SPJ 22 Journalism Conference • Oct. 27-30, 2022

September 27, 2018 • 2018: Baltimore

EIJ panels you don’t want to miss, by topics

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Welcome to the 2018 Excellence in Journalism conference! Even if it’s your first time or you’re a conference veteran, it can be overwhelming looking through the schedule to find which panels to attend.

To help with schedule anxiety, we went through the schedule and divided up the panels by the most relevant topics in our industry: covering the midterms, increasing diversity, dealing with the government, working on a deadline, improving trust and learning new reporting and storytelling tools. 

  • Gearing up for the Midterms
    • Super Session: Midterm Elections in the Era of Trump
      • Thursday, Sept. 27, 4-5 p.m.
      • Chip Reid, national correspondent, CBS News
      • There are many questions surrounding the upcoming midterm elections: Will Republicans cling to their majority? Will a blue wave really come? As the countdown begins for November 6, Chip Reid will give you the insights to these questions.
    • 6 Weeks To Go: How you can win with your election coverage
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
      • Triston V. Sanders, consultant, Magid; Scott Diener, news director, KMOV-TV; Lauren Mayk, reporter, NBC10 News
      • Is your newsroom ready for the upcoming midterm elections? Come to learn how you can help your newsroom get ready for November 6.  
  • Diversity — in the newsroom and with sourcing
    • Does your coverage look like your community?
      • Friday, Sept. 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
      • Richard Dyer, President and General Manager, WUSA9
      • Newsrooms will often lose touch with the communities they serve and stop covering the issues that truly matter. If this sounds like your newsroom, Richard Dyer will discuss solutions to improve how you cover your community.
    • Hiring managers: Diversity isn’t a pipeline problem. It could be you.
      • Friday, Sept. 28, 3-4 p.m.
      • Mike Mickle, news director, WHBF/WKLB-TV; Tahera Rahman, reporter, WHBF-TV
      • A lack of diversity in newsrooms continues to be an issue in our industry. Tahera Rahman and Mike Mickle will discuss how you can actively work to bring more diversity to your newsroom.
    • Repairing the neglect: How journalists can engage with diverse communities
      • Thursday, Sept. 27, 1-2 p.m.
      • Amy Kovac-Ashley, director of newsroom learning, American Press Institute; Katherine Ellis, program associate, American Press Institute.
      • This interactive session will teach you how to examine your own identity to help rethink how you interview sources. Panelists will also discuss what role empathy plays within ethical journalism and how you can practice empathy in your reporting.
    • What happens when women of color are silenced in the newsroom?
      • Friday, Sept. 28, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
      • Juleyka Lantigua Williams, CEO, Lantigua Williams Co.; María Peña, vice president of print, National Association of Hispanic Journalists; Julia Craven, Reporter, HuffPost; Tracy Jarrett, Producer, Vice News Tonight on HBO; Nidhi Subbaraman, Science Reporter, BuzzFeed News
      • Women of color’s voices and perspectives are repeatedly ignored and underrepresented within the media landscape. Committee to Protect Journalists will lead a discussion on the many threats women of color journalists uniquely face on the job.
  • Dealing with government
    • Getting Past No: How to successfully appeal and sue for public records
      • Thursday, Sept. 27, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
      • David Cuillier, associate professor, University of Arizona School of Journalism; Lucy A. Dalglish, dean, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
      • A reality we have all faced is the records request denial. Want to learn how to fight that denial and sue for the records you deserve? Don’t miss the chance to hear some tips from these seasoned records experts.
    • Navigating the FOI Universe: Who’s who in getting access
      • Friday, Sept. 28, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
      • David Cuillier, associate professor, University of Arizona School of Journalism; Lisa Rosenberg, executive director, Open the Government
      • Did you know governments aren’t the only ones holding the public records you so desire? Come learn how a number of other groups — libraries, civil society nonprofits, law school clinics, research labs, and state coalitions — also collect public records.
    • The Oregon Experience: How to strengthen public records laws in your state
      • Friday, Sept. 28, 3-4 p.m.
      • Shasta Kearns Moore, co-chair, Oregon SPJ FOI committee; Nick Budnick, co-chair, Oregon SPJ FOI committee
      • Oregon public record law is notoriously difficult to deal with. Two Oregon FOI experts will discuss how the Oregon SPJ chapter lead the charge to bring public record reform to the state, and hear tips on how to improve your state’s laws.
