Recent reports concerning the future of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) have stated, with one September post from NiemanLab saying that both membership and revenues are so low that the organization is set to "end the year $391,000 in the red," according to an audit prepared by an external accountant and dated August 2023. The same article by Sarah Scire featured the sub-head, "If we don’t change our thinking, the next incoming president will be the last president.”
That new president was sworn in at the October 1, 2023, annual convention in Las Vegas. She is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, journalism professor and associate dean for the Center for Media Design at the Santa Monica College, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins.
Hopkins also made history on that date as the first black woman ever to be elected to that post.
Hopkins feels confident that the financial issues reported are not insurmountable, stating during this interview with E&P Publisher Mike Blinder, "I can firmly and unequivocally say that I will not be the last president of the SPJ. All of the journalism organizations across the country are facing financial situations. We have the benefit of having a foundation that was created to be in support of the society. That foundation has $12 million in the bank." She continued, "We are on our way to 'righting the ship,' and I can firmly say that will happen before the end of my term."
Diversity within the SPJ and the journalism industry is another goal of Hopkin's. As quoted in the press release announcing her presidency, "I hesitated to join SPJ for several years because I just didn't see anyone who looked like me in leadership positions. It made me feel like I didn't belong in the organization. But I decided to be the change that I wanted to see in SPJ," she said. "Representation matters, and I hope to show through my leadership and diverse board of directors that there is a place for everyone at SPJ."
In this episode of "E&P Reports," we go one-on-one with newly sworn-in Society of Professional Journalists President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins to discuss how she plans to keep the organization prospering during a time of lagging membership and conference attendance, as well as her plans for SPJ's success. We also hear her views on the news media ecosystem as a whole and how we can define what is journalism in a world of disinformation and "fake news."
219 Media sales icon Chris Lytle shares tried and true insights that still apply today.
218 A new film tells a story of how hedge funds are destroying local journalism.
217 The future of “big tech” compensation, now that Google's $100 million deal with Canada is law
216 Shannon Kinney’s entrepreneurial advice
214 Marty Baron discusses his new book, his experiences at The Post and his views on news media today
213 Unpacking the Medill "State of Local News" report
212 A 16-year-old launches a news site that is out-reporting the local Gannett "ghost paper."
211 An email cry for help saves this 138-year-old newspaper from extinction
210 Ryan Dohrn’s “ad sales punch list” to maximize revenue into 2024.
209 Small North Carolina community is now a two-newspaper town.
208 Branding is back: The latest Borrell study un-packed.
207 Checking in with the Chicago Sun-Times/ Public Media merger.
206 Community leaders speak frankly about losing their local paper and having a new publication start within 30 days.
205 A mission is to transform global news coverage by recruiting, training and then employing women journalists world-wide.
204 Arizona's newspaper and broadcast associations merge into Arizona Media Association.
203 A reluctant witness for Google’s antitrust defense. One-on-One with, Kenny Katzgrau
202 One-on-one with industry veteran John Ellis
201 Exploring NOLA Advocate’s digital-only Shreveport expansion into a Gannett market that still prints six days a week.
200 The USA TODAY Best-Selling Books List is back. Meet the new editor, Barbara VanDenburgh.
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