App-a-palooza: The Latest Tools for your Digital Toolkit

By Benét J. Wilson

I first did this presentation at the 2018 NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair in Detroit as part of the Innovation Bubble. These are all digital tools and resources you can use in your newsroom that help you work smarter and better. Those of you attending #NABJNAHJ22 in Las Vegas may have either missed my presentation or I went too fast and you missed some tools of interest.

I thank Innovation Bubble leader Michelle Johnson for inviting me to present my “black bag” of what I use. Click here to see my Prezi presentation with all the tools I shared. Please feel free to add your favorites in the comments or reach out to me if you have any questions!

10 Things to Do NOW to Prepare for #NABJNAHJ16

The 2016 NABJ/NAHJ Annual Convention and Career Fair is happening in only 37 more days.  In order to have a successful convention, you need to be prepared. Below are 10 things you need to do now to be on your game in Washington, D.C.

1. Buy your plane ticket. The closer you get to the convention date, the more expensive that airfare will be. I’ll be driving to D.C. from Baltimore, but I bought my ticket for #NABJ15 in Minneapolis in February. The closer it gets to the convention the more your ticket will cost. I tweet airline fare sales regularly at  @NABJDigital or @AvQueenBenet. Also, set a fare alert on Airfarewatchdog.com to be informed about the lowest fares.
2. Business cards. Get them now. Vistaprint has a great selection of templates so you can have cards that stand out. Click here for two specials that expire on June 30: $1.99 for 100 no-frills cards or $9.99 for standard business cards (minus shipping). I’m also a big fan of Moo cards, which come in different shapes and sizes, and allows you to highlight photos or copy on the back. Mine shows off my aviation pictures from around the world. They cost more than Vistaprint (starting at $19.99 for 50 cards), but I feel it’s worth the investment.
3. Resume/online portfolio. Now is the time to make sure your  resume and online portfolio are completed so you can impress recruiters at the convention. Need help? Check out the DJTF webinars covering online portfolios and resumes. They’re free to watch, but you must register. And in a shameless plug for my new Resumes By Benét business, I can help you get ready for the convention or your next career move at very reasonable rates.
4. Check your social media profile. Google yourself and see what comes up. Check your Facebook profile and Twitter timeline and make sure there are no embarrassing photos or posts because potential employers will be checking.
5. Look at the convention schedule and list of exhibitors. Work out a plan on what workshops you want to attend and create a schedule on your smartphone. Prioritize who are the must-see employers on your list, start making appointments and get a jump start on the crowds.
6. Start making a list of all the people you want to see in D.C. The schedules of those attending the conference are very tight. Start now to create that list of must-see people and map out appointments, interviews and chat times. And consider breakfast meetings, since schedules tend to slip as the day goes by.
7. Find ways to save money. Going to the convention is not cheap, but you can do it and not break the bank. Find folks to share a hotel room at the NABJ Convention Roommate Bureau. If you’re checking a bag, tuck in some non-perishable snacks and water. Reach out on NABJ’s listserves and social media channels for ride shares to and from the airport or take the Metro subway, which stops right in front of the Marriott Wardman Park at the Woodley Park station on the Red Line.  Check out sites like Yelp and Zomato to find places in the hotel’s Woodley Park neighborhood and around the city to eat that are less expensive than the hotel’s offerings. Search Hotwire and Priceline for nearby hotel deals.
8. Check your wardrobe. See what clothes fit and what don’t. See what needs to be cleaned or altered. And if you need to buy things, do it  now. Consider thrift shops like Savers.com or Goodwill, where you can find real bargains, especially on designer labels. See this suit I wore in Minneapolis last year? It’s a designer Elie Tahari suit I bought at Savers for $10.99. My dress for Salute to Excellence? $12.00.
9. Check yourself. Our convention is all about fun and family, but it’s also a professional event. You never know who will be watching. So enjoy yourself, but don’t overdo it.
10. Hang out with your friends now. The convention is the time to meet new people and grow your network. It is not the time to hang with the same group of people that you do at home. As much as you love them, they are not going to get you a job, so break away and expand your horizons.

The Digital Journalism Task Force is doing its annual convention preparation TweetChat on Tuesday, June 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET. NABJ convention veterans will offer great tips and advice to get ready for D.C., and they’ll also answer your questions and share stories. Follow along using the #NABJNAHJ16 hashtag.

