Reinvention Committee Completes BlogTalkRadio Job Series

By Deirdre M. Childress, VP-Print, NABJ; Entertainment Editor, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The National Association of Black Journalists’ Reinvention Committee  and the Digital Journalism Task Force on Friday hosted the last of three BlogTalkRadio shows designed to help members in different phases in their career make the adjustment if the worst happens – losing your job.

The Friday session — Laid Off, Bought Out & Scared: Managing My Life and Finances — featured past NABJ President Sidmel Estes of BreakThrough Inc. and financial adviser Lee Jenkins,  president and CEO of the Lee Jenkins Financial Group.  The session discussed what you can do now to prepare for the worst, how you adjust to life without the office and offer Budgeting 101 tips.

The other two sessions available for playback include:

• In the Thick of My Career: Searching for the ‘New Me’, was a panel led by Neil Foote of Foote Communications and the University of North Texas, showed mid-career professionals how to revamp their skills and become more tech savvy. Panelists discussed what a journalist in the digital age must do to improve their skills, offered advice on creating a blog or website, outlined how to use the most popular digital media tools and how to use the power of your network and personal relationships.
• The Young & the Restless: Keeping Hope & Journalism Alive featured Jackie Jones of Jones Coaching. It targeted younger/early stage journalists struggling to find their first job or get a new job after getting laid off. Jones spoke with Vanessa C. Deggins, a reporter/ multimedia producer, about being laid off and finding that next opportunity. The session also offered basic tips and tools on networking and job search.

Reinvention 2011 Committee Members

Deirdre M. Childress, NABJ Vice President-Print – dchildress@phillynews.com

Sidmel Estes, Past NABJ President – sid@sidmelestes.com

Neil Foote, Past NABJ Region III Director – neil@neilfoote.com

Jackie Jones, Past Vice President-Print – jjones5647@aol.com

Aprill O. Turner, NABJ Associate Representative – aprilloturner@gmail.com

Benet J. Wilson, co-chair, Digital Journalism Task Force – benet@aviationqueen.com

Friday Fast Five + Five: The Job Search Edition

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

I was in the car on Sunday and the NPR show “Marketplace Money” was on.  Host Tess Vigland was talking about how an internship at Oregon Public Radio launched her journalism career.  That got me thinking that as our latest crop of students graduate, now was the time to pull out the job search items lurking in my Fast Five bookmark folder.  But these links can be used by anyone searching for a job.

And NABJ members can get a free resume review from me.  I’m tough, but fair.  It’s better to hear what issues there may be with your resume from me rather than wonder why no one is calling you for interviews.  I’m at regaviationqueen AT Yahoo DOT com.  Now, on with Fast Five!

1. Marketplace — More companies hiring interns
   
2. 10000 Words — 3 Reasons Why You Should Have an Infographic Resume
3. Mashable — 10 Creative Social Media Resumes To Learn From
4. GigaOm — Landing Your Dream Job in a Networked World
5. Lifehacker — Top 10 Ways to Rock Your Resumé
6. Mashable — You Can Now Convert Your Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page
7. New Grad Life — 22 Tips for Landing a Job On LinkedIn 
8. Mashable — HOW TO: Ask For an Online Recommendation
9. Position Ignition — 5 Tips in Using Social Media for Job Searches
10. SmartBlog on Social Media — Using enterprise 2.0 tools to ease into your new job

DJTF Offers Replay of NABJ Presidential Online Forum

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Last night, the Digital Journalism Task Force held an online forum for the candidates — VP Print Deirdre Childress, Treasurer Greg Lee, and Region II Director Charles Robinson — running for the presidency of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Our questioners were:

• Dr. Sybril Bennett, Associate Professor of the New Century Journalism Program at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., and Programming Chair for this year’s NABJ convention;
• Mike Green, Chief Information Officer and a co-founder of the Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative; he led award-winning online community engagement projects for the Dow Jones Local Media Group and is also a blogger at Huffington Post; and
• Mark S. Luckie, National Innovations Editor at the Washington Post, creator of the 10000 Words blog and author of The Digital Journalist’s Handbook.

