Thursday, February 15, 2007

SPJ Chapter Hosting Media Critic at Noon Meeting, Feb. 21

The Southwest Missouri Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will host a brown-bag lunch discussion with Norman Solomon, an author and media critic, from noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21 in the training room at the Springfield News-Leader, 651 Boonville Ave., Springfield, Mo.

Solomon writes “Media Beat,” a weekly syndicated column on the news media and politics that runs in newspapers across the country.

Solomon is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, a national consortium of policy researchers and analysts, and is a longtime associate of the media watch group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting).

A collection of Solomon’s columns won the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language. That award was presented by the National Council of Teachers of English and it honored Solomon’s book, “The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media.”

In 2003, Norman Solomon appeared on CNN more than a dozen times as an in-studio guest. Solomon’s op-ed articles have appeared in a range of newspapers including the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, New York Times, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun.

“Solomon clearly has strong opinions about what is right and wrong with the media. He believes that some journalists rely on bias instead of facts when reporting stories. This discussion will allow him to share his views and experiences with members of local media. It will also give local journalists a chance to question him,” said Michelle Rose, a local SPJ member and non-daily publications editor at the News-Leader who helped to organize this special event.

For more information, visit Solomon’s Web site, www.normansolomon.com, which features a biography, his columns and information about his books. His most recent “Media Beat” columns can also be found at www.fair.org.

For directions or more information on the program contact Michelle S. Rose at 837-1371 or by e-mail at mrose@news-leader.com.

Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. The SPJ chapter in southwest Missouri has about 25 members.

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