Benét J. Wilson is the vice president-digital on the NABJ board. She is a long-time member of the Digital Journalism Task Force and is secretary of the Online News Association board. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aviation Queen LLC, a freelance writing company.

Getting Ready for #NABJ40: The Convention TweetChat

With the 40th Annual NABJ Convention and Career Fair only 42 days away, the Digital Journalism Task Force, in partnership with AllDigitocracy.org, held its annual TweetChat to get folks ready for the event.

We had a stellar panel of NABJ convention veterans — Kelley Carter, Kirstin Garriss, Marissa Evans, Merdie Nzanga, Sarah Glover, Cindy George, Kathy Chaney, Marcus Vanderberg, Michael Feeney,  Marshall Latimore, Marlon Walker, Marc Willis Marissa Evans and Ashleigh Atwell — who shared their best tips and tricks for navigating the convention. I also want to thank all the #NABJ family members who chimed in with their own convention experiences.

Click here to see the Storify of the event.  And don’t forget to register for the convention, Aug. 5-9, 2015, in Minneapolis. See you there!

10 Things to Do NOW to Prepare for #NABJ15

The 2015 NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair is coming up fast. In order to have a successful convention, you need to be prepared. Below are 10 things you need to do now to be on your game in Minneapolis.

1. Buy your plane ticket. The closer you get to the convention date, the more expensive that air fare will be. I bought my Baltimore-Minneapolis ticket in February on Southwest Airlines, and it still cost me $324 roundtrip. NABJ members get a discount at United Airlines. I tweet fare sales regularly at  @NABJDigital or @AvQueenBenet. Also set a fare alert on Airfarewatchdog.com to  be informed about the lowest fares.
2. Business cards. Get them now. Vistaprint has a great selection and you can get 500 for as little as $10. You can even get free cards (minus shipping costs) that sport an ad on the back.
3. Resume/online portfolio. Now is the time to tighten up that resume and freshen up or create an online portfolio to impress recruiters at the convention. Need help? Check out the DJTF webinars covering online portfolios and resumes. They’re free to watch, but you must register.
4. Find ways to save money. Going to the convention is not cheap, but you can do it and not break the bank. Find folks to share a hotel room at the NABJ Convention Roommate Bureau. If you’re checking a bag, tuck some non-perishable snacks and water. Reach out on NABJ’s listserves and social media channels for ride shares to and from the airport.  Check out sites like Yelp and Urban Spoon to find nearby places to eat that are less expensive than the hotel. And search Hotwire and Priceline for nearby hotel deals.
5. Look at the convention schedule. Work out a plan on what workshops you want to attend and create a schedule.
6. Check out the exhibitors and recruiters (not posted yet, but here’s who attended in 2014). See who will be in Minneapolis and start prioritizing who are the must-see employers on your list.
7. Start making a list of people you want to see in Minneapolis. The schedules of those attending the conference are very tight. Start now to create that list of must-see people and map out appointments, interviews and chat times. And consider breakfast meetings, since schedules tend to slip as the day goes by.
8. Check your wardrobe. See what clothes fit and what don’t. See what needs to be cleaned or altered. And if you need to buy things, do it  now.
9. Check your social media profile. Google yourself and see what comes up. Check your Facebook profile and make sure there are no embarrassing photos or posts because potential employers will be checking.
10. Hang out with your friends now. The convention is the time to meet new people and grow your network. It is not the time to hang with the same group of people you do at home. As much as you love them, they are not going to get you a job.

The Digital Journalism Task Force will do its annual convention preparation TweetChat in May, which will offer great tips and advice from NABJ veterans. Hope to “see” you there!

Benét J. Wilson is the vice president of education for the NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force. She also serves on the board of the Online News Association and is the owner/founder of Aviation Queen LLC, a freelance writing and social media consulting company.

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

FEBRUARY

• The 2015 Southeast Journalism Conference will be hosted by Georgia State University at its Student*University Center and the Ramada Plaza Capitol Park Atlanta on Feb. 26-28, 2015. Members and non-members alike are invited to attend this fantastic learning opportunity for journalism students across the southeast.

MARCH

• The Society of Professional Journalists’ Spring Conferences are day-long professional development meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today’s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of the best practices in newsrooms. Enhance yourself and your journalism career by attending a Spring Conference in your area. For more information, click here.

