In support of Russell Contreras and all NAHJ members

Hey NAHJers --

It's 11:16 pm on Wednesday. I just got home from work, where I spent a very long day writing about the most contentious subject on my energy beat: Cape Wind, a proposed offshore wind project that plenty of people have an opinion about. Not only did I go around and around with sources -- who disagree vehemently -- I then worked with several editors to make sure that each viewpoint was represented fairly, accurately, and in the full context of the overall situation.

That's the kind of balance we strive for as professional journalists -- and something we need to strive for as members of NAHJ.

I say this after receiving and email this afternoon from one NAHJ member, who has taken exception to comments made by Russell Contreras, who I am publicly supporting in his bid for financial officer. This member disputed Russell's perception that tension still exists between members of CCNMA and NAHJ, and essentially accused Russell of bringing up bad blood to further his campaign, as well as the campaign of Hugo Balta, who is running for NAHJ president.

I'm not here to tell you who is right. I am here to remind you that there are always several sides to a story. You know this.

Some members agree with Russell and believe there are still old tensions lingering that NAHJ would do well to address. Others believe we have long moved past the issue. Wherever you stand, try to be respectful of one another as we get our viewpoints across.

I can tell you this: Russell is not only a dedicated journalist with a strong commitment to NAHJ, he's a trusted friend. And I think I can safely say that I, Russell, and anyone else running for office welcome comments from other members about our campaigns, the issues we need to focus on, and where our organization should be headed.

Respectfully
-- Erin

Random stuff

For one member's thoughts on who to vote for, click here. Thanks for the support @webjournalist.

This Globe Magazine story, The bright side of wrong, caught my eye and got me thinking about corrections ... and trying not to kick myself in the butt too hard the next time I have one.

And The Onion, on the Globe (because if I can't laugh at my own situation ...)

Just got back from the Gulf

Ok, so I've been totally remiss in posting to this blog. My excuse is that I just got back from working 16-hour days covering the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Being out there brought home to me, once again, how important networking is -- among our sources and ourselves. While out in the field, I continually bumped into people who lived near me in Boston ... instant bond, instant story. And at a hearing in Chalmette, La. where Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey -- one of my regular go-to people -- was present, I found myself sitting next to a college friend, who now reports for the Times-Picayune.

This happened to me during Katrina, too, when I was reporting on the hurricane for the Orlando Senintel. A college friend who works in Mobile helped hook me up with sources who took me out on rescue missions right after the storm, and I continually bumped into people from Florida who were happy to see a face from home.

Without that network, that support, I wouldn't have gotten the stories I did.

That said, I know you've all been getting messages NAHJ about attending the conference in Denver. I encourage you to go. It's important. Convention is where I find myself getting rejuvenated about my job. Maybe it's all the seminars and ideas that come from them, maybe it's getting a few days away from the office and seeing old friends. Maybe its all the swag I snag in the expo hall ... it's definitely about meeting new people and keeping our organization strong.

I know finances are a consideration, but think of convention as an investment in yourself and your work.

I hope to see you there.

Lights, camera ...

This is the fabulous campaign video that Russell Contreras put together. The backdrop is the arch at the Boston Harbor Hotel.

Daily Grind

I wrote six dailies last week. One of those stories -- a folo to a page one piece I did on Toyotas -- had me and a few television reporters hanging out at a salvage yard for nearly eight hours, waiting for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration inspectors to come out and talk.

We were there so long that we bonded a bit, and the chatter eventually turned to the workloads we'd each been handling at our respective news outlets. All around, things are not good. No matter who I talked to, the story was the same: With fewer journalists in each newsroom, the remaining reporters are all handling more breaking news and dailies outside their beats, while project stories -- weekenders, longer page one offerings -- are falling by the wayside. Even when an important story pops up, it sometimes gets short shrift because of other duties.

Not that I like taking work home all the time, but I've often found myself editing video on weekends, driving out to interviews on my off hours ... just so a story gets the proper attention. For an example, check out that story I did on the fatal Toyota crashes in New England that some suspect are a result of sudden unintended acceleration.

So, I'll say up front that I'm still trying to figure out how to balance increasing reporting responsibilities with good journalism. What I do know is this: I can offer the multimedia bells and whistles on a story because of the skills that I've learned through NAHJ. I wouldn't know how to capture and edit audio and video if it wasn't for the lessons I got from NAHJ members Russell Contreras and Sara Fajardo, and the refresher courses I've received through regional training sessions such as the one that NAHJ Boston hosted recently.

This is the kind of training and support that we need to make sure all our members get, even if it's not in a formal setting. Look around your newsroom. Who has skills that you'd like to learn? Ask them to sit down with you. And offer to share what you know with others. That's how I learned to dig into public records. If you ask, I'll pass along that knowledge ...

We've all got more job responsibilities. Knowing where to look for help is the first step to getting a job done well and done quickly.

Welcome

Thanks for visiting! If you've found your way here, you already know I'm campaigning for NAHJ Secretary. Why? My candidate statement, if you haven't seen it, might shed some light:

When I joined the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 2001, I was a journalism student at Northwestern University looking to build the professional network that would help me get the real-world experience necessary to land a job outside of college. After nine years as an NAHJ member, I've reaped the benefits our organization offers -- from job-training at conventions to an ever-growing list of mentors and friends. NAHJ contacts have helped me get into most of the newsrooms I've worked in, first at the Los Angeles Times, then the Orlando Sentinel, and now at the Boston Globe.

My campaign for secretary is about supporting NAHJ as it has supported me, and ensuring that the opportunities and resources it offers evolve in the best way possible to help our members, while also protecting diversity within our media outlets. Our industry, as everyone realizes, is changing rapidly as our newsroom learn to work with smaller budgets, shrinking staffs, larger workloads. Now is when we need NAHJ the most. And we need the right people at its helm, working to make it a better resource for all of us.

If elected secretary, I know I can help guide the organization in that direction. The group already does much, through its work with the Parity Project, and our annual and regional conferences. But we can always do better.

As secretary, I would be your liaison to the executive board, not just taking notes at meetings, but keeping you informed about NAHJ's dealings and listening to your feedback. My immediate goals would be to improve online access to NAHJ records, including meeting minutes and budgets, and to start a dialogue with members so that you can tell the executive board what you think of the job it's doing. In the long run, I hope to help NAHJ streamline its finances so that more money can be used for scholarships and fellowships, monetary aid for members wanting to attend job-training sessions, and the like; expand the skills workshops the group offers so that they are more frequent and accessible to our members in all regions; and to get more members involved in sharing their expertise with fellow journalists.

I don't have all the answers, but I know -- with your help -- we can figure them out together.

As you consider who to vote for in this election, I hope you'll throw your support my way. In the coming days, I hope you'll take the time to learn more about me, ask me questions and tell me what you'd like to see out of your NAHJ secretary and the executive board. For more info, check out Erin Ailworth for NAHJ Secretary on Facebook, as well as NAHJ Vote for Your 2010 Board.