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Home	Midwest Journalism Conference	Registration Form	Hotel Information

2007 MIDWEST
JOURNALISM CONFERENCE

The Midwest Journalism Conference spring will be held Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24, at the Holiday Inn Select, Bloomington, MN.

The Holiday Inn Select is located at Three Appletree Square just off of 34th Avenue South and I-494 in Bloomington.

For more information on the Midwest Journalism Conference, contact NBNA Executive Secretary Christine Paige Diers at chris@innovators.net or call (701) 777-6505.

Download conference schedule, registration form
and hotel information as a – pdf file

Friday, March 23, 2007

8:00 a.m. Registration

8:30 -
11:15 a.m. FACS: Energy—the Accepted and the Alternatives.- SPJ—Start the morning with “The World’s Oil Supply and Gas Pump Prices” with Robert Kaufmann, Ph.D., Center for Environmental Studies, Boston University. Followed by: “Home Grown Alternatives – Ethanol and Biomass” with G. David Tilman, Ph.D., Regents Professor of Ecology, McKnight University Presidential Chair in Ecology, University of Minnesota. The Foundation for American Communications (FACS) is dedicated to improving the quality of information reaching the public through the news

8:30 a.m. -
5:30 p.m.
Job Fair—make plans to stop by the Midwest Journalism Conference Job Fair. Get a chance to meet face-to-face with broadcast and print employers in the upper Midwest who are hiring right now. Find out what jobs are currently available and what employers are looking for in job candidates. Whether you are looking to land your first job or you are ready to move to a better opportunity, you won't want to miss this great opportunity. It's your one-stop job search all day Friday.

11:30 a.m. -
1:00 p.m.
SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon – SPJ – Speaker – Steve Perry, former editor of the City Pages – "Journalism is where you find It.

12:00 -
1:00 p.m.
Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters Board Meeting

1:15 -
5:30 p.m.
Critiques – NTA and NPPA – Bring your best work (on VHS tape) and have the best in the business give you feedback. Get one-on-one advice on your reporting, anchoring, and photojournalism skills from Emmy and NPPA Award winners. .

Concurrent
Sessions

1:15 -
2:30 p.m.
Reporting on Juveniles –– MN AP–– It's a tough call — to name, or not to name, a juvenile accused of a serious crime. What is the law? What are the ethical considerations? Experts and advocates discuss the consequences of publicizing the names of young offenders and even those of children in ``good news'' stories. Speakers include two Minnesota sponsors of ``Emily's Law,'' which calls for tougher sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes.

New Camera Gear — NTA — Are you happy with your equipment? Looking for something better? Wrestling with an HDTV upgrade? Tech heads will show you the lastest and greatest, from digital recorders to high-def cameras. Demonstrations and discussions of the newest gadgets.

Yes, freelancing can be lucrative! –– SPJ –– Local freelancers and editors who hire freelancers discuss what opportunities exist in the Twin Cities for freelancing hopefuls and how people should go about getting assignments.

Concurrent
Sessions

2:45 -
4:00 p.m.
The Wild, Wild Web: How far we've come with media Websites and what's ahead
— MN AP — Radio news reporters taking photos. Broadcasters writing stories in print style. It's only part of what's happening as stations cater to Internet audiences. Web editors from three radio and TV stations will tell us what they've learned from operating Web sites and what they envision for the                                     future. It's an interactive session with members of the audience invited to share their own observations and ideas. Speakers: Bob Collins, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul; John Vincent, KARE-TV, Minneapolis; and Joel Niemeyer, KDUZ/KARP Radio, Hutchinson, Minn.

Getting your first job in broadcast journalism — NBNA — We’ll talk about what you need coming out of college to land your first job—what News Directors look for, how to dress, what type of questions to expect. Also what you can do to separate yourself from the competition. We will also talk about what you can do while still in school to get ahead of the game. Plus we will answer any question that you have regarding how to land your first job.

Visual story-telling on-line –– SPJ — Speakers will show video and multimedia projects (slideshows with audio) and discuss how the St. Cloud Times is using these new tools and how news coverage has changed for their newspaper with this new technology for online projects.

4:15 -
5:30 p.m.
How to get a print job in an uncertain world — SPJ — The panel will discuss the problems and subsequent staff cuts most big newspapers today are suffering and give would-be reporters useful tips on how to get a job in the business anyway. Dave Aeikens is one person we’d like to have on the panel.
Blogs, Vlogs & Comment, Oh, My! — NBNA — Discussion centered on engaging audiences in new ways. Join panelists Jason DeRusha of WCCO—TV, Tim Nelson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Bob Collins of Minnesota Public Radio as they discuss how journalists new responsibilities in a changing age.