    • Stop Your State Legislature from Stifling Your Press Freedom
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 9-10 a.m.
      • David C. Reymann, First Amendment attorney, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless; Joel Campbell, past president, Utah Headliners and associate professor, BYU School of Communications; Sheryl Worsley, director of audience development, Bonneville Salt Lake and RTDNA Region 3 director; Scott Sternberg, general counsel, Louisiana State Press Association and partner, Sternberg, Nacri & White
      • Government and lawmakers will do what they can to thwart our access to public records and information the public deserves to know. For this panel, come learn how to deal with state legislatures and how your newsroom can bring the First Amendment into battle.
    • Shooting the Messenger: The Whistleblower Project
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
      • Dana Gold, director of education, Government Accountability Project; James Risen, director, Press Freedom Defense Fund; James Kidney, former assistant chief litigation counsel, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
      • We all love and appreciate a good whistleblower. They risk their lives and careers to expose the serious corruption happening in government. SPJ gathered stories of heroic public servants who exposed wrongdoing, and the laws that can protect whistleblowers.
    • Censorship by PIO: Challenging gag orders on news sources
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
      • Frank LoMonte, director, The Brechner Center for Freedom of Information; Carolyn Carlson, former SPJ national president and recently retired journalism professor at Kennesaw State University
      • Public information officers are supposed to help journalists get the public records they need. But more often than not, they do their best to restrict access to information we are entitled to. Come hear some tips and strategies for dealing with PIO roadblocks.
  • Best practices on deadline
      • No Guts, No Story: Doing great work, even on deadline
        • Friday, Sept. 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
        • Kathleen Cairns, reporter, FOX 45 Baltimore; Alanna Delfino, photojournalist, FOX 45 Baltimore
        • Sometimes doing great work on a deadline is intimidating and often feels daunting. But Kathleen Cairns and Alanna Delfino will share tips on producing great work for daily stories and breaking news.
  • Improving trust and fighting fake news
      • Critical Thinking to Fight Fake News
        • Thursday, Sept. 27, 1-2 p.m.
        • Al Tompkins, senior faculty for broadcasting and online, The Poynter Institute
        • “Fake news,” or disinformation, is one of the biggest threats facing our industry. Al Tompkins will share the best practices to determine whether something is real or an attempt to deceive.
      • Gaining back trust in the era of Trump
        • Friday, Sept. 28, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
        • Lynn Walsh, project manager, Trusting News Project; Deborah Potter, founder, NewsLab.org; Chip Mahaney, news director, WCPO-TV Cincinnati; Elizabeth Jensen, Ombudsman/Public Editor, NPR; John Dunbar, CEO, Center for Public Integrity
        • Trust in the media is at a new low, and continuing to do good journalism isn’t the only solution to improve that trust. Come learn strategies that can improve and rebuild our industry’s credibility.
  • Tools to enhance sourcing, reporting and storytelling
    • Multiplying your reach in social media
      • Friday, Sept. 28, 3-4 p.m.
      • Chip Mahaney, news director, WCPO-TV Cincinnati; Tracy Davidson, morning anchor, NBC10 News Today in Philadelphia
      • Social media is a valuable resource in a variety of ways for journalists. Come learn how to increase your audience and engagement across many platforms.
    • Facebook for News
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 9-10 a.m.
      • Lynn Walsh, project manager, Trusting News Project
      • Come learn how to leverage Facebook and Instagram for news gathering, storytelling and connecting with their followers from Lynn Walsh.
    • Phone photography in the newsroom: Gimmick or the future?
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
      • Mike Castellucci, Phoning it in Creator/Professor of Practice, Michigan State University
      • Phone photography and videography is becoming a crucial asset for reporting and the production of quality photos and videos. Get some great tips on how to take advantage of what your smartphone can do.
    • Mobile Journalism: Story Creation in Your Pocket
      • Saturday, Sept. 29, 1:30-4 p.m.
      • Geoffrey Roth, news director, KREX/KFQX
      • As smartphones become even more advanced, they become a greater asset to your reporting. This hands-on session will give you the tools to shoot, edit, produce, feedback, and go live all from your phone.

 

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