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 is appropriate”?

Don’t laugh.  Until the chief of the Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, stepped in, that looked to be our future. And we were alarmed. Versions of this were beginning to happen with alarming frequency to some of us.  And it raised some interesting First Amendment issues for all of us.

I work on the show “Outdoor Idaho,” and I’m lucky to work with some great folks. One of the strengths of the show is its coverage of resource issues – salmon and wildfires, wolves and elk and noxious weeds – the kind of stories that aren’t exactly breaking news but are still important to many Idahoans.

Earlier this month one of our reporters called a Forest Service office in eastern Idaho, looking to interview a botanist. She was told she first had to get permission to film on Forest Service land, wince it wasn’t “breaking news,” and that would require filling out a form and waiting for approval. Oh, and this time they would waive the fee.

Say what?!!  We’ve been doing “Outdoor Idaho” for more than 30 years, and in that time have interviewed all manner of Forest Service official on every conceivable topic in every type of terrain in Idaho.

But, according to a Forest Service directive that seemed to grant the federal agency the power to determine the worthiness of “news,” some rangers in some Idaho forests were arguing, if it’s not “breaking news” as defined by them, then it becomes “commercial filming” subject to their control. In other words, the only exemption for us on the 20 million acres administered by the Forest Service is spot or breaking news.

We said “Whoa!” (Actually, we said a lot more, but, hey, we’re public television.)

Over in Oregon, a similar program, “Oregon Field Guide,” was experiencing the same problems. As OFG producer Ed Jahn told me, “We keep getting told we’re not a newsgathering organization. That’s been our fight with them all along.”

Let’s face it, very little that happens in the forest is “breaking news.” Most of the big policy issues about public lands are ongoing in nature. For example, the recovery of forest land from a massive fire is hardly breaking news; neither is the impact of wolves on ungulates, or snowmobiles on wolverines, or the effect of spotted knapweed on forest health. Yet our coverage of these stories is critical to public understanding and can best be covered in documentary-style news forms.

For the Forest Service to not recognize what we do as news, we believe, betrayed a fundamental lack of familiarity with the essential nature of news coverage.

News crews, photogs told they need permits

And then to characterize what we do as “commercial filming” – well, they obviously have not watched our pledge drives.

IdahoPTV is a government entity of the State of Idaho under the Idaho State Board of Education.  As a government entity, we are prohibited from engaging in commercial activity, including commercial filming.  We are also deemed to be a non-commercial, non-profit, tax-exempt organization by the Internal Revenue Service.  Moreover, IdahoPTV is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a non-commercial, educational television station.  Our FCC license prohibits us from airing commercials or productions for commercial purposes.  “Commercial filming,” therefore, goes against the very nature of our FCC license, and we do not engage in it. Period.

But back to the issue that I think should matter to the Idaho Press Club:  the First Amendment, as in “Congress shall make no law… abridging freedom of speech or of the press.”

By only exempting “breaking news,” the Forest Service was unconstitutionally restricting the First Amendment right of journalists to cover public policy issues on the public’s lands. We saw it as an attempt to regulate the news media, which clearly is outlawed by the Constitution.

In some ways, this is déjà vu all over again for us. In 2010, we wanted to film some students learning about wilderness techniques in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. We were told on a Monday that we could not film in wilderness. That angered not only Bethine Church, but also the governor and our congressional delegation. On Friday of that same week, the directive from on high changed, allowing us to film young folks learning about the crosscut saw and the Pulaski.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a bright spot in all this. Working with Forest Service officials Andy Brunelle, Dave Olson, and Erin O’Connor, this summer we got an unprecedented special use permit for four wilderness areas across multiple National Forest locations and two Forest Service regions. This has allowed us to produce our hour-long “50 Years of Wilderness” documentary, airing December 7^th.  One thing I have learned in this process: There are some good folks out there who understand the importance of collaboration, and I salute them.

But back to the broader issue. I don’t think the federal government has any business in the news business, and that it is overreaching when it tries to define news so narrowly.