We had a lively discussion on issues ranging from support for entrepreneurial journalism projects to expanding NABJ membership adapt to the new digital reality and the upcoming Online News Association’s annual convention this fall in Boston.

For those of you who could not attend the webinar is here.  Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, the last 20 minutes of the webinar were not recorded.  But there’s more than enough for NABJ members to get a full understanding of the candidates’ views on digital journalism.  Enjoy!

Calendar of Multimedia Training, Events & Fellowships

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Webbmedia Group has a great calendar of events that catches things not covered below.  If you want to subscribe to the calendar, click here.  You can also subscribe to this calendar so the information appears on your personal Google Calendar. Just go to the Webbmedia Google calendar, click the “+Google Calendar” icon at the bottom right, and then click “Yes, add this calendar” in the dialog box.)

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University has updated its calendar of free workshops and webinars through September.  And Media Bistro has its current course list available through July.

MAY

• Brand Camp ’11 – New York (Personal Branding 2.0 Conference) will be held Tuesday, May 24, 2011 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM at the Riverside Theatre in New York City.  Brand Camp is a gathering of national thought leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals. This year’s conference theme is ‘Awaking your Inner PRENEUR:  (Entrepreneurship + Intrapreneurship)’ and brings together the region’s best and brightest minds in new media, brand development and business development.
• The Eight Conference on Innovation Journalism and Communication will be held at the Stanford Center for Innovation and Communication at Stanford University, May 23-25, 2011.  The conference is a venue for researchers from many disciplines and institutions to present work and ideas relating to the interplay of journalism, communication and innovation ecosystems.  The fee to attend is $250.
• The International Women’s Media Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2011-12 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, named for the 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner and The Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003.  The deadline to apply for the fellowship is May 27, 2011.
• The Online News Association has opened applications for its new MJ Bear Fellowships, which identify and celebrate young digital journalists, working independently or for a company or organization, who have demonstrated — through professional experimentation, research or other projects — that they deserve support for their efforts and/or vision. Three fellows will be selected, two in the United States or Canada and one internationally. Fellows will earn: assignment of a personal ONA mentor for six months; registration, travel and accommodations for the 2011 Online News Association Conference & Awards Banquet (ONA11) in Boston, Sept. 22-24; recognition at the ONA11 conference; and membership in ONA, with one year’s dues paid in full.  Any working, digital journalist age 23-30 (as of Sept. 22, 2011), fluent in English, excluding full-time students, is eligible to apply.  The application and all materials must be received by Monday, May 30, 2011, 11:59 p.m. ET.
• The School of Communication at American University is now offering a new fellowship in partnership with The Washington Post.  A fellow will be offered full tuition, plus a $30,000 yearly stipend and the chance to work side-by-side with top journalists at The Washington Post. Applications will be considered through May 30, 2011, or until the best candidate is selected. Coursework begins August 1, 2011.  

