Society of Professional Journalists

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is a United States professional association for journalists and one of the oldest continuing organizations devoted to the journalism profession. It was founded on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, originally as Sigma Delta Chi, a men's collegiate professional fraternity. The organization later evolved from a student-centered fraternity into a professional society serving journalists across the country. Its headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana. SPJ's central mission is built around three related goals: defending the First Amendment and freedom of the press, promoting high standards and ethical conduct in journalism, and supporting diversity and opportunity within the profession. In practice, the organization combines advocacy, professional education, local chapter activity, journalism recognition, ethics guidance, and legal assistance. Its work is directed both toward journalists and toward the broader public interest in access to reliable information and accountable government. The association expanded rapidly after its creation. By 1910 it had established additional chapters at the University of Kansas, the University of Michigan, the University of Denver, and the University of Virginia. During its fraternity era, it developed a national chapter structure governed by an executive council and elected officers. By 1929, it had initiated thousands of members through dozens of college chapters. The organization continued to operate as a fraternity until 1960, when it became a professional society for journalists. It began admitting women following a decision at its 1969 San Diego convention. The name changed in stages. In 1973, the organization adopted the form Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi, and in 1988 it adopted the shorter Society of Professional Journalists name used today. The historic Sigma Delta Chi identity remains relevant to the association's awards, records, symbols, and institutional history. Its long-running publication, Quill, and the Sigma Delta Chi Awards connect the current organization with that earlier tradition. SPJ's best-known professional resource is its Code of Ethics, which was last revised in 2014 according to the referenced material. The code is intended as a framework for journalistic decision-making rather than a legal code, emphasizing truth-seeking, minimizing harm, independence, and accountability. The organization also operates or supports initiatives concerning public-records access and First Amendment litigation. Its Legal Defense Fund has supported court battles involving press rights, while Project Sunshine has promoted public and journalistic access to government records. The society's chapters provide local training, educational programs, professional networking, and awards. It has historically maintained a large chapter network, reportedly reaching as many as 300 chapters across the United States. Membership includes undergraduate, professional, and alumni categories. Referenced material indicates that membership had fallen from a peak of roughly 10,000 to more than 4,000 by 2023, in a period marked by contraction in the U.S. journalism workforce and financial pressure on the organization. The association was reportedly unable to afford a conference in 2024. These conditions illustrate the broader challenges facing professional journalism organizations, although SPJ remains active in advocacy, ethics, education, and recognition of journalistic work.

The Society of Professional Journalists began on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. It was established as Sigma Delta Chi, a men's collegiate professional fraternity. The organization's charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn, and its ten founding members were Gilbert C. Clippinger, Charles A. Fisher, William M. Glenn, H. Hedges, L. Aldis Hutchens, Edward H. Lockwood, LeRoy H. Millikan, Eugene C. Pulliam, Paul M. Riddick, and Lawrence H. Sloan. Its original purpose was to create a structured association for students preparing for careers in journalism and related professional work. The fraternity expanded beyond DePauw soon after its formation. In 1910, it established chapters at the University of Kansas, the University of Michigan, the University of Denver, and the University of Virginia. During the following decades, Sigma Delta Chi developed a national system of college chapters and annual delegate conventions. By 1929, the organization had initiated 5,821 members and had 53 college chapters, of which 44 remained active. Governance was conducted through an executive council made up of national officers elected at the annual convention. Sigma Delta Chi retained its fraternity structure until 1960, when it converted into a professional society for journalists. The change reflected the organization's growing relationship with working journalists and the broader professionalization of journalism associations in the United States. At that time, professional membership was by invitation and the society was still organized as a nonprofit voluntary association for men. By 1963, it had recorded more than 24,200 initiated members, 79 active college chapters, and 16 inactive chapters. A major membership policy change came at the 1969 convention in San Diego, when the organization decided to admit women. The change broadened participation and helped align the society with the changing composition of journalism education and the newsroom. In 1973, the organization began using the name Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi. In 1988, it adopted the present name, Society of Professional Journalists, while preserving Sigma Delta Chi as an important part of its historical identity. SPJ's modern mission centers on protecting the First Amendment guarantees of speech and press, encouraging ethical and professional journalism, and promoting diversity in the field. Its chapters provide educational events and opportunities for contact among journalists and media professionals. National initiatives have included a Legal Defense Fund for litigation involving press freedoms and Project Sunshine, which advocates improved access to government records for journalists and the public. The association also publishes Quill and administers awards recognizing journalism and First Amendment advocacy. The SPJ Code of Ethics has become one of the organization's most visible contributions. Revised in 2014, it offers principles intended to guide reporting, verification, independence, harm reduction, and accountability. SPJ's awards activity has included the Sigma Delta Chi Awards, the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award, the Green Eyeshade Awards, and the Sunshine State Awards. It also created the Kunkel Awards for video-game journalism in 2015, responding in part to concerns associated with the Gamergate controversy; those awards were folded into the Mark of Excellence Awards in 2020. The Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement, presented from 2000 through 2010, was discontinued in 2011 after controversy surrounding statements made by its namesake. The organization has faced the same structural pressures affecting many journalism institutions. Its chapter network once reached approximately 300 chapters, while referenced material reports membership of more than 4,000 in 2023, down from a peak of around 10,000. The decline has been associated with reductions in the U.S. journalism workforce and SPJ's own financial constraints. The reported inability to afford a conference in 2024 underscores those difficulties. Despite these pressures, SPJ continues to function as a national professional association devoted to press freedom, journalism ethics, professional education, and public access to information.