Bruce Reichert is the host and one of the writers of Idaho Public Television’s “Outdoor Idaho”; he is also a past board member of the Idaho Press Club.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: Though the Forest Service chief now says the service’s rule regarding still photography and commercial filming on national forest lands wasn’t intended to apply to journalists, the rule, which many forest officials have been applying to journalists, hasn’t been changed. It is open for public comments through Dec. 3; it’s an interim directive that the service is proposing to make permanent, and may revise based on the comments. You can comment online here: http://goo.gl/kMJ0FL

Idaho Public TV photos / Rick Gerrard

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 Committee Chair Rebecca Boone. It’s an exciting and vital project.
• We are submitting formal comments opposing the Forest Service rule requiring costly permits for still photography and filming on wilderness and other Forest Service land in our state unless agency officials determine that they believe the story involved is “breaking news.” See full article in this issue from Bruce Reichert of Idaho Public TV.
• Four more IDOG seminars are coming up on the state’s public records and open meetings laws, this time in North Idaho: Dec. 8 in Lewiston, Dec. 9 in Moscow, Dec. 10 in Coeur d’Alene and Dec. 11 in Sandpoint. The Idaho Press Club is a founding member of IDOG, our state’s open-government coalition (Idahoans for Openness in Government). Like all of our earlier IDOG seminars around the state, these will feature Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and are co-sponsored by local news outlets; more info is online at www.openidaho.org.
• The Idaho Debates. This 30+ year tradition is co-sponsored by the Idaho Press Club and the League of Women Voters of Idaho and broadcast statewide on Idaho Public Television; we have seven general-election debates coming up, with reporters from the Idaho Press Club serving as the panelists. Here are the dates and times:

Oct. 7, 7 p.m.: Idaho Secretary of State debate, featuring Republican Lawerence Denney and Democrat Holli Woodings

Oct. 9, 7 p.m.: 1^st Congressional District debate, featuring GOP Rep. Raul Labrador and Democratic challenger Shirley Ringo

Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m.: Idaho state treasurer debate, featuring GOP Treasurer Ron Crane and Democratic challenger Deborah Silver

Oct. 21, 7 p.m.: Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction debate, featuring GOP candidate Sherri Ybarra and Democratic candidate Jana Jones

Oct. 26, 7 p.m.: 2^nd Congressional District debate, featuring GOP Rep. Mike Simpson and Democratic challenger Richard Stallings

Oct. 30, 7 p.m.: Idaho governor debate, featuring GOP Gov. Butch Otter, Democratic challenger A.J. Balukoff, and Libertarian candidate John Bujak

Oct. 30, 8:30 p.m.: Idaho lieutenant governor debate, featuring GOP Lt. Gov. Brad Little and Democratic challenger Bert Marley

A debate in the U.S. Senate race had been scheduled for Oct. 12, but was canceled after GOP Sen. Jim Risch declined to participate. Risch’s campaign manager, Melinda Smyser, said in a letter to Idaho Debates organizers, “It has been the senator’s custom to do one debate with his opponent,” and Risch already had agreed to debate Democratic challenger Nels Mitchell on Boise TV station KTVB. The station will provide the debate for re-broadcast by stations elsewhere in the state.

Also coming up: Our annual journalism contest, for which preparations are under way now and submissions will be in January; our annual scholarship competitions, both for the Don Watkins Scholarship for Idaho college journalism students and the Don Watkins Mid-Career Scholarship (see Katherine Jones’ article in this issue about what she did with hers this year), which both have entry deadlines for the upcoming year of Feb. 15; and our annual gala awards banquet, which is set for April 25 at the newly renovated Owyhee Plaza.

Thanks to all our dedicated volunteer board members and our fabulous executive director, Martha Borchers, for all the hard work everyone’s doing!

Betsy Z. Russell is a Boise-based reporter for The Spokesman-Review newspaper, and is the president of the Idaho Press Club.

• 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 visualization/using data sets in reporting with Audrey Dutton and Nathaniel Hoffman; roundtable on the    state of journalism in Idaho with Vicki Gowler, Rebecca Boone, David Adler and Bob         Kustra – stuff you don’t want to miss!

By Clark Corbin

Sometimes, all it takes to turn an average story into a great one is a public records request, some data analysis and a little tenacity.

It’s about moving beyond the press release and press conference handouts and digging deeper to identify patterns and relationships, spot outliers and connect dots that that nobody else is connecting. It’s following the money, analyzing a trend and painting the bigger picture.