• The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host the Region III conference March 5-8, 2015, aboard the Carnival cruise line to the Bahamas. This conference will feature diverse programming for freelance and transitioning journalists, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs and students.
• Join Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting for its annual conference devoted to computer-assisted reporting in Atlanta March 5-8, 2015. Come and learn about tools you need to dig deeper into stories and give your audience the information they want.
• Join the Online News Association for its first international conference, ONA London: Mobile, March 6, 2015, at Reuters UK headquarters. This one-day event will bring together top minds in the industry to discuss mobile design, content and distribution, providing practical tips and inspiration to rethink how media approaches mobile news.
• Journalists, media and communication professionals and students are invited to participate in the 2015 National Association of Black Journalists Region VI Conference, March 13-14,2015, in Oakland, California. The event – which takes place at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square – will begin with a Friday night mixer reception at Lungamore’s @ Jack London Square followed by a full day of workshops, which will offer information and discussion on the impact and future of technology in the media and communications industries. Saturday’s sessions will end with a dinner/dance open to all participants.
• Bindercon –  Out of the Binders was formed to promote the voices of women and gender non-conforming writers, and the community surrounding the conference is incredibly welcoming and diverse. The symposium will include panels on cultivating your career and improving your craft, but also diversity and intersectionality—topics that usually aren’t covered in a meaningful way at many other events.  The event is March 28-29 in LA and online.

APRIL

• The Center for Journalism Ethics will address ethics in sports journalism at its seventh annual conference, Fair or Foul: Ethics and Sports Journalism, April 10, 2015, at Union South on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The conference will feature Robert Lipsyte, veteran sports journalist, author and current ombudsman for ESPN, as keynote speaker. The program will include panels on privacy, editorial independence in a world of sponsorship and rights fees, representation of minorities, and the bounds of civil discourse in a sporting context.
• Journalists will gather for two days of training sessions, awards ceremonies and networking April 10-11, 2015 for the Midwest Journalism Conference at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis International Airport Hotel and Suites at 34th Avenue South and American Boulevard in Bloomington, Minnesota. Planning is under way for the 2015 conference and we welcome your suggestions for speakers, sessions and events.
• Society of American Business Editors and Writers Spring Conference – This conference has a lot to offer business reporters with a great list of speakers including Rahm Emanuel.  Writers will learn strategies for evaluating startups and entrepreneurs, covering business in a global economy, and enhancing your reporting with cutting edge technology.  The event is April 23-25 in Chicago.
• Join hundreds of journalism colleagues in California’s Silicon Valley — an intersection of health and technology, and home to Health Journalism 2015. Register to visit area sites during field trips, hear from world-class health experts and journalists during panels, take part in skill-building workshops, and more. The conference will help reporters, editors and producers cover the latest in medical research, health technology, public health issues, the business of health care, health policy matters and journalism. The conference kickoff speaker will be Stanford University physician and bestselling author Abraham Verghese.  The event is April 23-26 in Santa Clara, CA.
• The Missouri School of Journalism and the Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Journalism Interactive,  the conference on journalism education and digital media April 24-25, 2015. The keynote speaker will be Vivian Schiller, who was most recently global chair of news at Twitter. Her address, “Beyond the Buzzwords: What It Means to Be a News Organization in the Digital Age,” will focus on the impact of emerging technologies on both the practice of journalism and the business viability of news media companies.
• American Society of Journalists and Authors Connect For Success is a conference geared more towards freelancers than staff at major publications.  It will be April 30 – May 2 and contains tons of panels and sessions on business management, marketing, and writing and research techniques. And since it’s smack dab in New York City, the conference gets high-profile panelists from just about every beat. ASJA members get access to personal pitch sessions, where you can have speed-dating style meetings with publishers, agents, and even a handful of editors, so this conference is potentially lucrative in addition to being informative. Author Jennifer Boylan is speaking this year.

MAY

• Muse & the Marketplace – This three-day literary conference helps writers find that elusive balance between artistic excellence and working for money. Authors delve into the craft of writing, while agents, publicists, and editors talk business. May 1-3 in Boston, MA.
• North American Travel Journalist Association Conference and Marketplace – hosts professional development seminars in the morning and a marketplace to meet with exhibitors and hear their destination promotion spiels. In the afternoons, you’ll be drinking cocktails, taking tours, and catching dinner, and listening to an evening keynote speakers.  May 4-9 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
• Travel Classics East – Dates: May 28–31, Tarrytown, NY. This conference is open to writers who have published three or more major magazine articles within the last year and a half. Like the NATJA conference, it includes meals as well as pre- and post-conference media tours. You’ll also get to sit in on presentations by top magazine editors and book agents and consult with them one-on-one.

