her tackling and putting Steve Geimann of Bloomberg News in a headlock.


December 10th, 2004 • Quill Archives
Board backs another magazine project for 2005

The Society of Professional Journalists plans to publish another issue of The Journalist to coincide with the 2005 national convention in Las Vegas. Society leaders said they received an overwhelmingly positive response to the 2004 issue, unveiled in New York City.