6SRW1HZV

VoI. 13, No. 5 AUGUST 2007

A pubIication of the East Tennessee Chapter
of the Society of ProfessionaI JournaIists
www.discoverET.org/etspj
1802 Pinoak Ct.
KnoxviIIe, TN 37923
The East Tennessee SPJ chapter has had
a good year. Our membership has grown
40 percent, increasing from 44 members
in June 2006 to 62 now.
Also, we`ve had some great events.
A few of my favorites were the writing
workshop, the annual Golden Press Card
Awards ceremony and the annual Front
Page Follies fund-raiser.
My challenge as your new president is
to help make sure we continue to deliver
good programming and retain members,
even as we try to recruit new ones. So I
am asking for your feedback.
Please let us know how the ETSPJ board
of directors can better serve you. Do you
want us to offer more professional train-
ing? If so, what kind of training do you
want and when? Do you want more panels?
Informal get-togethers? Or, are you happy
with what we are doing now?
Also, I am interested in hearing what we
might do to ensure our members stick with
us. We`ve done a good job of retaining
most members this year. Still, if any of you
don`t see the value of continuing your SPJ
membership, please let us know.
With your help, I believe we can make
this year even better than the last one.
So don`t hesitate to give us a phone call
or send us an e-mail. We`ll be waiting for
your suggestions.
John Huotari began his term as ETSPJ presi-
dent on Aug. 1. His term runs through July 31.
2008. Huotari is a city hall reporter at The
Oak Ridger. He may be reached at (865) 220-
5533 or by e-mail at john.huotari@oakridger.
com.
ETSPJ had a good year,
Iooking for new ideas
ETSPJ scheduIes picnic
to begin 2007-08 year
ETSPJ will hold a picnic at 5 p.m. Sunday,
Sept. 9, at the College of Communications
Building on Circle Drive at UT in
Knoxville. It will begin the activities for
the 2007-08 year.
The board hopes we`ll have a large
The ETSPJ guy
BY JOHN HUOTARI
ETSPJ president
ETSPJ has new leaders
Members of the
East Tennessee So-
ciety of Profession-
al Journalists during
the summer elected
new officers and
board members.
Thanks to all who
voted in the July
election.
The ETSPJ of-
fcers for 2007-08
are as follows:
President: John Huotari, reporter at The
Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge
First vice president/Front Page Follies:
Jean Ash, former radio journalist and cur-
rent tour director, Knoxville
Second vice president/Golden Press Card
Awards: Mia Rhodarmer, editor of the
Monroe County Advocate & Democrat,
Sweetwater
Secretary (also Spot News editor):
Elenora Edwards, The Tennessee Press
managing editor, Clinton
Treasurer: Dorothy Bowles, Univer-
sity of Tennessee journalism professor,
Knoxville
Membership chairman: John Becker,
WBIR-TV news anchor, Knoxville
Program co-chairman: Christine Jessel,
communications specialist for the Girl
Scouts of Tanasi Council, Knoxville
All except Becker have served on the
board previously.
Board members-at-large for 2007-08
are as follows:
Kara Covington, The Daily Times as-
sistant news editor
Amanda Greever, The Daily Times,
Maryville, copy editor
J.J. Stambaugh, News Sentinel, Knox-
ville, staff writer
Georgiana Vines, News Sentinel, Knox-
ville, political columnist
Vines has served in various SPJ lead-
ership positions, including national
president.
Like Becker, Covington, Greever and
Stambaugh are new to the board.
ETSPJ`s immediate past president is
Ed Hooper, Lakeway Publications, Mor-
ristown, who will work with Jessel as
program co-chairman.
Adina Chumley, Ackermann Public Re-
lations, Knoxville, who has been on the
board, has been elected to serve as board
member ex-offcio.
Some who served in 2006-07 did not seek
re-election. ETSPJ thanks them for their
service: Lisa Hood Skinner, Dan Foley,
Randy Tedford and Ann Lloyd.