JUNE

 

• 2015 Investigative Reporters and Editors Conference is on June 4–7 in Philadelphia, PA. This conference provides guidance on locating documents, accessing public records, finding stories, and managing investigations. Although the schedule hasn’t been posted, the conference promises to cover a wide variety of beats, including public safety, health care, government, military, business, education, and the environment.

 

• Outdoor Writers Association of California Spring Conference is June 15–16 in Big Bear Lake, CA.   If you like to work hard and play hard, this conference will give you a chance to get some fishing and off-roading in while working on improving your craft, gathering story ideas, and networking with other outdoor writers.

JULY

• The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference is on July 17–19 in Grapevine, TX. This conference’s theme is “The great divide between the Haves and Have-Nots in American society and the social, economic, racial, cultural and political fissures created by this divide.”  World-renowned storytellers will be speaking in a series of lectures, panels, and one-on-one sessions. Keynote speakers this year include authors Anne Fadiman, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Alex Tizon. If that’s not enough, former New York Times editor-in-chief Jill Abramson is one of 18 featured speakers—with more to be announced.

AUGUST

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 40th Annual Convention and Career Fair August 5-9, 2015, in Minneapolis. Thousands of journalists, media executives, public relations professionals, and students are expected to attend to network, participate in professional development sessions and celebrate excellence in journalism. See a list of workshops here.
• The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication will hold its annual conference August 5-9, 2015, in San Francisco.
• Join more than 900 journalists, news executives, media researchers and community leaders at the 25th Annual Asian American Journalists Association National Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, August 12-15, 2015.

SEPTEMBER

• Join more than 350 journalists, news executives, communications professionals and educators to celebrate the 25th year of National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s Coming Home National Convention & 11th Annual LGBT Media Summit at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco, September 3-6, 2015.
• Excellence in Journalism will be held September 18-20, 2015, in Orlando, Florida. The conference is a joint event with the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
• Record-breaking numbers of journalists travel to the Online News Association’s annual conference each year to learn about new tools, techniques and technologies, to discuss advancements and challenges in the industry, take advantage of the rare opportunity to network face-to-face, and share best practices with peers from all over the map. Join ONA September 24-26 in Los Angeles.

OCTOBER

• The Global Investigative Journalism Conference is the world’s largest international gathering of investigative reporters. It will hold its next conference in October in Lillehammer, Norway. The conference will be hosted by Association for Critical and Investigative Press (SKUP), Norway’s investigative journalism association.
• Journalism and Women Symposium Conference and Mentoring Project is on Oct 9–11 in Whitefish, MT.  JAWS CAMP has a cozy and comfortable vibe, with conference attendees encouraged to wear jeans and t-shirts. Although the schedule isn’t yet set, past conferences have included panels on new media ethics, intensive training in editing and investigative reporting, documentary film screenings, morning yoga, and cocktail hours.
• ScienceWriters 2015 is on October 9–13 in Cambridge, MA.  This is a joint conference, provided by the National Association of Science Writers and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, and it features briefings on scientific research, professional development workshops, lab tours, and science field trips.

So there you have it—conferences as close as your backyard and as far as Puerto Vallarta. Remember to register sooner rather than later, as early bird prices increase, hotel blocks fill up quickly, and limited field trip slots at some conferences disappear.

If you have items you wish to include, please email them to me at benet AT aviationqueen DOT COM. Thanks!!

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

FEBRUARY

• The 2015 Southeast Journalism Conference will be hosted by Georgia State University at its Student*University Center and the Ramada Plaza Capitol Park Atlanta on Feb. 26-28, 2015. Members and non-members alike are invited to attend this fantastic learning opportunity for journalism students across the southeast.

