society of professional journalists

At last night’s Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards banquet, the Minnesota Independent took home four first place prizes, including Best Independent News Blog and Best Use of Mulitimedia by an Independent News Site for its coverage of the Republican National Convention. Headlined by NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, the evening concluded with awards [...]

The Minnesota Independent will be taking home eight 2009 Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards, including one first place, according to emails sent by the state chapter of the national organization

Someone at the Capitol is trying to “stifle public access” to proceedings there, says the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in a new statement this afternoon. Exactly who, an SPJ board member tells the Minnesota Independent, isn’t known. At issue are rules — old, new and not-yet-made — on which media can get floor access in the House of Representatives and who can record what in committee rooms.

Should journalists who do their reporting online have the same access at the State Capitol that broadcast and print media enjoy? It’s an intriguing issue for people interested in media and government. “It is a beaut,” says Minneapolis media attorney Mark Anfinson.