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January/February 2012
Volume 100 | Number 1
View as PDF: Part 1| Part 2

Egyptian Press Struggles For Its Own Revolution
CAIRO — Thousands of Egyptians descended on Egypt’s state-controlled television and radio headquarters a few days after the first anniversary of the Jan. 25 revolution, chanting for the end to military ...

From the President
Our SPJ colleagues in Colorado have produced a video that I’d like to bring to your attention. It’s a 60-second valentine to the power of journalism ...

Quill at 100
The first thing you’ll notice about this 100-year issue of the “magazine for journalists” is a rather muted tone. Rather than filling the pages with remembrances of how great people think Quill is, we ...

For Love of Community
On a cool, windy day in June 2011, Becky Dickerson stood in the back of the office of The Community Current newspaper in St. John, Wash., and beamed with satisfaction. Completion of the 1,000 paid-circulation, ...

Reflections from Wheat Country
I arrived in St. John, Wash., on May 31 to start a six-week stretch as a reporter for The Community Current newspaper with a back injury ...

10 from Ten
If the inverted pyramid is a standard way of writing a “just the facts” news article, the Q-and-A interview is a close cousin, particularly for magazines. Since 2006, Quill has used its “Ten” feature ...

Member Profile - Austin Kiplinger
Some reporters settle into their ideal career after many years of job hopping and soul searching. Then there are those who seem destined for journalism from the first time they touch a typewriter. Austin ...

Global Toolbox
Even if you are the most ardent journalist and observer of world affairs, you probably haven’t heard about the new media bill that was passed Dec. 14 in Algeria. It is not good news. Just how bad it is, ...

Education Toolbox
The Texas panhandle is close to establishing its very own SPJ chapter. When I arrived as a faculty member at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, one of my primary goals was to establish ...

Diversity Toolbox
My son Ray is a transgender person. As a journalist and mother, I’ve realized that many media outlets don’t know how to cover this community. Sometimes reporters are afraid to ask questions or don’t even ...

Narrative Writing Toolbox
A few columns ago I told readers that I was willing to work with a reporter on a story, coaching him through the process from idea, reporting, structuring, writing and polishing. Daniel Jackson, who attends ...

FOI Toolbox
If one of your New Year's resolutions was to become a better journalist, then what better way than to take advantage of free training in accessing public records? Here are five ways to hone your FOI skills ...

Freelance Toolbox
So-called citizen journalists who enthusiastically write almost (or entirely) for free and their effect on pay rates for freelance work have been heavily discussed. The behavior of such writers, who may ...

Ethics Toolbox
A former student of mine, now working for a metro paper, called recently to ask about the ethics of reporting suicides. A businessman had jumped from a high-rise apartment onto a bustling street below, ...

Words and Language Toolbox
Wordiness is the most common enemy of a clear, brief, compelling writing style. Wherever there’s deadwood in writing, there’s also a loss of vigor. That’s why skilled writers try to make every word count. There ...

Digital Media Toolbox
In today's journalism industry, it is imperative that journalists are active in their digital community. For decades, some journalists have been criticized for being distant, out of touch and ...

Generation J Toolbox
If you're at all interested in journalism in today’s world, you need a brand. A brand can be many things — it can be your name, or a pen name, or one of your interests. It becomes your Web calling card, ...

Government Relations Toolbox
The financial pressures of the news industry have made journalists much more aware of the business side that supports our journalism. But some journalists need to know more about an important part of ...