By Betsy Russell Twenty-five years ago, in 1988, the annual dues to join the Idaho Press Club was $25. The cost this year, until July 1? Also $25. Though it’s decades later and costs have gone way up. So now, after long resisting it, the Idaho Press Club board has decided to raise annual dues by $5 on July 1, to $30. It’s a modest increase that’s still a screaming deal; most press associations charge much higher dues, often more than double that amount. The Press Club is funded solely by membership dues and contest entry fees. Yet we … [Read more...]
Don Watkins Memorial Scholarship winners announced
July 31, 2013 by
By Melissa McGrath Every year, the Idaho Press Club awards $2,000 or more in scholarships to working journalists and future journalists. It’s all a part of the Don Watkins Memorial Scholarship Program. We gather applications from across the state and award a $1,500 scholarship to one Idaho high school graduate who is currently pursuing his or her career in journalism or communications in college. We also award a $500 Mid-Career Scholarship to any Press Club member who will use the money toward a project or professional development … [Read more...]
Meet your IPC: Melissa Davlin
July 31, 2013 by
Name: Melissa Davlin Job (past and present): Former reporter at the Times-News in Twin Falls; currently freelancing and writing about Idaho politics at melissadavlin.wordpress.com Press Club position: Print representative, Idaho Press Club state board; just started this spring Education: BA, General Studies, University of Idaho Tell us about your family: My mom and dad live in Meridian, and I have two younger brothers who live in Nampa. My husband, Nate Poppino, and I just moved to … [Read more...]
MEDIA MOVES
July 31, 2013 by
PRINT MOSCOW-PULLMAN DAILY NEWS Holly Bowen moves from Whitman County reporter to the news copy desk and editorial board. She replaces Elizabeth Rudd, who moved to the Lewiston Tribune. Lindsey Treffry, a 2013 graduate of the University of Idaho, is the new 360 reporter replacing Alan Solan, who resigned to write freelance. Meredith Metsker, a 2013 graduate of the University of Idaho, moved to full time and is covering Washington education. Bill McKee, a 2013 graduate of Washington State University, is the new Whitman County reporter. … [Read more...]
Download the Spring 2013 Communicator
May 1, 2013 by
Download a PDF copy of the Communicator here. … [Read more...]
Swing Into the Evening with Frim Fram 4
May 1, 2013 by
Best of 2012 gala is May 18 By Deanna Darr All too often, the term “awards banquet” triggers a primitive shudder—as if our most ancient ancestors had to sit around a cave with a dry meal and droning speeches about great mammoth hunts of the last season, somehow passing their dread on to future generations. Perhaps that’s why the Idaho Press Club Best of 2012 Awards Banquet should lose the whole “awards banquet” part of the name and more accurately be called the Idaho Press Club Best of 2012 Concert, Dinner and Celebration. No, we’re … [Read more...]
Public record lawsuit results in legal victory in Blackfoot
May 1, 2013 by
By Nate Sunderland The Post Register’s recent legal victory against Blackfoot School District 55 was a tribute to the strength of Idaho’s sunshine laws and transparency in government. At the heart of the story was a nearly $220,000 payout from District 55 to former Superintendent Scott Crane – a deal struck during an illegal executive session. While the discovery was satisfying; the victory wasn’t complete. In fact, the bigger truth was lost when the board, on the advice of its attorney and under threat of a lawsuit from the former … [Read more...]
President’s Column – Celebrating victories for openness in this year’s Idaho legislative session
May 1, 2013 by
By Betsy RussellIt’s been a good year for openness in government in Idaho. There are a lot of reasons for that, but I’d like to focus on four in particular, all four of which came out of – believe it or not – this year’s Idaho legislative session. The first one didn’t start off like something good. The state Department of Administration proposed legislation to make all surveillance video exempt from the Idaho public records law. This happened just after a shot from a surveillance video at the state Capitol – of an armed man rifling through … [Read more...]
New Idaho online news site focuses on education
May 1, 2013 by
By John Miller There’s a new education news website in the Idaho Capitol this year, but the reporters who are writing about disputes over the education budget, new teacher contract laws and additional funding for charter schools are all familiar faces. Idaho Education News includes Clark Corbin, the former legislative reporter at the Idaho Falls Post-Register, and Kevin Richert, the longtime editorial page editor for the Idaho Statesman in Boise. The website, breathed into life following voters' defeat of public schools chief … [Read more...]
Bingham v. Blackfoot points up red flags the press should notice
May 1, 2013 by
By Brian Kane In December, Judge David Nye handed down a decision in a public records case. Based on this analysis, there are several instructive points for the press and public as they engage in governmental oversight. This case is particularly instructive because Judge Nye expressly acknowledges, “Yet, everything about this case smacks of a public agency trying to hide its decision-making from the public.” First, don’t just rattle your saber. Once Joyce Bingham made her request and it was denied, she hired an attorney. This … [Read more...]
Open Idaho: Working to promote access
May 1, 2013 by
By Joan Cartan-Hansen Whether you are a journalist, a public official or a private citizen, you have rights and responsibilities under Idaho’s Open Meeting and Public Records laws. Now it is easier to find out what to do if you are denied a document or barred from a public meeting. Idaho Public Television and Idahoans for Openness in Government have updated their award winning Open Idaho website to reflect recent changes in state statutes. On the Open Idaho website, you’ll find eight videos that go through the “dos … [Read more...]
Meet your IPC: Sadie Babits
May 1, 2013 by
Name: Sadie Babits Job: News Director for Boise State Public Radio Education: B.A. Political Science / International Relations; minor in Mass Communication from Boise State Where are you originally from? I've lived so many places - Portland, Denver, Washington, D.C. (briefly), Flagstaff, Arizona. But I call Boise my home and I'm originally from Salmon, Idaho, where I grew up. What brought you back to Idaho and BSPR? A great opportunity to lead Idaho's largest public radio newsroom! My husband Nate and I love Boise and he had … [Read more...]
MEDIA MOVES
May 1, 2013 by
IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE Business reporter Holly Beech is the reporter for Meridian Press, a new weekly newspaper that launched Jan. 25, 2013. Beech is a graduate of Northwest Nazarene University. Local Editor Charlotte Wiemerslage handles day-to-day news operations for the new product. Night Reporter Torrie Cope is the new business reporter after serving as night reporter for a year at the Nampa newspaper. Rebecca DeLeon, former editor in chief for The Arbiter at Boise State University and recent BSU graduate, is the new night reporter at … [Read more...]
President’s Column: Idaho Supreme Court begins live-streaming arguments, improves public access
October 16, 2012 by
By Betsy Russell
In August, the Idaho Supreme Court began live video streaming its oral arguments from its main courtroom in Boise.
That means we can watch and report on them live from anywhere in the state; it's a great step forward for access.
This is occurring through cooperation between the court and Idaho Public Television, in an expansion of the Idaho Legislature Live streaming service (which is now being renamed "Idaho Live"). At least initially, the streaming will occur only for Supreme Court … [Read more...]
