Convention Schedule

Wednesday, August 17

8:00a.m.-6:00p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	REGISTRATION
9:00a.m.-4:00p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	Media Institute: THE TV STORYTELLING BOOT CAMP This highly interactive and practical seminar, taught by veteran TV journalist Al Tompkins, is back by popular demand. Tompkins Learn storytelling tips that you can use on your next shift to: Find and develop memorable characters on deadline Discover story angles that others miss Think visually, even on non-visual stories Find laser beam focus for your stories on deadline Use the Internet to mine resources that will enrich your stories Make tough ethics calls on deadline Every participant will receive a CD packed with Web site resources for finding stories and sources. Participants will leave energized and refocused on the craft of writing and storytelling for television news. Presenter: Victoria Lim, senior consumer reporter, WFLA-TV Presented by The Poynter Institute for Media Studies To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org
9:00 a.m.-5:00p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	Media Institute: BETTER WATCHDOG WORKSHOP A crucial duty of a journalist is to serve the public interest by acting as a watchdog on government and business. This duty has become all the more important at a time when governments are restricting the flow of information. At such times, broadcast and print journalists must redouble their efforts to use freedom of information laws to obtain public documents and help the public appreciate the value of such laws. This Better Watchdog Workshop is intended to help those journalists at small- to medium-sized news organizations -- and those in bureaus of larger organizations -- to learn the investigative skills that keep government and business accountable and to produce enterprising and informative stories. Coordinator: David Donald, training director, IRE Presented by Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org
10:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	Media Institute: CRAFTING THE STORY: ADVANCED FEATURE WRITING & ENTERPRISE REPORTING This professional development seminar is designed to inspire participants to take on more ambitious goals in both reporting and writing. Presentations by five Washington Post reporters and editors will challenge participants to think more deeply and creatively about how they write features and how they cover beats. Participants should have three to five years experience as a journalist, with a particular interest in using thorough reporting and graceful writing to engage readers. Coordinator: Peter Perl, director of training & professional development Moderator: Sandy Sugawara, deputy financial editor Panelists: Hank Stuever, staff writer; Ariana Eunjung Cha, staff writer; Rajiv Chandrasekaran, staff writer & former Baghdad Bureau chief; Phuong Ly, staff writer; David Nakamura, staff writer Sponsored by The Washington Post To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org
1:00 p.m.-4:00p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	Workshop: WANNA BE ON RADIO? You want to dabble in radio because you think you have something to say. But you have no idea how to do so. In this workshop, radio editors and senior producers will teach you how to turn your 800-1500 word piece into a 2-3 minute essay with intro and back announce. You’ll learn how to write for the ear and how to sound like a seasoned radio journalist. You will be given an assignment in advance of the workshop. Coordinator & Instructor: Wilma Consul, associate producer, National Public Radio Instructors: Doug Mitchell, managing director, NPR’s Next Generation Radio; Maeve McGoran (invited), commentary editor, National Public Radio; Rolando Arrieta, producer/trainer, news training unit, National Public Radio; Tom Krymkowski, freelance radio and film engineer and trainer for NPR’s Next Generation Radio; Traci Tong, producer/director, BBC World Service, Public Radio International, WGBH-Boston, and trainer for NPR’s Next Generation Radio Presented by National Public Radio To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org
4:00p.m.-6:00p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	STUDENT NIGHT: THE REAL WORLD – WHAT J-SCHOOL DOESN’T TEACH YOU Students are invited to attend a panel discussion on the realities of working in journalism. If you have questions your school isn’t answering, this event is for you! We’ll begin with a short overview on navigating the convention. Dinner will be served, so come hungry and prepared with questions for our pro’s. Open only to students registered for the convention, students participating in the student convention projects and invited professionals. Coordinator: Jennifer Abbasi, assistant editor, Parenting Magazine Moderator: Shruti L. Mather, reporter, Minneapolis Star Tribune Panelists: Tony Ramirez, reporter, The New York Times; Cynthia Wang, associate bureau chief, Los Angeles, People magazine; Cindy del Rosario Tapan, associate editor, O, the Oprah Magazine. Sponsored by Chevron Corporation
5:00p.m.-5:45p.m. Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	NEWCOMERS' ORIENTATION First convention or new to AAJA? Then don't miss the Newcomers' Orientation, with games, prizes and a cash bar. Learn about AAJA's important role in the industry and how it can help your career from Dallas Morning News columnist and AAJA national president Esther Wu. Get tips on making the most of the convention from Minneapolis Star Tribune TV critic and convention co-chair Neal Justin. KTVU/FOX2 bureau chief and AAJA's first elected president Lloyd LaCuesta and The News & Observer reporter Peggy Lim will share their perspectives as a veteran and a new member.
5:00p.m.-6:00p.m. WCCO-TV 90 South 11th Street Minneapolis, MN 55403	EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM RECEPTION A private reception for sponsors and graduates of AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program, and other invited guests. Sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment
6:00p.m.-9:00p.m. WINDOWS on minnesota	OPENING RECEPTION Spectacular panoramic views of the Minneapolis skyline await attendees of this year's opening reception, held on top of the city's tallest building. Mingle with old friends and meet new ones as you enjoy live jazz music, scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and the grand atmosphere of Windows on Minnesota, a private facility on the 50th floor of the IDS Center. Local spoken word phenom Bao Phi, of Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam fame, performs his explosive poetry. Emcee: Neal Justin, Twin Cities Convention Chair and Star Tribune TV Critic Coordinators: Allie Shah, staff writer, and Tippi Thole, features designer, Star Tribune Sponsored by The McClatchy Company/Star Tribune
10:00p.m.-late First Avenue Club & 7th Street Entry	RAPPER JIN at First Avenue Club: The Rest is History. Exclusive to convention attendees! A free concert by hip-hop artist Jin Au-Yeung, the first Asian American rapper to release a major-label record. Jin's new CD, The Rest is History, challenges negative images of people of Chinese heritage in American culture. The concert venue, the famed First Avenue Club & 7th Street Entry, itself has a history dating back to 1937. The club was born in 1970, but the history of live music in that distinctively curved black building on the corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street rightfully begins much earlier. It was on a February Friday in 1937 that the orchestral music of the Gopher Melody Men played, ribbons were cut, and the new Northland-Greyhound Bus Depot opened for business. Sponsored by AZN Television, a cable television network for Asian America.