The new board terms began Aug. 1. Its
frst meeting was held Aug. 5.
HUOTARI
turnout of members, journalism students,
prospective members and guests.
Bring a side dish and a folding chair, and
SPJ will provide the rest.
Program chairman Christine Jessel is
handling arrangements.
2007 Front Page Follies
FoIIies writer David Lauver and cartoonist CharIie DanieI. CharIie taIked
about how much David's work has contributed to ETSPJ. Then David
presented CharIie, who creates a speciaI cartoon for FPF invitations and
cast T-shirts, a shirt featuring his handiwork.
U.S. Rep. John J. (Jimmy) Duncan Jr. kisses Megan VenabIe
Smith after she presented him a copy of the Iast Harry Potter
book in recognition of his 60th birthday, which he ceIebrated
that night. The book was inscribed by Megan's father, Sam
VenabIe, who himseIf just turned 60, at which time aII kinds
of heaIth probIems beset him.
In a FoIIies number, TVA scientists at the Browns Ferry nucIear pIant sing
"Watchin' That NucIear Core GIow" to the tune of "Chasin' that Neon Rainbow."
From Ieft are MichaeI HoItz, David Lauver, Anne M. McKinney, Monty Howard,
Barbara Womack (mostIy obscured), Jim StovaII, John Huotari, Kristi NeIson
Bumpus, CIint Woodn, Lisa Hood Skinner and Adina ChumIey. Under the
"nucIear core" is Megan VenabIe Smith.
The FPF naIe saIuted the 25th anniversary of the
WorId's Fair. Wearing deeIy bobbers is incoming chapter
president John Huotari of The Oak Ridger. Behind him
is UT journaIism professor Jim StovaII.
Johh HuoIari, presidehI
Jeah Ash, IrsI vice presidehI/FrohI Page Follies,
commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor
Mia Phodarmer, secohd vice presidehI/Goldeh
Press Card Awards
Elehora E. Edwards, secreIary
ahd SpoI News ediIor
DoroIhy Bowles, Ireasurer
Johh Becker, membership chairmah
ChrisIihe Jessel, program chairmah
Ed Hooper, immediaIe pasI presidehI ahd
program co-chairmah
Kara CovihgIoh
Amahda Greever
J.J. SIambaugh
Georgiaha Vihes
Adiha Chumley, e-oIIcio
ETSPJ Ofhcers and Board of Directors
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Sept. 9 - ETSPJ Picnic, 5 p.m., UT
College of Communications, Knoxville
Sept. 16 - ETSP board, 5:30 p.m., Mandarin
House West, Knoxville
Oct. 4-7 - National SPJ Conference, Washing-
ton, D.C.
ETSPJ Board: 7-30-07
The Ted Scripps Leadership Institute I
attended in June in Indianapolis was one
of the best training sessions I have ever
attended. During this weekend-long event,
I learned a lot about leadership styles and
picked up several programming ideas we
might want to try in East Tennessee. I also
left Indianapolis inspired because I met a
lot of reporters and teachers who are pas-
sionate about both SPJ and journalism.
On Saturday, all of the 45 SPJ chapter
leaders who attended the Leadership
Institute took a test known as the DiSC
Personal Development Profle to see what
kind of leaders we are. There are four
behavioral possibilities: dominance, infu-
ence, conscientiousness and steadiness.
My test results showed I am conscien-
tious; meaning, for example, I need to
be orderly and plan ahead, want to make
few mistakes and tend to work quietly and
not attract attention. The bottom line here
was to consider how we might function
as leaders and how that might affect our
relationships with others.
We had many other events, including
a question and answer session with na-
tional SPJ leaders, duckpin bowling in
Indianapolis and small group break-out
sessions on things like recruitment, en-
gaging volunteers and getting involved
nationally.
