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WJI Sponsored Sessions
National College Media Convention
March 14-16, 2010
Marriott Marquis, Times Square
New York City


    WJI will sponsor the following five sessions at the annual spring National College Media Convention, held in New York City at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, March 14-16, 2010. To register for the National College Media Convention, go to www.collegemedia.org.

"Online Models That Will Give Your Newspaper Greater Reach"
August Grant, Newsplex, University of South Carolina
Sunday, March 14, 8:00 am, Ziegfeld Room 

   What is the best way to go digital today? This session will compress the best practices in mainstream newspapers into the lessons learned in the Newsplex at the University of South Carolina. Suggestions on specific software and vendors will be discussed by a technology futurist with a background in broadcasting. This session is designed for people with an existing knowledge of new media.
 
"Covering the Arts: Lessons from the Big Apple for Your Town or Campus"
Retta Blaney, freelance writer/producer
Monday, March 15, 12:30 pm, Carnegie Room

    We will tackle the journalistic challenges of covering the performing arts, whether in your city or on your campus, for your blog or for a publication. We’ll discuss finding the confidence to state your opinion in a review, do's and don’ts for interviewing celebrities and the possibility of finding your own niche within this field.

"Investigative Reporting: Journalism is War"
George Archibald, former investigative reporter, The Washington Times
Monday, March 15, 1:30 pm, Odets Room

   What is it like to work as an investigative reporter in Washington, D.C.? We will discuss examples and how-to for covering education, Congress, the federal government, national politics, and scandal. If you’d like to know how to survive as an investigative journalist, how to develop and keep sources, and how to report the truth when there is waste, fraud, and abuse, this session is for you.

"Insider Perspective: Covering Both News and Entertainment"
Megan Alexander, Correspondent, “Inside Edition”
Monday, March 15, 5:30 pm, Edison Room

    Pop culture is invading all parts of TV news. With the line between hard news and entertainment becoming increasingly blurred, how do we cover it? What is the job of an entertainment journalist? We will discuss the public’s craving for celebrity gossip, the ratings/money game, and how journalism is affected. We’ll take a frank look at the interesting dilemma the media is facing.

"Going Digital Without Going Broke"
Michael Ray Smith, Campbell University
Tuesday, March 16, 11:30 am, Odets Room

   This session will provide an introduction to going digital. It will highlight some inexpensive ideas on using existing technology to enhance your print newspaper or yearbook. This workshop will discuss ways to go from print to digital platforms. Ideas on software and easy-to-use approaches will help new advisers and new student editors jumpstart their periodical and look bigger and better than ever.

To register for the convention, go to the website of College Media Advisers, www.collegemedia.org.