The Committee of Concerned Journalists--"a consortium of reporters, editors, producers, publishers, owners and academics worried about the future of the profession" (gee, aren't we all a bit worried?)--recently announced that will split from their sister organization, the Project for Excellence in Journalism, in July 2006. (PEJ is a project of the Columbia University Graduate School for Journalism). CCJ will then join Washington D.C.'s Pew Research Center.

It's hard to figure what, if anything to make of this move, although the tone of the email announcement does hint that CCJ is eager to flap it's wings harder and louder than they could under PEJ.

Now, with the backing of Missouri and the hiring of an executive director, and the separation from the pure research work of PEJ, we are in a position for CCJ to do more, take more positions and expand beyond its current activities. We believe that the CCJ is stronger than it has ever been.

Full announcement after the jump...

December 22, 2005

Dear CCJ Members and Friends,

Earlier this fall, members of the Committee of Concerned Journalists' Steering Committee gathered in Washington, DC. As many of you know from other membership letters and announcements, the CCJ is in the midst of a significant period of change.

On July 1, 2006, CCJ will become independent from its sister organization, The Project for Excellence in Journalism. PEJ will be separating from Columbia University and joining the new Pew Research Center here in Washington, which will involve an expansion and a continuation of its activities beyond the original expectations. CCJ, meanwhile, will also be in a position now to also expand, focus and grow.

First, we are pleased to report that the Knight Foundation this fall approved CCJ's application for a three-year $2.28 million grant for the continued funding of the Traveling Curriculum. The Knight grant was in response to a joint application of CCJ and the Missouri School of Journalism. This marks the first step in the CCJ's new relationship with the University of Missouri. Starting in July 2006, the CCJ will become affiliated with the Missouri School of Journalism's new Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. (We will continue to operate from Washington, D.C., and will share space with the Washington offices of the Missouri School of Journalism.) The University will also contribute funding toward the operations of the CCJ, including the funding of a position for a new executive director and an assistant to the director. The executive director, who has not yet been named, will also occupy the Missouri School of Journalism's Goldenson Chair in Community Broadcasting.

We are enormously optimistic about this new and stronger relationship
developing with Missouri and believe it can potentially lead to some great collaborative work.

Still, here is much work that remains to be done. First we will begin a search for an experienced print journalist to assume full direction of the Traveling Curriculum's print training program. This person will operate in much the same way that our broadcast training coordinator Wally Dean, (whom some of you have met and worked with) is involved in every aspect of the broadcast training.

Second, we will also begin the process of hiring an Executive Director for the CCJ who will assume responsibility for the CCJ's daily operations. Both Bill and Tom will retain their positions as chair and vice-chair of the CCJ, but Tom's position with PEJ makes continuing his role of administrating CCJ impossible.

CCJ will be developing a new website. Our goal is to create a design that expands and focuses on the activities of CCJ but allows visitors to quickly and easily access and navigate research done by PEJ.

So much has been accomplished in the last eight years. We have founded the committee, identified the elements of journalism, codified this research in a book, established these ideas into journalism education and developed a training program in newsrooms for journalists to talk about core responsibilities and principles, not just cutbacks and profits. Now, with the backing of Missouri and the hiring of an executive director, and the separation from the pure research work of PEJ, we are in a position for CCJ to do more, take more positions and expand beyond its current activities. We
believe that the CCJ is stronger than it has ever been.

In many and obvious ways journalism is in no less jeopardy than when the original members of the Steering Committee first met at Harvard in 1997. We've done work we hope has been useful, and the time we've spent in newsrooms has shown us how many people around the country are committing great journalism. We want to honor that good work and those dedicated individuals by crafting a future for the CCJ that will be a strong advocate, a thoughtful teacher and a conscientious voice. For that to be realized, we need your help and insight. We have an opportunity, with the hiring of new staff, to renew
and expand the vision of CCJ. In that connection we want to canvass members for their ideas.

What other things would you like CCJ to be doing? What role would you, as a member, like to have in CCJ? What information, guidance or advice can we offer? What problems do you want CCJ to focus on?

We are in an exciting time and we are currently engaged in blue-sky
conversations and brainstorming sessions with a number of folks. We want to be certain your voices are part of that dialogue. Your thoughts and ideas can be sent to Tom Avila at the CCJ offices at *******@journalism.org. Please be sure to include your name, position or job description and affiliation if applicable.

Thanks for your time and attention and best to all of you during this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Bill Kovach
Tom Rosenstiel