JUNE

• The International Press Institute (IPI) contest is offering grants to advancing the future of news by funding new ways to digitally inform communities in Europe, Middle East and Africa. IPI is supporting projects from profit or non-profit organizations and individuals that revolve around online news that advances press freedom, the development of more sustainable business models and the training of journalists.  The application deadline is June 1.
• The International Women’s Media Foundation is offering an opportunity for two women entrepreneurs in the new media sector to join an upcoming class of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women in India. Through 10,000 Women, participants receive a world class education focused on helping entrepreneurs to think big and grow their businesses. Deadline for applications is June 1, 2011.
• Jumpstart your entrepreneurial journalism venture at Journalism That Matters Create or Die 2, June 2-5 at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Building on last year’s Create or Die in Detroit, join our design | build | pitch “mashup” to explore the role that journalism plays in communities taking responsibility for their own stories. Find out what happens when innovation and talent come together!
• Three North Carolina entrepreneurship incubators have pledged start-up packages to region-based companies that develop out of Journalism That Matters “Create or Die 2″ to be held in Greensboro, NC from June 2-5, 2011. The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship based in Greensboro, the Wake Forest University Babcock-Demon Incubator in Winston-Salem and the Center for Entrepreneurial Development in Durham have all pledged shared-office space, mentoring, networking and interns where possible to help launch the journalism start-ups from the gathering.
• Internet Week New York City is being held June 6-13.  Internet Week is a week-long festival of events celebrating New York’s thriving internet industry and community.
• Applications for this year’s Knight-Batten Awards are now open.  The contest is open to all news efforts originating between May 1, 2010, and June 6, 2011.  Entries need not be specific stories, but rather demonstrative of innovation and could consist of networked journalism projects, new social networking ideas, innovative citizen media initiatives, news games, creative use of mobile devices, data mining ideas, new online applications, augmented reality experiences, or other advances in interactive and participatory journalism or out-of-the-box thinking. Entries may also employ simple efforts that notably connect in new ways with a community.  Applications cost $50, and are due June 6.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a workshop June 8, the afternoon before the Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Conference June 9-12 in Orlando, Fla., entitled Investigating Private Companies and Nonprofits.  Find public documents on private companies and the basics of what you’ll find in those documents, including the pitfalls and understand the new Form 990 and the basics of nonprofits’ finances.
• The #140conf: NYC – Exploring “The State of NOW” will be held June 15-16 at the 92^nd Street Y.
• The (AR) Augmented Reality Summit conference will be held in London on June 16.  The event is designed to explore this new dynamic reality and provide delegates with the perfect opportunity to uncover Augmented Reality in full and explore the opportunity’s AR brings any brand or company.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is holding a free Webinar, “10 Tips for Turning National Stories into Great Local Ones,” June 21 at noon or 4:00 p.m. EDT.  Listeners will learn how to localize hot national stories.

JULY

• The Blogging While Brown conference will be held July 8-10 in Los Angeles.  The conference provides continuing technology education and networking opportunities to an audience primarily comprised of African American digital media content creators.
• Media Bistro is holding an online Entrepreneurial Journalism Boot Camp July 12-Aug. 30.  The camp features online entrepreneurs Rafat Ali (paidContent), Michelle Madhok (SheFinds Media), Laurel Touby (mediabistro.com), and many more. Learn what to consider when launching your start-up. Draft your business plan over eight weeks with the help of your peers. Participants will vote on the most viable business plans in the group and the winner will have the chance to hear feedback from entrepreneur and venture capitalist Larry Kramer (Polaris Ventures), who will also answer questions from the group. The cost is $399 if you register by June 14; after that, it’s $499.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is holding a free Webinar, “Unlocking Financial Statements,” July 18-22.  The weeklong online seminar covers income statements, balance sheets, cash flows and writing about numbers.

AUGUST

• The National Association of Black Journalists is holding its annual convention and career fair Aug. 3-7, 2011, in Philadelphia.  Professional journalists, students and educators will take part in full- and half-day seminars designed to strengthen and enhance their skills. Workshops throughout the five-day convention will highlight journalism ethics, entrepreneurship, specialized journalism and transitioning journalism skills to book publishing, screen writing and media relations.
• The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) will host a Student Mentorship and Training Program at its annual LGBT Media Summit & Convention Aug. 25 to 28 in Philadelphia. Each year, NLGJA chooses students from across the country to participate in its student project — providing real-world experience to undergraduate and graduate students who are considering a career in journalism. To apply, students simply fill out an application, attaching the requested items found on the NLGJA website, and return them to NLGJA by June 10.  If chosen, NLGJA will pay for the selected student’s convention attendance, airfare, food and hotel at the convention site.

SEPTEMBER

• The Online News Association will hold its annual Conference and Online Journalism Awards Banquet Sept. 22-24, 2011 in Boston.

NOVEMBER

• BlogWorld & New Media will be held Nov. 3-5 in Los Angeles.  The conference is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. The New Media Expo provides the only industry-wide new media marketplace for networking, online business and marketing resources, while the Social Media Business Summit is the world’s largest social media business conference where business owners, marketing executives and global brands learn strategies, tools and technologies to grow their businesses with social media. Register at blogworldexpo.com with the promo code MASH20 to save 20% off the ticket price!

