• by Ray Schultz , October 1, 2023

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is working to get its house in order in the face of a projected budget deficit. 

Jennifer Royer, interim executive director of the SPJ, said the board should “explore the idea of moving headquarters functions to an association management company,” in a memo sent last week. 

Royer also suggested that plans for the 2024 convention in Indianapolis could be revisited. 

Numerous high-level staffers have left the organization in the past year.

While acknowledging that SPJ has made “many difficult but necessary cuts in expenses this year to try to offset the loss of revenue,” Royer decried “complaining about what’s wrong and being pessimistic about SPJ’s future.”

Royer added, “We are all on the same team. Until we act like it and stop being so critical and skeptical of the people in our own organization, we will never make the strides that I know every single one of us wants to see for this Society.”