Part 1 – Addressing The Blockage In The Media Entrepreneurship Deal Flow

By Michelle Ferrier, Ph.D.

In search of the larger picture of media entrepreneurship, I recently traveled from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., and environs to meet with incubator directors, serial entrepreneurs, and others in the digital intelligencia. My goal, I thought, was simple. Engage in conversations about the new media landscape and how to fund great ideas.

Admittedly, I went with my own preconceived notions on what I’ve dubbed the East Coast Listening Tour. I was thinking of creating an accelerator to help educate and fund journalism-based projects coming out of the Journalism That Matters Create or Die series of design | build | pitch events in Detroit and Greensboro.

But something shifted on that road trip. Perhaps, like in the movies, my character learns something about herself as she traveled down the highways. As I met with folks like Doug Mitchell, co-director of UNITY’s New U incubator and William Crowder, managing director of the Comcast DreamIt Ventures project and Dr. Chad Womack, cofounder of the Black Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative, I stopped thinking and talking. I put on my journalism hat. And I started asking questions and listening.

What is needed in the media entrepreneurship space for projects by and for people of color? What do project teams need in terms of education, training or funding? When do they need such interventions? Who is already servicing these people with the skills and knowledge to be successful? What is the audience that is not being served effectively?

Many on the National Association of Black Journalists’ Digital Journalism Task Force have talked about the lack of financing for journalism projects by or for people of color. New U was designed to help address that gap. DreamIt Ventures was designed to fill that need. But as I chatted with people just as passionate about media entrepreneurship, the larger media ecosystem became a bit clearer. And the gaping holes became increasingly apparent.

With more than 200 applicants for 16 slots in the 2010 class, New U has a very selective process for picking its final teams for mentoring. Four of the 16 go on to actual funding. Same scenario with DreamIt Ventures. Many more entrepreneurs are waiting for their shot than the number of slots available to accommodate them.

Venture capitalists talk about deal flow…the number of ideas it takes for the big one to be found. To me, it doesn’t seem as if we have any problem with deal flow with the hundreds of entrepreneurs of color waiting for a chance to be heard. What I see is a tremendous narrowing of the arteries leading to the heart of the matter – funding. And lots of ideas never see the light of day for lack of access to that flow.

Tomorrow, Part 2: 5 Concrete Steps to Moving the Needle on Media Entrepreneurship

Dr. Michelle Ferrier is founder and publisher of LocallyGrownNews.com, a hyperlocal community news site now in its second year. She is also an associate professor in the School of Communications at Elon University.

Calendar of Multimedia Training, Events & Fellowships

By Ms. Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chairman, 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 November.  And Media Bistro has its current course list available through December.

Ongoing: Steve Buttry, director of community engagement and social media for Journal Register Co., is teaching the Poynter News University course Introduction to Reporting: Beat Basics. This free, self-taught course helps you identify the key issues and sources on your beat, learn how to determine what’s included in your beat and develop the resources to focus your coverage.

SEPTEMBER

• The Poynter Institute’s News University is holding a webinar, “Mobile Apps: Expanding Your Reach and Audience,” Sept. 8 at 2:00 p.m.  The webinar, part of the ONAovation Partnership, will address how mobile applications can help you reach your target audience in new, revenue-generating ways.  The cost is $29.95; $9.95 for members of the Online News Association.
• The Scripps Howard Foundation and American Press Institute will hold a workshop, “Building Your Journalistic Brand,” Sept. 16 in Reston, Va.  Taught by Joe Grimm, Visiting Professor, Michigan State University School of Journalism, attendees will complete a workbook that will become a customized branding blueprint. The cost is $15, and includes lunch and a workbook. You must register by Sept. 13.
• Sept. 15 is the deadline to apply for the Abe Fellowship for Journalists (AFJ). The fellowship is sponsored by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP).  The Abe Fellowship for Journalists is designed to encourage in-depth coverage of topics of pressing concern to the United States and Japan through individual short-term policy-related projects.
• Sept. 15 is also the deadline to apply for Harvard University’s Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy’s 25^th anniversary video contest.  The center is calling on aspiring journalists, filmmakers and avid media consumers to help think about the future of news. To be eligible for the competition, you must create a video no more than two minutes long (PG-rated please) that answers the question, “What is the future of news?”
• The National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color is hosting a training Sept. 21-23 for reporters who are interested in covering health care. The training will take place at the St. Louis Hotel in New Orleans. The training aims to bring attention to important health issues that affect minority communities and to ensure that they have the tools, resources, and information needed to report on these topics.  Registration is $75.
• The Online News Association will hold its annual Conference and Online Journalism Awards Banquet Sept. 22-24, 2011 in Boston.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a morning workshop Sept. 25 during the SPJ/RTDNA Excellence in Journalism Conference Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans. In the session, you’ll learn where to find key company financial information and how to dissect essential financial statements and Securities and Exchange Commission documents. Gain the skills that will enable you to follow the money and stay on top of the biggest story around – the economy.
• The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) are holding a joint conference, Excellence in Journalism 2011, Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans.
• Smart Phones, Smart Journalism, a one-day workshop presented by ASNE, Freedom Forum New Media Training and hosted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will be held Sept. 28, 2011. Using mobile technology to report faster and add multimedia on the go is an essential skill for today’s journalist. This workshop will teach you to extend the capabilities of your smart phone through the use of multimedia, editing, note taking, location and live streaming apps.  The cost is $50, but a discount is available for ASNE members.
• The Block By Block Community News Summit will be held at Loyola University in Chicago Sept. 29.  Join co-hosts Reynolds Fellow Michele McLellan and Jay Rosen of pressthink.org for a lively and informative gathering of online community news entrepreneurs. Share your best practices, progress and challenges with fellow local news pioneers and learn from their experiences as well.