With records skills and data visualization, you can identify a candidate’s biggest donors, reveal deep patterns in lobbying money thrown at lawmakers, turn your sports coverage up a notch, track changes in tax rates across years in different communities and illustrate which crimes are happening in which neighborhoods more frequently than others.

Public records reporting and data visualization are also platform agnostic. It doesn’t matter if you’re reporting for the largest television station in the state, writing for the small town weekly, a student publication, metro daily or a niche online news site. Records and data give us more ways to tell more stories more effectively.

But it’s also intimidating, daunting stuff – especially starting out. Most journalists can probably relate to Chevy Chase’s Saturday Night Live portrayal of a frazzled President George H.W. Bush. When asked an economic question, involving legislation and the flow of money in relation to the GDP, Chase’s eyes glazed over and he began to sweat. “It was my understanding that there would be no math,” Chase protested.

At the Idaho Press Club, we’re here to keep you out of the hot seat and put more tools in your reporting toolbox. That’s why we’re devoting much of our fall conference to public records access and data visualization.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to join fellow journalists and Idaho Press Club members Oct. 18 in downtown Boise for a morning of hands-on instruction devoted to scouring public records and turning data points into stories.

We’ll give you an overview of public records availability and laws (with an eye to November’s upcoming election), and have a Q&A devoted to records, access issues, concerns and data with the state’s new Public Records Ombudsman Cally Younger and Idaho Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane.

Then we will guide you through a hands-on data visualization workshop led by two of the best in the business: Idaho Statesman’s Audrey Dutton and The Blue Review’s Nathaniel Hoffman.

They’ll teach you how to turn a data set into a story, using a suite of Google products and Tableau Software. (Please bring your laptop or tablet if you would like to follow along and build your own data set to take back to your newsroom).

The idea is that you can head back to the office Monday morning, confident in a new set of skills and prepared to pitch a new data-driven story idea.

“As far as reporting, you can easily find outliers, compare different sets of information and see relationships very quickly — whereas going through Excel spreadsheets might take a really long time to find out what something means,” Dutton said.

Within the changing media landscape, data and records skills also make you more marketable and web savvy – two qualities that never hurt.

After a short break, we will finish the conference strong with a roundtable discussion of the state of journalism in Idaho, shrinking newsroom resource, the recent departure of several veteran journalists and the changing news dynamics in an age where PR professionals outnumber journalists. Join Idaho Statesman Editor Vicki Gowler, Associated Press bureau chief Rebecca Boone, Boise State University’s Andrus Center for Public Policy director David Adler and Boise State President Bob Kustra in this timely and highly relevant discussion.

Clark Corbin is a Statehouse reporter for Idaho Education News and a member of the Idaho Press Club board.

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 identify issues and has met with members of the Newspaper Association of Idaho, the Idaho Press Club, the Attorney General’s office, the Association of Idaho Cities and the Idaho Association of Counties to start working to identify potential problems and possible legislation could reduce conflicts and improve transparency.

The following Q&A with Younger was first published in the Idaho Statesman; it is reprinted here by permission:

Q: What don’t people know about Idaho public records they should know?

A: The Idaho Public Records Act is different than the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). FOIA requests are made to federal agencies. So when people reference FOIA to apply to a state agency they are referencing the wrong law. The applicable code is the Idaho Public Records Act. Also some people have confused this act with articles of the state Constitution. There is no provision governing public records in the State Constitution.

Q: What should public officials know that they don’t?

A: Public Officials can be proactive by making commonly requested public information available on their website. This can help the agency cut down on duplicative requests and also save taxpayers money because it takes staff time to research, retrieve, copy and provide that information.

Q: What is the most common request you get?

A: Most of the requests I get vary greatly. Requests to review denials generally involve a similar theme, individuals seeking public records pertaining to issues that have personally affected them, their loved ones, or their employment. In contrast, the public records requests we receive in this office are usually broader in scope.

Q. Are you getting more or fewer appeals than you expected? Are most people pleased with the answers they get, or frustrated?

A: The Executive Order didn’t actually give me the authority to override public records request denials from other agencies. However, I still do get a few requests to review denials. I appreciate getting these requests because it gives me insight into things that may need to be changed legislatively.

Q: Based on your experience, what do you think is the best way to handle local public records conflicts? Do you think it’s realistic that counties and cities will adopt the same model? Is there a statewide approach Idaho needs to be looking at?