One of the most useful meetings was a
Sunday morning brainstorming session
that mostly focused on programming and
recruitment ideas. Here are some ideas
that have been tried elsewhere and were
discussed during this session:
A workshop for P.R. professionals,
where P.R. reps, possibly for a fee, can
learn more about interacting with the
media.
Huotari report on Leadership Institute
A fund-raising book sale.
Subscribing to a publishing magazine
to keep track of what prominent authors
might be passing through your area. If and
when they do, try to set up a speaking and
book-signing event for your chapter. (The
Denver chapter seems to have done a good
job with this.)
Free or discounted memberships for
graduating college students to get them
into SPJ. Can combine this idea with job
hunting or training seminars for college
students, possibly for a fee.
Setting out a donation jar at chapter
programs.
Bus tours of an area (they do this in
Chicago and L.A., where they are, if I
remember correctly, tours of infamous
crime scenes).
Off-the-record sessions at a bar or res-
taurant with local newsmakers.
'Lunch on Deadline, a one-hour-a-
month panel that includes lunch and a
discussion. Depending on the event, public
television crews can be invited.
A reverse press conference, where
people who are normally in the news
get to turn the tables and ask reporters
questions.
Invite some publishers or television
general managers to talk about the future
of the media. Seems pretty gloomy right
now.
There was some relatively grim news
regarding membership. It seems that SPJ is
struggling to retain members and, though I
don`t have numbers, national membership
might even be falling.
I would highly recommend the Leader-
ship Institute to anyone who might be
interested in the future.
John
New board member bios
JOHN BECKER
The news anchor and a
reporter for WBIR-TV,
John joined ETSPJ this
year. He is a native of
Colorado.
Earlier, he was an anchor
and reporter for KGW-TV
in Portland, Ore.
John joined WBIR-TV
in August 2006. Among his frst assign-
ments was feld-anchoring Channel 10`s
Hurricane Katrina anniversary coverage
from Bay St.Louis, Miss. Before head-
ing to Knoxville, John reported across
Oregon, the U.S., Canada and the Middle
East during his anchoring and reporting
tenure at KGW.
In the summer of 2005, John co-pro-
duced and anchored a half-hour special
featuring his reporting from New Orleans
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In
the spring of 2005 John won an Emmy
for a documentary chronicling his embed
in Iraq. John`s half-hour special also won
an Edward R. Murrow award and claimed
top honors from the Oregon Association
of Broadcasters. For two consecutive
years, John reported and produced special
projects that won the OAB`s Best Single
News Story.
The Associated Press also named a piece
from his Oregonians at War special Best
News Writing in 2004. In the spring of
2001, John accepted another Murrow and
a Best in the West medallion for a story
profling a young farm boy`s remarkable
recovery after losing his arm in a grisly
accident. Also in 2001, John was invited
to spend a week at the Poynter Institute,
a renowned school for working journal-
ists.
In 2000 John`s peers honored him
with the KGW Tom McCall award for
newsroom leadership and excellence in
journalism.
Off the job, John enjoys mountain bik-
ing, golfng, fy fshing and the occasional
surf or snowboard safari. You can also fnd
him making lots of runs along Knoxville
greenways and parks with his bride and
their two pups.
BECKER
KARA COVINGTON
Kara is assistant news
editor of The Daily Times,
Maryville, a daily newspa-
per. She served as Wom-
en`s Times editor for two
years.
She is a two-year member of ETSPJ.
The Knoxville native attended UTK and
Tusculum College.
She has served as secretary for the
Governor`s State Board of Electrolysis
Examiners.
COVINGTON
J.J. STAMBAUGH
J.J.`s career as a reporter
began in 1990, when he
started writing for the now-
defunct Knoxville Journal.
After the Journal closed
in 1991, he studied phi-
losophy at the University
of Tennessee but eventu-
ally drifted back into the
reporting profession, going to work frst
for The Courier-News in Clinton and then
The Daily Times in Maryville.
