tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231663212024-03-13T11:53:14.512-04:00Where's the SPJ prez?Where in the world
is SPJ President David Carlson?
He'll never keep up with Carmen San Diego, but this blog will help friends and constituents keep up with his whereabouts during 11 months as national president of the Society of Professional Journalists.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1156906576420209082006-08-29T22:51:00.000-04:002007-04-01T10:43:39.366-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Chicago, Aug. 26:</span><br />Tonight, it will be over. It seems hard to believe that my term as SPJ president is coming to an end so soon. Short: That's how it seems today, but there were plenty of days in the past 11 months when I thought it was a long, long term, indeed.<br /><br />Being SPJ president is a wonderful and fulfilling experience. But it is a really hard job, at least it is for me. SPJ has quite a few more than 9,000 members, and quite a few of them would be happy to question an incontovertible fact as basic as what day it is. It is not an easy group to please, nor an easy group to bring to consensus.<br /><br />I learned tremendously. I made a lot of mistakes. I had a few triumphs. I only hope I am leaving this 97-year-old institution at least a little bit better than I found it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1156906278413402232006-08-29T22:46:00.000-04:002006-08-29T23:10:47.886-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Chicago, Aug. 24:</span><br />This is supposed to be a travel blog, but I am going to violate my own rule just this once.<br /><br />Today was a great, great day.<br /><br />The SPJ board met for four and a half hours this afternoon, my last meeting as president, and we did something truly memorable, something great.<br /><br />We voted to make the largest grant ever from our Legal Defense Fund to support a young, independent journalist who sits without bail in a federal prison outside San Francisco because he refuses to turn over to a federal grand jury outtakes of video he shot at a demonstration last year. (See <a href="http://www.joshwolf.net">http://www.joshwolf.net</a>)<br /><br />The amount, I guess, isn't very impressive, $31,000, but it will ensure that the young man and his family never have to pay a dime from their own pockets to cover legal fees in the case and that the lawyers will fight as long and hard as they can to prevent a federal prosecutor from turning a journalist into an arm of law enforcement.<br /><br />It occurs to me only now that the 23-member SPJ board of directors passed every measure I asked of them this year. It's hard to imagine that any president has had greater support than that from his board. Thanks to each of you.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1156905956131507952006-08-29T22:33:00.000-04:002006-08-29T22:45:56.146-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Chicago, Aug. 22:<br /></span>We made the four-hour drive up to Chicago yesterday from the wedding in central Indiana. It was a beautiful day, and we arrived by early afternoon to spend Monday night with my older brother in Evanston on Chicago's north shore.<br /><br />Tuesday morning I went to my brother's Rotary Club meeting, and then we visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens with my brother and his wife. After that we hit a laundromat to ensure that we had enough clean clothes to get us through the five days of SPJ meetings and convention. By 4 p.m., we checked in to the Hyatt Regency Chicago at 151 E. Wacker Drive. They gave us the VIP treatment and set us up in a luxurious, two-room suite.<br /><br />For dinner, we almost ordered room service, but in the end we hiked a couple of blocks down Wacker Drive to McCormick and Schmick's for seafood. I had fresh Arctic Char from Alaska, a first for me. If I had to describe it, I'd say it is a cross between trout and salmon. Delicious.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1156159840276797462006-08-21T07:21:00.000-04:002006-08-29T22:30:45.243-04:00<img src="http://static.flickr.com/80/220946744_460ec4f97f.jpg?v=0" alt="Kelly and Dana in the limo"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Muncie, Ind., Aug. 22</span><br />Daughter Kelly has never looked happier or more beautiful than she did yesterday. Maybe it's just a stepdad's clouded eyes, but I thought she was an absolutely radiant bride. Here, she's shown with Dana, her matron of honor, in the limo just before the ceremony.<br /><br />The wedding was in a gazebo set in a beautiful rose garden at a place called Minnetrista. The weather, which had been in question all week, turned out to be too good, if that's possible. It was very sunny and warm for the 6:30 p.m. service, especially for Kelly's two dads decked out in black, wool tuxes.