Board Minutes – 01/2001

B O A R D M I N U T E S

Chicago Headline Club
Board of Directors Meeting

January 2001

Call to order: 8 a.m.

Present: Ed Cooper, Casey Bukro, Howard Dubin, Bob Roberts, Pat Kosar, Marsha Barancik, Steve Rynkiewicz, Molly McDonough, Becky Beaupre, Diane Monk, Mary Myers, Christine Tatum, Rob Hess and Susan Stevens.

Minutes from the November meeting were approved as read.

Internet workshops: Becky is spearheading the series, which will begin Fri.

Jan. 26 with a discussion of how to use the Net to cover breaking news. They wll be for both print and broadcast journalists, with two or three speakers each session. At least one person is confirmed for all but the second session.

Contests: judges are needed for the high school contest, Les Brownlee’s contest and the Lisagor payback contests.

Journalist and Website: Marsha passed around a proposed copy of the first monthly flyer, which was done by Billy O’Keefe. She moved that we approve a fee for Billy of $100 a month and an additional $250 a quarter for Chicago Journalists, effective this month. Motion passed.

Steve reported traffic on the Website is around 150 hits a day. The webcasts seem to attract a lot of attention. Billy is working on a re-design. Steve is updating the site otherwise. Some volunteers have come, some have gone. A motion carried authorizing payment for the re-design of the site for a maximum of $500. A deadine was set for the first week in February.

Ethics: Casey said Jim Burke reported the practice sessions had some really good questions, some real and some hypothetical. The last training session will be Jan. 16. We still need a broadcaster. The Ethics Hotline will be launched Jan. 22. Mary will help develop a publicity program involving press releases, posters, wallet cards, etc. Carol Marin will be asked to be available as our spokesperson for talk radio, etc.

Internship fair: Jan. 20. Rob and Marsha report planning is going very well.

Lisagor: Entry forms are out. Judges and presenters are being sought. Rob said a couple of people at CNN’s Website wanted to enter but we don’t have a category for their commentary. Committee said the few Web subcategories we offered last year were poorly subscribed but kept because of the growth potential.

Insurance: Christy’s motion carried to buy insurance for $1,748 a year for anything we can be sued for. Same general policy has done very well for SPJ. Under Illinois law, officers and directors are not liable except for gross misconduct, Howard said, and he opposed the new policy for its cost only.

National resolutions: Christy presented a draft of a letter to go to SPJ President Ray Marcano seeking a report from the national Resolutions Committee one month before conventions so chapters can discuss and vote on the measures before their delegates go to the convention. Marsha will sign the letter.

Membership: Chris seeks help in making calls to members who have not renewed. A telethon will be the evening of Jan. 18 at Tribune Interactive.

Freedom of Information: Bob reported what he sent us previously in his e-mail.

Advisory board: Marsha has developed a long list of good candidates. She will write them letters, inviting them to be on the board. One letter will be for SPJ members, another for non-members.

Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan S. Stevens
Secretary