He has been working for the News
Sentinel, Knoxville, since 1999, where
he primarily covers criminal justice issues
with an emphasis on enterprise/investiga-
tive reporting.
He has since returned part-time to UT,
where he is studying philosophy and
journalism. He lives in Sevier County
with his wife, Jennifer, their 3-year-old
daughter, Elizabeth, and his 15-year-old
son, Patrick.
STAMBAUGH
ETSPJ publishes SpoI News ih paper
ahd PDF versiohs. To subscribe,
ohe shoul d cohIacI Jeah Ash,
commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor, aI
ieahash@comcasI.heI. The PDF
ver si oh i s avai l abl e aI www.
discoverET.org/eIspi, Ihe chapIer
Web siIe.
Letters to the Editor PoIicy:The board
ehcourages leIIers Io Ihe ediIor oI
SpoI News. Like leIIers policies aI
mosI hewspapers, we ask IhaI leIIers
be limiIed Io 200 words or less. They
will be subiecI Io ediIihg Ior space
ahd cohIehI. Sehd e-mail Io ETSP.
commuhicaIiohs@gmail.com.
6SRW1HZV
2007-0S editor
Elenora E. Edwards
eIeedwards@aoI.com
(865) 457-5459
The East Tennessee SPJ chapter would
like to thank all members who have re-
cently joined or renewed.
Here are our newest members:
Jamie Bumpus, News Sentinel copy
editor
Amanda Greever, The Daily Times
copy editor
Peter Gross, director of the School of
Journalism and Electronic Media at the
University of Tennessee
Staci Martin-Wolfe, innovations project
manager at E.W. Scripps/Interactive Me-
dia/Newspapers
Allison Miller, director of communica-
tions for Fee/Hedrick Family Entertain-
ment Group
J.J. Stambaugh, News Sentinel staff
writer
After SPJ Leads carried an item about
Welcome, new members
the growth of membership in the ETSPJ,
John Huotari, 2006-07 membership chair-
man, was asked to write an article for
Quill magazine. He did so, and it may be
published in the September issue.Noting
a 40 percent increase in members, Huotari
said, the article explains why he thinks this
occurred. Declining to take the credit only
for himself, Huotari said that among the
reasons are the chapter`s various activities,
good communication and the board and
members` working together.
This fall, the UT School of Journalism
and Electronic Media is celebrating a very
special milestone: its 60
th
anniversary.
In honor of the anniversary, the school
is hosting a variety of industry speakers,
many of whom are alumni. The public is
invited.
The school`s earliest roots date to 1947,
when the late Professor Willis C. Tucker
was picked to organize a department of
journalism. The frst classes were con-
ducted in Glocker, and students graduated
as business majors. Less than a decade
later in 1953, students gained the option of
participating in a radio-TV sequence.
In 1969, the department moved to Circle
Park, where it joined the Department of
Advertising to form the College of Com-
munications.
Just three years later, the radio-TV se-
quence split from journalism to form the
Department of Broadcasting. In 2002,
broadcasting and the School of Journalism
rejoined to form the School of Journalism
and Electronic Media.
For more information about the 60
th

anniversary of the School of Journalism
and Electronic Media, visit http://www.
cci.utk.edu.
SchooI of JournaIism
and EIectronic Media
ceIebrates 60 years
The SPJ National Convention will
meet Thursday though Sunday, Oct. 4-7,
in Washington, D.C. John Huotari and
Elenora Edwards will serve as delegates,
and Georgiana Vines will attend also.
As a one-time national president, Vines
Three going to national SPJ convention
will serve as host to a get-together of past
presidents.
The current president is Clint Brewer,
editor of The City Paper, Nashville, and
former editor of The Lebanon Demo-
crat.
'You must have a free press that screams and
hollers and makes your life miserable.