OCTOBER

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a free, one-day Business Journalism Boot Camp in Minneapolis, Oct. 4. In this free, daylong workshop, you’ll learn the basics of business for public companies, private companies and nonprofits. Award-winning professors and journalists will have you analyzing financial statements to find stories about public companies, as well as tracking public information on private companies and nonprofits. Learn how to dissect the new IRS Form 990 line-by-line to find stories about local nonprofits. Examples will be tailored to the Minnesota market.
• The Poynter Institute’s News University is holding an online seminar, “Becoming a More Effective Editor: Strategies for Editing Yourself, Others,” Oct. Oct. 3-21. Attendees will learn to overcome the pitfalls of editing work that you have created; check your work for clarity, organization and understanding; find more errors in copy, whether of style, grammar, punctuation or flow; and correct errors more efficiently and effectively.  Applications are due August 29.
• The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is holding its Advanced Multimedia Boot Camp, Multimedia Training for Journalism Professionals and Educators Oct. 12-16, 2011, and Nov. 16-20, in Nashville, Tenn., at the John Seigenthaler Center. Learn things including: shoot and edit a mini-documentary; create a WordPress blog to host a project; use Google Maps and add images and video; and incorporate Twitter and Facebook Connect on your blog.  The cost is $850 for the course.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a free one-day workshop, “Digital Efficiency for Business Journalists — 36 Tips to Tame Info Overload,” in New York City Oct. 13.  It will include 36+ specific sites, tools and techniques for those who face a growing mass of digital information. The half-day session is not about theory or about how big the problem is, but instead about how to make each working day more efficient by using specific tools, techniques and best practices.
• The Poynter Institute’s News University is holding a day-long video seminar, “Video Storytelling with the Pros: Lighting, Writing and Surviving,” Oct. 16, starting at 10:00 a.m. EDT.  Spend a day in this video workshop, co-sponsored by the National Press Photographers Foundation, learning how award-winning professionals work through the storytelling process.  The cost is $65.00.
• The Society of Environmental Journalists will hold its 21^st annual conference in Miami Oct. 19-23.  Meet journalists from throughout the hemisphere — Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and more — and learn what issues they face reporting on the environment.
• Blogalicious will he held Oct. 21-23 in Washington, D.C.  Founded in 2009, the Blogalicious Weekend conferences are aimed at celebrating the diversity of women of all ethnicities in social media.
• Journalism Interactive: The Conference on Journalism Education & Digital Media will be held Oct. 28-29 at the University of Maryland-College Park. The event will explore the intersection of digital media and journalism education.  Early-bird full conference registration is $150; day passes are $85.

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!
• Nov. 15 is the deadline for college juniors, seniors and graduate students who have demonstrated an interest in and aptitude for copy editing to apply for several scholarships awarded each year by the ACES Education Fund, an affiliate of the American Copy Editors Society. The scholarships are open to students who will be college juniors, seniors or graduate students in the fall, and to graduating students who will take full-time copy editing jobs or internships.

DECEMBER

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a free webinar, “Quick-Hit Business Investigations — Concept to Execution” Dec. 6 at noon or 4:00 p.m. EDT. Matt Apuzzo, investigative reporter at the Washington bureau of The Associated Press will provide practical advice on how to pull off investigations that might take one to two weeks.
• Reuters is now offering scholarships for journalists from developing countries to attend a course in London Dec. 12-16.  Full Bursaries for journalists from the developing world/countries in political transition working for organizations with no resources for training. Bursaries would include air travel expenses (economy class), accommodation and a modest living allowance. This arrangement is subject to variation. Part-funded Bursaries are available for journalists from the developing world/countries in political transition who work for organizations that have limited resources for training, in this instance Thomson Reuters Foundation waives the tuition cost and the participant will be expected to cover travel and accommodation costs. In exceptional circumstances journalists from the developed world will be considered for part-funded bursaries.  Applications are due Sept. 1.