<br /><br />The reception was in a lovely banquet hall called the Carolina Room. Food and drinks abounded, and it didn't break up until after midnight. Four of Jeanne's five siblings were in attendance and my brother and his wife drove down from Chicago for the event.<br /><br />We all wish the happy couple a lifetime of bliss.<br /><br />Tomorrow, it's on to Chicago by car. We'll stay overnight with my brother and check into the convention hotel on Tuesday.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1156159275143930322006-08-21T06:58:00.000-04:002006-08-21T07:21:15.156-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Indianapolis, Aug. 17:</span><br />Jeanne and I began our last journey as the first family of SPJ last night. We drove to the JAX airport and stayed overnight so we could catch an early flight to Indianapolis today. We will wind up in Chicago next week for the SPJ national convention.<br /><br />First, though, I am attending the National Association of Black Journalists convention, visiting the staff at SPJ headquarters in Indy and going to my daughter's wedding in Muncie, Ind.<br /><br />Despite all the hype about additional airport security and the new ban against liquids in carry-on baggage, I don't think it took more than about five minutes longer to clear it than before the latest threat. The Starbucks beyond the security checkpoint was a very busy place at 7 a.m. though, and there was a great deal more space available in the overhead bins on the planes because everybody checked nearly all of their bags.<br /><br />NABJ's convention is larger than SPJ's even though the membership is much smaller. There are more than 2,000 journalists, exhibitors and recruiters here, they say. I've met several people who have told me they've been to every NABJ convention for 10, 12 even 26 years. They truly seem to appreciate seeing an SPJ president here.<br /><br />The opening reception is at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the convention sessions are in the Indianapolis Convention Center downtown. The exhibit hall is most impressive. It's packed with booths from dozens of newspapers and every major media company. Among newspapers, Scripps, McClatchey, Gannett, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and many more individual papers are recruiting. On the TV side, all the broadcast networks plus many cable stations including ESPN, the Weather Channel and Scripps Networks are represented.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1154667271325534772006-08-04T00:31:00.000-04:002006-08-04T02:00:42.316-04:00<img src="http://static.flickr.com/81/206279719_c413c7d2cc.jpg?v=0" alt="Jordan Vineyards"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />San Francisco, Aug. 3:</span><br />I've been remiss the last few days in posting to the blog.<br /><br />Jeanne and I arrived at SFO last Sunday and spent a couple of days up in the wine country -- Healdsburg, Sonoma County, to be exact. It was, of course, all business.<br /><br />Some of you may not know that one of my part-time gigs is as a food and wine writer. I've been reviewing restaurants and writing about wine for more than 15 years now, so, I assure you, it was all research as we made the rounds of about a dozen <img src="http://static.flickr.com/54/206284224_e999a2ed13.jpg?v=0" alt="Dave the the Golden Gate" align="left">wineries, mostly pinor noir producers in the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys. Our favorites this trip were Arista, J and Papapietro-Perry. We also had great meals at Dry Creek Kitchen and Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg and at Mirepoix in Windsor.<br /><br />Yesterday (Wednesday) we drove back to San Francisco so I could attend to some SPJ business.<br /><br />Today was an all-day meeting of the Council of National Journalism Organizations. The meeting was held at the San Francisco Marriot in conjunction with the convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the primary organizaton for journalism educators. Terry Harper and I represented SPJ.<br /><br />CNJO is an interesting group. It now comprises some 55 journalism organizations including SPJ, the National Press Photorgraphers Association, ASNE, IRE, NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA, NLGJA, the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Organization of News Ombudsmen and a lot more. The idea behind it is primarly to share information so that we all can benefit from the knowledge each of us has acquired, from the price of dues to what percentage of budget should go to salaries and what are the best cities for conventions.<br /><br />The group meets twice a year, and most of the organizations send their president or executive director.<br /><br />I'll be here the rest of the week attending the AEJMC meetings.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1152910022663394402006-07-14T16:33:00.000-04:002006-07-15T16:31:50.253-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Washington, D.C., July 14:</span><br />Jeanne and I flew yesterday from Orlando to Washington, D.C., for the Sigma Delta Chi Awards banquet, which is tonight.