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 clerk can designate what equipment can be used for copying – including that we can’t use our phones, and so have to pay them $1 a page to get a photocopy. “Perhaps this process needs to be reviewed, considering the technological advances since the statute was passed,” Thomas said. “But for now, this is where we are.”

Some courts – including those in Ada, Canyon and Twin Falls counties – still don’t let people take a picture of a court record with a cell phone. But others do. “The Court strongly encourages clerks and judges to allow the use of cell phones for copying, so long as it doesn’t violate Idaho Code 74-101,” Thomas said, referring to the portion of the public records law that requires that the public record not be altered or damaged. As a side note, it doesn’t cost a thing to just look at the court record and take notes.

All this will change in the future, as Idaho moves to its new paperless court records system, Odyssey, which is now being phased in. Eventually, court records will be available through this centralized, electronic system, rather than from each county clerk, possibly through a low-fee subscription service like the federal courts’ PACER system. “We are working actively on this,” Thomas said. The next step is a pilot project, during which redaction software and other technicalities will be tested; that plan is now in the works.

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

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 through their process for filing public record requests. Some highlights: Request data as a public record, and fact-check it, because inaccurate data/record-keeping is a story; break down records into bites, such as political campaign contributions by industry; and try to negotiate if you get a giant bill for a record request.

Jaclyn Kettler, who teaches at Boise State University and focuses her research on American politics, showed how certain campaign-finance websites are making it easier to find stories, such as opensecrets.org‘s new database of political ad buys. She also offered to be a resource for journalists working on money-in-politics stories.

Press Club President Betsy Russell led a panel on covering the judicial system. Don Burnett, emeritus professor of law at University of Idaho, stressed the importance of explaining nuances of the law, as part of the journalist’s duty to educate. Don’t call a court ruling based on the Constitution a ruling on “technicality,” he said. Fourth District Judge Samuel Hoagland said reporters can ask judges for clarification. While judges cannot offer opinions or commentary, he said, they may be willing to explain something you don’t understand. Katie Terhune of KTVB said newsrooms reap rewards when reporters cover lengthy court cases, such as the 20-day Kurbanov terrorism trial she covered. Showing up builds credibility with sources and shows a commitment to an important story. Finally, new Idaho Supreme Court administrative director Sara Thomas explained that the court is working hard to roll out the new repository platform but still wrestling with how to make records accessible like they are on PACER.

Last up was a roundtable of local media leaders — Kate Morris of KTVB, Debra Leithauser of Idaho Statesman and Jennifer Swindell of IdahoEdNews.org — on changes in local media. BSU associate professor and Arbiter advisor Seth Ashley moderated. Morris said it’s best to focus on reporters’ strengths and passions, making them an authority on certain stories (such as the Kurbanov trial) instead of chasing the pack. Leithauser said the Statesman isn’t a “newspaper” anymore but has branched into other media, including video and a podcast with Boise State Public Radio. Swindell talked about building a startup into a go-to education news source. The nonprofit has added more staff and a data specialist and made website changes based on audience data analytics.

Audrey Dutton is a reporter for the Idaho Statesman, and is the president of the Idaho Press Club’s Southwest Chapter.

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 State Public Radio as Morning Edition Host/Reporter in September. Matt is a native of southern California and studied at Cal-Berkeley and the London School of Economics. He most recently served as the afternoon host at NPR member station KVCR in San Bernadrino, CA. Guilhem replaces Dan Greenwood, who departed BSPR in April to return to work in his native Minnesota.

The Coeur d’Alene Press has named a new publisher: Larry Riley. Riley, 56, was publisher of the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, S.C., for the past two years. He replaces Jim Thompson, who retired from his 22-year career with the Press earlier this year.

Bonnie Shelton, a former television reporter who has worked in national and local newsrooms, is joining Gallatin Public Affairs as an associate. Before joining Gallatin, Shelton worked as a television reporter for KTVB-Idaho’s NewsChannel 7; she also worked at WAOW-TV in Wausau, Wisc., and holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, summa cum laude, from the University of Oregon.

Call for Media Moves 

New faces in your newsroom or communication department? Let everyone know. Send your Media Moves to: email@idahopressclub.org

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 at an online-only outfit, you now have even more categories in which to compete.

We’ll still have the Daily and Weekly breakdowns. If you’re online-only and regularly publish stories four or more times a week, enter in the Daily division. If you publish less frequently, opt for Weekly or Periodical.