Colin Powell, Army general (retired), 2004
_ _ _
Johh HuoIari, presidehI
Jeah Ash, IrsI vice presidehI/FrohI Page Follies,
commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor
Mia Phodarmer, secohd vice presidehI/Goldeh
Press Card Awards
Elehora E. Edwards, secreIary
ahd SpoI News ediIor
DoroIhy Bowles, Ireasurer
Johh Becker, membership chairmah
ChrisIihe Jessel, program chairmah
Ed Hooper, immediaIe pasI presidehI ahd
program co-chairmah
Kara CovihgIoh
Amahda Greever
J.J. SIambaugh
Georgiaha Vihes
Adiha Chumley, e-oIIcio
ETSPJ Ofhcers and Board of Directors
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Sept. 9 - ETSPJ Picnic, 5 p.m., UT
College of Communications, Knoxville
Sept. 16 - ETSP board, 5:30 p.m., Mandarin
House West, Knoxville
Oct. 4-7 - National SPJ Conference, Washing-
ton, D.C.
ETSPJ Board: 7-30-07
The Ted Scripps Leadership Institute I
attended in June in Indianapolis was one
of the best training sessions I have ever
attended. During this weekend-long event,
I learned a lot about leadership styles and
picked up several programming ideas we
might want to try in East Tennessee. I also
left Indianapolis inspired because I met a
lot of reporters and teachers who are pas-
sionate about both SPJ and journalism.
On Saturday, all of the 45 SPJ chapter
leaders who attended the Leadership
Institute took a test known as the DiSC
Personal Development Profle to see what
kind of leaders we are. There are four
behavioral possibilities: dominance, infu-
ence, conscientiousness and steadiness.
My test results showed I am conscien-
tious; meaning, for example, I need to
be orderly and plan ahead, want to make
few mistakes and tend to work quietly and
not attract attention. The bottom line here
was to consider how we might function
as leaders and how that might affect our
relationships with others.
We had many other events, including
a question and answer session with na-
tional SPJ leaders, duckpin bowling in
Indianapolis and small group break-out
sessions on things like recruitment, en-
gaging volunteers and getting involved
nationally.
One of the most useful meetings was a
Sunday morning brainstorming session
that mostly focused on programming and
recruitment ideas. Here are some ideas
that have been tried elsewhere and were
discussed during this session:
A workshop for P.R. professionals,
where P.R. reps, possibly for a fee, can
learn more about interacting with the
media.
Huotari report on Leadership Institute
A fund-raising book sale.
Subscribing to a publishing magazine
to keep track of what prominent authors
might be passing through your area. If and
when they do, try to set up a speaking and
book-signing event for your chapter. (The
Denver chapter seems to have done a good
job with this.)
Free or discounted memberships for
graduating college students to get them
into SPJ. Can combine this idea with job
hunting or training seminars for college
students, possibly for a fee.
Setting out a donation jar at chapter
programs.
Bus tours of an area (they do this in
Chicago and L.A., where they are, if I
remember correctly, tours of infamous
crime scenes).
Off-the-record sessions at a bar or res-
taurant with local newsmakers.
'Lunch on Deadline, a one-hour-a-
month panel that includes lunch and a
discussion. Depending on the event, public
television crews can be invited.
A reverse press conference, where
people who are normally in the news
get to turn the tables and ask reporters
questions.
Invite some publishers or television
general managers to talk about the future
of the media. Seems pretty gloomy right
now.
There was some relatively grim news
regarding membership. It seems that SPJ is
struggling to retain members and, though I
don`t have numbers, national membership
might even be falling.
I would highly recommend the Leader-
ship Institute to anyone who might be
interested in the future.
John
New board member bios
JOHN BECKER
The news anchor and a
reporter for WBIR-TV,
John joined ETSPJ this
year. He is a native of
Colorado.
Earlier, he was an anchor
and reporter for KGW-TV
in Portland, Ore.
