Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

JUNE

•  Since 2002, the Society of Professional Journalists has awarded $10,000 to a person, group or organization that works to preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. If you, a person or an organization you know fiercely protects these rights, submit a nomination for the 2014 Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award by June 22. The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation (SPJ’s supporting foundation) dedicates this honor to anyone who upholds this pillar of democracy, not just journalists. Visit SPJ’s website to learn more, see a list of past honorees and submit the nomination materials. Awards Coordinator Chad Hosier, awards@spj.org, can answer any questions you may have. Submit a Pulliam First Amendment Award nomination today.

• The best in the business will gather for more than 100 panels, hands-on classes and special presentations about covering business, public safety, government, health care, education, the military, the environment and other key beats at the 2014 IRE conference June 26-29, 2014 in San Francisco. Speakers will share strategies for locating documents and gaining access to public records, finding the best stories and managing investigations. Join the discussion about how to practice investigative journalism in print, broadcast, Web and alternative newsroom models.

JULY

• The Native American Journalists Association will hold the 2014 National Native Media Conference held in Santa Clara, Calif. Join more than 300 Native journalists, media professionals and tribal community representatives from across the country at the 30th annual event commemorating three decades of enhancing Native journalism July 10-13, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara. Members of the Native American Journalists Association save $50 on conference registration – become a member to take advantage of the discount.

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 39th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Boston July 30-Aug. 3, 2014. 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.

AUGUST 

• The National Association of Hispanic Journalists will hold its Annual Multimedia Convention & Career Expo August 7-9, 2014 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. NAHJ has approximately 1,500 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals and journalism educators.

SEPTEMBER

• The Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville will host top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country September 4-6, 2014.

• For the past 7 years, data enthusiasts from all over the globe have come together for the Tableau Conference. They’ve discovered how to leverage their investment in data analytics, hear what’s next in business intelligence, and network with other like-minded individuals. This year you can expect the same. The conference will host more than 240 sessions, 10 super sessions, 4 engaging keynote speakers in Seattle, Washington from September 8 to 12. 

• The Online News Association 2014 Conference & Awards Banquet is the premier gathering of highly engaged digital journalists shaping media now. Learn about new tools and technologies, network with peers from around the world and celebrate excellence at the Online Journalism Awards. ONA  is looking for your input on sessions for ONA14, Sept. 25-27, in Chicago. Submit your session proposals  from March 20 to April 18. Submit one here

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

How Digital Journalism Relaunched Rene Syler’s Career

By Crystal Garner, DJTF Intern

The desire to build something that no one could ever take away from her is what fueled Rene Syler, former anchor of “The Early Show” on CBS, after her termination in 2006. What Syler wanted to create was a brand, and using the tools of digital media, she did just that and more.

She is now the author of “Good Enough Mother,” a book and supporting blog targeted at “imperfectly perfect” mothers, host of “Sweet Retreats,” a family travel show on the Live Well Network, and co-host of “Exhale”, a provocative talk show in its second season on Magic Johnson’s cable network, Aspire.

Rene Syler, Courtesy Photo

What am I going to do now?

A few weeks after losing her job at CBS, Syler underwent a preventative double mastectomy, a journey that was documented on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. “What am I going to do now?” she asked herself. “I had no job and my body was taking on a different shape.”

After telling her agent of 25 years that she did not want to do television anymore, he asked a similar question, “What am I going to do with you?”

Syler knew she would have to save herself.

“I had been relying on them to get me jobs,” she said. “I could either sit here and wait for the phone to ring or I could make it ring.”

Going digital to build a ‘bonafide brand’

Syler wrote “Good Enough Mother: The Perfectly Imperfect Book of Parenting” and secured the website’s domain in 2005 while still employed at CBS. The following year, she was fired. In 2007, her book was officially published.

“The only skills I had was the ability to write and TV,” she said. “It started with a book.”

Harnessing the power of digital media, Syler began to build what she now calls a “bonafide brand.”

“Your brand needs to be in sync with yourself,” she said. “Good Enough Mother,” the blog, was born.

“I started on Facebook, then moved to Twitter. The more I did it the more I understood its power,” Syler said in regards to her overwhelming introduction to social media.