A: I think it depends on the volume of requests that a particular agency or local governing body receives. My goal this year is to update the public records request process. I strongly encourage counties and cities to follow the state’s example to the extent practicable. We certainly don’t want to dictate how they should proceed. But if local governing bodies do receive numerous requests, it may make sense to implement some of the changes we’re doing at the state level. We’d definitely want to see more accountability in responding to public record requests at all levels of government and I think updating the process is an important part of that.

Q: Have you identified or implemented any changes in the way the Governor’s office and other offices under its authority process public records requests and retain public records?

A: Yes. We are currently working on making it easier to make public records requests to our office. Soon, the public will be able to make public records requests straight from our website. There will also be a few technology updates internally that will make it easier to complete records requests. DEQ receives roughly 100 requests a year and they’ve really streamlined their system, so despite the volume of the requests they receive, they still respond to nearly every request in 3 days. My goal is to have all state agencies implement something similar. For some, it won’t be practical due to too few requests, but for agencies that receive lots of requests, it could make a huge difference.

Q: In some states, the public records ombudsman assists all state agencies. Do you think Idaho could benefit from having a statewide ombudsman?

A: I think I could definitely be a resource to state agencies as they encounter new issues with requests.

Q: In April, David Hensley told Jeremy Pisca/Newspaper Association of Idaho, “I would commit to working with you on legislation for the next session to codify a review process for state agencies and local governments prior to and/or in lieu of litigation.” Is the governor’s office still committed to introducing this legislation in the next session?

A: Yes. We actually had our first meeting this week to talk about our goals for this session. I am hopeful that we can add that review process and also clear up some ambiguities in the law.

Q: Are you considering any legislation to clarify or strengthen Idaho’s public records laws?

A: Yes, particularly after the confusion our office encountered recently about what types of records in our office are actually public. For instance our office was recently criticized for not releasing records some in the media assumed were public when in fact they contained personal information that we legally weren’t allowed to disclose. So balancing the public’s right to know with an individual’s right to privacy is where we probably need to focus next.

Q: Have any changes been made in policy or procedure following the destruction of more than 20 State Board of Education applications?

A: Yes and no. The request for the applications allowed us to go back and look at what the relevant statutes actually said. Our internal policy for all board positions was to only keep applications until that candidate was eliminated from consideration. The statute (Idaho Code 9-340C) actually says that personal information, including applications, cannot be released without written consent of the applicant. Further, that statute only requires that we release the names of the top 5 finalists for each board position. So despite some media reports to the contrary, we actually went above and beyond what the law required. We released that additional information because of our commitment to transparency. We also made this clearer on our website in notice to potential applicants; so that they will know their personal information is safe and will not be kept in our office any longer than required by code. So while our office strives to be as transparent as possible — even going above what the law requires in some cases — we have to balance that desire with protecting personal information of private citizens.

Q: Of the public record conflicts you have handled so far, is the crux of the problem lack of citizen/agency education, lack of clarity in state law or an intentional obfuscation of public records requests?

A: Many citizens making requests get confused about what types of records they can actually obtain and what types of records agencies realistically keep. Further, each agency has its own policy that while similar, are by no means identical. So if a citizen makes requests across several agencies, the prices, the response time and the way in which the records are provided may be different. I think our state agencies are sincere in their desire to give citizens access to their public records.

Cynthia Sewell is a reporter for the Idaho Statesman, and is the vice-president of the Idaho Press Club.

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 change.

This is an expanded version of Scott Graf’s interview with Popkey that originally aired Aug. 8.

Q: Why did you decide to leave journalism?

It was the right moment. I’m 55 and I’ve been thinking about a second act. And the congressman came to me and it was not an easy decision. I agonized about it. I loved what I did at the Statesman, and I had a relationship with readers that I’m missing. I’m sort of grieving about this. On the other hand, being 55, I know you can keep your mind sharp if you do something different. In a way, it’s a homecoming for me. Politics is what drew me to reporting. I was a page my senior year in high school, in the U.S. House. I worked on the Hill, I was an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the late 1980s. I worked in a Senate office. So it’s not a foreign place for me. And the idea of applying the skills I’ve learned in 33 years of journalism, on the ground in an active way, instead of being an observer, I think it’s a good move for me. Although, not made without a lot of thought.