<br /><br />Today, we played tourist and climbed on a tour bus, the kind you can step off or step on at any of the stops around the city. Our primary goal was to visit the National Archives (we've already <img src="http://static.flickr.com/74/190251932_626d42a194_m.jpg" align="left" />visited most of the major D.C. museums). We got off the bus near the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and walked through the Smithsonian Sculpture Garden. While there, we stopped for lunch in the Pavilion Cafe and then walked on over to the Archives.<br /><br />Only one problem: There was a flood on June 25, and the National Archives are closed.<br /><br />Tomorrow, we're meeting my brother and his family for a trip to the International Spy Museum and then the National Gallery of Art.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1151719651819797912006-06-30T21:42:00.000-04:002006-07-11T00:04:35.956-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">June 30, Vermont and New Hampshire:</span><br />Woo Hoo! I've now accomplished one of my life goals -- to visit all 50 states.<br /><br />For years, I've been missing only two U.S. states, Vermont and New Hampshire, and today I had the chance to rectify that.<br /><br />This afternoon, the sun came out for the first time since I arrived in northwest Massachusetts on Wednesday. So, after most of a day of sessions at the Media Giraffe conference at the University of Massachusetts /Amherst, I waylayed another conference-goer, Robb Montgomery from Chicago, and jumped in the car at 3 p.m. to drive the 35 miles or so up to Brattleboro, Vt.<br /><br />I didn't know until we got there that I could knock off New Hampshire, too, simply by crossing the Connecticut River from downtown Brattleboro (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;q=brattleboro,+vermont&ie=UTF8&ll=42.823106,-72.575684&spn=0.319298,0.65506&om=0">Google map</a>).<br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/46/182112067_bfe42664ee.jpg?v=0" /><br />The drive up I-91 is perhaps the most pristine stretch of interstate highway I've ever been on. No billboards. No claptrap apartment buildings. No Wal-Marts. Virtually no houses visible from the road. It's as if they laid four lanes of concrete through an untouched forest. The only glitch was a construction site at a short bridge that backed up the northbound traffic for miles. It took 1:15 to get to Brattleboro and 35 minutes to get back.<br /><br />My only regret is that I didn't get a picture of a "Moose Crossing" sign to add to the blog. I left my camera behind in the hotel room. (I snagged the picture above from a <a href="http://www.gribblenation.net/nepics/subs/moose-xing.jpg">web site</a>. Photo by Jason Ilyes.)<br /><br />Upon our return, we visited a tiny Thai restaurant on an alley in downtown Amherst. Thai Corner it is called, and it is a family run sort of place right down to the pictures of the grandkids on the wall. The food was spectacular, and we had an entire meal -- soup, salad, chicken satay, rice and green curry, all washed down with Thai beer, for $20 each.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1151551783251665402006-06-28T23:19:00.000-04:002006-06-28T23:32:18.300-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">June 28: Amherst, Mass.</span><br />Just when I think my airline luck has run out, along comes a good day.<br /><br />Today's flight from Tampa to Hartford, Conn., was not just uneventful, it was non-stop and on time. I even got upgraded to first class.<br /><br />At the airport, I met Steve Fox and Adrian Holovaty of the Washington Post and we drove the hour up to the University of Massachusetts/Amherst for the Media Giraffe Conference. It's a gathering of diverse groups involved in Internet publishing. There are about 220 people here including mainstream media types, pure-play Internet types, bloggers with ties to big media, bloggers with no ties at all (including neckties), and academics. It should be an interesting few days because there is no dominant faction, at least in numbers. I'm speaking on a panel at dinner on Thursday. Topic: "Can (media) ownership make a difference?"<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1151551034677919232006-06-28T23:08:00.000-04:002006-06-28T23:17:14.686-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">June 26: Albuquerque, NM.</span><br />It's another day in airline hell.<br /><br />I arrive at 6:30 a.m. for my 8:30 a.m. flight from Albuquerque to Atlanta. At check-in, I get the word that the flight is delayed three hours and will take off at 11:30. That means I'll miss my connection to Gainesville. The clincher is that all the later flights are full.