Benefits and Resources
Take a tour through some of the many benefits you’ll receive upon joining the Deadline Club.
Journalist's Toolbox
SPJ’s Journalist’s Toolbox is a free resource for start-up newsrooms, legacy and local media, freelancers, entrepreneurs, educators and student media. Reporters new to a beat use the pages, organized much like a newsroom, to get up-to-speed on their coverage and sourcing. Toolbox content has a Creative Commons license, and educators are encouraged to share Toolbox resources, videos, newsletters, etc. in class and in course materials.
Freedom of Information
SPJ's Freedom of Information Committee is the watchdog of the nation's press freedoms. It relies upon a network of state volunteers organized under Project Sunshine. These SPJ members are on the front lines defending assaults to the First Amendment and when lawmakers attempt to restrict the public's access to documents and the government's business. The committee often is called upon to intervene in instances where the media is restricted.
Legal Defense Fund
The Society's Legal Defense Fund is a unique account that can be tapped for providing journalists with legal or direct financial assistance. Application to the fund is approved by either a small committee or the national board, depending on the level of assistance sought. The committee works throughout the year raising funds for LDF.
Helping Hand Fund
The Deadline Club launched its own Helping Hand Fund, a small grant program giving $250 to journalists who have faced financial hardships. We've partnered with the New York chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and National Association of Black Journalists to offer these grants to their New York-based members.
Salmagundi Club
Deadline Club members get exclusive access to Salmagundi Club, a members-only art club in New York City’s Greenwich Village, just blocks away from Washington Square Park at 47 Fifth Avenue. This historic club includes fine art exhibitions, a billiard hall, an exquisite restaurant and bar, and art demonstrations, lectures and events throughout the year. It is truly an oasis and wonderful gathering place with friends or colleagues.
Ethics
SPJ's Ethics Committee encourages the use of the Society's Code of Ethics, which promotes the highest professional standards for journalists of all disciplines. Public concerns are often answered by this committee. It also acts as a spotter for reporting trends in the nation, accumulating case studies of jobs well done under trying circumstances.
Diversity
On all levels, SPJ provides an open forum to discuss diversity issues in journalism. The Diversity Committee's purpose is to promote a broader voice in newsrooms across the country and expand the depth and quality of news reports. Use the SPJ Race and Gender Hotline when questions arise, review guidelines for countering profiling, and find resources for covering diversity in the classroom.
Training
Ready to raise your game and take your career to new places? Let SPJ help with its selection of training programs and workshops. Check out upcoming training on the training calendar, watch past webinars, take part in the #Press4Education program, or learn more about our partnerships with the Google News Initiative and Facebook Journalism Project, and more here.
Freelance Community
The Freelance Community is SPJ’s largest and most active community, with events and programs throughout the year and nearly 150 members. We offer tools and resources to help freelance journalists be better at what they do. Look for freelance opportunities, pitching resources, and guides on the business of freelance, contracts, and beginning your freelance journey here.
SPJ
- Deeply discounted tickets to its annual national Excellence in Journalism Conference and Regional Conferences and seminars, as well as its national Sigma Delta Chi Awards and Mark of Excellence Awards ceremonies for journalists and students, respectively, and discounts on awards entry fees.
- Discounts on hotel stays, auto rentals, health auto and insurance, and office supplies, as well as discounted access to the AP Stylebook and LexisNexis. Members can post their resumes on its online Freelancer Directory, and can receive emailed job postings, as well as the Society’s hot-topic-filled quarterly Quill magazine.
Deadline Club
- Free or reduced admission to talks, workshops and mixers, where you’ll make great contacts with peers and mentors. Our guest list includes several thousand newspaper, magazine, radio, TV, and online journalists. Special events offer the chance to learn skills and find opportunities.
- Discounted tickets to the Club’s prestigious annual spring Awards Ceremony, which features prominent journalists as keynote speakers, honors New York area Contest winners and finalists for their outstanding work, and grants journalism scholarships. Plus: discounted entry to the biennial Hall of Fame Luncheon honoring VIP journalists for their lifetime achievements.