JANUARY 2012

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold the Strictly Financials/Business Journalism Professors Seminars in Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 2-5, 2012.  The center is offering 24 fellowships worth $2,000 each for four days of study in business journalism for experienced business journalists and prospective business journalism professors.  Fellowships cover training, lodging, materials and most meals. Fellows receive a $500 stipend to offset travel and other costs.
• The Scripps Howard Foundation and the Arizona State University’s Cronkite School are offering fellowships to journalism professors interested in introducing entrepreneurial concepts and practices into their teaching of journalism. The five-day institute, Jan. 4-8, 2012, will immerse participants in the concepts and practice of entrepreneurship. Held at the Cronkite School’s state-of-the-art facility in downtown Phoenix, it will be led by Dan Gillmor, author of “Mediactive” and an internationally known speaker and thinker on new media and entrepreneurship. Gillmor will be joined by entrepreneurs, investors and Cronkite faculty.  The deadline to apply is Nov. 1.

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

Carnival of Journalism: How Journalists Are Using Google+

By Ms. Benét J. Wilson, DJTF chairman, Online Managing Editor-Business Aviation, Aviation Week Group

I was excited when I saw this month’s topic for the Carnival of Journalism.  So excited, that I decided to write this post even though I’m on vacation!!  We all know about Google+, which is being touted as the next new social/new media tool.  I was among those who queried my Twitter users to get an invite to take it for a whirl.

I got on in July, created a few circles…then did nothing.  I’d read updates, but didn’t feel comfortable actually using Google+, which I found a bit confusing in the beginning.

But then I found an interesting use — live blogging an event.  From Aug. 3-7, the National Association of Black Journalists held its annual convention in Philadelphia.  On Aug. 2, NABJ’s board of directors was meeting.  We’ve had some issues we’ ve been dealing with, including our break from UNITY: Journalists of Color. I, along with other members, have had some issues in the past with how things were communicated.

Back in January, I attended the quarterly NABJ board meeting, which was in Washington, D.C., and I used Twitter to cover the meeting.  But about halfway through the proceedings, a board  member asked me to stop, because technically, the board meeting was open only to NABJ members.

I missed the April board meeting, but did attend the August meeting.  Again, I was trying to find a way to cover the meeting, but only include dues-paying members.  So I decided to give Google+ a try.  I created the circle NABJ 2011 and used this blog, Facebook and Twitter to let folks know I would be live blogging the meeting using Google+.

When people asked to join the circle, I used the NABJ website to make sure they were members.  I reminded folks on the day of the event and it was off to the races.

I found Google+ to be a great tool.  I could post as much — or as little — information as I wanted, not constrained by a 140-character limit.  Since it was live, folks could — and did — follow along in and out, but they could also go back to the stream later.  And they could post questions directly to the circle that I could answer in real time, or chase down a board member to get the proper answer.

I could see journalists using Google+ for a similar use, like covering a community or city council meeting.  The notes taken could be used as part of a summary blog post or even a story.  And the interactive feature can allow journalists to get questions from circle members they may not have thought of.

So my little experiment has caused me to take a closer look at Google+ to see the possibilities.  And I’m reading some great posts on how journalists do that, including: Prashant Rao’s Google+ For Journalists: A Primer; Mashable on 5 Ways Journalists Are Using Google+; and KOMU’s Jen Lee Reeves on 5 Reasons Why Journalists Should Play With Google+.

I look forward to following other journalists as they start using Google+ as a tool.  And watch this space as we take our own Google journey and share the results.

Friday Fast Five

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

Here are my picks for the week!

1. 10000 Words – 4 Ways Newspapers Can Better Use Facebook To Engage Readers
2. All Twitter – How to use Twitter to Spy on the Competition
3. Journalists’ Toolkit – The best video export options
4. Mashable – 8 Ways to Improve Your Live Event With Social Media
5. MakeUseOf – 10 Ways To Update Facebook & Twitter Simultaneously

The Most Powerful ‘Female’ Players In New Media

By Tracie Powell

Four of the five most powerful women in new media have Google connections, according to an annual report published by Forbes. But not a single one is of color.

No Asians, African Americans or Latinas made the list. Forbes states that: ”In the fast-paced world of Silicon Valley, the number of women at the top has been slow to change.” That goes double when it comes to women of color.

In fairness, Forbes published a separate piece recognizing women who wield power and influence in Africa. Among them, Ory Okolloh of Kenya, made that list. Okolloh is one of the 20 youngest, most powerful African women under age 45. A Harvard-trained lawyer, activist and blogger, Okolloh founded Ushahidi, a revolutionary crowd sourcing utility that enables citizen journalists and eyewitnesses all over the world to report incidences of violence through the web, mobile Email, SMS and Twitter. She is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential women in global technology. Earlier this year Okolloh became Google’s policy manager for Africa.

High tech companies in Silicon Valley have come under fire for the lack of diversity in its employment ranks. More than two dozen protested Google in February, demanding the company hire more women and people of color.

Forbes highlighted five tech-savvy women as the most powerful in the world; four of the five are either current Googlers or formerly work for the giant tech media company.