<br /><br />The only way to get home on Monday is to fly to Tampa, rent a car and drive two hours north to Gainesville. The flight to Tampa is on time. Avis has a car ready for me. So far so good. Then, half way back to Gainesville on I-75, traffic is stopped dead by an accident some miles farther north. Fortunately, I am able to get off the interstate and make my way around the wreck, but I finally arrive home at 10:30 p.m.<br /><br />It was, shall we say, a long day.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1150954778615419872006-06-22T01:32:00.000-04:002006-06-22T01:39:38.616-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">June 21: Albuquerque, N.M.</span><br />I flew to New Mexico today to promote what we hope will be a new SPJ chapter here.<br /><br />The flights, for once, were uneventful. Avis even had the rental car ready when I got to Albuquerque International, but I sure am getting tired of airplanes. I just got home Monday night from San Francisco, then had to wing it West again on Wednesday morning.<br /><br />But I always love New Mexico. I lived here for 13 years before moving to the University of Florida. This evening I was able to indulge my constant craving for New Mexican food -- carne adovada enchiladas topped with green chile at Garduno's.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I will meet with journalists here about affiliating with SPJ, eat more green chile, and then drive up to Southwestern Colorado for a few days of R&R near Durango.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1150525122481325312006-06-17T01:59:00.000-04:002006-06-17T02:31:37.720-04:00<img src="http://static.flickr.com/67/168723878_4b1cd6f03d.jpg?v=0"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">June 16: Berkeley, Calif.</span><br />Nights like this one are the reason I so love SPJ and its members.<br /><br />Peter Sussman, a legendary SPJ-er, Wells Key holder and one of the authors of the SPJ Code of Ethics, held a mixer at his home this evening. The national executive committee and members of SPJ's outstanding Northern California Chapter got together on a beautiful evening for food, wine and fellowship.<br /><br />It was a blast.<br /><br />Peter and his wife Pat were extremely gracious hosts in their wonderful, century-old arts and crafts style house.<br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/60/168727629_d113101cdf_m.jpg" align="left">We also celebrated the 17th wedding anniversary of Terry Harper, our executive director, and his wife Lee Ann.<br /><br />We made our way over and back (mostly) via Bart, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. The pictures were taken on the platform as we waited for the train back from Berkeley. At top, downtown San Francisco is in the distance.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1150523817604711822006-06-17T01:34:00.000-04:002006-06-17T01:56:57.620-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">June 15: San Francisco</span><br />Flew in from Gainesville for the summer meeting of the SPJ executive committee. The flights, for a change, were uneventful -- except that my pals at Delta failed to put my suitcase on the same plane they put me on.<br /><br />But they were gracious about it. They said it would be in on the next flight from Atlanta.<br /><br />Of course, that wasn't too awfully helpful since I needed to get down to Menlo Park for an SPJ meet-n-greet event at 6, and to spend the night, thanks to the graciousness of Christie Tatum, SPJ president-elect, and her mother-in-law.<br /><br />I ask Delta to deliver the bag to the house in Menlo Park.<br /><br />"No problem," says the agent. "It will probably be there around 2 a.m."<br /><br />"2 a.m.?" say I. "Why so late?"<br /><br />"The service we have delivers to all the hotels before they deliver to residences."<br /><br />"Hmmm," think I. "Just how is that logical?"<br /><br />My guess is that they figure that folks who are staying at a private residence don't need their luggage, at least not as badly as the folks staying at hotels do. If that private residence happens to be your house, that's all well and good. When it's somebody else's mother-in-law's place, the logic doesn't hold water. Having some idiot knocking on the door at 2 a.m. asking for you probably isn't going to endear you to the hostess, but the way you smell after flying 3,000 miles may not endear you to her either -- let alone anyone else at the meet-n-greet.<br /><br />But I decide it's no use arguing. Since I am moving to a hotel in San Francisco tomorrow, I just tell them to deliver the bag to the hotel. Then I call the hotel to make sure they'll accept it, since the bag will be arriving before the guest.<br /><br />Thankfully, it all worked out. When I got to the hotel at noon today (Friday), the bag was here, and I could change clothes -- finally. I'm sure everyone around me appreciates it as much as I do, maybe more.