• 2020

  Kunkel Awards folded into Mark of Excellence Awards

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  The dedicated video-game journalism awards are incorporated into the Mark of Excellence Awards.

• 2015

  Kunkel Awards launched

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  SPJ establishes awards for video-game journalism, named for journalist Bill Kunkel.

• 2014

  SPJ Code of Ethics is last revised

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  The association's widely used journalism ethics code receives its latest revision identified in the referenced material.

• 1988

  Adopts its current name

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization formally adopts Society of Professional Journalists.

• 1973

  Adopts the Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi name

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization introduces a name combining its professional identity with its historic fraternity name.

• 1969

  Women admitted to the society

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  Delegates at the San Diego convention approve the admission of women.

• 1960

  Becomes a professional society

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization ends its formal fraternity era and reorganizes as a professional society for journalists.

• 1929

  National fraternity network reaches thousands of members

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  Sigma Delta Chi is reported to have initiated 5,821 members through 53 college chapters, with 44 chapters active.

• 1910

  First expansion beyond DePauw

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  Chapters are established at the University of Kansas, the University of Michigan, the University of Denver, and the University of Virginia.

• 1909

  Sigma Delta Chi is founded

  [1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization is established on April 17 at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, as a men's collegiate professional fraternity.

A national professional association and press-freedom advocate focused on journalism ethics, First Amendment rights, professional development, public-records access, and recognition of journalistic excellence.

• Ethics framework

  SPJ Code of Ethics

  SPJ's principal ethics resource provides journalists with a framework for reporting and editorial decision-making. It addresses core professional concerns including seeking truth, minimizing harm, maintaining independence, and being accountable. The code is intended to guide conduct and judgment rather than replace newsroom policies, law, or individual responsibility. The referenced material identifies 2014 as the date of its latest revision.

• Legal advocacy

  Legal Defense Fund

  The Legal Defense Fund supports court battles involving First Amendment rights and press freedom. It represents SPJ's legal-advocacy role in protecting the ability of journalists to gather and publish information, while also reinforcing the broader public interest in a free press.

• Public-records advocacy

  Project Sunshine

  Project Sunshine is an SPJ initiative focused on improving journalists' and citizens' ability to obtain government records. It connects the association's press-freedom mission with transparency and open-government concerns, emphasizing access to information needed for reporting and public oversight.

• Journalism publication

  Quill

  Quill is SPJ's publication and a continuing link to the organization's Sigma Delta Chi heritage. It serves the professional journalism community through coverage and discussion connected with journalism practice, ethics, press rights, and the work of the association.

• Journalism awards

  Sigma Delta Chi Awards

  The Sigma Delta Chi Awards recognize excellence in journalism across professional categories. They are among SPJ's principal recognition programs and preserve the name of the organization's founding identity while serving contemporary journalists and media organizations.

• Press-freedom award

  Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award

  This annual award honors a person or group judged to have defended and preserved one or more rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. It is named for publisher Eugene S. Pulliam and reflects SPJ's emphasis on press freedom and constitutional protections.

