INSIDE: JOURNALISM ADVICE FROM A BEST-SELLING NOVELIST • ANGELO LOPEZ ON CARTOONING • SIGMA DELTA CHI AWARDS WINNERS MAY/JUNE 2017 The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation announces the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award to honor a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amend- ment. Mr. Pulliam, who passed away in January 1999, was well-known for consistently using his own considerable influence and that of his newspaper to support activities that educated the public about First Amendment rights and values. The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation has established this annual award to honor those committed to the same goals as a tribute to the professional contributions that Eugene S. Pulliam made to journalism and to the freedoms outlined in the First Amendment. At the Excellence in Journalism 2017 Conference, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation will honor an individual, group of individuals or organization with a $10,000 cash award and an engraved statue. The honoree(s) also will receive transportation to the conference in New Orleans, La. Nominations are open to any person, persons or organization in the U.S. or its territories who have worked to protect the basic rights provided by the First Amend- ment. Honorees do not have to be journalists. In fact, the Foundation encourages recognition of those outside the journalism profession for their First Amendment efforts and initiatives, such as, but not limited to, public officials, members of the legal profession, scholars, educators, librarians, students and ordinary citizens. Visit spj.org/a-pulliam.asp for nomination information. Call: 317/920-4788 | Email: [email protected] The Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award is a project of the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. For more information on the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation go to spj.org/sdx.asp. THE NOMINATION DEADLINE IS JUNE 22, 2017 MAY/JUNE 2017 VOLUME 105 NUMBER 3 FEATURES BUZZWORD BINGO 14 Newsrooms have heard for years now: engage, engage, engage. Build community. Connect. Interact. And maybe in so doing, you’ll 3 5 get clicks that turn into dollars. Beyond the buzzwords, beyond the advice of so-called “gurus” and self-proclaimed experts, what does engagement — truly, practically, deeply — mean with the public? There are a lot of lessons newsrooms and journalists of all types can take away from the ways public media has approached it. PAY IT FORWARD 26 Jay is an underpaid, overeducated newspaper copy editor with a little bitterness toward…well, everything. He takes it out on the manifestation of what he sees as wrong with the world: his brother-in-law’s truck. The story is a work of fiction by New York Times best-selling author Jess Walter, who before he was writ- ing novels was toiling away as a newspaper reporter. He shares 6 his original story, “Payload,” and advice to journalists to keep on doing their important work. AWARDING EXCELLENCE 34 Announcing winners of the 2016 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for ex- cellence in journalism. DEPARTMENTS 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT 5 SPJ REPORT 10 10 WITH ANGELO LOPEZ 12 QUILL THROUGH THE YEARS TOOLBOX 9 NARRATIVE WRITING Report. Pause. Reflect. Then write. 10 23 WORDS & LANGUAGE Don’t modify the proper place of modifiers. 25 FREELANCE Know what you want? Go get it. 33 ETHICS Partnerships aren’t always peachy. 39 EDUCATION Documentary lessons have a place in the classroom. 40 FOI Arresting developments shouldn’t stop a free press. 26 34 MAY/JUNE 2017 Quill 1 ‘… a magazine [that] surveys and interprets today’s journalism while stimulating its readers to collective and individual action for the good ofour profession.’ 4 Publisher 3 Published by the EDITORIAL JOE SKEEL Society of Professional Journalists Quill will review and consider unsolicited 4 Editor 3 manuscripts submitted by email only. SCOTT LEADINGHAM Topic pitches and queries to the editor 4 SPJ Board of Directors 3 are preferred. Deadline is 45 days prior 4 Graphic Designer 3 to publication date (e.g. August 15 for TONY PETERSON President | Lynn Walsh October issue). The decision to publish KNSD/NBC – San Diego, Calif. » [email protected] or edit submissions rests solely with the magazine. Opinions expressed in President-elect | Rebecca Baker articles are those of the authors and not New York Law Journal – New York, NY » [email protected] QUILL ADVERTISING necessarily those of the editors or of the Society of Professional Journalists. Secretary/Treasurer | J. Alex Tarquinio 3909 N. Meridian Street Email: [email protected]. The Real Deal – New York, N.Y. » [email protected] Indianapolis, IN 46208 317/927-8000, ext. 216 Immediate Past President | Paul Fletcher LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fax: 317/920-4789 Virginia Lawyers Weekly – Richmond, Va. » [email protected] [email protected] Send via email: [email protected]. Only signed Vice President, Campus Chapter Affairs | Sue Kopen Katcef letters (include telephone number) will be University of Maryland – College Park, Md. » [email protected] considered for publication. Region I Director | Jane Primerano SINGLE COPIES/ Freelance Journalist – Hope, N.J. » [email protected] BACK ISSUES HOW TO REACH US Region II Director | Andy Schotz $10 each plus $2 shipping for up to Phone: 317/927-8000, ext. 214 [email protected] five copies. (Call for bulk orders; subject Fax: 317/920-4789 to availability.) Region III Director | Michael Koretzky Internet: www.spj.org Freelance Journalist – Hollywood, Fla. » [email protected] Email: [email protected] Mail Region IV Director | Patricia Gallagher Newberry The Eugene S. Pulliam National REPRINTS/PERMISSION Miami University – Oxford, Ohio » [email protected] Journalism Center 3909 N. Meridian St. Entire content copyright 2017 by Quill Magazine. Region V Director | Michele Day Indianapolis, IN 46208 All rights reserved; reproduction in whole or Northern Kentucky University – Highland Heights, Ky. » [email protected] in part without prior written permission is Region VI Director | Joseph Radske prohibited. 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Maggie Gottlieb, University of Maryland – College Park, Md. » [email protected] mailing label. 2 Quill MAY/JUNE 20172014 FROM THE PRESIDENT SPJ challenges journalists to engage and inform ROADWAY HAD A NEW STAR in late April: world. With Times Square as the epicenter, we launched B the SPJ Code of Ethics. a campaign that explained what a journalist is, what jour- In case you missed it, the SPJ Ethics Committee, led nalists do, why ethical journalism is important and how by Chairman Andrew Seaman and SPJ headquarters staff, the public can distinguish real news from fake news. launched a campaign that was front and center on jumbo (You can see everything we put together at spj.org/ screens in New York City’s Times Square. ethicsweek.asp. Even though Ethics Week is over, we “Truthful, compassionate, independent, transparent encourage you to still share this content with fellow jour- journalism,” was the message. The goal was to encour- nalists and the public.) age everyone — journalists and non-journalists — to I mentioned the letters we sent to Congress. No one #PressForEthics. was left out; we sent more than 500 letters to our law- makers. The focus of the campaign was to bring attention LYNN WALSH to SPJ, what we do and who we are. We included a copy of the Code of Ethics and invited them to meet with us. Lynn Walsh is 2016-17 national In addition we asked them to invite us to meet with their SPJ president.