John joined WBIR-TV
in August 2006. Among his frst assign-
ments was feld-anchoring Channel 10`s
Hurricane Katrina anniversary coverage
from Bay St.Louis, Miss. Before head-
ing to Knoxville, John reported across
Oregon, the U.S., Canada and the Middle
East during his anchoring and reporting
tenure at KGW.
In the summer of 2005, John co-pro-
duced and anchored a half-hour special
featuring his reporting from New Orleans
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In
the spring of 2005 John won an Emmy
for a documentary chronicling his embed
in Iraq. John`s half-hour special also won
an Edward R. Murrow award and claimed
top honors from the Oregon Association
of Broadcasters. For two consecutive
years, John reported and produced special
projects that won the OAB`s Best Single
News Story.
The Associated Press also named a piece
from his Oregonians at War special Best
News Writing in 2004. In the spring of
2001, John accepted another Murrow and
a Best in the West medallion for a story
profling a young farm boy`s remarkable
recovery after losing his arm in a grisly
accident. Also in 2001, John was invited
to spend a week at the Poynter Institute,
a renowned school for working journal-
ists.
In 2000 John`s peers honored him
with the KGW Tom McCall award for
newsroom leadership and excellence in
journalism.
Off the job, John enjoys mountain bik-
ing, golfng, fy fshing and the occasional
surf or snowboard safari. You can also fnd
him making lots of runs along Knoxville
greenways and parks with his bride and
their two pups.
BECKER
KARA COVINGTON
Kara is assistant news
editor of The Daily Times,
Maryville, a daily newspa-
per. She served as Wom-
en`s Times editor for two
years.
She is a two-year member of ETSPJ.
The Knoxville native attended UTK and
Tusculum College.
She has served as secretary for the
Governor`s State Board of Electrolysis
Examiners.
COVINGTON
J.J. STAMBAUGH
J.J.`s career as a reporter
began in 1990, when he
started writing for the now-
defunct Knoxville Journal.
After the Journal closed
in 1991, he studied phi-
losophy at the University
of Tennessee but eventu-
ally drifted back into the
reporting profession, going to work frst
for The Courier-News in Clinton and then
The Daily Times in Maryville.
He has been working for the News
Sentinel, Knoxville, since 1999, where
he primarily covers criminal justice issues
with an emphasis on enterprise/investiga-
tive reporting.
He has since returned part-time to UT,
where he is studying philosophy and
journalism. He lives in Sevier County
with his wife, Jennifer, their 3-year-old
daughter, Elizabeth, and his 15-year-old
son, Patrick.
STAMBAUGH
ETSPJ publishes SpoI News ih paper
ahd PDF versiohs. To subscribe,
ohe shoul d cohIacI Jeah Ash,
commuhicaIiohs coordihaIor, aI
ieahash@comcasI.heI. The PDF
ver si oh i s avai l abl e aI www.
discoverET.org/eIspi, Ihe chapIer
Web siIe.
Letters to the Editor PoIicy:The board
ehcourages leIIers Io Ihe ediIor oI
SpoI News. Like leIIers policies aI
mosI hewspapers, we ask IhaI leIIers
be limiIed Io 200 words or less. They
will be subiecI Io ediIihg Ior space
ahd cohIehI. Sehd e-mail Io ETSP.
commuhicaIiohs@gmail.com.
6SRW1HZV
2007-0S editor
Elenora E. Edwards
eIeedwards@aoI.com
(865) 457-5459
The East Tennessee SPJ chapter would
like to thank all members who have re-
cently joined or renewed.