Q: You say journalism remains your first love, and you say you’re already missing readers – those two things seem to run counter to your decision.

I think it’s important I acknowledge this was a life change that took a lot of thought. When I say I’ll miss readers, I do, I miss that relationship, and people coming to me and saying, ‘Hey, did you know about this?’ That’s a thrilling thing to run down a story that nobody else has. But I will now be doing that in another way.

I’ve been using the word ‘apply’ and applying the skills of journalism to representing the congressman who represents half of Idaho. It will be rewarding, and has already been rewarding. My anxiety level has reduced each day.

Q: Some have speculated a lot of reasons for making this change. Was it the money?

Really the money was a wash. The benefits are better, federal benefits are better than what McClatchy has. But it really was not a financial decision. It was a ‘I need to do something new, I’m ready, and these opportunities don’t come along very often’. That was the advice I got from my 22-year-old college daughter. She said ‘Dad, you’ve got to take chances.’ That was the advice that came back to me more often than anything else I heard. Sometimes you’ve got to take a leap.

Q: Some people have reacted in shock to your decision, why do you think that is?

People caricature people, and I suppose people have caricatured me and the congressman. People think I’m a left-winger and that he’s a tea party guy. And I think we’re both far more complex than that. We both love and are students of the process. An effective communications team is a vital thing for a congressman. He’s got to be able to communicate what he’s doing to his constituents. Rather than eight or 10 stories per week, I’m writing one. And it’s about the same guy and what he’s doing.

People who know me well, got it in half a beat. I’ve known him from the time he was elected in 2006, and I was impressed by his guts, his character, and his curiosity. I always thought he had a gift, from early on I thought he had a gift.

Q: Is this an endorsement of Rep.Labrador’s political future?

One of the first things we talked about was how much risk there is involved in this, and the first thing my father said to me was ‘these guys run every two years’, and I said ‘yeah, and this is a guy who takes chances.’ I think he has great promise, but I think my job security would have been greater had I stayed where I was.

Who knows what he’s going to do in two or four years? I can say, if this is an implied question, we’ve talked about what his plans are for four years out and running for governor. I think I’m reading him correctly; he does not know what he’ll to do.

He wants to get better representing the 1^st District, and he thinks I can help him do that. And that’s what this is about.

To suggest that working for Raul Labrador is an assurance of long term professional success, I think he’s a little too unpredictable for that.

Q: How closely do you align with Labrador’s politics?

I am a contrarian. I am not left, right, center. I’m a contrarian. I ask a lot of questions. I think in a heavily Republican state where my job focused on holding elected officials accountable, that meant that I criticized Republican action and policy more than Democrats.

I think people misunderstand my politics. My role as a reporter was to be a critic. As for any differences I have with my new boss, he’s the boss. And I’m loyal to him. And I will be able to convey his message to the best of my ability.

Q: How difficult will that be?

It’s already happened; I’m sitting in this studio against my will. They said, ‘Hey, Scott Graf wants to talk to you.’ I said, ‘That story is over.’ I didn’t feel like it was a good idea to extend this story. I advised the congressman and his staff that this story is not me, the story is him. But they convinced me that it was worth doing. I’m here because I work for him.

I understand that because of my longevity and profile, people want to know what was I thinking. There is a pretty strong affinity between your listeners and the Statesman subscriber base. So maybe one advantage of doing this is to thank them for being careful and critical and kind readers over these last 30 years.

Q: How comfortable are you with the state of Idaho journalism?

I don’t think it’s restricted to this state. Media are struggling. The financial pressure is substantial. I think fundamentally, however, this republic can’t survive without an independent media. And the business model hasn’t caught up to that, but it will, it has to.

If we want to be a free country, we have to have a free media.

This interview has been edited for clarity. You can listen to the broadcast interview at Boise State Public Radio’s website, here. Emilie Ritter Saunders is a reporter at Boise State Public Radio, and is the secretary of the Idaho Press Club board.

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 sent me a little cartoon that helped explain how and why she did what she did. Picture a little circle in the corner of a box labeled “Your comfort zone.” And another huge circle, way on the other corner, labeled “Where the magic happens.”

I was way out of the little circle in the corner of the box — and pretty skeptical about this magic thing — when I applied for the Don Watkins Mid-Career Scholarship. It just felt pretty darn scary.