If you have any items that I’ve missed, please drop me an email via the DJTF Yahoo! Listserv or at regaviationqueen AT yahoo DOT com.  Thanks!

Join DJTF For An NABJ Presidential Candidate Online Forum

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

On Monday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. EDT, the Digital Journalism Task Force will be holding an online forum for the candidates — VP Print Deirdre Childress, Treasurer Greg Lee, and Region II Director Charles Robinson — running for the presidency of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Digital journalism continues to quickly evolve and shape our industry, and we’re seeing an emphasis on all things digital at this year’s convention.  So the members of DJTF felt a forum to question the candidates on their knowledge on all things digital was in order.

I will moderate the event.  The monitor will be NABJ Elections Committee member and DJTF Treasurer Melanie Eversley of USA Today.  We will use the traditional Q&A format.

The questioners will be:

• Dr. Sybril Bennett, Associate Professor of the New Century Journalism Program at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., and Programming Chair for this year’s NABJ convention;
• Mike Green, Chief Information Officer and a co-founder of the Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative; he led award-winning online community engagement projects for the Dow Jones Local Media Group and is also a blogger at Huffington Post; and
• Mark S. Luckie, National Innovations Editor at the Washington Post, creator of the 10000 Words blog and author of The Digital Journalist’s Handbook.

The focus of this debate will be on digital journalism issues, although questioners reserve the right to ask general questions about NABJ.  Each candidate will have up to 3 minutes to read an opening statement, with or without a PowerPoint presentation.

Our panelists will ask three questions each.  Responses for each question will be in rotating alphabetical order.  Each candidate will have up to two minute to respond, and panelists will be allowed to ask one follow-up question.  After the panelists have asked their questions, we will open up the lines for members to question candidates directly. Five minutes before the end of the debate, candidates will be able to give a one-minute closing statement.

DJTF feels it’s important to have an NABJ leader that is comfortable in the digital world.  I hope you will join us and bring your questions.  The next direction of NABJ depends on it!

How To Take Your Content To The Next Level

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

I was chatting online with a friend, discussing the drive for content.  We both agreed that content had been the big focus, but it’s just not enough anymore. Yes. I know. We’re already overworked and underpaid and just trying to keep up.  So I thought I’d go through my bookmark folders and offer 10 tips, tricks and tools that will help you take your content to the next level.

1. Online Tools for Journalists: Chris Snider of the Des Moines Register has a great Slideshare presentation that’s a good starting point to see what’s out there and how you can use it.
   
2. Video blogging: with all the myriad inexpensive HD video cameras out there, there’s no reason why you can’t include some video to enhance — or further explain — your story.  Check out this article from Mashable: The Complete Guide to Video Blogging. If you need more, check out Amani Channel’s Web Video Chefs.
3. The Online Teleprompter.  As you explore video blogging, this is a great tool to help you prepare and read your script like a pro.
4. Hub Spot Blog.  Speaking of video, this website offers Five Video Projects You Can Do in 25 Minutes or Less. Not all of them are applicable to journalism, but three of them do.
5. 10000 Words.   My favorite multimedia website tells you how to make interactive timelines — and gives some great examples.
6. Many Eyes.  Need to add data visualization to a story, but can’t do your own coding? This web-based application lets you input your data and come up with great visualizations.
7. Teaching Online Journalism.  Need more on how to do data visualization? Check out this post for more resources.
8. Networked.  Still confused about how to create slideshows? This post tells you how to get started.
9. Flip The Media.  You need all the right tools to do this stuff, and here you can find where to get them — all for under $1000.
10. Society of Professional Journalists.  If you’re still stuck, i advise you to read Part I and Part II of The SPJ Digital
    Media Handbook.

When I was a little girl, my mother always pushed me to try different things.  “Just one taste,” she said.  “Try it once. You might actually like it,” she said.  “Just give it one more chance,” she said.  I’m still following her good advice.  I hope you do too.

Create Your Media Business Dream at Create or Die 2

What: Journalism that Matters “Create or Die 2″ gathering focused on journalism entrepreneurship for diverse and underrepresented communities. Come create your new media business idea – innovate, incubate, initiate.