MARCH

• The Society of Professional Journalists’ Spring Conferences are day-long professional development meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today’s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of the best practices in newsrooms. Enhance yourself and your journalism career by attending a Spring Conference in your area. For more information, click here.
• The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host the Region III conference March 5-8, 2015, aboard the Carnival cruise line to the Bahamas. This conference will feature diverse programming for freelance and transitioning journalists, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs and students.
• Join Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting for its annual conference devoted to computer-assisted reporting in Atlanta March 5-8, 2015. Come and learn about tools you need to dig deeper into stories and give your audience the information they want.
• Join the Online News Association for its first international conference, ONA London: Mobile, March 6, 2015, at Reuters UK headquarters. This one-day event will bring together top minds in the industry to discuss mobile design, content and distribution, providing practical tips and inspiration to rethink how media approaches mobile news.
• Journalists, media and communication professionals and students are invited to participate in the 2015 National Association of Black Journalists Region VI Conference, March 13-14,2015, in Oakland, California. The event – which takes place at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square – will begin with a Friday night mixer reception at Lungamore’s @ Jack London Square followed by a full day of workshops, which will offer information and discussion on the impact and future of technology in the media and communications industries. Saturday’s sessions will end with a dinner/dance open to all participants.

APRIL

• The Center for Journalism Ethics will address ethics in sports journalism at its seventh annual conference, Fair or Foul: Ethics and Sports Journalism, April 10, 2015, at Union South on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The conference will feature Robert Lipsyte, veteran sports journalist, author and current ombudsman for ESPN, as keynote speaker. The program will include panels on privacy, editorial independence in a world of sponsorship and rights fees, representation of minorities, and the bounds of civil discourse in a sporting context.
• Journalists will gather for two days of training sessions, awards ceremonies and networking April 10-11, 2015 for the Midwest Journalism Conference at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis International Airport Hotel and Suites at 34th Avenue South and American Boulevard in Bloomington, Minnesota. Planning is under way for the 2015 conference and we welcome your suggestions for speakers, sessions and events.
• Join hundreds of journalism colleagues in California’s Silicon Valley — an intersection of health and technology, and home to Health Journalism 2015. Register to visit area sites during field trips, hear from world-class health experts and journalists during panels, take part in skill-building workshops, and more. The conference will help reporters, editors and producers cover the latest in medical research, health technology, public health issues, the business of health care, health policy matters and journalism. The conference kickoff speaker will be Stanford University physician and bestselling author Abraham Verghese.
• The Missouri School of Journalism and the Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Journalism Interactive,  the conference on journalism education and digital media April 24-25, 2015. The keynote speaker will be Vivian Schiller, who was most recently global chair of news at Twitter. Her address, “Beyond the Buzzwords: What It Means to Be a News Organization in the Digital Age,” will focus on the impact of emerging technologies on both the practice of journalism and the business viability of news media companies.

AUGUST

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 40th Annual Convention and Career Fair August 5-9, 2015, in Minneapolis. Thousands of journalists, media executives, public relations professionals, and students are expected to attend to network, participate in professional development sessions and celebrate excellence in journalism. See a list of workshops here.
• The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication will hold its annual conference August 5-9, 2015, in San Francisco.
• Join more than 900 journalists, news executives, media researchers and community leaders at the 25th Annual Asian American Journalists Association National Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, August 12-15, 2015.

 

SEPTEMBER

• Join more than 350 journalists, news executives, communications professionals and educators to celebrate the 25th year of National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s Coming Home National Convention & 11th Annual LGBT Media Summit at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco, September 3-6, 2015.
• Excellence in Journalism will be held September 18-20, 2015, in Orlando, Florida. The conference is a joint event with the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
• Record-breaking numbers of journalists travel to the Online News Association’s annual conference each year to learn about new tools, techniques and technologies, to discuss advancements and challenges in the industry, take advantage of the rare opportunity to network face-to-face, and share best practices with peers from all over the map. Join ONA September 24-26 in Los Angeles.

OCTOBER

• The Global Investigative Journalism Conference is the world’s largest international gathering of investigative reporters. It will hold its next conference in October in Lillehammer, Norway. The conference will be hosted by Association for Critical and Investigative Press (SKUP), Norway’s investigative journalism association.

If you have items you wish to include, please email them to me at benet AT aviationqueen DOT COM. Thanks!!

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

FEBRUARY

• The 2015 Southeast Journalism Conference will be hosted by Georgia State University at its Student*University Center and the Ramada Plaza Capitol Park Atlanta on Feb. 26-28, 2015. Members and non-members alike are invited to attend this fantastic learning opportunity for journalism students across the southeast.