Sheryl Sandberg is Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, where she oversees the company’s business operations, including sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy and communications. Before joining Facebook in 2008, Sandberg was Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, where she built and managed the online sales channels for advertising and publishing and operations for consumer products worldwide. Forbes named Sandberg this year’s fifth most powerful woman in the world.

The second Googler, Susan Wojcicki, debuted as the 16th most powerful woman in the world. Google’s ad wizard, Wojcicki is responsible for 96 percent of the tech giant’s revenues– $28 billion last year alone.

Google’s first female engineer, Marissa Mayer, also made the cut, debuting as the 42nd most powerful woman on Forbes’ list. Mayer first oversaw search for Google; she is now responsible for the company’s next key growth driver, local products.

Twitter Vice President of International Strategy, Katie Jacobs Stanton, a former Googler and White House staffer, debuted as the 56th most powerful woman in the world. Jacobs Stanton joined Twitter last year and is charged with getting the world to tweet. She now has 70% of all Tweets coming from outside the U.S., and a fifth of world leaders are now on the service, including Russian President Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) and President Obama (@barackobama). Before Twitter, Jacobs Stanton was the product manager of Google Finance; she also worked at the U.S. State Department.

The final tech spot on the exclusive list is occupied by Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. Bartz, number 37, is no newcomer when it comes to female power on the world stage. The 62-year-0ld has made the Forbe’s list before, so it is no surprise that even now, amid increasing investor scrutiny, Bartz continues to defend her turnaround progress at the Internet giant. “Last year, she doubled operating income, operating margins and earnings per share, but revenues remained flat at $6.3 billion. With an audience of nearly 700 million, Bartz has built Yahoo into a leading digital media company with 12 first-ranked properties in the US and eight globally,” Forbes reports.

Tracie Powell is Vice Chair, Education and Policy, of NABJ’s Digital Journalism Task Force. A version of this post originally appeared at www.tmpunplugged.com

VIDEO — Log On To Life

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

I want to spotlight some of the great work being done by DJTF members.  Below is a 2:23 minute video from Howard University graduate student Brandon Gillespie from his lifestyle coaching video series.  You can see my May 20, 2010, profile of him here. Enjoy!

Golden Eagles Flock to Philly

By Marissa Evans, president, NABJ Marquette University Chapter

Our student chapter’s account of how the 2011 National Association of Black Journalists Convention & Career Fair unfolded from August 3-7 in Philadelphia.

After months of planning, a group presentation and a date auction, the  NABJ-Marquette chapter would be officially represented at the 2011 NABJ Convention & Career Fair in Philadelphia.

 

Last year at the convention in San Diego, only our chapter president Marissa Evans was able to attend, but this year we added four more to the troupe including: Ashley De La Torre, Kendra Carruthers, Francesca Reed and Brandon Dorsey.

“	S/o to @marissaaevans @AshleyDeLaTorre @KAPARAZZI @FRANtastic10 & @BCD_Pondering for representing us at #NABJ11! We’re proud of you!
	NABJ_MarquetteU August 2, 2011

“	For updates on #NABJ11 starting tomorrow from campaign to workshops to the speakers follow the #NABJMU11 hashtag, our 5 will tweet on it!
	NABJ_MarquetteU August 2, 2011

First night there we were in the reception mingling with other students and getting ready for a great convention. Business cards, handshakes and hugs were passed all around.

 

“	Ever since I got to college, I DEFINITELY take advantage of free food. Like what they have at this reception! #NABJ11 #NABJPhilly
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

The next morning Brandon & Ashley were off to the Sports Task Force Breakfast. The others hit the career fair and a panel on branding.

“	J.A. Andande is here too #NABJ11 #NABJPhilly
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

“	Michael Smith from ESPN is pretty cool. And he has Verizon lol @AshleyDeLaTorre
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

“	Stuart Scott is at the sports breakfast! I’m gonna meet him! #NABJ11 #NABJMU11 #NABJPhilly
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

“	So the difference between a journalist & a blogger is that a blogger gives his/her opinion & a journalist just neutrally presents a story
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

“	S/O to @MarioAlexander for his inspiring words of encouragement in entrepeneurship and branding oneself. #nabj11 keeps getting better 🙂
	KAPARAZZI August 4, 2011

The Black Media Ownership panel resonated well.

“	Come to the Terrace Ballroom and check out the Black Media Ownership workshop…lots of influential people in the midst 🙂 #nabj11
	KAPARAZZI August 5, 2011

“	“You can’t be forced to hold on to an asset because you’re black.”. #nabj11
	KAPARAZZI August 5, 2011

We made sure to have someone present at the NABJ Business Meeting. A time for members to speak directly to the board of directors and vote on important changes to the constitution and how the organization itself moves forward.

“	Sitting in on the #NABJ11 Business meeting — very informative, definitely encourage students to come through to learn where our org is at!
	marissaaevans August 5, 2011

“	We have 1,113 student members as of July 31, 2011! Ow ow @NABJSTUDENTS doing it big, recruit a friend, lets keep it going! #NABJ11
	marissaaevans August 5, 2011

“	Always feel so humbled when I hear a founder of #NABJ speak, this is truly why we’re here #NABJ11
	marissaaevans August 5, 2011

After a long day of learning and campaigning we knew the NABJ Student Choice Awards would be a great way to wind down for the evening.

