By BILL BRADLEY
Nashville Tennessean

The APSE's Writers Liaisons Committee has a different look: Seven new editors have joined the group overseeing eight writers groups.

New to the committee are Mike Anastasi of the Salt Lake Tribune (who will oversee two groups); Jim Barger, Las Vegas Sun; Chris D'Amico, Newark Star-Ledger; Jim Jenks, Philadelphia Inquirer; Mike Persinger, Charlotte Observer; Mike Sherman, Daily Oklahoman; and Bob Yates, Dallas Morning News.

The Writers Committee works with groups, like the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Pro Football Writers Association, to monitor such issues as access and ethics. In recent years, the group has worked with the baseball writers to help them make decisions about sponsorships and convinced the hockey writers to stop taking a stipend from the NHL for voting on awards.

The Writers Committee will offer updated information on all of the groups it monitors in the next edition.

APSE members looking to join this committee are asked to contact Bill Bradley (bbradley@tennessean.com). We are planning on cycling new members into the group each year.

Outdoors writers splitting?

Politics could be the ax that splits the Outdoors Writers Association of America.

The newspaper journalists from the group are considering creating their own writers association. A recent clash stemming from a special-interest group's statements has caused the newspaper members of the group, who are a distinct minority yet influential because of the circulation and credibility that they represent, to wonder whether continued membership best serves their needs.

OWAA encompasses newspaper journalists, but magazine writers, book authors, public relations representatives, website owners and editors and government employees who write about the outdoors.

OWAA conventions have been a gathering for the field and stream industry as much as a meeting of journalists. New products are regularly exhibited and various companies represented; whereas media companies sponsor events at APSE conventions, interest groups sponsor banquets for this group. Newspaper writers typically find the conventions helpful because of the confluence of sources that are present.

At the group's convention this year, a representative from the National Rifle Association, a supporting member of the OWAA, used a speaking forum to criticize the Sierra Club, another supporting member. OWAA's board of directors in turn wrote a critical letter to the NRA, essentially saying that an OWAA event is not the place to present political views.

However, that touched off a firestorm within the membership. Many accused board members of playing politics of their own, accusing them of being anti-gun or anti-NRA. A large number of members, and several dissenting board members, resigned in protest.

Newspaper journalists fell on both sides of the issue, with some ultimately wondering if now wasn't the time for them to form their own group that operated more strictly within the confines of our own ethics.

Michael Anastasi of the Salt Lake Tribune, the group's liaison, said: "This is relevant to sports editors because a lot of our outdoors writers belong to this organization. We should be asking ourselves, what kind of organization is it? Should we allow our people to belong?

"The way some outdoors journalists see it, if NRA wants to make a jackass of itself, then that's good copy for us. Others feel strongly that this should be a writers' group focused on writing issues and devoid of outside politics."