6:00 p.m.
Opening Reception

7:00 p.m. MN AP Banquet
Speaker—U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison

Saturday, March 24, 2007

7:30 a.m. NBNA Educators' Breakfast

7:30 a.m.
SPJ Board Meeting

8:30 a.m.
Registration

8:30-
11:15 a.m.

MAIN SESSION: Wally Dean — NBNA — Broccoli or brownies—Should news people give the public what it wants or what it needs? Over the past four years, the Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ) has posed that question to journalists at 45 broadcast news organizations. Now it’s your turn. In an inter-active session, participants will consider these questions: what is news, how should I play it, and is my definition of news the same as my audiences’?   You’ll build a newscast and compare it to what others have done and with what’s actually on the air. Then, in a preview of the new book, “We Interrupt this Newscast, How to Improve Local News and Win Ratings, Too,” we’ll identify what elements build ratings and showcase story telling techniques that resonate with the audience.

When duty calls — At a time of war or national emergency, should a journalist be more a journalist or more a patriot? We’ll seek answers to that question in an inter-active session and compare what you think to the responses we’ve received from journalists at the 135 print, broadcast and on-line news organizations that have hosted the Traveling Curriculum. We’ll also pass on some ideas about steps every news person can take to make their reporting of any contentious subject – but especially national security – credible with viewers and listeners.

11:30 a.m.
RTNDA Awards Luncheon/NBNA Business Meeting
Speaker: RTNDA Chair-elect Bill Roswell, Director of Digital News and Media for KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia.

1:15 -
4:00 p.m.
Critiques –– NTA and NPPA –– Bring your best work (on VHS tape) and have the best in the business give you feedback. Get one-on-one advice on your reporting, anchoring, and photojournalism skills from Emmy and NPPA Award winners. Have your resume tape critiqued by a News Director.

Concurrent Sessions

1:15 -
2:30 p.m.
My Journalism 180 — SPJ — The average person will change careers 3-5 times in a lifetime. For journalists, that number may be even higher! But what if that change is more complex than just moving to a higher TV market or from a weekly to a daily? We'll talk with journalists who've made more "extreme" career changes within, or in and out of the journalism industry. We'll see why our panelists made that change in their career, what challenges they've faced, and if they're happy with going down a different career path.
Media and the Law: –– RTNDF — What’s happening in the courtroom that affects you as a journalist? How can you bring big court stories to your readers, listeners and viewers? What are the latest cases that could change how you do your job? And what new efforts are underway to allow broadcasters better access to courtrooms at the national, state and local level? This session is one of the Midwest Journalism Conference’s perennial favorites: A wide-open discussion with the area’s top media lawyers where they bring the hands-on knowledge and you bring the questions. Sponsored by: The Radio Television News Directors Foundation – Journalism Ethics Track

Just Tell Me the Story — NBNA — A picture is worth a thousand words. Yes, it's a cliche. But in this seminar we'll take a look at one picture (actually, a graph) that is all you need to know about telling great news stories. Well, okay, there's a bit more you may need to know, and that's how we'll spend the rest of our time ... going over a few story telling tips and strategies and looking at some examples of great story telling. Presenter: Ken Stone. Stone is an instructor of broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota. He spent 20 years in radio and TV news. He is an Emmy award winner and also winner of a Silver Baton, Columbia University's broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

Concurrent Sessions

2:45 -
4:00 p.m.
Health Care Coverage 101 — SPJ — A one-man show performed by Gary Schweitzer, a health care journalism professor at the University of Minnesota. Schweitzer will talk to reporters about effectively covering the health care business, which has become one of the most important and busiest beats in a newsroom today.
Vocal Interpretation –– NBNA –– Your voice is an asset in this industry, and like any good instrument you need to care for it and help it develop its best sound. Voice coach Larry Russo will teach you how to best maintain and exercise your voice, talk about the “psychology” of voice in determining what best fits your work, and also provide feedback on your delivery. Participants are encouraged to bring some wire copy or leads, and be ready to discuss their station or network’s “sound” and how they can work on making their voice match that identity.

In the Field—On Deadline & Under Pressure — NPPA — We've all been there: A producer or an editor is putting the pressure on you to feed or to file your story. So, what do you tell them when you are under deadline and your story is just not ready? Award-winning photojournalist Brian Fiser from WHO-TV in Des Moines shares some strategies how to not buckle under pressure and still make slot.