“	S/O to this amazing DJ #nabj11 #StudentChoiceAwards
	KAPARAZZI August 4, 2011

“	Cupid Shuffle? Ya tu sabes! #NABJ11
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

“	Student choice awards–stop by Salon H! Delicious coconut shrimp & finger food 🙂 #nabj11
	KAPARAZZI August 4, 2011

“	Hittin that dougie on the floor! Aaaayye! #NABJ11
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

After the awards we found a small diner not too far from the hotel to eat at. We noticed things close somewhat early in Philly. Or perhaps all the good food establishments close early.

While waiting at our table, we were delighted to find a jukebox. It wasn’t quite Beach Boys or The Beatles records on this jukebox, but it did the trick for the time being. The first round of quarter scrounging allowed for unanimous agreement on playing Britney Spears’ Circus. The next song was won by the people who had the most quarters to spare.

“	Midtown 2 Restaurant – playing Amy Winehouse on the jukebox. RIP ❤
	KAPARAZZI August 4, 2011

A bad slice of chocolate cake and some plates of mozzarella sticks and turkey bacon later, we were on our way back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep.

We would have this happen to us though.

“	Just seen roaches on 11th St. Yes, roaches! I haven’t seen a roach in years! #NABJ11 #NABJPhilly
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

But August 5, 2011 was D-Day. The type of day that separates a Golden Eagle from other mascots.

Election Day.

Time to kick the campaign into high gear.

“	VOTE NOW!!!! NABJ Student Rep. #TeamMarissa @marissaaevans #NABJMU11 #NABJ11
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 5, 2011

“	Vote @marissaaevans for student rep! #NABJ11
	BCD_Pondering August 4, 2011

“	RT @FRANtastic10: Vote for @marissaaevans for NABJ Student Representative!!!!!!!! One hour left to vote!!! Do it now!!! #NABJ11 #teammarissa
	KAPARAZZI August 5, 2011

“	VOTE!!! @marissaaevans for NABJ Student Rep!
	KAPARAZZI August 6, 2011

“	S/o to Syracuse NABJ members Troy and Lawrence for helping out! #NABJ11
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 5, 2011

“	Campaining for @marissaaevans, vote for her as student rep! #TeamMarissa
	BCD_Pondering August 5, 2011

But after days of passing out fliers and campaigning at the convention, at 5:00 p.m. it was all over.

All we could do was wait for the results in our room while Ashley, one of the election monitors, was gone for a couple hours getting the final vote count.

“	Kudos @marissaaevans on great @NABJ student rep campaign. Awaiting results. @MarquetteU @NABJ_MarquetteU & your faculty adviser very proud.
	herbertlowe August 5, 2011

But it was only right that after the drama of the student rep campaign that more drama would ensue..

“	The @NABJ Student Representative was a tie between @marissaaevans and @Wesley4NABJ with 69 votes each. #NABJ11
	NABJMonitor August 5, 2011

“	The battle for student rep #NABJ11 who will win, Marissa or Wesley..??
	BCD_Pondering August 5, 2011

“	OMG! @NABJ student rep race between @marissaaevans @WesleyLowery ends tied 69-69! Revote Aug. 15-22 @MarquetteU #NABJ11 http://t.co/nbs6Nfe
	herbertlowe August 5, 2011

We along with many others were a little more than stunned. Leave it to a Golden Eagle to be part of history in some form though right?

“	@herbertlowe WHOA. Go @marissaaevans!
	MarquetteU August 5, 2011

“	Humbled to have tied in the #nabj11 student rep elections, looking forward to continuing the campaign & spreading the mission/vision.
	marissaaevans August 5, 2011

We waited for Marissa to be done with an NABJ Monitor interview and after some quick discussions with our chapter advisor Mr. Lowe, we did what any chapter would do after an epic election.

“	Post election dinner w/ the best chapter ever @NABJ_MarquetteU #nabj11 (@ Chili’s Grill & Bar) http://4sq.com/rant82
	marissaaevans August 5, 2011

Later on, some of our members opted for a quiet evening hanging out with their new friends, Ashley and Marissa decided to see what the PABJ’s Philly Love party was all about. We hear all the old-school jams were played and QuestLove was on point.

“	Chilling w/ @ashleydelatorre at the PABJ Philly Love Party #NABJ11 (@ Electric Factory w/ 3 others) http://4sq.com/pzcYtm
	marissaaevans August 5, 2011

“	@questlove killin it tonight at the Electric Factory #NABJ11 Philly!!!!
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 5, 2011

There were some concerns though when now past NABJ secretary Roland Martin kept getting on the stage to dance.

“	Why does Roland Martin have a dance routine to every song tho lol
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 5, 2011

But we figure journalists have to have an outlet of some kind to get their boogie on, no matter how head turning a routine!

