Credentials, Access, Kudos and a Traffic Alert: Virginia’s E-Press for July 11

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT RETREAT

Presidential visits may play havoc with traffic
President Obama's planned visits to Virginia Beach and Hampton on Friday may affect VPA members heading to the Executive Management Retreat at The Cavalier Hotel this weekend. The President is expected to appear at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach at 12:45 p.m., followed by a visit to Phoebus High School in Hampton at 4:25 p.m.

If you're traveling to the retreat, please be aware that highways in Hampton Roads may be blocked and traffic will be heavy, and plan your trip accordingly.

U.S. SENATE DEBATE

Allen and Kaine will debate July 21 in Hot Springs; media asked to register for credentials by July 18
News media are invited to cover the debate between U.S. Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine on Saturday, July 21, at The Homestead in Hot Springs. The debate will take place during the summer meeting of The Virginia Bar Association, the state's oldest and largest voluntary organization of lawyers and judges. The hour-plus debate begins at 11 a.m., and the candidates will be available briefly to journalists afterward.

Reporters, editors, photographers and bloggers are asked to register for credentials by July 18 with The Virginia Bar Association using this link: https://m360.vba.org/admin/forms/ViewForm.aspx?id=34319. Credentials are required for access to the press room and to the debate hall. Registrants will receive additional information. For details, contact VBA Communications Coordinator Marilyn Shaw at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (804) 644-0041.

ACCESS ACROSS AMERICA

Five experts in freedom of information are traveling the country this summer as part of Access Across America II, providing SPJ pro chapters and newsrooms a special session on accessing public records, including great ideas for record-based stories, effective requests, and how to use tactical strategies to overcome denials and exorbitant copy fees.

Charles Davis, an associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism, will visit Richmond on Thursday, July 12. The Society of Professional Journalists, Virginia Pro Chapter (SPJVA), will host his visit.

Davis will lead a program at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room of 707 East Main Street, in downtown Richmond. Members of SPJVA will gather for dinner with Davis about 5:30 p.m. beforehand at Capital Ale House, just a block from the meeting. For directions or more details, contact SPJVA President Paul Fletcher, 804-783-0770.

This summer training is funded by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation and The Associated Press. There is no charge to attend.

Davis was SPJ's Freedom of Information Committee chair for five years and is co-author of The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records. He is a winner of SPJ's Sunshine Award and was named the Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Teacher of the Year. Before academia, he worked for newspapers and as a national correspondent for Lafferty Publications, a Dublin-based news wire service for financial publications.

MEMBER NEWS

Silvestri and Jamerson join World Media Enterprises exec team; Bellows to manage CEC operation
World Media Enterprises Inc. (WME) has announced that Tom Silvestri, publisher of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and VPA Past President Terry Jamerson, publisher of The News & Advance in Lynchburg, will serve as vice presidents of WME. Silvestri and Jamerson will report to Doug Hiemstra, president and CEO of WME. Jamerson will have responsibility for the Virginia group of newspapers. In addition, Peggy Bellows will serve as managing editor for the Combined Editing Center (CEC) operation and will report to Hiemstra.

New role for Richmond Media Group's McMullin
Nicole McMullin has been named digital director for Richmond Media Group, where she will oversee digital innovation, product development and system implementation for the group. She will be involved with all of Richmond Media Group's digital channels, including TimesDispatch.com, Richmond.com, Work It, Richmond and the Richmond Suburban Newspaper sites. McMullin has been part of Richmond Media Group, or its previous owner Media General, since 2004. Last year, Editor & Publisher identified her as one of the top "25 under 35" media professionals in the country.

The Roanoke Times wins APME award
The Roanoke Times received an award from the Associated Press Media Editors (APME) for "Picking Up The Pieces," a look at how the Martinsville-Henry County region is recovering after manufacturing jobs went to China. The story won the award in the APME Digital Storytelling and Reporting category. Read more: http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/311350.html

Reporter's death investigated as homicide
Winchester Star reporter Sarah Greenhalgh has been confirmed as the victim discovered in a house fire and authorities are investigating her death as a homicide, according to a media release on July 10 from the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office. Greenhalgh was found dead on July 9 at her home in Upperville after an off-duty firefighter saw smoke at about 8 a.m. and called 911. The cause and manner of death are pending final autopsy results. Read more: http://www.winchesterstar.com/breaking_events/view/338

2011 VPA Contests
Click here to access the gallery: http://omnicontests4.com/gallery-search.aspx?gallery_id=11

Visit the Public Notice Resources page for VPA members on http://www.vpa.net to access online and print ads, our general information page, and more!

Who should be getting E-Press? Let us know!
Do you find yourself forwarding Virginia's E-Press every week to fellow staff members? Have you retired but still want to keep up with your VPA colleagues? Is there a new employee who should be added to our mailing lists? If you'd like to add people to our electronic (and postal) mailing lists, or if there are updates we need to make to our records, please send the names and email addresses to Caroline Cardwell, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), at VPA.

Looking for a new job? Or a new employee?
For job hunters, VPA's online classifieds at http://www.vpa.net/index.php/classifieds/ are a great place to start. Listings are added each week. And if you have a position to fill, remember that VPA members can post classifieds for free. Check it out!

Network for Rewards!
Participants in Virginia Press Services' Statewide Classified Ad (SCAN) and 2x2 Networks can earn significant rewards. If you are not participating and would like to begin, or if you are only participating in one network and would like to join both, please contact Adriane Long, Statewide Classified/2x2 Coordinator, at 804-521-7585 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Expert Advice: Ask the Columnists
Newspaper Technology: Kevin Slimp
Common Sense Journalism: Doug Fisher
Writing Matters: Jim Stasiowski
Design for Readers: Ed Henninger
Ad-libs: John Foust
Visit http://www.vpa.net/index.php/education/article/expert_advice_ask_the_columnists1/ for contact information!