MARCH

• The Society of Professional Journalists’ Spring Conferences are day-long professional development meetings bringing area journalists, students and journalism educators together in one place to hear from industry experts on topics ranging from improving writing to leveraging technology in today’s new media climate. Networking opportunities at the conferences allow participants to build relationships that can lead to the sharing of the best practices in newsrooms. Enhance yourself and your journalism career by attending a Spring Conference in your area. For more information, click here.
• The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host the Region III conference March 5-8, 2015, aboard the Carnival cruise line to the Bahamas. This conference will feature diverse programming for freelance and transitioning journalists, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs and students.
• Join Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting for its annual conference devoted to computer-assisted reporting in Atlanta March 5-8, 2015. Come and learn about tools you need to dig deeper into stories and give your audience the information they want.
• Journalists, media and communication professionals and students are invited to participate in the 2015 National Association of Black Journalists Region VI Conference, March 13-14,2015, in Oakland, California. The event – which takes place at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square – will begin with a Friday night mixer reception at Lungamore’s @ Jack London Square followed by a full day of workshops, which will offer information and discussion on the impact and future of technology in the media and communications industries. Saturday’s sessions will end with a dinner/dance open to all participants.

 

APRIL

• The Center for Journalism Ethics will address ethics in sports journalism at its seventh annual conference, Fair or Foul: Ethics and Sports Journalism, April 10, 2015, at Union South on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The conference will feature Robert Lipsyte, veteran sports journalist, author and current ombudsman for ESPN, as keynote speaker. The program will include panels on privacy, editorial independence in a world of sponsorship and rights fees, representation of minorities, and the bounds of civil discourse in a sporting context.
• Journalists will gather for two days of training sessions, awards ceremonies and networking April 10-11, 2015 for the Midwest Journalism Conference at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis International Airport Hotel and Suites at 34th Avenue South and American Boulevard in Bloomington, Minnesota. Planning is under way for the 2015 conference and we welcome your suggestions for speakers, sessions and events.
• Join hundreds of journalism colleagues in California’s Silicon Valley — an intersection of health and technology, and home to Health Journalism 2015. Register to visit area sites during field trips, hear from world-class health experts and journalists during panels, take part in skill-building workshops, and more. The conference will help reporters, editors and producers cover the latest in medical research, health technology, public health issues, the business of health care, health policy matters and journalism. The conference kickoff speaker will be Stanford University physician and bestselling author Abraham Verghese.
• The Missouri School of Journalism and the Reynolds Journalism Institute will host Journalism Interactive,  the conference on journalism education and digital media April 24-25, 2015. The keynote speaker will be Vivian Schiller, who was most recently global chair of news at Twitter. Her address, “Beyond the Buzzwords: What It Means to Be a News Organization in the Digital Age,” will focus on the impact of emerging technologies on both the practice of journalism and the business viability of news media companies.

 

OCTOBER

• The Global Investigative Journalism Conference is the world’s largest international gathering of investigative reporters. It will hold its next conference in October in Lillehammer, Norway. The conference will be hosted by Association for Critical and Investigative Press (SKUP), Norway’s investigative journalism association.

 

If you have items you wish to include, please email them to me at benet AT aviationqueen DOT COM. Thanks!!

 

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

We’re back! Here’s a quick list of events through the end of the year.  We’ll have a bigger calendar next week. Meanwhile, if you have items you wish to include, please email them to me at benet AT aviationqueen DOT COM. Thanks!!