As the night progressed, after each song they were supposed to leave..but the old school jams kept sucking them back onto the dance floor (or at least Ashley got sucked back in,  Marissa opted to sit a few songs out). Campaign trails and heels can wear a soul out!

The next day, it was back to workshops and panels.

 

Some went to the Black Athlete Manifesto panel while others went to the Covering Healthcare Reform panel.

“	Stayed out until 3 partying with @questlove ,but I’m up and ready to go to this workshop #NABJ11
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 6, 2011

“	“Anyone that is uncomfortable with me makes me smile.” -Steven A. Smith #nabj11
	KAPARAZZI August 6, 2011

“	Rare to find diabetes article for black people that discusses soul food & how to prepare it healthier #NABJ11
	marissaaevans August 6, 2011

“	Men should know the health stats as well as they know their sports stats #NABJ11
	marissaaevans August 6, 2011

“	@stephenasmith called LeBron a princess not a king #Hilarious #NABJ11
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 6, 2011

“	Didn’t know Affordable Care Act provides funds to help increase number of minority healthcare professionals #NABJ11
	marissaaevans August 6, 2011

“	Important to know lifetime limit on health insurance, 73% who declared bankruptcy who were ill had health insurance #nabj11
	marissaaevans August 6, 2011

For our members that went to the screening of The Help, we heard nothing but rave reviews about it late into the evening. The regular movie scale from Ebert & Roper might be four stars but on the NABJ-Marquette scale the movie received 10.

 

Thank goodness we got in line for tickets early, they went fast!

“	“Sometimes courage skips a generation.” #TheHelp
	KAPARAZZI August 6, 2011

“	#TheHelp was AMAZING def. a MUST see. Now listening to some of the cast, author, and director speak about the film #NABJ11
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 6, 2011

“	So emotional after watching this…10 stars 🙂
	KAPARAZZI August 6, 2011

“	RT @BCD_Pondering: Tamron Hall, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, the author of The Help & the director of The Help are all here to talk about the story! #NABJ11
	FRANtastic10 August 6, 2011

A screening of Red Tails happened right after The Help and some of us stayed for that as well.

“	About to watch a quick screening of #RedTails, then a panel with Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 6, 2011

“	Terrence Howard & Cuba Gooding, Jr. are gonna be here too! #leggo
	BCD_Pondering August 6, 2011

Our group was separated later on in the afternoon after all the panels ended but great minds (or in this case eating habits) always seem to think alike.

“	Cheesesteaks w/ @KAPARAZZI @FRANtastic10 @heylaurens (@ Jim’s Steaks w/ 2 others) http://4sq.com/nUCHUe
	marissaaevans August 6, 2011

The evening came quickly and a few hours later we knew it was time to pack and get some sleep for our early flights.

But in the wee hours of 4:00 a.m. what fun would it have been if a bit of mayhem hadn’t ensued?

“	You know your chapter has your back when they help you pack & get a cab when you mix up your flight time #nabj11
	marissaaevans August 7, 2011

It was bittersweet that it all ended so soon though.

“	Heading to the airport for our 9:35am flight back to the homeland. S/O to #nabj11 for an amazing weekend, lots to be thankful for
	KAPARAZZI August 7, 2011

“	#NABJ11 was fabulous! S/o to @NABJ_MarquetteU & all of my new #NABJ family for a great time in Philly!
	marissaaevans August 7, 2011

“	s/o to @NABJ_MarquetteU for an amazing weekend in Philly! @FRANtastic10 @marissaaevans @BCD_Pondering @ashleydelatorre
	KAPARAZZI August 7, 2011

“	Just got picked up from the airport. I miss Philly already
	AshleyDeLaTorre August 7, 2011

But our president had one last thing to say about the student representative elections.

“	@NABJSTUDENTS I’m ready to lead, I’m ready to serve, I’m ready to make our #NABJ experience invaluable: Aug. 15-22 Vote #TeamMarissa #NABJ11
	marissaaevans August 7, 2011

We learned a lot, ate a lot, campaigned a lot and had too many quotable moments for this Storify. We overall loved NABJ Philly and have already started brainstorming how we’re going to get to New Orleans next summer.

Will YOU be there?

I Just Called/Texted/Blogged/Tweeted To Say…WHAT??!! Missing The Human Connection

By Meta J. Mereday, writer/editor and diversity, media and community development expert

I used to enjoy attending conventions, especially the National Association of Black Journalists Convention & Career Fair because it really was a family reunion of journalists, freelancers, media professionals, journalism educators, media entrepreneurs, marketing and public relations professionals, students, community advocates and celebrities who all came together to get to know each other, talk about what happened during the year and learn more about the industry and how we can help each other.

I walked great distances between sessions and events at the recent convention in Philadelphia and watched the young professionals and the seasoned members all wearing their name badges and heading here and there — but wait, what was I missing?   The eye contact and general association with a smile that we were all a part of the same group, the same struggle was missing for me.

