PNA Foundation, Oct. 30

Foundation Update: Judges and journalists get to talk it out

By Lauren Lee, Director
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Foundation
(717) 703-3002

In today’s environment, you’d be hard pressed to find a newsroom staffed with multiple beat reporters. Traditionally, papers had reporters dedicated to covering only the police beat, the arts or health and science. And, because this is now the reality for so many of you, it is more important than ever to create an ongoing dialogue with various groups and institutions.

This is particularly important for those communities with a public service role. Like newspapers, several institutions have the inherent responsibility of serving the general public. Take, for example, the legal community. The Foundation is doing its part to foster better relations between the media and the courts by co-sponsoring an annual Judges and Journalists Workshop.

Together with the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, the Foundation is hosting an event on Nov. 14, 2008 in Pittsburgh. This year’s program will be the third of its kind with the past two being offered in the central and eastern regions of Pennsylvania. The past two workshops were so successful that we thought it was important to plan one for our members in the western part of the state.

The Judges and Journalists event is structured in a way that provides useful information to audience members from both the judiciary and the media. The first panel consists of three judges who talk about issues surrounding the courts in Pennsylvania followed by a journalists-only panel where reporters and editors give an overview of how newsrooms are organized and also the challenges facing the newspaper industry. Seem like really basic stuff? It is, but all too often members from the legal and newspaper communities find themselves in conflict and these panels help to create a mutually-beneficial relationship between the two.

The last session features a panel of both judges and journalists who cite specific instances where the two groups have collided, impacting their ability to serve the public. It is often during this last panel that the most meaningful dialogue occurs. This is the time where representatives from both entities have the opportunity to ask questions and share their views.

The Judges and Journalists Workshop is scheduled for Friday Nov. 14, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Omni William Penn in downtown Pittsburgh. The workshop is free and open to the first 25 journalists who register. To register, please contact Beverly Hendry at (717)703-3003 or beverlyh@pa-news.org.

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