I applied for financial assistance to travel to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique with Zoo Boise for a story and photos. Idaho philanthropist Greg Carr has a 20-year contract with the government of Mozambique to restore the park; Zoo Boise, which has raised $1.2 million in conservation fees over the last seven years, has committed $2 million over the next 10 years to Gorongosa.

I learned about the trip while writing a different story about a woman who wrote a book, but what the story was really about was her following her heart. She said: Do you know about this trip? You should go. I thought: Yeah, right.

Then Greg Carr came to Boise to be inducted into the Idaho Technology Council Hall of Fame, and I photographed him while he was talking to Zoo Boise staff about the Restoration Project; I learned about the new exhibit at Zoo Boise that would be about Gorongosa. I was really impressed by Carr’s vision, as well as Zoo Boise’s. This would be Zoo Boise’s first trip to Gorongosa, and Director Steve Burns was leading it.

“First” is newsworthy; so there was a sense of urgency for me. That little “you should go” seed started nudging me; “Yeah, right,” evolved to include a question: “Could I?” It was all still pretty unnerving.

Burns thought a photographer/reporter going on the trip would be fine; Carr and his director of communication Vasco Galante were accessible, helpful and enthusiastic, as was Statesman Editor Vicki Gowler, who agreed the story was worthy. She put in a word with the McClatchy international desk, who agreed to pay half my expenses.

The deadline for the Don Watkins Scholarship came before I had really decided I was going. I wrote the application, making it sound like it was all written in stone — but I have to say that getting the scholarship was the nudge that pushed the whole project into reality. I remember sitting at the awards dinner thinking: Oh dear. Now I really have to do it.

Pretty much the only string attached to the scholarship is that the winner pass along lessons learned. The biggest one I can pass along is this: Get out of the comfort zone.

***

I wrote a blog — my first ever — while I was in Africa. The stories and videos that I produced for the paper emerged after I returned; I think the stories can speak to many people in many different ways. But I find that because of their immediacy, it is the blog posts and their accompanying photos that are the most descriptive of the experience itself: Me. In the midst of the magic.

Now go find yours.

***

FROM THE BLOG, DAY 3: I’ve always wanted to see a big cat in the wild. Mountain lion, bobcat — doesn’t matter. Even a track would make me ecstatic; they are the creatures of my heart. And today?

We saw a lioness.

She was simply sitting, giving us just enough time to get photos before she slowly walked off, leaving us with the sight of her tail curled and bobbing in the tops of the grasses. We saw her a second time, this time with her lion, just after the sun sank big and beautiful over the horizon. Oh yes. I can die happy.

(We learn later: The other half of our group saw her with her three cubs. On second thought: I will hold out for cubs.)

But for all that — let me tell you about the elephants.

We had seen two bulls and spent a lot of time watching a herd of 20 — and were so impressed. Massive, slow-moving, graceful — although not always so. Gorongosa elephants remember being hunted during the war and are inclined to be wary of people. They are learning, but elephants are smart and they remember. We keep our distance and travel with a park ranger carrying a rifle, whose purpose is to keep people — and elephants — safe.

Around another corner, though, we saw another part of the herd. We stopped in the center of a beautiful pastoral meadow dotted with yellow fever trees and watched the elephants slowly make their way across the far edge — like a little parade — to join another group. Mothers and babies paused to nibble branches with their trucks, gently fanning their ears, doing elephant things.

We scanned the meadow. To our amazement, we saw another group of elephants emerge from the forest, clearly headed to join the group. And then we saw another group. And yet another. We started counting: 68 elephants, give or take, and likely more.

I’m struggling for words. These elephants made Africa real to me today. One elephant, two or even three — I’ve seen them in zoos; this doesn’t seem very farfetched. Nearly seventy? All wild and free, doing what elephants do? And us, in the Range Rover, watching? Us — mesmerized. Speechless.

This I will remember for the rest of my life. I have seen elephants.

I wish I could end this post here. But know this, too: Steve Burns, director of Zoo Boise, says that 400,000 elephants live wild in Africa. Every year, 35,000 are poached. That’s 96 every day and four per hour. He did some math.

Those 67-ish magnificent elephants that left us breathless with wonder? Sixteen hours and 45 minutes of poaching.