The digital age of smartphones and tweeting are fast replacing the art of human contact and live one to one.   I am all for technology, but let us not forget our precious human resource that is NABJ’s  hallmark.  There were iconic journalists, media legends, inspired media-preneurs and living historians within our midst, but many of the members – both young and old – were so busy clicking away with the growing “crick” in their necks, that they missed out.

In some instances, I walked up to some members and drew their attention away from their tweeting marathon just to say hello and find out about them. I was intrigued when I talked to first timers who shared that they often feel intimidated walking up to members, especially if they see them with lots of ribbons on their name badge or with a group of people.

I remarked that many of the seasoned professionals love to speak with the emerging journalists, but often feel that they are standoffish.  I always find it amusing that unless you have on a suit and coiffed hair, you are not considered much of a resource or someone worth talking to unless you get introduced.  In either case, holding a bag in one hand and with your head down looking at the screen from the phone in your other hand, does not make for great human connections.

It is as if the digital age is increasing speed and access to information, but decreasing courtesies and the all important small talk that provides the best leads and long term friendships. So many of us come to the convention with the notion to “see more folks who look like us” so that we can be motivated when they go back to the shops where we are flying solo and fully engaged in state of the art technology to stay relevant and employed.

But I always felt that NABJ was the oasis to just be and to “relax, relate, release.” Yes, it is a working convention for training and jobs. It is also a recharge spot to see old friends and to make new ones.  We don’t have to be uptight and high wired all the time.

Unfortunately, the digital age does not seem to make it better for us when we do come together, because we are too busy tweeting to someone else who is not there and missing out on connecting with those who are.  And each year, we lose more members.  Although I have lost many friends and colleagues that I was fortunate enough to meet at NABJ conventions, I still enjoyed just being around for the most part to laugh, to hug, to cry, to reminisce and, on occasion, to share a little wisdom with someone and gain a little from someone else.  I am still resistant to the “tweeting” and “liking” fad that has swept our industry because I still like to write, to call and to just “reach out and touch.”  That is just me.

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 November.  And Media Bistro has its current course list available through December.

AUGUST

• The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) will host its annual LGBT Media Summit & Convention Aug. 25-28 in Philadelphia. Keynote speakers at the event include Ann Curry and Don Lemon.

SEPTEMBER

• The Poynter Institute’s News University is holding a webinar, “Mobile Apps: Expanding Your Reach and Audience,” Sept. 8 at 2:00 p.m.  The webinar, part of the ONAovation Partnership, will address how mobile applications can help you reach your target audience in new, revenue-generating ways.  The cost is $29.95; $9.95 for members of the Online News Association.
• The Scripps Howard Foundation and American Press Institute will hold a workshop, “Building Your Journalistic Brand,” Sept. 16 in Reston, Va.  Taught by Joe Grimm, Visiting Professor, Michigan State University School of Journalism, attendees will complete a workbook that will become a customized branding blueprint. The cost is $15, and includes lunch and a workbook. You must register by Sept. 13.
• Sept. 15 is the deadline to apply for the Abe Fellowship for Journalists (AFJ). The fellowship is sponsored by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP).  The Abe Fellowship for Journalists is designed to encourage in-depth coverage of topics of pressing concern to the United States and Japan through individual short-term policy-related projects.
• The National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color is hosting a training Sept. 21-23 for reporters who are interested in covering health care. The training will take place at the St. Louis Hotel in New Orleans. The training aims to bring attention to important health issues that affect minority communities and to ensure that they have the tools, resources, and information needed to report on these topics.  Registration is $75.
• The Online News Association will hold its annual Conference and Online Journalism Awards Banquet Sept. 22-24, 2011 in Boston.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a morning workshop Sept. 25 during the SPJ/RTDNA Excellence in Journalism Conference Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans. In the session, you’ll learn where to find key company financial information and how to dissect essential financial statements and Securities and Exchange Commission documents. Gain the skills that will enable you to follow the money and stay on top of the biggest story around – the economy.
• The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) are holding a joint conference, Excellence in Journalism 2011, Sept. 25-27 in New Orleans.
• Smart Phones, Smart Journalism, a one-day workshop presented by ASNE, Freedom Forum New Media Training and hosted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will be held Sept. 28, 2011. Using mobile technology to report faster and add multimedia on the go is an essential skill for today’s journalist. This workshop will teach you to extend the capabilities of your smart phone through the use of multimedia, editing, note taking, location and live streaming apps.  The cost is $50, but a discount is available for ASNE members.
• The Block By Block Community News Summit will be held at Loyola University in Chicago Sept. 29.  Join co-hosts Reynolds Fellow Michele McLellan and Jay Rosen of pressthink.org for a lively and informative gathering of online community news entrepreneurs. Share your best practices, progress and challenges with fellow local news pioneers and learn from their experiences as well.