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1149616431192870082006-06-06T13:44:00.000-04:002006-06-06T13:53:59.100-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">June 3: NOT in Prague</span><br />Some trips apparently just were not meant to be.<br /><br />This is the second time in 2006 that I've been scheduled to be in the Czech Republic and Poland to speak to journalists about how and why to form professional associations such as SPJ. And it's the second time the trip has been cancelled.<br /><br />This time, I had to call it off. My wife Jeanne, also a journalist, has severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. She had surgery on her right hand last week. The left hand will be done later in the summer.<br /><br />To leave a one-handed loved one behind while I went galavanting around Europe just didn't seem fair, let alone appropriate.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1147490158188802092006-05-12T22:56:00.000-04:002007-03-06T08:00:51.746-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;">May 12: Knoxville, Tenn.</span><br />What a whirlwind couple of days it has been in east Tennessee.<br /><br />I got in late Wednesday night and checked into an interesting little bed and breakfast called the Maplehurst Inn (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=800+W+Hill+Ave,+Knoxville,+TN+37902&ll=35.960779,-83.920999&spn=0.019036,0.042658&t=h&om=1">Google map</a>). But it seemed as if the morning came just moments later.<br /><br />It began at 6:45 a.m. Thursday with a visit to WNOX radio and an appearance on a popular radio talk show hosted by Hallerin Hilton Hill. Hill dubbed me "the grand poobah of news." From there, it was on to WUOT radio for a public radio interview with Ann Lloyd. After that, it was lunch at Rega's with my old Albuquerque Tribune Pal Jack McElroy, now editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel.<br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/49/145361904_b3d7a4c97c.jpg?v=0" align="left">Thursday afternoon, I met with folks from the University of Tennessee student chapter and long-time adviser Bonnie Hufford. In the evening, I had dinner with another old Abq. Trib pal, Lara Edge, now vice president editorial/interactive at Scripps Networks. The food: Eclectic Southern at Bogartz.<br /><br />Friday began with a guest lecture at UT, lunch at the Riverside Tavern with members of the East Tennesee Pro chapter board, an afternoon appearance on WATE-TV and, finally, a trip to the University Club, where I gave a speech after dinner and before the Golden Press Card Awards.<br /><br />Whew! I'm looking forward to some downtime on homeward-bound airplanes tomorrow. Let's hope my travel luck has improved.<br /><br />Thanks to Georgiana Vines and Jean Ash for being such wonderful hostesses. Jean shot the photo. From left, Jack Lail, Lisa Hood, me, Mark Harmon and Georgiana Vines at the Riverside Tavern.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1147289802027350522006-05-10T15:32:00.000-04:002006-05-10T23:54:22.766-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">May 10: Knoxville, Tenn. (maybe)</span><br />It looks as if my airline luck is running low again.<br /><br />The truth is that I'm not in Knoxville. I'm still in Gainesville. I arrived at the Gainesville airport at 2 p.m. for a 3 p.m. flight to Atlanta, only to find out that the flight is running two hours late. Fortunately (I guess it's fortunate), I had a three-hour layover in Altanta, so I should still make it to Knoxville at about 8 p.m. tonight. We'll see...<br /><br />Addendum: Well, I did get to Knoxville, but it was at 9:20 p.m. I went to pick up my rental car at the Enterprise booth, but it was closed, locked up tight. So, I called them. "Sorry, sir," said the vivacious voice on the phone. "That location closed at 9 o'clock. We won't be able to rent you a car until they open in the morning."<br /><br />"You're kidding," said I. "No, sir. I'm sorry. Was your flight delayed?"<br /><br />You can imagine what I wanted to tell them they could do with their car in the morning.<br /><br />I'm usually a Hertz guy, and now I remember why. I don't think I'll be doing business with Enterprise ever again. That's what I get for trying to save $25.<br /><br />Every other rental car counter in the airport was open, but they were all out of cars. I ended up grabbing a cab for . . . $25.<br /><br />Poetic justice?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1146205457290347482006-04-28T02:02:00.000-04:002006-04-28T10:38:39.910-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">April 28: Seattle, Wash.</span><br />The annual meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors is one of our industry's most interesting gatherings. It is most often held in Washington, DC, but every other year, it moves elsewhere around the nation. Many of journalism's brightest luminaries attend, and it is a privilege to represent SPJ here.