DECEMBER

• The Tow Center for Digital Journalism and the Information Society Project of Yale Law School have partnered to present this series of 5 lectures as part of the larger Journalism After Snowden project this Fall. Journalism After Snowden: Finding and Protecting Intelligence Sources After Snowden, a lecture with James Bamford on Tuesday, December 2, 2014, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm. The lecture will be held at Yale Law School – 127 Wall Street, New Haven, Connecticut,  Room 122. An RSVP Required via Eventbrite. Whistleblowers are very rare, and it is even more rare when one comes knocking on your door as Edward Snowden did with Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras.  Instead, journalists covering national security and intelligence need to develop sources from scratch.  And once developed, they need to be protected.  In his talk James Bamford will discuss some ways to develop sources and also ways to protect them.  He will also talk about Edward Snowden and his thoughts on sources and whistleblowers.  Bamford spent three days with him in Moscow last summer for a cover story in Wired magazine.
• The Tow Center for Digital Journalism and the Information Society Project of Yale Law School have partnered to present this series of 5 lectures as part of the larger Journalism After Snowden project this Fall. Journalism After Snowden – In Defense of Leaks, a lecture with Jill Abramson on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm in Pulitzer Hall – 3rd Floor World Room. RSVP Required via Eventbrite. Jill Abramson is a journalist who spent the last 17 years in the most senior editorial positions at The New York Times, where she was the first woman to serve as Washington Bureau Chief, Managing Editor and Executive Editor. Before joining the Times, she spent nine years at The Wall Street Journal as the Deputy Washington Bureau Chief and an investigative reporter covering money and politics. She is currently a lecturer with the department of English at Harvard University.
• The Tow Center for Digital Journalism presents Tow Tea: Understanding the Role of Algorithms and Data at BuzzFeed on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation. RSVP encouraged via Eventbrite. Ky Harlin, Director of Data Science for Buzzfeed will join us along with an editor and reporter from Buzzfeed. Together, they will help us understand the relationship between content and data—How does Buzzfeed predict whether a story will go viral?  What is shareability?  Do reporters and editors at Buzzfeed make editorial decisions based on input from data scientists who track traffic and social networks?  What is the day-to-day workflow like at Buzzfeed and how are methods employed different than those used in traditional newsroom settings? For questions about this event, please contact Smitha Khorana, Tow Center DMA, at sk3808@columbia.edu.
• The National Association of Black Journalists’ Digital Journalism Task Force and the Diverse Social Media Editors & Digital Journalists group present “The Road To Social Media Success,” a FREE webinar with Huffington Post Columnist Sean Gardner. Gardner will offer tips on how to step up your social media game. The webinar will be held on Thursday, December 11, 2014, at 8:00 p.m. EST. Register today!

MARCH

• The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will host the Region III conference March 5-8, 2015, aboard the Carnival cruise line to the Bahamas. This conference will feature diverse programming for freelance and transitioning journalists, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs and students.  A $100 per person deposit deadline is Monday, December 15, 2014; the final balance is due by Sunday, January 4, 2015.
• Journalists, media and communication professionals and students are invited to participate in the 2015 National Association of Black Journalists Region VI Conference, March 13-14,2015, in Oakland, California. The event – which takes place at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square – will begin with a Friday night mixer reception at Lungamore’s @ Jack London Square followed by a full day of workshops, which will offer information and discussion on the impact and future of technology in the media and communications industries. Saturday’s sessions will end with a dinner/dance open to all participants.

 

Apply for Diversity Travel Fellowship to Attend Science Writers Conference

The upcoming Science Writers 2014 Conference is sure to be an amazing experience. I am hoping that many NABJ members consider attending this conference because of the number and variety of professional and networking opportunities it offers.

Here is a chance to attend and have your conference costs covered. Announcing the NASW Diversity Travel Fellowship. Sponsored by a generous NASW Idea Grant, these travel awards (5 at $1,000 each) were created to encourage underrepresented minorities in science journalism to attend the ScienceWriters2014 conference in Columbus, Ohio.

US based underrepresented minority journalists are encouraged to apply especially African-, Hispanic-, and Native-Americans who have journalism experience in STEM, medicine, health, environment, technology, etc.

The grant continues my ongoing work with DiverseScholar and our work to increase diversity in the science communication workforce.  Why does diversity matter in science communication? We already know that diversity impacts what information in brought before different audiences. Science-related information is no different, but because its important role in each of our lives diverse perspectives matter even more. Delivering culturally relevant health, science, technology, and environmental news is important and is the key to addressing disparities in access to essential services and future career opportunities in these growing fields.

The meeting offers several networking opportunities to connect with other journalists, science communicators and scientists. You’ll hear speakers talk about current research related to society issues and information perception, science-related policy issues such as GMO biotechnology, impact of culture in reinforcing racial and sexist stereotypes, health care and public health.

This conference will be awesome, so apply for the travel award.

More details about the application and fellowship are here. Application includes 10 survey questions, upload your resume or CV and one 500+ word essay asking applicants to describe the importance of diversity in science communication. Preview the entire application at this link. Deadline to apply is Friday August 29 at 11:55 pm PST using this online application.