OCTOBER

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a free, one-day Business Journalism Boot Camp in Minneapolis, Oct. 4. In this free, daylong workshop, you’ll learn the basics of business for public companies, private companies and nonprofits. Award-winning professors and journalists will have you analyzing financial statements to find stories about public companies, as well as tracking public information on private companies and nonprofits. Learn how to dissect the new IRS Form 990 line-by-line to find stories about local nonprofits. Examples will be tailored to the Minnesota market.
• The Poynter Institute’s News University is holding an online seminar, “Becoming a More Effective Editor: Strategies for Editing Yourself, Others,” Oct. Oct. 3-21. Attendees will learn to overcome the pitfalls of editing work that you have created; check your work for clarity, organization and understanding; find more errors in copy, whether of style, grammar, punctuation or flow; and correct errors more efficiently and effectively.  Applications are due August 29.
• The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is holding its Advanced Multimedia Boot Camp, Multimedia Training for Journalism Professionals and Educators Oct. 12-16, 2011, and Nov. 16-20, in Nashville, Tenn., at the John Seigenthaler Center. Learn things including: shoot and edit a mini-documentary; create a WordPress blog to host a project; use Google Maps and add images and video; and incorporate Twitter and Facebook Connect on your blog.  The cost is $850 for the course.
• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a free one-day workshop, “Digital Efficiency for Business Journalists — 36 Tips to Tame Info Overload,” in New York City Oct. 13.  It will include 36+ specific sites, tools and techniques for those who face a growing mass of digital information. The half-day session is not about theory or about how big the problem is, but instead about how to make each working day more efficient by using specific tools, techniques and best practices.
• The Poynter Institute’s News University is holding a day-long video seminar, “Video Storytelling with the Pros: Lighting, Writing and Surviving,” Oct. 16, starting at 10:00 a.m. EDT.  Spend a day in this video workshop, co-sponsored by the National Press Photographers Foundation, learning how award-winning professionals work through the storytelling process.  The cost is $65.00.
• The Society of Environmental Journalists will hold its 21^st annual conference in Miami Oct. 19-23.  Meet journalists from throughout the hemisphere — Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and more — and learn what issues they face reporting on the environment.
• Blogalicious will he held Oct. 21-23 in Washington, D.C.  Founded in 2009, the Blogalicious Weekend conferences are aimed at celebrating the diversity of women of all ethnicities in social media.
• Journalism Interactive: The Conference on Journalism Education & Digital Media will be held Oct. 28-29 at the University of Maryland-College Park. The event will explore the intersection of digital media and journalism education.  Early-bird full conference registration is $150; day passes are $85.

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!
• Nov. 15 is the deadline for college juniors, seniors and graduate students who have demonstrated an interest in and aptitude for copy editing to apply for several scholarships awarded each year by the ACES Education Fund, an affiliate of the American Copy Editors Society. The scholarships are open to students who will be college juniors, seniors or graduate students in the fall, and to graduating students who will take full-time copy editing jobs or internships.

DECEMBER

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold a free webinar, “Quick-Hit Business Investigations — Concept to Execution” Dec. 6 at noon or 4:00 p.m. EDT. Matt Apuzzo, investigative reporter at the Washington bureau of The Associated Press will provide practical advice on how to pull off investigations that might take one to two weeks.

JANUARY 2012

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will hold the Strictly Financials/Business Journalism Professors Seminars in Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 2-5, 2012.  The center is offering 24 fellowships worth $2,000 each for four days of study in business journalism for experienced business journalists and prospective business journalism professors.  Fellowships cover training, lodging, materials and most meals. Fellows receive a $500 stipend to offset travel and other costs.
• The Scripps Howard Foundation and the Arizona State University’s Cronkite School are offering fellowships to journalism professors interested in introducing entrepreneurial concepts and practices into their teaching of journalism. The five-day institute, Jan. 4-8, 2012, will immerse participants in the concepts and practice of entrepreneurship. Held at the Cronkite School’s state-of-the-art facility in downtown Phoenix, it will be led by Dan Gillmor, author of “Mediactive” and an internationally known speaker and thinker on new media and entrepreneurship. Gillmor will be joined by entrepreneurs, investors and Cronkite faculty.  The deadline to apply is Nov. 1.

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

What YOU learned during the NABJ convention

By Melanie Eversley

DJTF Vice Chair

Reporter, USA Today

Shortly after the Philadelphia convention — actually, as I was making the trip home — I asked folks via Twitter to send out the most important things they’d learned using the hashtag #nabj11takeaway.

The response was pretty energetic, and people offered tips focused on everything from staying comfortable to making sure you learned the newest technology.

As the tips poured in, DJTF chair Benet Wilson suggested that the compilation of tips would work well in Storify.

I’d heard of Storify and seen it at work, but hadn’t yet learned it. Benet suggested I get some tips from former NABJ president Herb Lowe, who will be offering a webinar on Storify in the coming weeks.

So, not only did I learn all sorts of great things at the convention, in an indirect way, NABJ also helped me learn how to use Storify too — and now I have yet one more skill.

Here’s the Storify compilation of your tips. If you want to tweet out more, I’ll add them.

Have a great weekend!