INSIDE: SEVEN HABITS OF EFFECTIVE REPORTERS • STEP-UP YOUR INTERVIEWING HUSTLE • CANDIDATES FOR SPJ BOARD JULY/AUGUST 2017 Sweat. Put in the time. Make the extra effort. Practice the basics. And when it comes time to race, you’ll be a more effective journalist. 2017 Excellence in Journalism Conference LEGAL DEFENSE FUND AUCTION September 7-9 Anaheim, California Questions about items to donate? Please contact SPJ. The Society of Professional Journalists collects and Donor Information: distributes contributions for aiding journalists in defending the freedom Donor Name: _______________________________________________ of speech and press guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Donor E-mail Address: _______________________________________ Each year at the conference, auctions are held to benefit the Legal Donor Address: _____________________________________________ Defense Fund. Te primary role of the Legal Defense Fund is to initiate and support litigation that enforces public access to government City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________ records and proceedings, which can be the most expensive way to defend the First Amendment. Please join us in our efforts by donating an The deadline for submitting auction items is item to the Legal Defense Fund Auction. August 4, 2017. Item Information: Please send this form with your item to: Legal Defense Fund Auction Item: _______________________________________________________ Society of Professional Journalists 3909 N. Meridian St. Fair Market Value: $ __________________________________________ Indianapolis, IN 46208 Description: ________________________________________________ Questions? ___________________________________________________________ Katie Hunt, Fundraising Coordinator 317-920-4782 ext. 204 ___________________________________________________________ [email protected] __ Please note: Auction items will not be accepted on-site. Donations are not tax-deductible. Society of Professional Journalists 3909 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208 (p) 317.927.8000 (f) 317.920.4789 spj.org JULY/AUGUST 2017 VOLUME 105 NUMBER 4 FEATURES HABITUALLY EFFECTIVE 22 The American Press Institute asks: Why are some reporters and editors more effective than others? How does their work seem to have more resonance in their communities? And most relevant here: How can you be one of them? GETTING PEOPLE TO TALK 26 The journalism field is a (paid) excuse to talk to interesting peo- 5 ple. But it takes more than the right questions to get sometimes reluctant subjects to open up to a stranger. DEPARTMENTS 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT 5 SPJ REPORT 8 MEET THE CANDIDATES 20 QUILL THROUGH THE YEARS TOOLBOX 17 NARRATIVE WRITING Practice makes perfect narrative. 18 19 18 ETHICS Don’t jump fast to conclusions — or to using certain terms. 19 FREELANCE Be your own bossy pants. 30 WORDS & LANGUAGE No quote, no problem. 31 FOI Weed the garden. See the records grow. 32 EDUCATION Designing with juice boxes. 26 ON THE COVER // Shutterstock.com JULY/AUGUST 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. 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In addition, speaking to anything. public officials, on the record with attribution, including It has been an honor to represent all of you and speak those with titles of "spokesperson" or "communications of- out on behalf of journalists in support of a free press, gov- ficer" or "public information officer" is becoming harder and ernment transparency and ethical journalism. Along the harder. SPJ has and will continue to take a stand against way I've had an opportunity to meet some of you and hear this form of censorship, and we hope you will too. from more of you. For those I haven't connected with, Attacks against press freedom and First Amendment I hope our paths will cross soon. rights are real. We've seen threats of violence turn into ac- LYNN WALSH I’ve noticed common themes emerge from meetings tual violence. We've seen threats of no press briefings from with fellow journalists and