March board meeting briefs
A roundup of the PCLI board's March meeting.
Our newest PCLI board member, Diana DeRosa, has been nominated and approved for participation in the Scripps Leadership Training program. This is an informative and inspiring weekend of education about the Society of Professional Journalists that will benefit the Press Club when she returns.
Our Media Awards contest had 340 entries this year in 53 categories. Winners will be announced at our June 4 Media Awards Dinner at the Woodbury Country Club. (We will have our 2010 Media Awards there, too, on the second Thursday in June.)
At least two board members will be attending the SPJ Regional Conference in Philadelphia on April 24-25. More than attending, they are giving a strong hand to the effort in leading workshops and helping to organize the weekend’s programs.
April 16 panel: “Facebook, Twitter and why social media mattter.” (Update: more than 50 people attended.)
We have two ethics programs scheduled:
Tuesday, April 28, 7 p.m., Studio A, Dempster Hall, Hofstra University
What happens to our codes of ethics and our sense of responsible behavior when there seem to be no boundaries anymore? When outside our increasingly porous walls there is a frothing gusher of — what? A lot of it is filth, and a lot of it is good clear information. Guests include legendary PR guru Gary Lewi, executive vice president of Rubenstein Associates in Manhattan. Co-sponsored by the Press Club. Refreshments will be served.
May 5th – Dominick and Meredith are similar program at Stony Brook.
May 28, 6:30 p.m. Fair Use or Infringement?
Moderator: Oswaldo Jimenez, Newsday photographer A portrait of President Barak Obama created by Los Angeles-based street artist Shepard Fairey was recently hung at the National Portrait Gallery. Fairey has admitted that the portrait of Obama is based on a photograph he downloaded from the Internet. The photo was taken in April 2006 by Manny Garcia on assignment for the Associated Press at the National Press Club in Washington. The financial success of the iconic image has raised legal questions of copyright law and definitions of “fair use.” When is material from the Internet, used without permission from the rights holders, considered “fair use”? Is the use of photographs the tip of the iceberg? Is the “four-factor” balancing test (Purpose and character, Nature of the copied work, Amount and substantiality, Effect upon work’s value) sufficient to determine fair use.
Thoughts for the future:
- Perhaps a program or mixer out at Atlantis Aquarium in Riverhead, or at the Suffolk Community College Culinary Institute out there.
- Other ideas discussed included:
- A gathering at Belmont Lake State Park, where we bring our own food and have a barbecue for the members.
- A gathering at Coe Hall/Planting Fields Arboretum. Perhaps this could be something to open up to families, maybe in September on a Thursday night.
- A day at the Races at Belmont Racetrack.
- It was suggested that we further reach out to students and see what kind of educational programs we could do at colleges.
Brochure
We are almost finished with a brochure that combines info about SPJ and PCLI, thanks to Diana DeRosa’s hard work.
There are 350 people in our Facebook group. (Update: 401 members as of April 22)
John C. O’Connell
