Monday, November 21, 2011

Publishing Jobs Available

Recent Openings at the ECPA Career Center
• Associate Marketing Manager, Abingdon Press/UMPH, Nashville, TN
• Executive Director, Theological Book Network, Grand Rapids, MI
• Vice President of Marketing, Bibles, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI
• Editor/Proofreader, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI
• Typesetter, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI
• Content Editor, FamilyLife, Little Rock, Arkansas
• Production Coordinator, FamilyLife, Little Rock, Arkansas
• Production Design Coordinator, FamilyLife, Little Rock, Arkansas
• Project Editor, FamilyLife, Little Rock, Arkansas
• Acquisitions Editor - Nonfiction, Bethany House Publishers, Bloomington, MN
• Copy Editor for Publications and Bible Study Magazine, Logos Bible Software, Bellingham, WA
• Original Languages Copy Editor, Logos Bible Software, Bellingham, WA
• Account Executive, FrontGate Media, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
[View and apply online at the CareerCenterForChristianPublishing.com]

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Journalism Scholarships Available

Journalists, Editors Eligible for $5,000 Scholarships for Religion Courses
Study Islam, Religion and Politics, War, Theology -- on us

COLUMBIA, Mo., Nov. 16, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- RELIGION | NEWSWRITERS invites all journalists to apply to its Lilly Scholarships in Religion Program. The scholarships give full-time journalists up to $5,000 to take any college religion courses at any accredited institution at any time.

Religion headlines are dominating news coverage -- sex abuse, religion and politics, Islam in America, Post-9/11 -- now is the perfect time to dig deeper into today's hottest stories. More than 200 people have already taken advantage of RELIGION | NEWSWRITERS' Lilly Scholarships in Religion Program for Journalists.

Topics reporters have studied include: Islamic Movements, God & Politics, Christianity and Culture, Religious Tradition and Scientific Inquiry, Buddhism and Science, Violence and Liberation, Religion and Medicine and many more.

"The courses led to dozens of story ideas and new resources. I came out a sharper researcher and writer, two benefits I was not expecting going in," said Eric Marrapodi of CNN who took four Lilly scholarship courses in the last three years at Georgetown University.

The scholarships can be used at accredited colleges, universities, seminaries or similar institutions. Journalists can choose any religion, spirituality or ethics course. Scholarships cover tuition, books, registration fees, parking and other course-related costs. Online and travel classes are also eligible (as long as travel costs are part of the curriculum).

All full-time journalists working in the general circulation news media -- including reporters, editors, designers, copy editors, editorial writers, news directors, researchers and producers -- are eligible, regardless of their beat.

The next scholarship application deadline is Jan. 1, 2012. Scholarships must be used within three academic quarters of their award date.

RELIGION | NEWSWRITERS is the world's only association for journalists who write about religion in the mainstream news media. The scholarships are offered through its non-profit arm, the Religion Newswriters Foundation, with funding from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Complete information about the Lilly Scholarships in Religion program is available at bit.ly/j8MOOg. Direct questions to Amy Schiska at 573-355-5201 ext. 3#, or Schiska@RNA.org.

RELIGION | NEWSWRITERS offers training and tools to help journalists cover religion with balance, accuracy and insight. Visit www.RNA.org to learn more about our RELIGION | LINK story ideas, Religion stylebook and primer, contests for religion reporting, annual conference and more.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I Am A Journalist

Want a first-hand look at what young journalists are saying about their jobs?

Check this out:

http://wearejournalists.tumblr.com/

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Twin Cities TV Station Loses Defamation Suit

KSTP hit with $1 million defamation verdict

Article by: HERÓN MÁRQUEZ ESTRADA , Star Tribune
Updated: November 8, 2011 - 7:14 AM

A holistic healer said she was defamed by a 2009 news story.


A Dakota County jury has awarded a holistic healer from Hudson, Wis., $1 million in compensatory damages from KSTP-TV for a March 2009 story it aired about her treatment of a patient, attorneys for both sides said Monday night.

The jury's award is believed to be the largest verdict ever in a Minnesota defamation lawsuit.

Jurors made the award Friday after a weeklong trial before District Judge Richard Spicer, and returned Monday to deliberate on punitive damages. They declined to issue a punitive award.

Attorney Paul Hannah, who represented KSTP, said he based his argument against punitive damages on the fact that the $1 million compensatory award was the largest in state history for such a case and therefore sufficient punishment for the broadcaster.

"I believe that to be the case, that this is the largest," said Hannah, a prominent Minneapolis media law attorney who expects that KSTP, Channel 5 in the Twin Cities, will appeal the verdict and file motions to get it reduced or overturned.

The lawsuit also named as defendants Cheryl and Eric Blaha, former patients of the holistic healer, but the jury found that they were not liable for monetary damages.

The gist of KSTP's story was that Susan Anderson, then known as Susan Wahl, a Hudson doctor of naturopathy, had "de-prescribed" anti-anxiety medication to Cheryl Blaha. Cheryl Blaha then claimed to KSTP in interviews that she had tried to commit suicide as a result of being weaned from the medicine by Anderson.

The story was reported by KSTP's Jennifer Griswold, who declined to comment Monday night when reached by phone, saying any reaction would have to come from Hannah. Hannah said he is not sure whether KSTP plans to issue any statement regarding the verdict.

Naturopathy is an alternative medicine based on the belief that vital energy or vital forces help the body regulate such things as metabolism, reproduction and growth.

In her suit, Anderson claimed medical records indicated that Blaha's own medical doctor had reduced the medication and that there was no proof of the alleged suicide attempt, said Patrick Tierney, Anderson's lawyer.

"That was certainly the heart of it," Tierney said Monday night. "KSTP bought [Blaha's story] hook, line and sinker, and that's what this case was about."

Jury found 'actual malice'

Tierney said he has handled other defamation cases that resulted in verdicts in the high six figures, but none as large as the one against KSTP.

"It's significant," he said, noting that the jury found "actual malice" in its verdict against KSTP, which he said would make it almost impossible for the award to be overturned or reduced.

But Hannah said he will file motions in coming weeks attempting to do just that. He would not elaborate, but the possible grounds for making such post-verdict motions are that the instructions to the jury regarding the law were incorrect or that the facts did not merit such a high award.

Anderson, in a memorandum in support of the suit, claimed KSTP "knew that the story ... was false," as evidenced by pages and pages of medical records dating back to 2007.

Tierney stated that a week after the alleged suicide attempt, the woman met with her doctor "and never mentioned any suicide attempt."

He said the same records also indicate that KSTP knew the claim that Blaha's doctor did not know Blaha was weaning herself from the anti-anxiety medication was false.

Tierney said the jury awarded Anderson about $100,000 for lost earnings, past and future, and $900,000 for damage to her reputation as a result of the broadcast story.

KSTP "created a report instead of reporting on something," he said.

Minneapolis media attorney John Borger said that, although he could not say with absolute certainty that the $1 million verdict is the highest in state history, he could not think of a higher one.

Tierney, Hannah and Borger all said they know of awards in the $700,000 range, but nothing to equal this one.

"If this is not the highest, it's certainly right up there," Borger said.