By Betsy Russell We were all pretty excited when Sara Thomas, the new administrative director of Idaho’s courts, told us at the Press Club’s Fall Conference this year that she believes folks should be allowed to take a picture of a court document with their phone, rather than pay $1 a page for a photocopy. But Thomas had to follow up after the conference with this caveat: While courts have no legal authority to charge you $1 a page for taking a picture of a court document with your phone, under current law, the elected county … [Read more...]
President’s Column: Working toward cheaper, easier access to court records in Idaho
December 14, 2016 by
Fall conference draws crowd, offers sessions from public record requests to covering the courts
December 14, 2016 by
By Audrey Dutton More than 40 members of the Idaho Press Club gathered Oct. 8 in Downtown Boise for the annual fall conference, hosted by the Southwest chapter. News broke during the conference, when Sen. Mike Crapo pulled his endorsement of Donald Trump for president. But in true multitasking fashion, reporters and editors handled the breaking news while also managing to get in some training on a Saturday morning. Randy Schrader of IdahoEdNews.org and Bill Dentzer of the Idaho Statesman kicked off the conference by walking us … [Read more...]
MEDIA MOVES
December 14, 2016 by
New faces in your newsroom or communication department? Let everyone know. Send your Media Moves to: email@idahopressclub.org Boise State Public Radio News Director Scott Graf joined the Idaho Attorney General's office on Nov. 21 as the new communications director. Graf joined BSPR in April 2012 as a host, reporter and editor. He was named news director in February 2014. Graf replaces Todd Dvorak, who left the Attorney General’s office in September. Matt Guilhem joined Boise … [Read more...]
Annual awards contest about to open to entries
December 14, 2016 by
By Melissa Davlin The Best of 2016 Idaho Press Club awards awards opens next week. We’ve made some changes to the contest this year to keep up with the shifting media landscape. First, we’ve changed the Print division to Publication, and the Magazine division to Periodical, allowing online-only outfits to compete with traditional newspapers and magazines. What does this mean? If you work at a newspaper and you’ve always entered in the Print division, nothing has changed -- except now there may be a bit more competition. If you’re … [Read more...]
Want to learn about covering the Idaho Legislature?
December 14, 2016 by
By Clark Corbin Covering the Legislature can be one of the best reporting assignments – but also one of the most intimidating. With the opening of the 2017 legislative session just weeks away, the Idaho Press Club wants to help local journalists and photographers learn the legislative ropes and build their confidence and skills. At the Legislative Boot Camp, from 9-10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, veteran Statehouse reporters and a member of legislative leadership will help you:
- Learn your way around the … [Read more...]
President’s Message: Expect shorter, more frequent Communicator blasts
September 19, 2016 by
By Betsy Russell We are changing with the times here at theCommunicator. We’re no longer the quarterly paper newsletter that arrived in your mailbox, chock-full of articles for you to read at your leisure. But now that we’re all-electronic, we realize that people don’t have time to scroll through article after article while we multi-task our days away. So we’re atomizing theCommunicator – breaking it down into smaller, more frequent pieces. You’ll still get all the Press Club news. It’ll just arrive in smaller, more frequent … [Read more...]
An Idaho reporter’s take on covering D.C.
September 19, 2016 by
Editor’s Note: Lewiston Tribune political reporter Bill Spence won the Idaho Press Club’s Don Watkins Mid-Career Scholarship this year, and used it to help offset some of the expenses of his 13-week reporting trip to the nation’s capital. In this article, he shares his experience. By William L. Spence of the Lewiston Tribune It seems like every time Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo come to the Statehouse to address their former colleagues, they gush about how much better things are here in Idaho compared to Washington, D.C. I … [Read more...]
On Assignment: Covering the Oregon standoff
March 11, 2016 by
By Rebecca Boone I first heard that protesters had taken over a national wildlife refuge in Oregon the way many of us did: On Twitter. My Christmas vacation was winding down just as the situation in Burns, Ore. was winding up, and as I tried to catch up on the local news that I’d missed while out of town, I kept running across references to a federal building takeover. Boise is the closest AP bureau to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and so I exchanged emails with AP’s news editors in Seattle and Portland on Jan. 2, … [Read more...]
Best of 2015 Awards Banquet Set to Honor Winners
March 11, 2016 by
By Deanna Darr Once again, we’re making plans for the annual banquet honoring the winners of the Best of 2015 Awards. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 30, to join us for an evening of celebrating some of the best work created by Idaho journalists in the last year – plus a great excuse to let loose and catch up with your friends and colleagues. We’re returning to the Owyhee in downtown Boise for our once-a-year excuse to get dressed up. We’ll gather in the ballroom on the second floor beginning at 6 p.m. for a social hour … [Read more...]
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN: Holding leaders accountable, fighting for public records, and planning a banquet….
March 11, 2016 by
By Betsy Russell This has been a busy time for the Idaho Press Club. Our Southwest Chapter has hosted two excellent and well-attended “Headliner” events, the first a breakfast gathering with Gov. Butch Otter and the second a luncheon with House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill. Both opened with brief remarks from our guests, followed by an on-the-record Q-and-A session with press club members. Both were highly newsy, and resulted in lots of information and insight into what’s going on in Idaho’s current … [Read more...]
MEDIA MOVES
March 11, 2016 by
New faces in your newsroom or communication department? Let everyone know. Send your Media Moves to: email@idahopressclub.org TELEVISION KIDK/KIFI Misty Inglet is a new reporter in the Pocatello bureau; she arrives from Utah State University. KPVI New meteorologist/reporter Paul Beam joins the staff, from Rutgers University. KMVT New reporter Courtney Salmon comes from Paurumpt, Nev. New reporter. Nicole Baker comes from KOCO in Oklahoma City, where she was a … [Read more...]
The Idaho Press Club is dedicated to improving the practice of journalism in Idaho. To that end, this website features resources for journalists, from how to object to a closed meeting to an Idaho Town Pronunciation Guide. You’ll also find press club news, contest entry information, how to apply for our scholarships and much more. The Idaho Press Club’s mission is to promote excellence in journalism, freedom of expression and freedom of information.
