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This is Part III of an ongoing occasional series on book banning in Iowa and across the country.
A few weeks ago, Sam Helmick, the president of the Iowa Library Association and the Community and Access Services Coordinator with the Iowa City Public Library, described the current pattern of censorship in America. It starts with laws like Iowa’s Senate File 496, known to supporters as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” and to detractors as Iowa’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, which limits access to books and ideas inside of public schools. Let’s call that Stage 1.
Stage 2: The limits start to move beyond the schoolyard. "After K-12 has been taken care of, it will move into the public space, to public libraries, and that has a more chilling censorship aspect,” Helmick says.
That’s now starting to happen. Pella, a town mostly known for tulips, windows, and tasty treats, is now wading into the censorship business. Back in late 2021, a parent filed an “Expression of Concern” with the Pella Public Library about Maia Kobabe’s graphic novel Gender Queer. An autobiographical book, it charts Kobabe’s journey to accept themselves and was intended to explain to family and friends what it means to be nonbinary. It’s caused a stir in conservative circles both because it features panels that show sexually graphic material and because it sports positive representations of queer characters. The New York Times labeled it the Most Banned Book in America.
Some parents in Pella wanted in on that action. At a Dec. 14, 2021, public meeting of the Library Board of Trustees, 27 people spoke both for and against the book. Some called it pornography. Others worried kids would see the book. Still others said it should stay right where it was, shelved with other adult graphic novels. In the end, the library board voted unanimously to retain the book.
Now some who opposed the book want to limit the power of the Library Board of Trustees, instead giving more control to the Pella City Council. The council already approves the library’s budget and appoints the members of the library board, but the board itself has sole control over library decisions. They hire. They fire. They decide how to spend their allocated money. And they rule on all Expressions of Concern.
A new referendum that will appear on ballots in November would strip all those powers from the library board. Instead, the board would act solely as advisors to the city council, who would instead make all decisions regarding the library and what it contains.
Proponents say this isn’t censorship. The group Protect My Innocence claims on its website that voting yes for the referendum is just a way to “create a safe place for minors to explore materials in their section of the library without running across pornographic and sexually explicit materials that have been proven to be harmful to their social and mental stability.” The webpage goes on to explain the shock people felt when an “UNELECTED board” voted to keep the book. Voting yes is the only way to “restore common sense to the library.”
Of course, it’s not. It’s just another step in limiting ideas—the very thing journalists traffic in.
“They wouldn’t come after local journalism and public libraries if they didn’t see both as having the power to spread new ideas and providing spaces for intellectual discovery,” Helmick says.
There is a group working to counter Protect My Innocence. Vote No to Save Our Library is trying to rally Pella citizens to the cause of inclusion and openness, and that a self-governing library board is the best way to ensure everyone in Pella feels welcome, not just those that speak loudest. JMM hopes the group can stop Pella from endorsing censorship, and as a result, keep Iowa from officially entering Stage 2. We’ll have to wait until Nov. 7 to find out which group wins.
Now on with the memo.
Sensitivity Training
Journalists often cover tragedy. It’s part of the job. Whether it’s covering local crime or international war, we often must speak with victims of trauma soon after those events unfold. The Society of Professional Journalists wants to teach you how to navigate those difficult situations. Speaker Tamara Cherry has 15 years of experience covering difficult stories for various Toronto news outlets including both the Star and the Sun. She’ll discuss ways to get essential information while honoring the struggles people are going through. The free webinar is Thurs., Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. You can register here.
Pro Tip
Job and internship hunting can be slow and painful. You hear no way more than yes. And disappointment is just a part of the process. Which makes Rhema Thompson Bland’s tip on LinkedIn so brilliant. The Deputy Director of News Talent Acquisition & Development for McClatchy, Bland says you shouldn’t ask for a job, but ask for advice.
“By reaching out for advice, you've created an association that now goes beyond just a name on a resume—among a mountain of resumes that also have names—AND you've created several pathways to continuing a conversation,” she writes.
JMM can get behind this sentiment. Asking for a 15-minute “informational interview” focused on scoring some career advice or insight on another person’s success can create a long-term connection that could impact your career in big and small ways. And even if it doesn’t, you’ll probably learn something along the way.
JMM’s pro tip: Send everyone who agrees to meet with you a $5 electronic Starbucks gift card. It’s an easy way to buy even distance folks a cup of coffee as a way of recognizing the time they are giving you.
Newsroom AI
As a news organization, the Associated Press has definitely snuggled up to AI. The organization signed a deal to license its content to ChatGPT maker OpenAI back in July to help train its algorithm. And the AP has also supported reporters like Aimee Rinehart and Ernest Kung as they’ve dug into what AI can do for journalists—besides replace them, of course. But their Oct. 26 webinar will explore five AI innovations other newsrooms have hit upon. The 11 a.m. session is free to all. Register here.
The Rehash (Internship and Scholarship Edition)
• The Wall Street Journal 2024 summer internships. Multiple roles are on offer in New York City. Apply by Oct. 23.
• Bloomberg 2024 News Internships. This is a 10-week program based in Arlington, Virginia. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31.
• The Open Notebook is looking for an early career science journalist for a 10-month fellowship running from March 2024-January 2025. The part-time remote position comes with a $6,000 stipend. The deadline is Oct. 31.
• The Minneapolis Star Tribune Summer Internship Program has advertising, design, features reporting, and more for Summer 2024. Applications are due Nov. 1.
• The Seattle Times 2024 Summer Internships program has multiple roles open. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1.
• The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., is looking for multiple summer interns. You’ll work 10 weeks over the summer and pay is $600 a week. Deadline is Nov. 3.
• Dow Jones News Fund summer internship application is due Nov. 16.
• The Houston Chronicle has multiple summer internships available, including reporting and photojournalist positions. Deadline for applications is Nov. 22.
Wanna Air Some Dirty Laundry?
Do you have some essential info or did you receive a Hearst Spotlight Award like Cosmo social media editor Maddie Hiatt (Mags, GD, ’18)? If so, send it on over to jeff.inman@drake.edu. JMM will treat it like this job post as the host of “Morning Edition” on Iowa Public Radio and tell everyone about it—after JMM applies first, of course.
Finally, let’s manifest it!