By Betsy Russell It was standing-room only in Sandpoint as 75-plus people filled the Sandpoint Library’s community room for a three-hour workshop on Idaho’s open meeting and public records laws – the fourth such session in North Idaho in four days, all sponsored by Idahoans for Openness in Government and featuring Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden. Those attending ranged from the county sheriff to local elected officials to government employees, reporters, a newly elected state lawmaker and lots of interested citizens. … [Read more...]
Press Club social Jan. 8 at Solid will kick off legislative season
January 15, 2015 by
By Clark Corbin Get your brown tags ready, because the Southwest Chapter of the Idaho Press Club is celebrating the opening of the 2015 legislative session with free food. The chapter is once again sponsoring its annual legislative social – and inviting journalists, communications professionals, lobbyists and legislators to join us for an evening of fun at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 at Solid Grill and Bar, 405 S. Eighth St., in downtown Boise. The Press Club will provide a free, delicious spread of appetizers and finger foods … [Read more...]
Two recent Idaho court cases narrow the investigatory exemption in public records law
January 15, 2015 by
By Brian Kane Idahoans for Openness in Government recently traveled through the northern part of Idaho. A frequent topic of questions and discussion was investigatory records held by law enforcement. Within the past year, the Idaho Supreme Court and the Idaho Court of Appeals have each weighed in on the analysis of records under Idaho Code § 9-335, more commonly known as the investigatory records exemption. In Wade v. Taylor, the court evaluated a public records request for the investigation into a police shooting. In its … [Read more...]
“In Crisis” project: Making a multi-platform, multimedia, dual-newsroom series succeed
January 15, 2015 by
By Emilie Ritter Saunders & Audrey Dutton In October, Boise State Public Radio and the Idaho Statesman launched a collaborative, multimedia series exploring Idaho’s fragmented mental health system. The collaboration was the first of its kind for our two organizations. Instead of simply sharing content, the series was a true cross-platform collaboration where both of us crafted stories specifically … [Read more...]
Media Moves
January 15, 2015 by
PRINT TWIN FALLS TIMES-NEWS Times-News Editor Autumn Agar left to become editor of another Lee Enterprises newspaper, The Southern in Carbondale, Ill. Matt Christensen has been named the new editor; he is returning to the paper after starting his journalism career there in 2005 as a features and natural resource reporter. Most recently, Christensen has served as the editor of the Montana Standard in Butte since 2013. Nathan Brown has joined the Times-News as political reporter, covering the Idaho Legislature and Magic Valley local … [Read more...]
Press Club announces annual legislative social event
December 17, 2014 by
By CLARK CORBIN Idaho Press Club Get your brown tags ready, because the Southwest Chapter of the Idaho Press Club is celebrating the opening of the 2015 legislative session with free food. The chapter is once again sponsoring its annual legislative social – and inviting journalists, communications professionals, lobbyists and legislators to join us for an evening of fun at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 at Solid Grill and Bar, 405 S. Eighth St., in downtown Boise. The Press Club will provide a free, delicious spread of appetizers and … [Read more...]
Forest Service’s troubling new permit policy raises 1st Amendment concerns
October 1, 2014 by
By Bruce Reichert What if, every time you wanted to conduct an interview near, say, Bogus Basin or the Henry’s Fork, you first had to get a permit from the Forest Service? What if you wanted to do a story on the impact of wolves on elk in the national forest, but needed first to clear it with a public information officer who would charge you a fee? What if you wanted to do a story on the failure of trail maintenance in the wilderness, and that same public information officer said, “Sorry, that’s not the kind of story we think … [Read more...]
President’s Column: Busy time includes full array of Idaho Debates
October 1, 2014 by
By Betsy Z. Russell We have so much going on!! Including:
- The Fall Conference on Oct. 18; don’t miss it! See full article in this issue from our Southwest Chapter president, Clark Corbin.
- Working with the governor’s new public records ombudsman and an array of stakeholders on legislation to set up an intermediate level of appeal for public records request denials – short of having to go to court. Very, very important! This with the help of our pro bono lobbyist, Julie Hart, and our new First Amendment … [Read more...]
IPC Fall Conference set for Oct. 18 in Boise
October 1, 2014 by
Data, public records, and the future of journalism…
- WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration, coffee and doughnuts begin at 8:30 a.m.
- WHERE: Boise State downtown location, 301 Capitol Blvd., across from Trader Joes
- REGISTRATION: $10 for members, $15 for non-members, $5 for students, payable in advance. Visit www.idahopressclub.org to register.
- WHAT: Public records law with Cally Younger and Brian Kane; data … [Read more...]
Q&A with Cally Younger, Idaho’s new public records ombudsman
October 1, 2014 by
By Cynthia Sewell Gov. Butch Otter in April created a new position within his office to review how state agencies handle records requests and how Idaho's public record laws can be improved. Otter tapped staff attorney Cally Younger to become the state’s first public records ombudsman. Younger has already begun compiling concerns and complaints from individuals about agency policies, processes and decisions, and will report that information to the governor annually. In addition, she has sent a survey to all state agencies to … [Read more...]
Popkey on leaving journalism for political PR
October 1, 2014 by
Why’d he go? By Emilie Ritter Saunders On July 29, 2014 veteran Idaho political journalist Dan Popkey announced he was leaving a 30-year career with the Idaho Statesman to become the press secretary for Republican Congressman Raul Labrador. Boise State Public Radio called Labrador’s office to request an interview with Popkey to better understand why, at 55-years-old, he was ready to make a career … [Read more...]
Out of your comfort zone, magic happens…
October 1, 2014 by
Report from scholarship winner By Katherine Jones Photos by Katherine Jones / Idaho Statesman Editor’s Note: Katherine Jones, a photographer for the Idaho Statesman, was this year’s winner of the Don Watkins Mid-Career Scholarship. Through this article, she shares her experience with Press Club members. The deadline to apply for the next scholarship is Feb. 15; details are at www.idahopressclub.org. Earlier this spring, I wrote a story about a woman who did weeks- and months-long bike trips. She … [Read more...]
MEDIA MOVES
October 1, 2014 by
New faces in your newsroom or communication department? Let everyone know. Send your Media Moves to: email@idahopressclub.org PRINT MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS At the Daily News in Moscow, Hannah Shirley, a junior in the Department of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho, has been hired as a half-time news clerk. Her predecessor, Shanon Quinn, takes over the Education beat for the paper. Angela Kay, who recently worked in advertising sales management for Lee … [Read more...]
Boise State Public Radio moves into its new broadcast center
June 24, 2014 by
By Emilie Ritter Saunders After years of architectural and financial planning, Boise State Public Radio moved into its permanent broadcast facility this spring. Since 2011, the station had been operating from two locations, separated by two miles. Our news, engineering, and programming staff were in the Simplot Micron Technology Center in the heart of BSU’s campus. Our membership, development, marketing and administrative staff had already moved into the first floor of the Yanke Family Research Park on east Parkcenter … [Read more...]
