Clooney To Keynote Symposium

Diana Hadley

Blogs generally focus on one topic, but there are multiple news items to share with this one.

The first is the announcement that Nick Clooney, keynote speaker at last fall’s national JEA/NSPA convention in Washington D.C., is going to be our special guest speaker at this year’s First Amendment Symposium, March 3, at the Indiana Statehouse. In his convention speech, Clooney joked that his obituary would focus on his famous son, George, and sister, Rosemary; but his own career as a journalist provides interesting stories and great advice for young journalists. He also feels passionate about the First Amendment and will focus on its importance at the symposium.

Anyone who hasn’t received a mailing with specifics about symposium competition should contact me. There are two new categories we think your students will enjoy–a poster design about the First Amendment and a postage stamp contest that includes five separate stamp designs representing each of the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. Feel welcome to invite your school’s art department students to participate in this competition.

We are also excited to partner with Society of Professional Journalists this year to offer an essay contest that includes a national level of competition and $1,000 award. More information about all contests is included in the recent mailing.

On the other side of all this good news is concern about the many ways statewide budget cuts in education are going to affect our schools in general and journalism programs specifically. It is so important that high school newspaper challenges. I hope staffs will send PDFs of the budget coverage from your student papers, so that we can share with others. IHSPA will post outstanding examples.

We know that journalism programs are going to suffer when the economy suffers, but I also believe we will find ways to survive if we work together. Let me know if IHSPA can help your situation.