Who: Journalists, entrepreneurs, programmers, bloggers, technologists, educators, developers, designers, funders, social entrepreneurs, community activists, community builders, and YOU!

When: June 2-5, 2011

Where: University of North Carolina-Greensboro

Cost: A sliding scale based on roles. A limited number of scholarships are available…register and request registration waiver at $25 level.

Next Steps: Register at http://www.createordie2.org

PROGRAM

Journalism That Matters, Create or Die 2 creates journalism innovations and media startups focused on diverse and underserved communities. Create or Die 2 uses an open-space format, an unconference style that puts the spotlight on participants and their passions.

• Thursday | Inspiration Day: Conversation catalysts set the stage for team development. Our Innovation Expo showcases participant projects and ventures.
• Friday | Design Day: Participants create sessions that explore new content, technology, funding, audiences and other ideas. Teams develop to pursue specific ideas for businesses or projects.
• Saturday | Build Day: Teams meet to flesh out ideas and develop pitches.
• Sunday | Pitch Day: Our coaching team of venture capital, foundation and entrepreneur mentors help teams refine their ideas and next steps.

PRIZES

Journalism That Matters Create or Die 2 offers cash prizes to winning pitch teams of $500-$1000. In addition, three North Carolina regional teams will benefit from close mentoring through the following incubators:

• Winston-Salem: Wake Forest University: Offering one year of free incubation including access to databases, internships, mentorship and space.
• Greensboro: Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship: Six months of shared office space, mentoring and networking to a local journalism startup.
• Durham: Council for Entrepreneurial Development: Mentorship and networking to a Durham-based team.

PEOPLE
Three conversation catalysts open the gathering Thursday evening, offering perspectives from different communities using different technologies:

• John Keith, executive producer of WNYC, shares how radio uses mobile phone technology for sourcing and delivering news and information;
• Tani Ikeda, executive director of imMEDIAte Justice in Los Angeles, teaches high school girls media literacy and sexuality education. Ikeda is an award winning director who creates narratives, documentaries, music videos, and commercial projects. She was named one of the 25 visionaries that are changing your world by the Utne Reader.
• Mani Saint-Victor, president of Marveloper, LLC, talks about his transition from physician to creator of a social media marketing and game development studio. Marveloper is a game development company that markets games built from within the community by members of the community.

Three coaches guide our teams on Sunday with ideas for development and next steps. The coaching panel includes:

• Hezekiah Griggs III, founder, H360 Angel Venture Capital, Charlotte, NC. Hezekiah is touted as the youngest media mogul in the country and recently started H360 to fund early-stage startups.
• Jan Schaffer, executive director of J-Lab, American University, Washington, DC. Jan’s organization funds annual journalism prizes such as New Voices and New Media Women Entrepreneurs and conducts research into new media innovations.
• Roger Gafke, professor emeritus at the Missouri School of Journalism and director of program development for the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. In that role he builds partnerships for research projects, programs and funding from corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.

What’s missing? YOU. Join us for an engaging, inspiring and creative opportunity to develop entrepreneurial media ventures. Ignite your dream.

Register Now! www.createordie2.org.

For more information, contact Dr. Michelle Ferrier, mferrier@elon.edu or at
336-278-5737.

Sponsored By:

Disrupters: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Elon University School of Communications, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Elon University Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership,

Connectors: Media Giraffe Project, GW Center for Independent Journalism

Collaborators: Greensboro Partnership, Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship, Wake Forest University, Council for Entrepreneurial Development.

Communicators: Reynolds Journalism Institute, UNITY, WNYC, IJE, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, San Francisco State University, Renaissance Journalism Center.

10000 Words: What Hiring Editors Look For In Reporters Today

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

The May 10 edition of the 10000 Words blog — one of my favorites — had an interesting article on what hiring editors are looking for in reporters today.  As an old dog still learning new tricks, I read things like this regularly to see where I’m at in terms of skills.