“After almost 10 years, I have built a bonafide brand,” she said. “People need to think of blogs as living breathing business cards.”

“Good Enough Mother” has partnered with both General Motors and Disney and Syler attributes her recent television success to her digital presence.

Looking back, she said “Good Enough Mother” became much more than a book. It became a movement based on what a lot of women are experiencing.

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Not for the faint of heart

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Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

MAY

• The National Press Club’s Freelance Committee and the Society of Professional Journalists will co-sponsor the NPC Spring Freelance Workshop on May 16, 2014,  which will feature two sessions. One session will cover how to write query letters. The other session, called “Building Your Own Benefits Package,” will include a representative from Affinity Group Underwriters, who will talk about health insurance. Joe Lamoglia, vice president at Potomac Financial Private Client Group LLC., will talk about retirement and other benefits. The workshop will be followed by a happy hour at the Club. For more information, contact Stephenie Overman at saoverman@gmail.com. To register, http://press.org/events/spring-freelance-workshop

• Applications are now open for The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism, a new program at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism designed to support ambitious coverage of critical issues related to U.S. economy and business. The fellowships will enable experienced journalists to do the deep reporting needed to produce a distinguished investigative, analytic or narrative business story. Each McGraw Fellow will receive a stipend of $5,000 a month for up to three months, along with editorial guidance and assistance in placing stories with established print, radio or digital outlets. Freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization may apply; five years professional experience as a journalist is required. Applications, including a story proposal, work samples and references, will be accepted in the spring and fall of 2014. The deadline for spring applicants is May 15, 2014. For further information, please go to www.mcgrawcenter.org or email mcgrawcenter@journalism.cuny.edu

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism presents the free webinar, “Shadow Money: Unraveling Political Nonprofits’ Funding.”  The event takes place May 14, 2014. Russ Choma, money-in-politics reporter at the Center for Responsive Politics, provides basic tips for covering political nonprofits and developing investigative stories. Attend either one-hour session at noon or 4 p.m. ET. Register at the main webinar page: http://bit.ly/shadowmoney

• Applications are now open for The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism, a new program at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism designed to support ambitious coverage of critical issues related to U.S. economy and business. The fellowships will enable experienced journalists to do the deep reporting needed to produce a distinguished investigative, analytic or narrative business story. Each McGraw Fellow will receive a stipend of $5,000 a month for up to three months, along with editorial guidance and assistance in placing stories with established print, radio or digital outlets. Freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization may apply; five years professional experience as a journalist is required. Applications, including a story proposal, work samples and references, will be accepted in the spring and fall of 2014. The deadline for spring applicants is May 15, 2014. For further information, visit www.mcgrawcenter.org or email  mcgrawcenter@journalism.cuny.edu.

• Are you interested in targeting audiences through social media (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) but challenged to identify or engage with them? The Johns Hopkins University MA in Communication Digital Social Advocacy online, 14-day workshop will address questions like these and more! The workshop is open to communication practitioners around the globe, regardless of whether or not they ever have been admitted to the MA in Communication program. They may work in various fields that aim to stimulate change, such as politics, advocacy, lobbying, social justice, health, digital technologies, and public relations. The workshop will be held May 09, 2014 – May 19, 2014 in Washington, DC. 

• Registration is now open for the massive open online course “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age,” which will last five weeks, starting on May 12 and ending on June 15, 2014. Please read our story about this MOOC and click here to register. The MOOC “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age” will be taught by four of the best investigative reporters in the United States: Brant Houston, former, long time executive director of IRE (Investigative Reporters and editors), currently a professor and Knight Chair in Investigative Journalism at the University of Illinois; Steve Doig, a veteran investigative journalism and data journalism pioneer, currently a professor and Knight Chair at Arizona State University; Lise Olsen, a veteran journalism trainer, currently investigative reporter at Houston Chronicle; and Michael Berens, an investigative reporter for The Seattle Times.

• A new initiative established at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism will offer fellowships of up to $15,000 to experienced business journalists starting this spring. Applications will be accepted periodically through 2014. The upcoming deadline for applications is May 15, 2014. The fellowship is open to those with at least five years professional experience in journalism, including freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization. Fellowship applicants should submit a focused story proposal of no more than three pages through the accompanying online form.