<br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/46/136409400_92b12d8d70.jpg?v=0" align="right">Among those I've noticed in the past two days are Seymour Topping, retired New York Times editor; Al Neuharth, former Gannett CEO; Arthur Sulzburger, Jr., publisher of the New York Times; John Temple, editor and publisher of the Rocky Mountain News; Jerry Ceppos, retired vice president of Knight Ridder; William Dean Singleton of Media News Corp.; Gary Pruitt, CEO of McClatchy; Ken Paulson, editor of USA Today; Charlotte Hall, editor of the Orlando Sentinel; Jennifer Sizemore, editor of MSNBC on the Web, and many more. One of my personal heroes, Adrian Holovaty, resident geek at the Washington Post Web site, also is here.<br /><br />Tomorrow, the luncheon speaker is Bill Gates. Last year, it was George W. Bush.<br /><br />Tonight, one of my predecessors as SPJ president, Reggie Stuart, was honored by the National Association of Minority Media Executives. He made a rousing speech suggesting that each of the editors in the audience had once gotten a job for which they were not qualified -- and each of them needs to pay that back by hiring someone just like they were, unqualified but ready for the challenge.<br /><br />The photo is from Yasmin A. Aboytes, a student photographer for the ASNE Reporter.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1145978165700979552006-04-25T11:06:00.000-04:002006-04-28T02:01:27.373-04:00<img src="http://static.flickr.com/48/136262212_8a565dbd49.jpg?v=0"><br />The Indiana capitol at night.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">April 22: Indianapolis, Ind.</span><br />Tonight, I was honored to attend a dinner with Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, sponsor of the Free Flow of Information Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. I found him a thoughtful and committed man, and I offered any assistance SPJ can provide in helping pass this legislation, which would help shield journalists from testifying in federal court.<br /><br />The dinner was sponsored by the National Freedom of Information Coalition and organized by Kyle Niederpruem, one of my predecessors as SPJ president. <img src="http://static.flickr.com/49/136262213_3f29a10884.jpg?v=0" align="right">Also at my table were two University of Florida journalism grads, Chuck Tobin of Holland & Knight in Washington and Pam Fine, managing editor of the Indianapolis Star. Pam and Chuck are shown in the photo doing the "Gator Chomp."<br /><br />I made it to Indianapolis courtesy of my old pal Mac McKerral, another past president of SPJ. He gave me a ride from Western Kentucky University to Indy for the weekend's SPJ and SDX board meetings. We arrived shortly after 1 p.m., and I spent the afternoon meeting with Terry Harper and the SPJ Finance Committee over the fiscal 2007 budget.<br /><br />Tomorrow (Saturday), is an all-day meeting of the 23-member SPJ board of directors and Sunday is a meeting of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation board. Hopefully, I'll be home again Sunday night.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1145541767639430552006-04-20T09:55:00.000-04:002006-04-26T16:23:37.936-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">April 20: Bowling Green, Ky</span><br />It seems that my luck has run out with the airlines.<br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/53/135528862_9262a1ed1c.jpg?v=0" align="right">Today, I was supposed to have a 7 p.m. flight to Atlanta and then on to Nashville by 10 p.m. Central time. No such luck.<br /><br />Atlanta's Heartsfield International had a "security breach" on Wednesday afternoon that shut the airport down for 2 hours. My flight had a "maintenance issue" to boot, so I left GNV at 9:45 p.m. Then, we sat on the tarmack at ATL for a good 30 minutes waiting for a gate. When I got inside the terminal, I figured making my Nashville flight was a lost cause.<br /><br />It turned out it had been delayed as much as my incoming flight. I walked on the plane as they closed the door. We got to Nashville at 11:30 p.m. CST, and amazingly, my bag made it, too. I caught a shuttle to Bowling Green. I made it to my hotel room at 1:30 a.m. (2:30 Gainesville time) and caught 5 1/2 hours of sleep before today's appearance at Western Kentucky University. The photo was shot by WKU student photographer Josh Armstrong. That's me on the right.<br /><br />Let's hope the trip home goes better...<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1145280819606119472006-04-17T09:18:00.000-04:002006-04-17T21:58:07.763-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">April 16: Baltimore, Md.</span><br />It is supposed to be a simple, overnight trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in my great nephew's christening (I'm the godfather).