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Your connection to industry & member news | Nov. 17, 2022
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We are thankful for you!We hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! SCPA and SCNN will be closed Nov. 24-25. There will be no eBulletin next week because of the holiday. We're thankful for you and appreciate your support and involvement in the S.C. Press Association!
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News Contest publication period ends, entry deadline approachingThe 2022 News Contest publication period ended Tuesday so entries published in print or digitally from Nov. 16, 2021 through Nov. 15, 2022 are eligible for this year’s News Contest.
SCPA's digital entry platform will accept entries until Friday, Dec. 2.
All editors should have received log-in information for the site. Let us know if we need to resend it or if you have questions about the contest.
Don't let the Dec. 2 deadline sneak up on you... start entering today!
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By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications
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| Does the reporter's shield survive death? And another way to foil FOIA
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S.C. newspapers celebrate Veterans Day
Nearly every newspaper in South Carolina honored S.C. veterans last week through sections, features, news stories and more. Check out our Facebook page to see full coverage.
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| "Pollster" by Robert Ariail
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|  If you can't get enough of award-winning Camden cartoonist Robert Ariail, enjoy his new strip featured every week in the Charleston City Paper, which has granted us ongoing permission to republish it. Called "Lowcountry," the weekly feature, which is available for syndication in South Carolina newspapers, focuses on politics, human nature, the environment and public policy. More: Contact publisher Andy Brack.
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Former Horry Co. officers ‘willfully’ misled judge to get warrants, investigation found
A pair of Horry County Sheriff’s Office officers resigned earlier this year after an internal investigation found they’d intentionally misled a judge to obtain search and arrest warrants.
Former Sgt. William “Bill” McMeins and Deputy Michael Bryant both separated from the office in May, with each separation described as a “resignation involving misconduct,” according to records filed with the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy.
Attorney Scott Hayes, who is representing McMeins, denied that his client committed any acts of misconduct, pointing to a law enforcement career that has spanned 39 years, including stints with the Marines and Maryland State Police before joining the Horry County Sheriff’s Office in 2015. ...
Attorneys listed for Bonini and Graham could not immediately be reached for comment. It’s unclear if they were made aware of the sheriff’s office findings.
No further investigation was conducted into any other warrants sought by McMeins or Bryant because no other complaints were filed against them, according to Cavanagh.
The Sun News filed a Freedom of Information Act request Monday seeking permission to view the former officers’ personnel records.
By David Weissman, The Sun News | Read more
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Beaufort County School District pays thousands to settle charges of sexism and ableism
Beaufort County School District paid about $82,000 to a former employee and his lawyers after a state investigation charged the district with disability and gender discrimination.
Qaadir Phillips, a former data specialist at Bluffton’s M.C. Riley Elementary School, has moderately severe asthma and requested to work from home for the spring 2021 semester. His request was denied while three other female data specialists’ requests were granted.
Then, the district forced Phillips to resign and retaliated against him once he complained to the district about their refusal to grant a remote work accommodation, according to evidence found in The State of South Carolina Human Affairs Commission investigation.
Phillips and Superintendent Frank Rodriguez signed a conciliation agreement in October agreeing to terms to remedy the discrimination accusations. ...
When Rodriguez and the district was asked to comment, a district spokesperson said “the matter has been resolved” and declined further comment. Instead they referred The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette to the agreement for information.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette obtained the agreement through a Freedom of Information Act request.
By Mary Dimitrov, The Island Packet | Read more
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Meet The Daniel Island News’ newest Kids Say reporter
She’s a girl on a mission. And she couldn’t be more excited.
Daniel Island resident Elyse Gerding, 12, is the newest reporter for the popular series “Kids Say,” published weekly in The Daniel Island News. The column was put on hiatus in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and returned with Gerding at the helm in August of this year.
A student at Daniel Island School, Gerding is the second in her family to take on the role. Her older sister, Bryn, now 22, filled the post when she was in middle school. Each week, Gerding gets a question from Daniel Island News Editor Zach Giroux, based on the theme of that week’s paper and poses it to six different kids.
“I just like Kids Say altogether because it gives kids a chance to be in the newspaper and for some of them, it’s so sweet,” Gerding said. “They get so excited! They’re like ‘I’m gonna be famous!’” ...
Even though Gerding has only had the job for a few months, her reporting skills are already earning rave reviews.
“Elyse does a wonderful job as our Kids Say correspondent,” said Sue Detar, publisher/managing editor of The Daniel Island News. “She’s a real professional – she always meets deadline and brings genuine enthusiasm to the job.”
By Elizabeth Bush, The Daniel Island News | Read more
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FMU welcomes new VP of Communications
Francis Marion University, an associate member of SCPA, has ushered in a new Vice President of Communications, Anna Todd.