More links to Katherine’s blog, stories and column:
Blog: http://www.idahostatesman.com/gorongosa/?rh=1
Idahoans play an outsized role: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/09/19/3384307/idahoans-play-an-outsized-role.html
When a zoo is more than a zoo: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/09/22/3388072/when-a-zoo-is-more-than-a-zoo.html
Heart of the Treasure Valley:  http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/09/21/3386636/when-life-reminds-you-theres-more.html

Photos by Katherine Jones / Idaho Statesman

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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 newspapers, has been hired as advertising sales manager.

IDAHO MOUNTAIN EXPRESS
Arts editor Jennifer Liebrum left in July, and the position has now been filled by Karen Lindell, who arrives from Southern California and is a former assistant editor and arts editor of the Ventura County Star. New reporter Amy Busek joined the staff in May, a recent graduate of the journalism program at Gonzaga University in Spokane.

IDAHO STATESMAN
Lots of changes so far in 2014, including:  Outdoors reporter Pete Zimowsky retired after 40 years with the Statesman. Political reporter and columnist Dan Popkey left for a job as press secretary for U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador. Sports columnist Brian Murphy moved to a part-time role with the Statesman as he began a job as digital editor with the Fredericksburg (Va.) Free-Lance Star.

Photo chief Joe Jaszewski moved to a part-time role as Statesman video editor and coach as he began a job as creative director for the ESM Group. High school sports reporter Michael Lycklama joined the Statesman from the Idaho Press-Tribune. Sports copy editor Alex Calinsky and sports reporter and copy editor Chris Langrill left for other opportunities.

Copy editor Dallin Turner moved to the sports copy desk from the universal desk. Bryce Glenn joined the universal copy desk from the Idaho Falls Post Register, where he was copy desk chief. Copy editor Genie Arcano retired to move to Seattle with family. Copy editor Lindsie Bergevin moved to a part-time role for family reasons.

TELEVISION

Idaho Falls/Pocatello

KIFI/KIDK 
Patdvik Aprikyan was the weekend anchor/reporter on KIDK; she went to Rhode Island.
Emily Balla is the new morning anchor; she came from Boise.  She appears on KIFI. Christina Davies is a new reporter who arrives from UNLV.  She appears on both stations.

Boise

KBOI2 News 
Roland Steadham is the new meteorologist.  He came from Miami and Salt Lake City.  Morgan Wagner, from Alabama, is a new reporter.  New producer Nick Kovach came from ESPN. Mike Murad left to be an anchor in Portland.

KIVI-TV ABC 6/Fox 9
Dani Beckstrom comes from KPVI in Pocatello as new morning weather anchor. Bri Eggers, morning meteorologist, has departed to be a weekend meteorologist in Boston.

KTVB News Channel 7
Lindsey Lankford joins KTVB from Boise State University as digital media producer.    Natalee Allen is a new producer and digital media producer; she previously was morning anchor at KIVI.   Tami Tremblay joins the staff as an investigative reporter and weekend evening anchor. She previously worked at KIVI.

Danielle Alsop and Jaynee Nielsen both have joined the staff as co-producers for KTVB High School Sports.

Sports reporter Ryan Larrondo is leaving to work for the Boise Police Department.  Photographer Eric Turner departs the station.  Reporter/anchor Scott Evans departed for a morning anchor position at KWCH/ Wichita.  Investigative Reporter Jamie Grey left for a professorship at the University of Missouri, teaching broadcast journalism.

Digital media producer Katie Terhune adds duties as a digital reporter for News at Four.   Kim Fields adds duties as anchor of News at Noon.

Twin Falls

KMVT-TV
Arielle Harrison is a new morning anchor/producer.  She came from Utah.
DeSiree Fawn is a new Wood River Valley bureau reporter; she comes from Sun Valley. Rosie Woods, former morning anchor, left the station.

Lewiston

KLEW-TV
Veronica Miracle was an anchor/reporter.  She left to go to Fresno, Calif. to be a reporter.  Rachel Dubrovin was a reporter/fill in anchor.  She left to go to Springfield, Missouri for a reporter position.

Carol Zinke is the new anchor/reporter.  She came from the University of Idaho. Jenee’ Ryan is the new reporter, arriving from a station in Bismarck, N.D.