JUNE

• Hosted by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism’s instruction and guest presentations by world-class trainers, award winning multimedia journalists, storytellers and industry leaders, a intensive two-week program providing  hands-on training in essential skills for digital media production will be held June 2-6 & June 9-13, 2014 at the University of California Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism near San Francisco.

• The Global Editors Network  hosts the GEN Summit June 11 – 13 in Barcelona. Discover ‘robot journalism’, and be updated about drone journalism and data journalism. This is the event to meet with the media industry influentials and drive business.

• The best in the business will gather for more than 100 panels, hands-on classes and special presentations about covering business, public safety, government, health care, education, the military, the environment and other key beats at the 2014 IRE conference June 26-29, 2014 in San Francisco. Speakers will share strategies for locating documents and gaining access to public records, finding the best stories and managing investigations. Join the discussion about how to practice investigative journalism in print, broadcast, Web and alternative newsroom models.

JULY

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 39th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Boston July 30-Aug. 3, 2014. 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.

SEPTEMBER

• The Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville will host top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country September 4-6, 2014.

• The Online News Association 2014 Conference & Awards Banquet is the premier gathering of highly engaged digital journalists shaping media now. Learn about new tools and technologies, network with peers from around the world and celebrate excellence at the Online Journalism Awards. ONA  is looking for your input on sessions for ONA14, Sept. 25-27, in Chicago. Submit your session proposals  from March 20 to April 18. Submit one here

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

MAY

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism presents the free webinar, “Shadow Money: Unraveling Political Nonprofits’ Funding.”  The event takes place May 14, 2014. Russ Choma, money-in-politics reporter at the Center for Responsive Politics, provides basic tips for covering political nonprofits and developing investigative stories. Attend either one-hour session at noon or 4 p.m. ET. Register at the main webinar page: http://bit.ly/shadowmoney

• Applications are now open for The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism, a new program at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism designed to support ambitious coverage of critical issues related to U.S. economy and business. The fellowships will enable experienced journalists to do the deep reporting needed to produce a distinguished investigative, analytic or narrative business story. Each McGraw Fellow will receive a stipend of $5,000 a month for up to three months, along with editorial guidance and assistance in placing stories with established print, radio or digital outlets. Freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization may apply; five years professional experience as a journalist is required. Applications, including a story proposal, work samples and references, will be accepted in the spring and fall of 2014. The deadline for spring applicants is May 15, 2014. For further information, visit www.mcgrawcenter.org or email  mcgrawcenter@journalism.cuny.edu.

• Are you interested in targeting audiences through social media (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) but challenged to identify or engage with them? The Johns Hopkins University MA in Communication Digital Social Advocacy online, 14-day workshop will address questions like these and more! The workshop is open to communication practitioners around the globe, regardless of whether or not they ever have been admitted to the MA in Communication program. They may work in various fields that aim to stimulate change, such as politics, advocacy, lobbying, social justice, health, digital technologies, and public relations. The workshop will be held May 09, 2014 – May 19, 2014 in Washington, DC. 

• Registration is now open for the massive open online course “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age,” which will last five weeks, starting on May 12 and ending on June 15, 2014. Please read our story about this MOOC and click here to register. The MOOC “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age” will be taught by four of the best investigative reporters in the United States: Brant Houston, former, long time executive director of IRE (Investigative Reporters and editors), currently a professor and Knight Chair in Investigative Journalism at the University of Illinois; Steve Doig, a veteran investigative journalism and data journalism pioneer, currently a professor and Knight Chair at Arizona State University; Lise Olsen, a veteran journalism trainer, currently investigative reporter at Houston Chronicle; and Michael Berens, an investigative reporter for The Seattle Times.

• A new initiative established at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism will offer fellowships of up to $15,000 to experienced business journalists starting this spring. Applications will be accepted periodically through 2014. The upcoming deadline for applications is May 15, 2014. The fellowship is open to those with at least five years professional experience in journalism, including freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization. Fellowship applicants should submit a focused story proposal of no more than three pages through the accompanying online form.