Here are our newest members:
Jamie Bumpus, News Sentinel copy
editor
Amanda Greever, The Daily Times
copy editor
Peter Gross, director of the School of
Journalism and Electronic Media at the
University of Tennessee
Staci Martin-Wolfe, innovations project
manager at E.W. Scripps/Interactive Me-
dia/Newspapers
Allison Miller, director of communica-
tions for Fee/Hedrick Family Entertain-
ment Group
J.J. Stambaugh, News Sentinel staff
writer
After SPJ Leads carried an item about
Welcome, new members
the growth of membership in the ETSPJ,
John Huotari, 2006-07 membership chair-
man, was asked to write an article for
Quill magazine. He did so, and it may be
published in the September issue.Noting
a 40 percent increase in members, Huotari
said, the article explains why he thinks this
occurred. Declining to take the credit only
for himself, Huotari said that among the
reasons are the chapter`s various activities,
good communication and the board and
members` working together.
This fall, the UT School of Journalism
and Electronic Media is celebrating a very
special milestone: its 60
th
anniversary.
In honor of the anniversary, the school
is hosting a variety of industry speakers,
many of whom are alumni. The public is
invited.
The school`s earliest roots date to 1947,
when the late Professor Willis C. Tucker
was picked to organize a department of
journalism. The frst classes were con-
ducted in Glocker, and students graduated
as business majors. Less than a decade
later in 1953, students gained the option of
participating in a radio-TV sequence.
In 1969, the department moved to Circle
Park, where it joined the Department of
Advertising to form the College of Com-
munications.
Just three years later, the radio-TV se-
quence split from journalism to form the
Department of Broadcasting. In 2002,
broadcasting and the School of Journalism
rejoined to form the School of Journalism
and Electronic Media.
For more information about the 60
th

anniversary of the School of Journalism
and Electronic Media, visit http://www.
cci.utk.edu.
SchooI of JournaIism
and EIectronic Media
ceIebrates 60 years
The SPJ National Convention will
meet Thursday though Sunday, Oct. 4-7,
in Washington, D.C. John Huotari and
Elenora Edwards will serve as delegates,
and Georgiana Vines will attend also.
As a one-time national president, Vines
Three going to national SPJ convention
will serve as host to a get-together of past
presidents.
The current president is Clint Brewer,
editor of The City Paper, Nashville, and
former editor of The Lebanon Demo-
crat.
'You must have a free press that screams and
hollers and makes your life miserable.
Colin Powell, Army general (retired), 2004
_ _ _
6SRW1HZV
VoI. 13, No. 5 AUGUST 2007
A pubIication of the East Tennessee Chapter
of the Society of ProfessionaI JournaIists
www.discoverET.org/etspj
1802 Pinoak Ct.
KnoxviIIe, TN 37923
The East Tennessee SPJ chapter has had
a good year. Our membership has grown
40 percent, increasing from 44 members
in June 2006 to 62 now.
Also, we`ve had some great events.
A few of my favorites were the writing
workshop, the annual Golden Press Card
Awards ceremony and the annual Front
Page Follies fund-raiser.
My challenge as your new president is
to help make sure we continue to deliver
good programming and retain members,
even as we try to recruit new ones. So I
am asking for your feedback.
Please let us know how the ETSPJ board
of directors can better serve you. Do you
want us to offer more professional train-
ing? If so, what kind of training do you
want and when? Do you want more panels?
Informal get-togethers? Or, are you happy
with what we are doing now?
Also, I am interested in hearing what we
might do to ensure our members stick with
us. We`ve done a good job of retaining
most members this year. Still, if any of you
don`t see the value of continuing your SPJ
membership, please let us know.
With your help, I believe we can make
this year even better than the last one.
So don`t hesitate to give us a phone call
or send us an e-mail. We`ll be waiting for
your suggestions.
John Huotari began his term as ETSPJ presi-
dent on Aug. 1. His term runs through July 31.
2008. Huotari is a city hall reporter at The
Oak Ridger. He may be reached at (865) 220-
5533 or by e-mail at john.huotari@oakridger.
com.
ETSPJ had a good year,
Iooking for new ideas
ETSPJ scheduIes picnic
to begin 2007-08 year
ETSPJ will hold a picnic at 5 p.m. Sunday,
Sept. 9, at the College of Communications
Building on Circle Drive at UT in
Knoxville. It will begin the activities for
the 2007-08 year.