An employee of FMU for 10 years, Todd has held numerous roles within the admissions and communications offices. Most recently, she served as Director of Dual Enrollment and Continuing Education at The Continuum in Lake City, SC.
Todd began her career at the university in the communications office as Director of Marketing and Public Relations. The VP of Communications role takes her back to where it all began.
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This week in 1982, an Alabama sports writer did the unthinkable … or at least people thought he did
It took a 25-year-old outsider in his first year covering Alabama football to do what few at the time had any inclination to do — call Paul “Bear” Bryant’s bluff.
Readers of The Birmingham News on Nov. 8, 1982 — 40 years ago today — were greeted with a buzz-worthy column carrying the byline and smiling headshot of Don Kausler Jr. on Page 5C of that day’s newspaper. In his weekly Alabama beat column, Kausler appeared to suggest that it was time to take seriously rumblings by Bryant, then in his 25th year at the Crimson Tide helm and at the time the winningest coach in college football history, that he was considering hanging up his trademark fedora and moving into a long-rumored retirement. Read full story
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The census may seem so 2020, but there’s still a lot for journalists to cover
You may think that the census is soooo 2020, but you’d be dead wrong. There’s still a lot more data that’s going to be released next year from the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident, which means more stories to write.
Even though the census was conducted two years ago, the U.S. Census Bureau has yet to release its most detailed data about families, household relationships and comprehensive breakdowns of the U.S. population by age, race, ethnicity and tribal affiliation. The first of these releases is scheduled for next spring, and then more follow later in the year.
By Mike Schneider, Poynter | Read more
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Parade to stop printing weekly magazine; will be available in e-edition for subscribers
Parade, a national weekly lifestyle magazine founded in 1941 and delivered to millions of newspaper readers across the country, will cease its print distribution, the company announced recently. ...
The Parade magazine will continue to be available online in an e-edition format to subscribers. Relish, Spry and Living will also not be printed. Parade was purchased by The Arena Group earlier this year, which also owns brands such as Sports Illustrated and The Street. Read more
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6 tips for improving news coverage of older people
From as early as age 3, people begin to form negative biases toward older people, research has shown, and as many as half of all people worldwide carry ageist beliefs. For journalists, recognizing inherent biases is key to producing better, deeper coverage of aging-related issues and stories involving older people.
The following tips, provided by two experienced journalists who have spent decades covering health and aging, are designed to help newsrooms improve their coverage of longevity and topics that matter to older adults. By developing a more informed and nuanced approach to these stories, journalists can contribute to eradicating ageism and its many harmful effects.
1. Terminology matters
The phrases “senior citizens” and “the elderly,” once in common usage as nouns, are today sometimes considered demeaning to older people, says Paul Kleyman, a longtime journalist and the national coordinator of the Journalists Network on Generations, an organization that provides information and networking opportunities for journalists who cover aging issues. Those terms may imply that they are separate from other citizens, or frail. However, Kleyman adds, “elderly” is sometimes acceptable as a modifier.
By Kristen Senz, The Journalist’s Resource | Read more
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Former Upstate journalist Harold Rogers dies
James Harold Rogers, 97, passed away peacefully on Nov. 4, 2022, following a brief illness.
Harold was a World War II veteran, having served his country in the 717th Tank Battalion. When he returned home, he attended Anderson Junior College, where he was the captain of the school’s first basketball team. He went on to the University of South Carolina, where he lettered in baseball for the Gamecocks while earning a degree in journalism.
Following a stint at the Greenwood Index-Journal as sports editor, Harold joined the Easley Progress as editor, penned a weekly column for the Pickens Sentinel and wrote weekend headlines for The Greenville News. Harold finished his career as director of public relations for the Clemson Cooperative Extension. Read full obituary.
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By Jim Pumarlo,
Newspaper Consultant
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| Robust public affairs coverage requires more than recording meetings
My formula for shaping newspaper content is straightforward: Present a blend of stories that people like to read and stories they should read. Under the “should read” category, consider me an advocate of vibrant coverage of local government.
Another basic element to writing any story, whether hard news or feature: Make it interesting. Specific to public affairs reporting, make it timely and relevant.
Poll after poll underscores the value of newspapers as a government watchdog. It’s no coincidence that when local journalism declines, so does government transparency and civic engagement.
Most newsrooms routinely cover local government bodies and the decisions that affect readers’ everyday lives. I encourage broadening coverage through a three-step process:
- Solid advances to inform readers and ensure robust community discussion of vital community issues.
- Meaningful meeting coverage.
- Follow-up reports that interpret the actions taken.
Many newsrooms probably can relate to this course of events. Reporters pick up an agenda maybe a couple of days in advance of a meeting. They might write a couple of paragraphs as a preview, then put the materials away. Worse yet, reporters see an agenda for the first time when they show up at a meeting. Read more
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