@spjfreelance.bsky.social Good Morning, Freelancers!! It's Friday brag post time! What have you accomplished lately? What are you proud of? Or, is there any advice or wisdom you'd like to share? Sound off in this thread 👇
@nppa.org has joined again w/several of our 1st Amendment & free press allies in a letter to the LAPD & LASD remind them of journalist’s rights. See below.
We remain steadfast in our mission to make sure 1st Amendment rights are upheld across the United States of America. 🇺🇸
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JIU...
In case you missed it live!
@spjdc.bsky.social @spjfreelance.bsky.social
TODAY is the day! Join us at 6 p.m. EDT on Zoom for a convo with Axel Ebermann and Irvin McCullough on FOIA and AI.
We will cover:
Using AI in requesting.
AI and FOIA fulfillment.
Answer your FOIA and AI ?s
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
There is still time to register for next week's FOIA and AI webinar!
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
spjdc.org/event/is-ai-...
I'm so excited to host this @spjdc.bsky.social webinar on FOIA and AI!
@spjfreelance.bsky.social
apnews.com/article/trum... Trump signs executive order directing federal funding cuts to PBS and NPR
(Hey yeah so this was something Congress was still debating)
I'm taking a class about using AI as a journalist, and I decided to play around with ChatGPT and plug the Ohio Budget bill into it to summarize it and compare it to previous budgets. It spit this out. This could be a helpful jumping-off point for further research. Thoughts?
2 Ohio senators introduced Ohio's own 'Save Act'. S.B. 96 would change zoning laws and regulations around voter rolls and require 'proof of citizenship' when registering to vote. This comes amid the Ohio primary voting season.
www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-most-r...
This 👏. As a Gen Z-er I can confirm all this. I get so many rejection emails ( if I even get an email) I don’t even open them anymore. It’s good to know I’m not alone but I hate this is how it is. We are working yet struggling so hard! 😣
See this is how records requesting should be. I submitted it yesterday, it was filled today 🤩
Made a public records request today... will probably make a public records request tomorrow 🤠
www.newyorker.com/culture/open...
I'm seeing more and more discussion surrounding AI.
Ever since Sunshine Fest I have been looking into the AI and FOIA debate and the questions 'should journalists and local govts. use this tech to make the records requesting process more efficient?'
I'm working on growing my career and finding a full-time journalism job. So, I need to put Starlight Stories on hold as I can't put my all into that work at the moment. Idk where my path is headed but I'm excited for the journey and grateful for all the help along the way!
Had a great time at @nationalpress.bsky.social career day today! Got to network, connect w/ employers and learn more about how to be successful in the job search. Hopefully, this will help me transition from freelancing to a full time journalism job. Thanks for hosting!
11 U.S. organizations just asked the Open Government Partnership to put the U.S. under review for open government and transparency violations. americalabs.org/2025/03/21/u...
I had a great time at the @sunshineweek.bsky.social FOIA conference yesterday! I got to meet some amazing people across sectors and learn about the state of FOIA and current issues regarding government transparency and accountability. I took some photos so I got your pic tag this post!
This is another alarming attack on a free press, global media and journalism as a whole.
The VOA is a well respected non-partisan media operation that has been informing communities around the world about U.S. politics and news. It is a key solution to bridging information gaps in non-western nations. Its closure will have deep effects on the global news community.
Shutting down VOA and its affialtes was explicitly outlined in Project 2025. Now we are seeing this conservative promise come to reality.
@spj-posts.bsky.social Done! A free and open press is a non-partisan issue and a cornerstone of our Democracy. I'm proud to be in this industry and will always support my fellow journalists.
Just pitched a book review @publicbooks.bsky.social!
Sorry folks I won't be publishing my weekly newsletter today. I just got really busy really fast. Instead I'll be working on a pitch, doing some SPJ work and working on some other exciting endeavor's 🤭. Happy Freelance Friday! Hope you have a great day!
Now this is what innovative journalism looks like! As journalists I feel like we get so enshrined in our beats we forget to see just how connected everything is. But we can really do great work when we dig deep and make the connections. @wired.com Keep up the great work!
apnews.com/article/elon...
Howdy folks! Happy Sunday! I started a new newsletter on my Starlight Stories Substack.
This week's post focuses on the growing threats to press freedom, one of the topics I'm passionate about.
open.substack.com/pub/starligh...
www.npr.org/2025/03/01/g...
Wow, I want to say I'm shocked but, given the current admins views on a free press, I'm not.
Another great article by David Folkenflik.
I'm working on some pitches and my research brought me to Project 2025. I thought it might be interesting to track the doc vs what is actually occurring.
Full details in the 'Into' tab on the sheet!
HMU if you want to add to it.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
@spjfreelance.bsky.social
I needed this today, thank you. I'm trying and working so hard! I just got my first opinion piece published in a local newspaper on Tuesday!🥹
