first amendment – Illinois News Broadcasters Association

INBA requests to be part of proposed ‘Local Journalism Task Force’

Administrator — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 17:55:01 +0000

An Illinois state senator hopes to create a task force, “to ensure local journalism survives in Illinois’ small towns and mid-sized cities.”

State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) announced the Local Journalism Task Force (Senate Bill 134) in a news release March 25, which he said would consist of ten people representing print and broadcast media, journalism schools, plus state and local government. Stadelman’s release said the group will conduct a study on Illinois communities which might not have enough journalists to cover local issues. The goal is to “preserve and restore news coverage in those areas.”

The INBA reached out to Stadelman’s office to make sure our organization had a seat at the table on this task force and ensure transparency of process.

In response, he said, “I will include INBA in the list of groups required to be part of a task force to study local journalism challenges and issues. I look forward to working with your organization following passage of the legislation.”

Stadelman, a former TV anchor-reporter at WTVO in Rockford, cited declines in ad revenue and circulation as causes for the loss of local journalists. In a news release, he said, “People deserve to know what’s happening in their communities, regardless of where they live.”

Illinois State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D – Rockford)

The task force (SB 134), if approved, would be required to send the findings from its study to the Governor JB Pritzker’s office and the General Assembly no later than Jan. 1, 2023. The legislation will go to the Senate floor for consideration.

You can read the INBA’s letter to Stadelman’s office below.

March 24, 2021

Senator Steve Stadelman, 34th District

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association, formed January 22, 1955, is one of the largest statewide broadcast news associations in the nation. The organization is made up of about 200 members from throughout Illinois and surrounding states. The goals of the organization are to preserve and protect the public’s right to know, to ensure the free flow of information, to provide scholarships and to exchange information among members.

Pursuant to Senate Bill 0134, we believe INBA should have a representative included on the Local Journalism Task Force if the legislature plans to involve itself in matters of journalism. We believe our presence would promote government transparency of process and give INBA an opportunity to provide insight about how local newsrooms work and what they need to succeed.

We will continue to advocate for a free press dedicated to serving the needs of people living in Illinois and request our presence in development of these recommendations in collaboration with other press entities in Illinois.

Sincerely,

Jenna Dooley, President, on behalf of the INBA Board

INBA Board Calls On U Of I To Change Policy

Administrator — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 15:33:00 +0000

The University of Illinois-Springfield recently told the public radio station, WUIS-FM, located on its campus that its reporters must report alleged sexual misconduct to the university's Title IX office, even if that means violating the confidentiality of a source.

The INBA Board of Directors sent a letter to the University of Illinois, asking them to change this policy. The letter is attached to this post, and the full text is below.

To the University of Illinois,

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association stands in solidarity with the journalists at NPR Illinois. We ask that you allow them to work independently and freely as journalists. We believe the journalists should be exempt from your policy requiring university employees to report instances of sexual assault or misconduct they’ve learned about to the school’s Title IX office.

As our attorney, Don Craven, pointed out in an article last week, the university’s counseling employees are exempt from this rule for a legitimate public purpose. Craven said, “We want people to be as comfortable as possible talking to them and for many of the same reasons, we want people to be as comfortable as possible talking to reporters in confidence.”

While your policy is intended to maintain safety on campus, a journalist’s job is to speak the truth, demand accountability, and give a voice to the voiceless. Victims of sexual assault or misconduct should expect to speak to journalists in confidence so journalists can accurately report on the effectiveness of safety systems in place.

In addition, the University of Illinois is a public university and holds the license for the public radio station. We hope the university would not hinder anyone’s choice to share their story with the public. By forcing journalists to adhere to your policy, you are taking away First Amendment rights not just from journalists, but from victims too. It should be the victim’s choice whether to share his or her story and journalists should be free to publicize those stories as they see fit.

The INBA requests that you provide exemptions for journalists in your policy. We thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association – Board of Directors

Josh Morgan, President

Brian Moline, Vice President

Tanya Koonce Williams, Treasurer

Rich Egger, Executive Secretary

Rachel Lippmann, Recording Secretary

Laura Trendle-Polus

Rick Koshko

Molly Jirasek

Ryan Denham

Mike Miletich

Margaret Larkin

Dana Vollmer

Sam Dunklau

H Wayne Wilson

University of Illinois_INBA.docx