<br /><br />Jeanne and I fly up to BWI on Saturday morning and are set to fly back Sunday evening. All goes as planned until we arrive at BWI at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday and try to use the automated check-in kiosk. It says we have no reservations. I go to the counter and the agent starts checking. He gets a very strange look on his face and says, "The Gainesville airport is closed. All it says is that there is some kind of emergency. All flights are canceled."<br /><br />He sends us over to a bank of phones, direct lines to Delta reservations. They tell us a private plane has crashed into the terminal at GNV and the airport is closed until Monday. We've been rebooked for a 7:30 a.m. flight Monday out of BWI.<br /><br />Since BWI is quite a way from anything, I ask them to go ahead and fly us to Atlanta Sunday night. They comply with reservations on a 6:30 p.m. flight arriving at ATL at 8:30.<br /><br />Then, we stop in a BWI airport bar to make some phone calls and rearrange our Monday schedules. We call the Gainesville Sun where Jeanne works and find out a twin-engine plane crashed into the baggage-claim area and killed all three people aboard. There was no Wi-Fi Internet in the terminal, so we also got on the horn and made a reservation at an airport Best Western in Atlanta, then caught the 6:30 p.m. flight.<br /><br />As it stands now, GNV is to reopen this afternoon, and we might make it home by 4:30 p.m.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Postscript, 9:45 p.m. Monday, April 17:</span><br />We did make it home at about 5:30 p.m. after spending four hours in the Atlanta airport and enduring a one-hour "maintenance issue" in Atlanta. We arrived at GNV to find a huge chunk of wall between the arrivals area and what used to be baggage claim plugged with wall board over two by fours. The place smelled of smoke, the carpets were soaked, and electric fans were everywhere trying to extricate the smell and the moisture. Baggage "claim" was a couple of carts parked on the curb in front of the airport.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1144519877880778812006-04-08T13:51:00.000-04:002006-04-08T14:11:17.896-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">April 7: Athens, Ga.</span><br />Today finds me at the SPJ Region 3 conference at the University of Georgia Continuing Education Center in Athens. It's a beautiful facility.<br /><br />Wife Jeanne and I drove up from Gainesville yesterday, from the home of the Florida Gators to the home of an arch rival in the SEC, the Georgia Bulldogs. On the way, the air conditioning in the car began to act up, so we decided to stop at a roadside mechanic shop on our way into Athens.<br /><br />We walked in to find the place decked out -- floor to ceiling -- in red and black, all the way to the University of Georgia wallpaper and a wall full of photos of the Bulldog mascots, Uga I, II, III and IV. We were relieved that it was the wife's car we were driving. It has no University of Florida insignia on it; my car does. School spirit runs high in this part of the South, so it might have made a difference in whether they would be willing to check things out at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. The news was bad, and not because we are Gators: We can limp home, but we're going to need a new AC system.<br /><br />Fortunately, the news from the conference is better than the news about the car: Great educational sessions attended by more than 60 students and professionals from around the Southeast. The Mark of Excellence Awards were handed out at lunch, and the University of Florida again won the most awards. We got 30; Alabama was second with 18 and Georgia was third with 12.<br /><br />More good news is that Sunday is supposed to be cool, so we'll limp home to get the AC fixed.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1144177054840318162006-04-04T14:53:00.000-04:002006-06-06T17:11:58.246-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">April 4: Home again</span><br />Bummer! Every flight I've had so far this year has been within 15 minutes of an "on-time" arrival -- until last night.<br /><br />Here it is the day the Florida Gators are playing in the national championship game of the NCAA basketball tournament. I'm supposed to get in to GNV at 8 p.m., in plenty of time for a 9:20 p.m. TV tipoff. Nope. Atlanta Heartsfield International had a power outage on Concourse D. That delayed my flight -- and all the other flights -- for hours. I got to GNV at 10:45. My bag didn't make it, though, taking more precious minutes. In the end, I saw the last 2:35 of the game.<br /><br />But it came out right -- the Gators won.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1144077868709039792006-04-03T11:17:00.000-04:002006-04-03T11:31:09.756-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">April 3: Columbia, S.C.</span><br />I am at the University of South Carolina <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=University+of+South+Carolina,+Columbia,+SC&ll=34.000556,-81.035&spn=0.157967,0.267105">(Google map)</a> today to appear at a luncheon sponsored by the student chapter of SPJ and the School of Journalism. After lunch, there will be a discussion about journalistic integrity as part of USC's annual ICOMM week.