Another change: In the All Media division, we’ve added Photographer of the Year for both broadcast and publications.

Finally, we’ve made it easier to enter multimedia packages online. We understand that some features have multimedia components — interactive graphs or embedded videos — that aren’t properly translated in ISSUU.com or PDF submissions. We now allow the option of submitting a URL link in the comments. If your site is behind a paywall, it’s your responsibility to provide a verified log-in and password to judges. If your entry doesn’t have multimedia components and is just text, we still encourage entrants to use PDFs or ISSUU.com for ease of judging.

The deadline for entering is Monday, Jan. 23. The cost to enter will remain the same as last year: $20 per entry for Idaho Press Club members, $15 for student members, $45 per entry for non-members and $30 for non-member students. If you’re not already a member, join at idahopressclub.org/join to save money on your entries.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at 208-410-7239 or melissadavlin@gmail.com.

Melissa Davlin is a reporter, host and producer for Idaho Public Television, and co-hosts “Idaho Reports.” A member of the Idaho Press Club state board, she is this year’s contest chair.

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 Statehouse.
• Find agendas and track legislation.
• Locate and look up bills once they’ve been introduced.
• Understand the difference between committee work and floor votes.
• Learn how to connect with local lawmakers for interviews.
• Decode the frustrating and complex Statehouse lingo.
• Understand the dress code and where reporters are and aren’t allowed to be.
• Find out about becoming credentialed to cover the session and get your brown tag.
• Answer all the questions you were too embarrassed to ask your news editor.

This event is brought to you by the Southwest Chapter of the Idaho Press Club

Who: Open to all Idaho reporters, editors, producers, camera operators, photographers and news directors.

What: Legislative Boot Camp

Where: Meet in the press corps office in the basement (garden level), Room EG 15, of the Idaho State Capitol, 700 W. Jefferson St.

When: 9 a.m., Tuesday Dec. 13.

Cost: Free. (If you are not already a member, please consider joining the Idaho Press Club online at www.idahopressclub.org.)

* House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, has agreed to participate in this event and be available to answer reporters’ questions on-the-record for any legislative preview stories they may be working on.

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

You’ll still get all the Press Club news. It’ll just arrive in smaller, more frequent installments – ones you’re more likely to have time to read. That may be just one article, like Bill Spence’s excellent report above; or one plus Media Moves; or on occasion two articles. Please let us know what you think of this new approach (and if there are changes in your newsroom, please send them in for Media Moves).

We have lots going on: Our annual Fall Conference is coming up on Oct. 8 in Boise; the Idaho Debates are being planned; we’re judging other states’ journalism contests and lining up judges and details for our contest, coming this winter, and our next awards banquet, set for May 6, 2017; our Don Watkins Scholarship program is gearing up for another round, with an application deadline of Feb. 15; and our First Amendment Committee is preparing for the upcoming legislative session. We’ll be in touch!

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

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 used to think this was just a line – something congressional pros tell the second-stringers back home to make them feel good.

Then I spent three months covering Congress and found out Risch and Crapo are right. After watching the “pros” in action, I’m never complaining about the Idaho Legislature again.

While the sojourn undermined my faith in government, it was certainly a fascinating experience. I’d encourage other reporters to take the plunge, as long as they can get their editors to spring for the rent.

I first approached my boss five years ago about the possibility of going back to D.C.. The trip wasn’t in the budget that first time around, but when I raised the idea again last fall, he enthusiastically supported it. We agreed to a 13 week visit, from mid-April through the Fourth of July. The deal was the Tribune would pay my rent – $1,200 per month for a single room in a six-bedroom house within walking distance of the Capitol – while I’d pay for everything else.

The main objective was to see if Congress is really as dysfunctional as national media reports make it seem. Unfortunately, I found that to be the case. I’ll discuss some of the reasons for that, but first a few practical notes for anyone thinking of heading back East:

Press credentials – Media badges are handled through the Senate Press Gallery. It’s a very straightforward process. Short-timers can get a temporary day pass or, if you submit a letter from your editor saying you’re a real reporter and not just some gawker, you can get a spiffy photo ID badge.