• Regional journalism awards

  Green Eyeshade Awards

  The Green Eyeshade Awards recognize journalists in a broad group of southeastern U.S. jurisdictions, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia.

• Regional journalism awards

  Sunshine State Awards

  The Sunshine State Awards recognize journalism in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They extend SPJ's awards activity through regional recognition of journalistic work.

• 2015

  Kunkel Awards launched amid Gamergate-related concerns

  SPJ introduced the Kunkel Awards for video-game journalism in a context shaped by concerns associated with the Gamergate controversy. The awards were later incorporated into the Mark of Excellence Awards in 2020.

  Source

• 2011

  Helen Thomas Award discontinued

  SPJ discontinued its Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2011 following controversy over statements by the award's namesake concerning Israeli Jews and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The award had been presented from 2000 through 2010, with Thomas receiving the inaugural award.

  Source

Read more

• Project Sunshine

  United States

  An advocacy initiative intended to improve access to government records for journalists and the public.

  Outcome. The initiative became one of SPJ's named programs supporting transparency and public access to information.

  Source
• First Amendment legal advocacy

  United States

  Through its Legal Defense Fund, SPJ supports litigation intended to protect press freedom and other First Amendment rights.

  Outcome. The fund provides an institutional mechanism for SPJ to participate in court battles affecting journalists and the press.

  Source

• 2020

  Folds Kunkel Awards into Mark of Excellence AwardsGeneration change

  Background

  SPJ had operated a dedicated recognition program for video-game journalism since 2015.

  Action taken

  The Kunkel Awards were incorporated into the broader Mark of Excellence Awards.

  Aftermath

  Video-game journalism recognition continued within a consolidated awards structure rather than as a separate program.

  Source

• 2015

  Launches Kunkel Awards for video-game journalismProduct launch

  Background

  The initiative was developed in response to concerns connected with the Gamergate controversy and the treatment of video-game journalism.

  Action taken

  SPJ created awards named for pioneering video-game journalist Bill Kunkel.

  Aftermath

  The dedicated awards were later folded into the Mark of Excellence Awards in 2020.

  Source

• 1988

  Adopts the Society of Professional Journalists nameStrategy

  Background

  The association's professional-journalism role had become more central than its earlier fraternity structure.

  Action taken

  The organization adopted Society of Professional Journalists as its present name.

  Aftermath

  The current name emphasizes its national professional-association identity while Sigma Delta Chi remains part of its historical and awards heritage.

  Source

• 1973

  Introduces a professional name alongside Sigma Delta ChiStrategy

  Background

  The organization had become a professional society while retaining a strong historical connection to its fraternity identity.

  Action taken

  It adopted the name Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi.

  Aftermath

  The dual name connected the newer professional mission with the organization's founding tradition until the shorter current name was adopted.

  Source

• 1969

  Decision to admit womenStrategy

  Background

  The society's membership structure had historically been limited to men.

  Action taken

  Delegates at the San Diego convention voted to begin admitting women.

  Aftermath

  The policy broadened participation and aligned the organization more closely with the changing journalism profession.

  Source

• 1960

  Transition from fraternity to professional societyStrategy

  Background

  Sigma Delta Chi had originally operated as a collegiate professional fraternity, but its membership and mission had expanded beyond a purely fraternity-based model.

  Action taken

  The organization reorganized as a professional society for journalists.

  Aftermath

  The change established the organizational form that eventually became the modern Society of Professional Journalists.

  Source

• 2025

  The State News receives the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award[1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The State News of Michigan State University was identified in the referenced material as the recipient of the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award in September 2025, after no recipient had been announced for the preceding four years.

• 2024

  SPJ reportedly unable to afford a conference[1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The referenced material states that the organization could not afford to hold a conference in 2024, an indication of the financial and membership pressures affecting the association.

• 2023

  SPJ membership reported to have declined to more than 4,000[1]Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Referenced material reports that SPJ membership had declined from a peak of about 10,000 members to more than 4,000, reflecting both the shrinking U.S. journalism workforce and organizational financial pressures.

1. 1Society of Professional Journalistsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Society of Professional Journalists official websitespj.org
3. 3Berkeleyside wins 3 journalism awards, including for food coverageberkeleyside.org
4. 4FactCheck.org Wins Third Sigma Delta Chi Award - FactCheck.orgfactcheck.org