SPJ launches show on BlogTalk Radio to aid new and renewing members

By Samantha Delgado
The Society of Professional Journalists has launched a new radio show on BlogTalk Radio, “Your SPJ Membership,” designed to reach out to new members.

SPJ plans on using BlogTalk Radio to help the 700 journalists who became members or who have renewed their membership within the past three months take advantage of all that the organization has to offer.
Holly Fisher, chair of the national membership committee, hosted the first show on Sept. 9. About 50 people have listened to it, which includes those who tuned in for the live show and others who went back to the archives, she said. Joe Skeel, executive director of SPJ, was the first guest. One member who called in asked how to start a chapter in her area.
“In addition to a number of our blogs, SPJ has really been committed to making the website a very reader-friendly and useful tool,” Fisher said on the show.
The show will be produced once a month and will feature different guests on each episode. The next one is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. EST. Each show will become a podcast.
“I’d like to get Hagit [Limor] to come on for the next one to get her plans as president,” Fisher said.
The marketing was focused solely on brand-new members, which is why the audience is small. SPJ plans to publicize to a wider audience and discuss different topics.
“We don’t want it to be the same thing every time,” she said.
According to Skeel, with only one show so far, there hasn’t been much feedback from members.
“We often operate under the saying, ‘No news is good news,’ ” Skeel said.
During the first show there were some technical difficulties with incoming phone calls.
“Once we work out the kinks, we plan to create different programs,” Skeel said. Ethics and tips for freelancers were a couple of his ideas for future shows.
“The possibilities are endless,” Skeel said.

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