Writer Meranda Watling comes up with a basic list of skills, then adds more skills we all need to have — all based on actual job listings.  Here’s a great example that more and more of us are facing: Experience with photography, video, the Web and social media would be a plus (this was for a reporter job at the Ellenburg Daily Record, in Washington state).

So I thought I’d check out what my own company, McGraw-Hill, is looking for these days in editorial positions.  The first one I pulled was for an editorial intern at Aviation Week:

Responsibilities would include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Contributing to editorial products in print and online, including AviationWeek.com and the Aviation Week Intelligence Network.
2. Working with digital images and videos for online distribution.
3. Some reporting, editing for daily and magazine products, on an assignment/mentoring basis.
4. Researching, cataloging and uploading digital images to the digital asset management system.

Desired: Flexibility to work in both digital and print media; familiarity with broadcast/video standards. Interest and/or experience in aviation or engineering.

So then I looked at a higher-level job: Senior Editor ENR New York – McGraw-Hill Construction.  They want:

•  Report news in the New York Region for ENR New York and ENR national.
• Plan, package and produce all the content that appears in ENR New York.
• Maintain ENR New York Website daily & moderate online community.
• Plan and execute special awards competitions, including events.
• Produce the ENR New York Insider, a regular e-newsletter.

You can see the other requirements, here.  I think this just illustrates Meranda’s point that no matter the size of the publication or the level of the job, it’s getting tougher for those who don’t have digital media skills.

Calendar of Multimedia Training, Events & Fellowships

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

Webbmedia Group has a great calendar of events that catches things not covered below.  If you want to subscribe to the calendar, click here.  You can also subscribe to this calendar so the information appears on your personal Google Calendar. Just go to the Webbmedia Google calendar, click the “+Google Calendar” icon at the bottom right, and then click “Yes, add this calendar” in the dialog box.)

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University has updated its calendar of free workshops and webinars through September.  And Media Bistro has its current course list available through July.

MAY

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is holding a free Webinar, “Beyond Google: Mining the Web for company intelligence: Online,” May 17-18 at noon or 4:00 p.m. EST.  Here’s a chance to learn the tools and techniques that competitive intelligence experts use every day — and that you can use to keep tabs on the companies on your beat.
• The NABJ Reinvention Committee and Digital Journalism Task Force will host a BlogTalkRadio show, “Laid Off, Bought Out & Scared: Managing My Life and Finances,” at noon on Friday, May 20, with Past NABJ President Sidmel Estes of BreakThrough Inc. This session targets journalists who may have recently lost their jobs or fear they may lose them. We’ll discuss what you can do now to prepare for the worst, how you adjust to life without the office and offer Budgeting 101 tips. An attorney also will discuss what you need to know before you sign any exit paperwork.
• Webb Media Group is holding an online Tech Trends Micro-Conference May 21.  You’ll get a thorough look into the web, mobile and tablet technologies that are changing our media landscape. We’ll also preview the new products and tools that are set to debut later in the year.  The cost is $59.95.
• Brand Camp ’11 – New York (Personal Branding 2.0 Conference) will be held Tuesday, May 24, 2011 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM at the Riverside Theatre in New York City.  Brand Camp is a gathering of national thought leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals. This year’s conference theme is ‘Awaking your Inner PRENEUR:  (Entrepreneurship + Intrapreneurship)’ and brings together the region’s best and brightest minds in new media, brand development and business development.
• The Eight Conference on Innovation Journalism and Communication will be held at the Stanford Center for Innovation and Communication at Stanford University, May 23-25, 2011.  The conference is a venue for researchers from many disciplines and institutions to present work and ideas relating to the interplay of journalism, communication and innovation ecosystems.  The fee to attend is $250.
• The International Women’s Media Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2011-12 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, named for the 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner and The Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003.  The deadline to apply for the fellowship is May 27, 2011.
• The Online News Association has opened applications for its new MJ Bear Fellowships, which identify and celebrate young digital journalists, working independently or for a company or organization, who have demonstrated — through professional experimentation, research or other projects — that they deserve support for their efforts and/or vision. Three fellows will be selected, two in the United States or Canada and one internationally. Fellows will earn: assignment of a personal ONA mentor for six months; registration, travel and accommodations for the 2011 Online News Association Conference & Awards Banquet (ONA11) in Boston, Sept. 22-24; recognition at the ONA11 conference; and membership in ONA, with one year’s dues paid in full.  Any working, digital journalist age 23-30 (as of Sept. 22, 2011), fluent in English, excluding full-time students, is eligible to apply.  The application and all materials must be received by Monday, May 30, 2011, 11:59 p.m. ET.
• The School of Communication at American University is now offering a new fellowship in partnership with The Washington Post.  A fellow will be offered full tuition, plus a $30,000 yearly stipend and the chance to work side-by-side with top journalists at The Washington Post. Applications will be considered through May 30, 2011, or until the best candidate is selected. Coursework begins August 1, 2011.  