JUNE

• Hosted by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism’s instruction and guest presentations by world-class trainers, award winning multimedia journalists, storytellers and industry leaders, a intensive two-week program providing  hands-on training in essential skills for digital media production will be held June 2-6 & June 9-13, 2014 at the University of California Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism near San Francisco.

• The Global Editors Network  hosts the GEN Summit June 11 – 13 in Barcelona. Discover ‘robot journalism’, and be updated about drone journalism and data journalism. This is the event to meet with the media industry influentials and drive business.

• The best in the business will gather for more than 100 panels, hands-on classes and special presentations about covering business, public safety, government, health care, education, the military, the environment and other key beats at the 2014 IRE conference June 26-29, 2014 in San Francisco. Speakers will share strategies for locating documents and gaining access to public records, finding the best stories and managing investigations. Join the discussion about how to practice investigative journalism in print, broadcast, Web and alternative newsroom models.

JULY

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 39th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Boston July 30-Aug. 3, 2014. 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.

SEPTEMBER

• The Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville will host top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country September 4-6, 2014.

• The Online News Association 2014 Conference & Awards Banquet is the premier gathering of highly engaged digital journalists shaping media now. Learn about new tools and technologies, network with peers from around the world and celebrate excellence at the Online Journalism Awards. ONA  is looking for your input on sessions for ONA14, Sept. 25-27, in Chicago. Submit your session proposals  from March 20 to April 18. Submit one here

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

High school journalism camp targets budding storytellers

By Crystal Garner, DJTF Intern

While most college and university journalism programs are drilling the tools and concepts of digital storytelling into the heads of college-aged students, Savannah State University has decided to go for an even younger demographic.

High School Students.

Approximately 20 students will immerse themselves in the campus life of Savannah State University while learning journalism at SSU Media High, a digital magazine and high school journalism camp. The camp, which begins on June 15, will allow students aged 13-17 to spend two weeks producing news and features for a general interest, digital magazine, said Wanda Lloyd, chair of the school’s journalism department and former executive editor of The Montgomery Advertiser.

Lloyd, who became chair of Savannah State University’s School of Journalism last summer,  said she got the idea about Media High after noticing high school students on campus for several different summer programs and camps, none of which involved journalism.

With a history of working with Howard University’s high school journalism camp, Lloyd understands that camps like this can provide journalism skills to students while helping colleges attract the best and brightest.

“The work produced in the program will give (students) an upper-leg,” Lloyd said. “My goal is to increase the capacity of journalism in the Savannah area and increase awareness of our mass communication program so students will consider Savannah State University when (choosing) a college.”

Benet Wilson, NABJ’s Digital Journalism Task Force Vice Chair of Education, says journalism education should start early. She applauds Savannah State University for training the next generation of journalists.

“Programs like Media High give budding reporters a great foundation for their future careers,” Wilson said. “They also give students a taste of what the industry is like, allowing them to make an informed decision as they consider what college to attend.”

Media High will launch this summer under the direction of camp program director Tina A. Brown.

Brown, a professional journalist with 30 years experience, said she hopes to attract curious learners interested in acquiring newsroom skills quickly.

Candidates will be required to write an essay about themselves and why they would benefit from the program, Brown said. Those selected will produce news on multiple platforms, including video and audio, she added.

“Everything will be done online,” Brown said. “Students will cover events on campus and in the community.” Staff and students at the university will serve as mentors in the program, she said, and field trips to local media outlets and to city council meetings are included in the schedule.

The total cost to operate Media High is about $25,000, with the lion’s share of the money coming from public funding: a $14, 000 federal grant; $4,000 from the Dow Jones News Fund; and $2,000 from student participants themselves. Organizers say students will need assistance covering their share of the costs.

While existing funds will pay for the operation of the program, Media High needs money to cover students’ expenses, including meals and housing. Stipulations for current funding precludes program managers from using any of the $16,000 to purchase meals, which Brown estimates will cost $22 a day per student, she said.  

Contributions are tax deductible  and checks can be made to:

SSU Foundation, Inc.,
In care of: Wanda Lloyd, chair of Mass Communications, SSU Media High,
3219 College Street, Savannah, Ga. 31404.

