President’s Letter: A solution to diversify journalism panels

By Sandra Fish, JAWS President

It’s time to do something about those all-male panels we keep hearing about, at least in journalism.

Where are the expert women journalists?

They’re in Journalism and Women Symposium, and JAWS is offering a solution to diversify journalism panels.

Read more here.

A note from the membership committee

By Linda Kramer Jenning and Sheila Solomon, JAWS Board Members

JAWS wants you, needs you and appreciates you.

As co-chairs of the Membership Committee, we are delighted to see how many women journalists are choosing to join JAWS. We are averaging around 25 new members a month. Each receives a welcome note from operations director Roxanne Foster and another note from our membership team to make sure she knows her membership is valued. We think we have one of the best jobs on the JAWS board because we see firsthand the incredible range of interesting and talented women joining our national network.

JAWS will offer first-timers a membership rate of $50. That’s one-third off regular dues of $75, which are already very reasonable compared to other organizations. We want to remind everyone of the benefits of membership and encourage prompt renewal so JAWS has the resources to continue providing those services and more.

Board member blog post: What to look forward to at CAMP 2016

By Merrill Perlman, JAWS Board Member

We’ve all heard the horror stories: A woman is harassed in the workplace, or complains about unfair treatment. Instead of the situation’s being remedied, SHE is punished, shunned, fired or made to feel so uncomfortable that she eventually leaves, even if others acknowledge the problem. Her calling out the problem becomes the problem more than the problem itself.

It’s not fair, it’s not right, and it’s not legal. But it happens.

So what to do? There are ways to fight harassment in the workplace (and online). It’s one of many topics that will be covered at this year’s Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP).

Read more here.

CAMP 2016: Friday Workshops

Freelance Free For All: So you want to freelance, maybe part time, maybe full time? Maybe you just got laid off and you’re freaking out. Come hear several panels on how to pitch, where to pitch, how much to charge and how to navigate through freelance contracts.

Using data in everyday assignments: Data mining isn’t just for investigative journalists and long-form projects. In this hands-on workshop, attendees will learn how to find data and research that will support story development and help beat writers on daily stories. Presenters will talk about public record requests and how to find the data you need, and how best to analyze and interpret it.

Learn more here.

CAMP 2016: Book your room

Rooms with one king bed and two double beds are available at Hotel Roanoke. Rates are $159 – the group code for discounted room rates on the hotel website is JWS. Looking for a roommate? Check out the roomshare sign-up sheet.

CAMP 2016: Apply for a fellowship

JAWS offers fellowships to attend the Conference and Mentoring Project and applications close May 15.

Read more here.

Operations Director Corner

By Roxanne Foster, JAWS Operations Director

Please join me in welcoming these newest members.

If your membership is past due, please renew! You’re an important part of the JAWS network, and we’d like to keep you connected. If you have questions or concerns about JAWS, please feel free to call (720-722-3569) or email. My office hours are Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 4 p.m., MT.