JUNE

• The International Press Institute (IPI) contest is offering grants to advancing the future of news by funding new ways to digitally inform communities in Europe, Middle East and Africa. IPI is supporting projects from profit or non-profit organizations and individuals that revolve around online news that advances press freedom, the development of more sustainable business models and the training of journalists.  The application deadline is June 1.
• The International Women’s Media Foundation is offering an opportunity for two women entrepreneurs in the new media sector to join an upcoming class of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women in India. Through 10,000 Women, participants receive a world class education focused on helping entrepreneurs to think big and grow their businesses. Deadline for applications is June 1, 2011.
• Jumpstart your entrepreneurial journalism venture at Journalism That Matters Create or Die 2, June 2-5 at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Building on last year’s Create or Die in Detroit, join our design | build | pitch “mashup” to explore the role that journalism plays in communities taking responsibility for their own stories. Find out what happens when innovation and talent come together!
• Three North Carolina entrepreneurship incubators have pledged start-up packages to region-based companies that develop out of Journalism That Matters “Create or Die 2″ to be held in Greensboro, NC from June 2-5, 2011. The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship based in Greensboro, the Wake Forest University Babcock-Demon Incubator in Winston-Salem and the Center for Entrepreneurial Development in Durham have all pledged shared-office space, mentoring, networking and interns where possible to help launch the journalism start-ups from the gathering.
• Internet Week New York City is being held June 6-13.  Internet Week is a week-long festival of events celebrating New York’s thriving internet industry and community.
• Applications for this year’s Knight-Batten Awards are now open.  The contest is open to all news efforts originating between May 1, 2010, and June 6, 2011.  Entries need not be specific stories, but rather demonstrative of innovation and could consist of networked journalism projects, new social networking ideas, innovative citizen media initiatives, news games, creative use of mobile devices, data mining ideas, new online applications, augmented reality experiences, or other advances in interactive and participatory journalism or out-of-the-box thinking. Entries may also employ simple efforts that notably connect in new ways with a community.  Applications cost $50, and are due June 6.
• The #140conf: NYC – Exploring “The State of NOW” will be held June 15-16 at the 92^nd Street Y.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is holding a free Webinar, “10 Tips for Turning National Stories into Great Local Ones,” June 21 at noon or 4:00 p.m. EDT.  Listeners will learn how to localize hot national stories.

JULY

• Media Bistro is holding an online Entrepreneurial Journalism Boot Camp July 12-Aug. 30.  The camp features online entrepreneurs Rafat Ali (paidContent), Michelle Madhok (SheFinds Media), Laurel Touby (mediabistro.com), and many more. Learn what to consider when launching your start-up. Draft your business plan over eight weeks with the help of your peers. Participants will vote on the most viable business plans in the group and the winner will have the chance to hear feedback from entrepreneur and venture capitalist Larry Kramer (Polaris Ventures), who will also answer questions from the group. The cost is $399 if you register by June 14; after that, it’s $499.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is holding a free Webinar, “Unlocking Financial Statements,” July 18-22.  The weeklong online seminar covers income statements, balance sheets, cash flows and writing about numbers.