Connect to other Science Communicators on Twitter and connect to other Science Writing conference attendees.

#SciWri14

#mediadiversity

#DivSciWri

@ScienceWriting

@ScienceWriters

@TheDarkSci

@CultureDish

Meeting registration opens August 15, 2014. But apply today. Deadline for the fellowship is August 29. If you have questions about the travel fellowship direct them to me, @DNLee5 and @MinorityPostdoc.

Dr. Danielle N. Lee is an NABJ and NASW member, a science blogger and co-founder of the National Science & Technology News Service.

You Are Invited to the Science Writers 2014 Conference

 

I am back from the 2014 NABJ Conference in Boston, Massachusetts and I fired up! There were so many great conversations happening. I was especially excited about the series of panels arranged by Healthy NABJ. These panels explored the critical role of journalism in better healthcare delivery to underserved populations.

But it wasn’t just about healthcare, folks were discussing technology, and weather preparedness, sports, fashion, beauty, and more. Though not explicitly covered, but all of these topics have very, very strong science, technology, engineering, and math foundations (STEM). Science is at the heart of so many of stories that NABJ members deliver.

Which is why I am inviting my fellow NABJ members to the annual Science Writers Conference, October 17-20, 2014 in Columbus, Ohio. The conference is hosted by the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) and Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW). The meeting offers several fun networking and engaging professional development opportunities: Friday reception, Saturday, a Sunday party, Lunch With a Scientist, two days of stellar research presentations (e.g. CASW’s New Horizons in Science), lab tours and field trips through Tuesday. Registration for the meeting opens August 15, 2014.

Trust me, this meeting will enrich you. Full agenda is here, but here are the highlights.

1. Saturday morning panel on Media Diversity, with NABJ Digital Taskforce Co-Chair Tracie Powell.

2. The Culture Dish Mixer, a chance for minority journalists connected to each other and to the larger science writing community and a mixer at ScienceWriters2014.

3. Sunday morning opening speaker, Brad Bushman will give a briefing on the New Horizons in Science. His research examines how stereotypes about race/ethnicity and gender are heightened by violent media and violent video games. His work and that of Mahzarin Banari’s, explores how the culture of violence may be nurturing racism and sexism. This definitely impacts news delivery across beats.

4. The Sunday program will also include discussions about the brave-new-world possibilities of “genome editing” and “gene drives” as well as the messages people are getting about genetically modified food crops. These technologies will require society to make careful policy choices. It’s important that all communities, especially those that have historically-tenuous relationships with science such as African-Americans, be well-informed about these new technologies and that diverse voices are heard. Speakers include George Church and Allison Snow.

5. Public health issues are of strong interest to minority communities and NABJ has a very active Healthy NABJ team. Maura Gillison will give a talk on HPV that will connect public health, individual behavior and genomic analysis to explain how she’s trying to reduce the incidence of head and neck cancer. In addition, the session by Jan Kiecolt-Glaser and Martha Belury on marital stress and health is going to make some surprising new connections with obesity and depression.

6. How to write for local and non-science publications. This session will feature freelance journalists who have found success pitching science-related news stories to smaller outlets and those that do not traditionally cover science. This session will be especially useful for journalists interested in pitching stories to minority-serving news outlets.

7. Plus there will be opportunities to meet and interview a number of scientists. Including leading Latino- and African-American scientists whose research impacts their communities and whose service works to diversity our US STEM workforce. Meet Alán Aspuru-Guzik, a lively scientist who has been a mentor to a number of Hispanic students and postdocs at Harvard. He’s enthusiastic about promoting interest in science, especially in his homeland of Mexico, and is also a great interview. Also meet Erich Jarvis, co-leader of a large avian phylogeny project that will make a multi-paper release this fall.

This meeting will be awesome. I want to see you there! Make plans to attend. But if you still need more info, check out these recaps from ScienceWriters2013 by CASW and KSJ Tracker; and prepare for the conference with advice from SciLance and Open Notebook.

Follow along on Twitter and connect to other conference attendees.

• #SciWri14
• #mediadiversity
• #DivSciWri
• @ScienceWriting
• @ScienceWriters
• @TheDarkSci
• @CultureDish

Dr. Danielle N. Lee is an NABJ and NASW member, a science blogger and co-founder of the National Science & Technology News Service.