 

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

APRIL

• ENGAGE: The NYC Digital Storytelling Conference is a one-day digital storytelling event will gather together a carefully selected group of experts, visionaries and leaders to talk about how digital storytelling has changed–and will change. The conference takes place  April 29, 2014. With a special focus on publishing, we’ll look at innovative ways to fine-tune storytelling within the context of advertising. We’ll examine the role of current and emerging technology. Ultimately, we’ll help you drive and create amazing content experience for viewers and users alike. 

• The Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) is working with Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) to offer two-day Watchdog Reporting Workshops for journalists from your region. If your team is chosen, there will be follow-up training opportunities (google meet-ups, webinars, etc) and ongoing story consulting for a limited period of time. The sessions and the follow-up training are free, thanks to the support from Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. You’ll be responsible for any travel costs. We want to ensure that we work with news organizations that not only desire to do better work, but are committed to the effort. Training will take place in Chicago, April 28-29, hosted by Columbia College.

• When news looks like an unending stream of what’s wrong, what’s broken or what’s corrupt, audiences complain that the news is nothing but bad news. The solution for this problem may be to focus on not only problems, but also how people are trying to fix them. The Solutions Journalism Network was founded in 2013 to legitimize and spread the practice of “solutions journalism”: rigorous, compelling reporting on responses to problems. SJN works with newsrooms around the country—including the most hard-hitting, investigation-focused newsrooms such as the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Seattle Times—to help them do solutions-focused stories and series. The webinar will take place Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 2:00pm Eastern Time. For more information, visit Poynter. This Webinar will give you practical, specific tips for reporting and writing solutions stories, and using them to make your journalism stronger.

MAY

• The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism presents the free webinar, “Shadow Money: Unraveling Political Nonprofits’ Funding.”  The event takes place May 14, 2014. Russ Choma, money-in-politics reporter at the Center for Responsive Politics, provides basic tips for covering political nonprofits and developing investigative stories. Attend either one-hour session at noon or 4 p.m. ET. Register at the main webinar page: http://bit.ly/shadowmoney

• Applications are now open for The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism, a new program at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism designed to support ambitious coverage of critical issues related to U.S. economy and business. The fellowships will enable experienced journalists to do the deep reporting needed to produce a distinguished investigative, analytic or narrative business story. Each McGraw Fellow will receive a stipend of $5,000 a month for up to three months, along with editorial guidance and assistance in placing stories with established print, radio or digital outlets. Freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization may apply; five years professional experience as a journalist is required. Applications, including a story proposal, work samples and references, will be accepted in the spring and fall of 2014. The deadline for spring applicants is May 15, 2014. For further information, visit www.mcgrawcenter.org or email  mcgrawcenter@journalism.cuny.edu.

• Are you interested in targeting audiences through social media (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) but challenged to identify or engage with them? The Johns Hopkins University MA in Communication Digital Social Advocacy online, 14-day workshop will address questions like these and more! The workshop is open to communication practitioners around the globe, regardless of whether or not they ever have been admitted to the MA in Communication program. They may work in various fields that aim to stimulate change, such as politics, advocacy, lobbying, social justice, health, digital technologies, and public relations. The workshop will be held May 09, 2014 – May 19, 2014 in Washington, DC. 

• Registration is now open for the massive open online course “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age,” which will last five weeks, starting on May 12 and ending on June 15, 2014. Please read our story about this MOOC and click here to register. The MOOC “Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age” will be taught by four of the best investigative reporters in the United States: Brant Houston, former, long time executive director of IRE (Investigative Reporters and editors), currently a professor and Knight Chair in Investigative Journalism at the University of Illinois; Steve Doig, a veteran investigative journalism and data journalism pioneer, currently a professor and Knight Chair at Arizona State University; Lise Olsen, a veteran journalism trainer, currently investigative reporter at Houston Chronicle; and Michael Berens, an investigative reporter for The Seattle Times.

• A new initiative established at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism will offer fellowships of up to $15,000 to experienced business journalists starting this spring. Applications will be accepted periodically through 2014. The upcoming deadline for applications is May 15, 2014. The fellowship is open to those with at least five years professional experience in journalism, including freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization. Fellowship applicants should submit a focused story proposal of no more than three pages through the accompanying online form.