AUGUST

• The National Association of Black Journalists is holding its annual convention and career fair Aug. 3-7, 2011, in Philadelphia.  Professional journalists, students and educators will take part in full- and half-day seminars designed to strengthen and enhance their skills. Workshops throughout the five-day convention will highlight journalism ethics, entrepreneurship, specialized journalism and transitioning journalism skills to book publishing, screen writing and media relations.
• The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) will host a Student Mentorship and Training Program at its annual LGBT Media Summit & Convention Aug. 25 to 28 in Philadelphia. Each year, NLGJA chooses students from across the country to participate in its student project — providing real-world experience to undergraduate and graduate students who are considering a career in journalism. To apply, students simply fill out an application, attaching the requested items found on the NLGJA website, and return them to NLGJA by June 10.  If chosen, NLGJA will pay for the selected student’s convention attendance, airfare, food and hotel at the convention site.

SEPTEMBER

• The Online News Association will hold its annual Conference and Online Journalism Awards Banquet Sept. 22-24, 2011 in Boston.

If you have any items that I’ve missed, please drop me an email via the DJTF Yahoo! Listserv or at regaviationqueen AT yahoo DOT com.  Thanks!

20 People I’m Glad Are Following NABJDigital on Twitter

By Benét J. Wilson, DJTF co-chair, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

I was scrolling through my Google Reader and found this link to Black Enterprise magazine’s list of 20 editors and writers to follow on Twitter.  When I tweeted this link, I originally noted I was already following six of the 20 on the list.  After reading it, I’ve added another eight.

But the BE story got me thinking about the @NABJDigital account.  I opened the account back in 2009, with plans to use it to live tweet panels and events from the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Tampa, but I never did.  I actually let it lie dormant until last year’s convention in San Diego.

Since then, I’m proud to say that we have 1,459 quality followers and we’ve created a list of NABJ Chapters On Twitter (if I’ve missed any, please let me know).  I recently took a look at our followers and was thrilled to see some industry heavy hittters on the list.  Below, in no particular order, are 20 of those tweeters.

1. princeeditor — Prince writes the must-read “Richard Prince’s Journal-isms,” a three-times-a-week column on diversity issues in the news media for the Maynard Institute.
2. Marioarmstrong — Armstrong is my go-to guy on all things dealing with a digital lifestyle.
3. Jescarter — Carter blogs on multicultural issues at Mashable, is CEO of Heta Corporation, a multicultural consulting firm and founder of Black Social Media Professionals.
4. 10000 words — founded by Mark S. Luckie, National Innovations Editor for the Washington Post and my go-to blog for information on digital journalism.
5. stevebuttry — Buttry is the Director of Community Engagement for TBD and blogs about new media at the Buttry Diary.
6. webjournalist — Robert Hernandez is an assistant professor at USC Annenberg, sits on the board of the Online News Association and co-founded #wjchat, the weekly Twitter chat for Web journalists.
7. NYT_JenPreston — Preston is Social Media Editor at the New York Times. She’s also an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate J-School.
8. The Grio — the groundbreaking online news magazine catering to the African-American community.
9. PBSNewsHour
10. Hacks/Hackers — an international grassroots journalism organization designed to create a network of journalists (“hacks”) and technologists (“hackers”) who rethink the future of news and information.
11. AdrienneWrites — Gibbs is the senior editor at Ebony magazine
12. Toure — a TV host, journalist and cultural critic.
13. NPRJobs
14. NewhouseSU — Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
15. EbonyMag
16. BryanMonroeCNN — a past president of NABJ, Monroe is currently Editor of CNNPolitics.com, based in Washington D.C.
17. miralowe — Lowe is a former editor-in-chief of JET Magazine, a media and communications consultant, lecturer and public speaker.
18. essenceonline
19. Ctr4SocialMedia  — my alma mater, American University, is the home for the Center for Social Media, which showcases and analyzes media for public knowledge and action.
20. anandaleeke  — Leeke is the founder of Digital Sisterhood Network, which helps women use online connections to create relationship wealth.

I hope you consider following some — or all — of these amazing folks.  My NABJDigital Twitter list of these people is here.  And watch this space for future recommendations on Twitter followers.