<br /><br />It's been quite a week of travel. I flew to Columbia on Sunday from Pasco, Wash., where I attended the Region 10 SPJ conference in nearby Kennewick. It was a great event with more than 120 in attendance.<br /><br />Tonight, if all goes as planned, I get to sleep in my own bed. I should get home just in time to watch the Florida Gators play in the national championship game. Then, it's on the road again Friday, this time to Athens, Ga., for the Region 3 SPJ conference.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1143176957725845382006-03-23T23:40:00.000-05:002006-04-10T13:06:15.176-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;">March 23: Mt. Pleasant, Mich.</span><br /><br />Today, I flew from Milwaukee to Cincinnati to Detroit (who knows what makes the airlines tick) and then drove two hours northwest to Central Michigan University at Mt. Pleasant. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=mt.+pleasant,+MI&t=h&ll=43.597778,-84.7675&spn=0.634518,1.322479"> Google map</a>.<br /><br />It was a prodigious amount of travel to visit a chapter, but its president, a CMU <img src="http://static.flickr.com/56/126455645_241c41333e_m.jpg" align="right">senior named Khristopher Brooks, had shown all the qualities of a great young reporter in convincing me to come. He kept asking until I finally said yes just to get him to leave me alone. (Note to students: The same strategy can work when trying to get a journalism job.)<br /><br />The CMU student chapter and the Central Michigan Pro chapters of SPJ turned out a great crowd for me. I spoke about the breadth of activities of SPJ and our central missions -- the ethical practice of journalism, freedom of information, diversity and professional development. I tried to illustrate those missions by talking about the things SPJ leaders deal with, often in just a few days' time. We also talked about some of the challenges confronting our industry and the promise that technology holds for the journalists of the future. The photo was shot by student Russel B. Smith for the student newspaper, CMU Life.<br /><br />After the meeting, we visited a venerable old CMU watering hole, The Bird, in downtown Mt. Pleasant, for local microbrew and pizza -- a thin crust with alfredo sauce, spinach, scallions and four cheeses, feta, blue, mozzarella and Parmesan. I bought a t-shirt as a souvenier.<br /><br />Tomorrow, it's homeward bound, but I'll be traveling for about 10 hours to get there.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23166321.post-1143069991381488762006-03-22T18:02:00.000-05:002006-03-23T20:39:42.276-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;">March 22: Milwaukee, Wisc.</span><br />At lunch today, I had the honor of declaring the Milwaukee Press Club an SPJ Historic Site in Journalism.<br /><br />The club, which formed in 1885, is the oldest continuously operating press club in the Americas. It's a fascinating place. Early in its history, members began asking dignitaries who visited to sign their names on the wall with white chalk. The tradition continues today and includes more than 1,300 autographs dating back to the 1890s.<br /><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/38/116521222_c15f200cc7.jpg?v=0" align="left" alt="Historic Site in Journalism plaque" hspace="5" />When the club moved from the original site, members cut the signatures out of the wooden wall and took them along to the new location. Now, they are framed and a few hundred, which rotate every few months, hang on the wall at the current site. I saw the scrawls of Louis Armstrong, Babe Ruth and William Howard Taft to name a few. I was flattered when they asked <a href="http://static.flickr.com/35/116521221_b21902ff6a.jpg?v=0">me to sign</a> one, but I won't blame them if mine does not see much time on the wall.<br /><br />Another of the club's amazing posessions is a mumified cat, named <a href="http://www.milwaukeepressclub.org/about/anubis.php">Anubis</a>, that was found at one of its locations over the years. It led to a club slogan, "Where the only thing dead is the cat."<br /><br />After lunch, I talked about where I see the future of journalism and technology going. Tonight, there will be dinner. In Milwaukee, it must be sausages and beer.<br /><br />The photo shows me (left) with Press Club President Steve Jagler and the bronze plaque that will grace the front of the building. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/50931906@N00/sets/72057594088369617/">More pictures</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Where in the World is the SPJ Prez is a blog on the travels of SPJ President David Carlson.</div>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565986884928709861noreply@blogger.com0