JUNE

• Hosted by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism’s instruction and guest presentations by world-class trainers, award winning multimedia journalists, storytellers and industry leaders, a intensive two-week program providing  hands-on training in essential skills for digital media production will be held June 2-6 & June 9-13, 2014 at the University of California Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism near San Francisco.

• The Global Editors Network  hosts the GEN Summit June 11 – 13 in Barcelona. Discover ‘robot journalism’, and be updated about drone journalism and data journalism. This is the event to meet with the media industry influentials and drive business.

• The best in the business will gather for more than 100 panels, hands-on classes and special presentations about covering business, public safety, government, health care, education, the military, the environment and other key beats at the 2014 IRE conference June 26-29, 2014 in San Francisco. Speakers will share strategies for locating documents and gaining access to public records, finding the best stories and managing investigations. Join the discussion about how to practice investigative journalism in print, broadcast, Web and alternative newsroom models.

JULY

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 39th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Boston July 30-Aug. 3, 2014. 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.

SEPTEMBER

• The Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville will host top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country September 4-6, 2014.

• The Online News Association 2014 Conference & Awards Banquet is the premier gathering of highly engaged digital journalists shaping media now. Learn about new tools and technologies, network with peers from around the world and celebrate excellence at the Online Journalism Awards. ONA  is looking for your input on sessions for ONA14, Sept. 25-27, in Chicago. Submit your session proposals  from March 20 to April 18. Submit one here

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

Diving into Data

By Crystal Garner, DJTF Intern

In the ever-changing age of digital media, data visualization is king.

Vitaly Friedman, editor-in-chief of Smashing Magazine, an online outlet providing innovative information to Web designers and developers, describes it as a way “to communicate information clearly and effectively through graphical means.” Simply put, it turns information into something visually appealing.

While one of the most sought after skill sets in newsrooms across the globe is spiking in use by news organizations, marketing firms and internet companies, the number of journalists of color who are capable of producing data visualizations is flatlining. Why is it that journalists of color are not flocking to this type of storytelling? If it’s because many don’t understand what it is, the NABJ Digital Journalism Task Force is aiming to change that.

On April 29, 2014 from 11a.m. to noon, NABJ Digital hosts a Twitter chat with Faye Anderson of Tracking Change, an advocacy platform to turn data into action; Zach Seward of Quartz, a digital news outlet for business people; and Samantha Sunne of Hacks and Hackers, a grassroots journalism organization. The panelists will answer your questions about diving into data visualization.

The task force decided to put this Twitter chat together as part of its mission to ensure that NABJ’s members have all the skills they need to be the best digital journalists they can be, said Tracie Powell, DJTF co-chair. Since big data is changing the way journalists tell stories, making sure they have the tools and the know-how to use them is important, she said.

“Being able to process data, understand it, extract value from it and communicate it is increasingly a hugely important skill for journalists in helping citizens understand pressing issues using charts, graphics, maps and more,” she said. “Data visualization is not only important because it helps journalists tell better stories, it is important in terms of career advancement.”

To follow the Data Visualization Twitter Chat, use hashtag #nabjdata.

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

APRIL

• ENGAGE: The NYC Digital Storytelling Conference is a one-day digital storytelling event will gather together a carefully selected group of experts, visionaries and leaders to talk about how digital storytelling has changed–and will change. The conference takes place  April 29, 2014. With a special focus on publishing, we’ll look at innovative ways to fine-tune storytelling within the context of advertising. We’ll examine the role of current and emerging technology. Ultimately, we’ll help you drive and create amazing content experience for viewers and users alike. 

• The Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) is working with Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) to offer two-day Watchdog Reporting Workshops for journalists from your region. If your team is chosen, there will be follow-up training opportunities (google meet-ups, webinars, etc) and ongoing story consulting for a limited period of time. The sessions and the follow-up training are free, thanks to the support from Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. You’ll be responsible for any travel costs. We want to ensure that we work with news organizations that not only desire to do better work, but are committed to the effort. Training will take place in Chicago, April 28-29, hosted by Columbia College.