6:00 p.m. NBNA Reception and NBNF Auction

7:00 p.m. NBNA Awards Dinner –– Join us for our annual Eric Sevareid radio and television awards ceremony and meet this year's winner of the Mitchell V. Charnley Award.

For more information on the Midwest Journalism Conference, contact NBNA Executive Secretary Christine Paige Diers at chris@innovators.net or call (701) 777-6505.

Home

Midwest Journalism Conference

Registration Form

Hotel Information

Friday, March 23, 2007
8:00 a.m.	Registration
8:30 - 11:15 a.m.	FACS: Energy—the Accepted and the Alternatives.- SPJ—Start the morning with “The World’s Oil Supply and Gas Pump Prices” with Robert Kaufmann, Ph.D., Center for Environmental Studies, Boston University. Followed by: “Home Grown Alternatives – Ethanol and Biomass” with G. David Tilman, Ph.D., Regents Professor of Ecology, McKnight University Presidential Chair in Ecology, University of Minnesota. The Foundation for American Communications (FACS) is dedicated to improving the quality of information reaching the public through the news
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.	Job Fair—make plans to stop by the Midwest Journalism Conference Job Fair. Get a chance to meet face-to-face with broadcast and print employers in the upper Midwest who are hiring right now. Find out what jobs are currently available and what employers are looking for in job candidates. Whether you are looking to land your first job or you are ready to move to a better opportunity, you won't want to miss this great opportunity. It's your one-stop job search all day Friday.
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.	SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon – SPJ – Speaker – Steve Perry, former editor of the City Pages – "Journalism is where you find It.
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.	Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters Board Meeting
1:15 - 5:30 p.m.	Critiques – NTA and NPPA – Bring your best work (on VHS tape) and have the best in the business give you feedback. Get one-on-one advice on your reporting, anchoring, and photojournalism skills from Emmy and NPPA Award winners. .
Concurrent Sessions 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.	Reporting on Juveniles –– MN AP–– It's a tough call — to name, or not to name, a juvenile accused of a serious crime. What is the law? What are the ethical considerations? Experts and advocates discuss the consequences of publicizing the names of young offenders and even those of children in ``good news'' stories. Speakers include two Minnesota sponsors of ``Emily's Law,'' which calls for tougher sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes. New Camera Gear — NTA — Are you happy with your equipment? Looking for something better? Wrestling with an HDTV upgrade? Tech heads will show you the lastest and greatest, from digital recorders to high-def cameras. Demonstrations and discussions of the newest gadgets. Yes, freelancing can be lucrative! –– SPJ –– Local freelancers and editors who hire freelancers discuss what opportunities exist in the Twin Cities for freelancing hopefuls and how people should go about getting assignments.
Concurrent Sessions 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.	The Wild, Wild Web: How far we've come with media Websites and what's ahead — MN AP — Radio news reporters taking photos. Broadcasters writing stories in print style. It's only part of what's happening as stations cater to Internet audiences. Web editors from three radio and TV stations will tell us what they've learned from operating Web sites and what they envision for the future. It's an interactive session with members of the audience invited to share their own observations and ideas. Speakers: Bob Collins, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul; John Vincent, KARE-TV, Minneapolis; and Joel Niemeyer, KDUZ/KARP Radio, Hutchinson, Minn. Getting your first job in broadcast journalism — NBNA — We’ll talk about what you need coming out of college to land your first job—what News Directors look for, how to dress, what type of questions to expect. Also what you can do to separate yourself from the competition. We will also talk about what you can do while still in school to get ahead of the game. Plus we will answer any question that you have regarding how to land your first job. Visual story-telling on-line –– SPJ — Speakers will show video and multimedia projects (slideshows with audio) and discuss how the St. Cloud Times is using these new tools and how news coverage has changed for their newspaper with this new technology for online projects.
4:15 - 5:30 p.m.	How to get a print job in an uncertain world — SPJ — The panel will discuss the problems and subsequent staff cuts most big newspapers today are suffering and give would-be reporters useful tips on how to get a job in the business anyway. Dave Aeikens is one person we’d like to have on the panel. Blogs, Vlogs & Comment, Oh, My! — NBNA — Discussion centered on engaging audiences in new ways. Join panelists Jason DeRusha of WCCO—TV, Tim Nelson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Bob Collins of Minnesota Public Radio as they discuss how journalists new responsibilities in a changing age.
6:00 p.m.	Opening Reception
7:00 p.m.	MN AP Banquet Speaker—U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison
Saturday, March 24, 2007
7:30 a.m.	NBNA Educators' Breakfast