Work space – Whenever Congress was in session I would head to the Senate Press Gallery in the morning to grab a cubicle. It probably has space for at least 60 reporters; most cubicles are available first-come, first-serve. There’s also a soda machine, refrigerator and microwave, restrooms and five honest-to-god phone booths where you can have a little privacy and make free long-distance calls. Whenever you need a Zen moment, you can hear the sound of one senator talking to him or herself by stepping through a pair of swinging doors that lead directly to the press seats above the Senate floor. No photos or recording devices allowed – although if you want, you can stand there while the official Senate photo is being taken and be part of history.

The House Press Gallery has a similar arrangement. Press credentials get you into either gallery, as well as the House and Senate office buildings and hearing rooms. Wifi is available throughout the complex.

Hearings and press conferences – Say what you want about Congress, but they know how to cater to the media. Every committee room I was in had at least one table reserved for the press, if not two. I went to one hearing where eight large tables were set aside for reporters. I could count them because there were only three of us in the room.

I was less impressed with House Speaker Paul Ryan’s weekly press conferences. They lasted 15 minutes and he only took questions from people he called on. Anyone who actually yelled out questions was scolded. The man has clearly not seen a single movie showing traditional press behavior.

Keeping track of all the committee hearings and press events is easy: the House Press Gallery website has a daily list of all the House events, while the Senate Radio and Television Gallery does the same on the Senate side.

When Sens. Risch and Crapo talk about how much better things are here in Idaho, I suspect they’re thinking about the way JFAC adopts the annual budget and appropriations bills, as well as the Legislature’s rules review process.

I agree with them, but even more basic is the fact that Idaho lawmakers are clearly there to get a job done and go home. I never had that sense in Washington. In fact, the congressional schedule itself is a major impediment to institutional effectiveness.

This year, for example, the House is only scheduled to be in session for 111 days, compared to 149 for the Senate. That’s actual work days, not including weekends. However, it also includes Mondays, Fridays and other partial work days, when members are traveling to or from their districts. Although some votes and/or committee hearings may take place, usually very little is accomplished on these days.

When you exclude travel days, the House will be in session for 56 full days this year, compared to 87 for the Senate – and that assumes they don’t punt everything into next year and adjourn early.

This clearly has a negative effect on productivity: Since convening in January of 2015, the 114th Congress has taken 580 significant votes and enacted 219 laws. It is on track to be the least productive Congress in at least the past 40 years.

Even when members of Congress are at the office, they aren’t spending their time going to committee hearings or debating bills on the floor. I probably attended 50 hearings, and the only time more than half the members showed up was for the House Oversight hearing where FBI Director James Comey discussed the Hillary Clinton email scandal.

That was political theater, when everyone wanted a seat in the room. For most hearings, though, they’re sending staff or dropping in for five minutes to ask a few questions. They aren’t actively engaging with the witnesses, much less with each other.

It turns out members of Congress spend much of their day talking with constituents, special interest groups and lobbyists, going from one short meeting to another.

After seeing their schedule and how they spend their time, I have no idea how they accomplish anything. Zika funding? Keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists? Fixing the budget process? How do they actually find time to build relationships and address the problems facing the nation?

I asked one Washington lawmaker that and she told me – I’m not making this up – that the time she spends walking from her office to the House floor is a great time to talk with colleagues.

This is how Congress solves problems: while riding tiny subway cars from one side of the street to the other.

To be fair, she also told me meeting with colleagues during floor votes is also standard practice. That’s something else we don’t see in Idaho: mass conversations taking place while they’re passing legislation.

It’s a sight to behold. I seriously believe you could have an appendix removed in the time it takes the Senate to finish a single roll-call vote. It lasts about a half-hour: The clerk calls the roll, maybe a quarter of the senators answer, then the vote is held open for another 20 minutes or so while members wander in and out talking with each other. Each one eventually gives the clerk a subtle thumbs up or thumbs down, she announces the final tally, and then they start all over again on the next bill. If anyone actually starts debating legislation, the rest run for the exits.

I may be exaggerating a bit, but this is no exaggeration: If you find yourself losing faith in the Idaho Legislature, spend a little time in Washington. You’ll come home feeling like you’re back in the major leagues.

Brumidi corridors (courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol) – Besides Capitol protests, House sit-ins and Senate filibusters, one of the highlights of my DC trip was getting a private tour of the Brumidi Corridors with Vicki Risch and Senate Art Curator Amy Burton.

Congressional swag (Bill Spence photo) – Most congressional offices provide some kind of home-state goodies for visitors to enjoy. A random walk through the offices can produce a pretty decent haul.