• When news looks like an unending stream of what’s wrong, what’s broken or what’s corrupt, audiences complain that the news is nothing but bad news. The solution for this problem may be to focus on not only problems, but also how people are trying to fix them. The Solutions Journalism Network was founded in 2013 to legitimize and spread the practice of “solutions journalism”: rigorous, compelling reporting on responses to problems. SJN works with newsrooms around the country—including the most hard-hitting, investigation-focused newsrooms such as the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Seattle Times—to help them do solutions-focused stories and series. The webinar will take place Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 2:00pm Eastern Time. For more information, visit Poynter. This Webinar will give you practical, specific tips for reporting and writing solutions stories, and using them to make your journalism stronger.

MAY

• Are you interested in targeting audiences through social media (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) but challenged to identify or engage with them? The Johns Hopkins University MA in Communication Digital Social Advocacy online, 14-day workshop will address questions like these and more! The workshop is open to communication practitioners around the globe, regardless of whether or not they ever have been admitted to the MA in Communication program. They may work in various fields that aim to stimulate change, such as politics, advocacy, lobbying, social justice, health, digital technologies, and public relations. The workshop will be held May 09, 2014 – May 19, 2014 in Washington, DC. 

• A new initiative established at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism will offer fellowships of up to $15,000 to experienced business journalists starting this spring. Applications will be accepted periodically through 2014. The upcoming deadline for applications is May 15, 2014. The fellowship is open to those with at least five years professional experience in journalism, including freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization. Fellowship applicants should submit a focused story proposal of no more than three pages through the accompanying online form.

JUNE

• The Global Editors Network  hosts the GEN Summit June 11 – 13 in Barcelona. Discover ‘robot journalism’, and be updated about drone journalism and data journalism. This is the event to meet with the media industry influentials and drive business.

• The best in the business will gather for more than 100 panels, hands-on classes and special presentations about covering business, public safety, government, health care, education, the military, the environment and other key beats at the 2014 IRE conference June 26-29, 2014 in San Francisco. Speakers will share strategies for locating documents and gaining access to public records, finding the best stories and managing investigations. Join the discussion about how to practice investigative journalism in print, broadcast, Web and alternative newsroom models.

JULY

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 39th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Boston July 30-Aug. 3, 2014. 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.

SEPTEMBER

• The Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville will host top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country September 4-6, 2014.

• The Online News Association 2014 Conference & Awards Banquet is the premier gathering of highly engaged digital journalists shaping media now. Learn about new tools and technologies, network with peers from around the world and celebrate excellence at the Online Journalism Awards. ONA  is looking for your input on sessions for ONA14, Sept. 25-27, in Chicago. Submit your session proposals  from March 20 to April 18. Submit one here

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

CNN’s Mira Lowe talks jobs, journalism and diversity

Crystal Garner, DJTF Intern

As part of a series of Twitter chats hosted by The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, Mira Lowe, CNN Digital’s Senior Features Editor, discussed careers in journalism and diversity in the industry.

The TweetChat, which took place on Wednesday, featured Lowe, a media diversity leader who previously served as editor-in-chief of JET magazine.

According to The Maynard Institute’s website, the organization aims to “promote diversity in the news media through improved coverage, hiring, business practices, and training programs that equip journalists with leadership, multimedia skills and subject expertise for news organizations across platforms.”

Under this description, Lowe was the perfect Twitter guest to answer questions on employment and diversity in journalism.

As the Tweets rolled in, so did Lowe’s responses.

We'll start: Q1 If you were starting your career now, what would you do, where would you go? #maynardmentor @miralowe

— Maynard Institute (@TeamMije) April 16, 2014

Q1 I would seek opportunities in organizations that are producing unique content, products and services. #maynardmentor

— Mira Lowe (@miralowe) April 16, 2014

Q7 Did you face struggles in your journalism career because of race? #maynardmentor @miralowe

— Maynard Institute (@TeamMije) April 16, 2014

Q7 I’ve been fortunate that I’ve worked at places where diversity is valued. #maynardmentor

— Mira Lowe (@miralowe) April 16, 2014

Skipping to Q10 How to make sure diversity of community represented in stories? #maynardmentor @miralowe

— Maynard Institute (@TeamMije) April 16, 2014

Q10 Diversity needs to be expressed as an expectation. You don’t luck up on it, you have to be purposeful about it. #maynardmentor

— Mira Lowe (@miralowe) April 16, 2014

Q10 contd. We have to actively seek out different voices and bring them into the conversation. #maynardmentor

— Mira Lowe (@miralowe) April 16, 2014

For the full Twitter conversation, follow  TeamMije on Twitter.