7:30 a.m.	SPJ Board Meeting
8:30 a.m.	Registration
8:30- 11:15 a.m.	MAIN SESSION: Wally Dean — NBNA — Broccoli or brownies—Should news people give the public what it wants or what it needs? Over the past four years, the Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ) has posed that question to journalists at 45 broadcast news organizations. Now it’s your turn. In an inter-active session, participants will consider these questions: what is news, how should I play it, and is my definition of news the same as my audiences’? You’ll build a newscast and compare it to what others have done and with what’s actually on the air. Then, in a preview of the new book, “We Interrupt this Newscast, How to Improve Local News and Win Ratings, Too,” we’ll identify what elements build ratings and showcase story telling techniques that resonate with the audience. When duty calls — At a time of war or national emergency, should a journalist be more a journalist or more a patriot? We’ll seek answers to that question in an inter-active session and compare what you think to the responses we’ve received from journalists at the 135 print, broadcast and on-line news organizations that have hosted the Traveling Curriculum. We’ll also pass on some ideas about steps every news person can take to make their reporting of any contentious subject – but especially national security – credible with viewers and listeners.
11:30 a.m.	RTNDA Awards Luncheon/NBNA Business Meeting Speaker: RTNDA Chair-elect Bill Roswell, Director of Digital News and Media for KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia.
1:15 - 4:00 p.m.	Critiques –– NTA and NPPA –– Bring your best work (on VHS tape) and have the best in the business give you feedback. Get one-on-one advice on your reporting, anchoring, and photojournalism skills from Emmy and NPPA Award winners. Have your resume tape critiqued by a News Director.
Concurrent Sessions 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.	My Journalism 180 — SPJ — The average person will change careers 3-5 times in a lifetime. For journalists, that number may be even higher! But what if that change is more complex than just moving to a higher TV market or from a weekly to a daily? We'll talk with journalists who've made more "extreme" career changes within, or in and out of the journalism industry. We'll see why our panelists made that change in their career, what challenges they've faced, and if they're happy with going down a different career path. Media and the Law: –– RTNDF — What’s happening in the courtroom that affects you as a journalist? How can you bring big court stories to your readers, listeners and viewers? What are the latest cases that could change how you do your job? And what new efforts are underway to allow broadcasters better access to courtrooms at the national, state and local level? This session is one of the Midwest Journalism Conference’s perennial favorites: A wide-open discussion with the area’s top media lawyers where they bring the hands-on knowledge and you bring the questions. Sponsored by: The Radio Television News Directors Foundation – Journalism Ethics Track Just Tell Me the Story — NBNA — A picture is worth a thousand words. Yes, it's a cliche. But in this seminar we'll take a look at one picture (actually, a graph) that is all you need to know about telling great news stories. Well, okay, there's a bit more you may need to know, and that's how we'll spend the rest of our time ... going over a few story telling tips and strategies and looking at some examples of great story telling. Presenter: Ken Stone. Stone is an instructor of broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota. He spent 20 years in radio and TV news. He is an Emmy award winner and also winner of a Silver Baton, Columbia University's broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.
Concurrent Sessions 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.	Health Care Coverage 101 — SPJ — A one-man show performed by Gary Schweitzer, a health care journalism professor at the University of Minnesota. Schweitzer will talk to reporters about effectively covering the health care business, which has become one of the most important and busiest beats in a newsroom today. Vocal Interpretation –– NBNA –– Your voice is an asset in this industry, and like any good instrument you need to care for it and help it develop its best sound. Voice coach Larry Russo will teach you how to best maintain and exercise your voice, talk about the “psychology” of voice in determining what best fits your work, and also provide feedback on your delivery. Participants are encouraged to bring some wire copy or leads, and be ready to discuss their station or network’s “sound” and how they can work on making their voice match that identity. In the Field—On Deadline & Under Pressure — NPPA — We've all been there: A producer or an editor is putting the pressure on you to feed or to file your story. So, what do you tell them when you are under deadline and your story is just not ready? Award-winning photojournalist Brian Fiser from WHO-TV in Des Moines shares some strategies how to not buckle under pressure and still make slot.
6:00 p.m.	NBNA Reception and NBNF Auction
7:00 p.m.	NBNA Awards Dinner –– Join us for our annual Eric Sevareid radio and television awards ceremony and meet this year's winner of the Mitchell V. Charnley Award.