The board hopes we`ll have a large
The ETSPJ guy
BY JOHN HUOTARI
ETSPJ president
ETSPJ has new leaders
Members of the
East Tennessee So-
ciety of Profession-
al Journalists during
the summer elected
new officers and
board members.
Thanks to all who
voted in the July
election.
The ETSPJ of-
fcers for 2007-08
are as follows:
President: John Huotari, reporter at The
Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge
First vice president/Front Page Follies:
Jean Ash, former radio journalist and cur-
rent tour director, Knoxville
Second vice president/Golden Press Card
Awards: Mia Rhodarmer, editor of the
Monroe County Advocate & Democrat,
Sweetwater
Secretary (also Spot News editor):
Elenora Edwards, The Tennessee Press
managing editor, Clinton
Treasurer: Dorothy Bowles, Univer-
sity of Tennessee journalism professor,
Knoxville
Membership chairman: John Becker,
WBIR-TV news anchor, Knoxville
Program co-chairman: Christine Jessel,
communications specialist for the Girl
Scouts of Tanasi Council, Knoxville
All except Becker have served on the
board previously.
Board members-at-large for 2007-08
are as follows:
Kara Covington, The Daily Times as-
sistant news editor
Amanda Greever, The Daily Times,
Maryville, copy editor
J.J. Stambaugh, News Sentinel, Knox-
ville, staff writer
Georgiana Vines, News Sentinel, Knox-
ville, political columnist
Vines has served in various SPJ lead-
ership positions, including national
president.
Like Becker, Covington, Greever and
Stambaugh are new to the board.
ETSPJ`s immediate past president is
Ed Hooper, Lakeway Publications, Mor-
ristown, who will work with Jessel as
program co-chairman.
Adina Chumley, Ackermann Public Re-
lations, Knoxville, who has been on the
board, has been elected to serve as board
member ex-offcio.
Some who served in 2006-07 did not seek
re-election. ETSPJ thanks them for their
service: Lisa Hood Skinner, Dan Foley,
Randy Tedford and Ann Lloyd.
The new board terms began Aug. 1. Its
frst meeting was held Aug. 5.
HUOTARI
turnout of members, journalism students,
prospective members and guests.
Bring a side dish and a folding chair, and
SPJ will provide the rest.
Program chairman Christine Jessel is
handling arrangements.
2007 Front Page Follies
FoIIies writer David Lauver and cartoonist CharIie DanieI. CharIie taIked
about how much David's work has contributed to ETSPJ. Then David
presented CharIie, who creates a speciaI cartoon for FPF invitations and
cast T-shirts, a shirt featuring his handiwork.
U.S. Rep. John J. (Jimmy) Duncan Jr. kisses Megan VenabIe
Smith after she presented him a copy of the Iast Harry Potter
book in recognition of his 60th birthday, which he ceIebrated
that night. The book was inscribed by Megan's father, Sam
VenabIe, who himseIf just turned 60, at which time aII kinds
of heaIth probIems beset him.
In a FoIIies number, TVA scientists at the Browns Ferry nucIear pIant sing
"Watchin' That NucIear Core GIow" to the tune of "Chasin' that Neon Rainbow."
From Ieft are MichaeI HoItz, David Lauver, Anne M. McKinney, Monty Howard,
Barbara Womack (mostIy obscured), Jim StovaII, John Huotari, Kristi NeIson
Bumpus, CIint Woodn, Lisa Hood Skinner and Adina ChumIey. Under the
"nucIear core" is Megan VenabIe Smith.
The FPF naIe saIuted the 25th anniversary of the
WorId's Fair. Wearing deeIy bobbers is incoming chapter
president John Huotari of The Oak Ridger. Behind him
is UT journaIism professor Jim StovaII.