 

Calendar of Multimedia Training and Events

APRIL

• Join the Society for Professional Journalists’ Free Mobile Newsgathering Webinar [Training] Tuesday, April 15 at 1 p.m. ET.Better apps, newer gear, alternative story approaches. Mobile news gathering continues to evolve. Pick up on the tips and tools you need to improve your smartphone news gathering. You’ll immerse yourself in the best practices for reporting, editing and sharing stories across media platforms. Register by Monday, April 14 at 5 p.m. ET to guarantee your spot. See link for more information.

• Learn how to protect yourself and your newsroom from digital security threats at ONACamp at the Indianapolis Star. Join the Online News Association in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 26, for Digital Security for Journalists. This ONACamp is a daylong training and design camp which will offer practical help in keeping digital journalists and their work secure. Attendance is limited to 60 people. Applications are due by April 15 and selected participants will be notified by April 18. The training is free but there is a $5 fee to cover the cost of meals.

• The Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ) is working with Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) to offer two-day Watchdog Reporting Workshops for journalists from your region. If your team is chosen, there will be follow-up training opportunities (google meet-ups, webinars, etc) and ongoing story consulting for a limited period of time. The sessions and the follow-up training are free, thanks to the support from Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. You’ll be responsible for any travel costs. We want to ensure that we work with news organizations that not only desire to do better work, but are committed to the effort. Training will take place in Chicago, April 28-29, hosted by Columbia College.

• When news looks like an unending stream of what’s wrong, what’s broken or what’s corrupt, audiences complain that the news is nothing but bad news. The solution for this problem may be to focus on not only problems, but also how people are trying to fix them. The Solutions Journalism Network was founded in 2013 to legitimize and spread the practice of “solutions journalism”: rigorous, compelling reporting on responses to problems. SJN works with newsrooms around the country—including the most hard-hitting, investigation-focused newsrooms such as the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Seattle Times—to help them do solutions-focused stories and series. The webinar will take place Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 2:00pm Eastern Time. For more information, visit Poynter. This Webinar will give you practical, specific tips for reporting and writing solutions stories, and using them to make your journalism stronger.

MAY

• A new initiative established at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism will offer fellowships of up to $15,000 to experienced business journalists starting this spring. Applications will be accepted periodically through 2014. The upcoming deadline for applications is May 15, 2014. The fellowship is open to those with at least five years professional experience in journalism, including freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors currently working at a news organization. Fellowship applicants should submit a focused story proposal of no more than three pages through the accompanying online form.

JUNE

• The Global Editors Network  hosts the GEN Summit June 11 – 13 in Barcelona. Discover ‘robot journalism’, and be updated about drone journalism and data journalism. This is the event to meet with the media industry influentials and drive business.

• The best in the business will gather for more than 100 panels, hands-on classes and special presentations about covering business, public safety, government, health care, education, the military, the environment and other key beats at the 2014 IRE conference June 26-29, 2014 in San Francisco. Speakers will share strategies for locating documents and gaining access to public records, finding the best stories and managing investigations. Join the discussion about how to practice investigative journalism in print, broadcast, Web and alternative newsroom models.

JULY

• The National Association of Black Journalists will hold its 39th Annual Convention and Career Fair in Boston July 30-Aug. 3, 2014. 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.

SEPTEMBER

• The Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville will host top news professionals from broadcast, print and digital newsrooms around the country September 4-6, 2014.

• The Online News Association 2014 Conference & Awards Banquet is the premier gathering of highly engaged digital journalists shaping media now. Learn about new tools and technologies, network with peers from around the world and celebrate excellence at the Online Journalism Awards. ONA  is looking for your input on sessions for ONA14, Sept. 25-27, in Chicago. Submit your session proposals  from March 20 to April 18. Submit one here

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