8:00a.m.-6:00p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

REGISTRATION

9:00a.m.-4:00p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Media Institute: THE TV STORYTELLING BOOT CAMP

This highly interactive and practical seminar, taught by veteran TV journalist Al Tompkins, is back by popular demand.

Tompkins

Learn storytelling tips that you can use on your next shift to:

Find and develop memorable characters on deadline

Discover story angles that others miss

Think visually, even on non-visual stories

Find laser beam focus for your stories on deadline

Use the Internet to mine resources that will enrich your stories

Make tough ethics calls on deadline

Every participant will receive a CD packed with Web site resources for finding stories and sources. Participants will leave energized and refocused on the craft of writing and storytelling for television news.

Presenter: Victoria Lim, senior consumer reporter, WFLA-TV

Presented by The Poynter Institute for Media Studies

To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org

9:00 a.m.-5:00p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Media Institute: BETTER WATCHDOG WORKSHOP

A crucial duty of a journalist is to serve the public interest by acting as a watchdog on government and business. This duty has become all the more important at a time when governments are restricting the flow of information. At such times, broadcast and print journalists must redouble their efforts to use freedom of information laws to obtain public documents and help the public appreciate the value of such laws. This Better Watchdog Workshop is intended to help those journalists at small- to medium-sized news organizations -- and those in bureaus of larger organizations -- to learn the investigative skills that keep government and business accountable and to produce enterprising and informative stories.

Coordinator: David Donald, training director, IRE

Presented by Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE)

To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org

10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Media Institute: CRAFTING THE STORY: ADVANCED FEATURE WRITING & ENTERPRISE REPORTING

This professional development seminar is designed to inspire participants to take on more ambitious goals in both reporting and writing. Presentations by five Washington Post reporters and editors will challenge participants to think more deeply and creatively about how they write features and how they cover beats. Participants should have three to five years experience as a journalist, with a particular interest in using thorough reporting and graceful writing to engage readers.

Coordinator: Peter Perl, director of training & professional development
Moderator: Sandy Sugawara, deputy financial editor
Panelists: Hank Stuever, staff writer; Ariana Eunjung Cha, staff writer; Rajiv Chandrasekaran, staff writer & former Baghdad Bureau chief; Phuong Ly, staff writer; David Nakamura, staff writer

Sponsored by The Washington Post

To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org

1:00 p.m.-4:00p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Workshop: WANNA BE ON RADIO?

You want to dabble in radio because you think you have something to say. But you have no idea how to do so. In this workshop, radio editors and senior producers will teach you how to turn your 800-1500 word piece into a 2-3 minute essay with intro and back announce. You’ll learn how to write for the ear and how to sound like a seasoned radio journalist. You will be given an assignment in advance of the workshop.

Coordinator & Instructor: Wilma Consul, associate producer, National Public Radio
Instructors: Doug Mitchell, managing director, NPR’s Next Generation Radio; Maeve McGoran (invited), commentary editor, National Public Radio; Rolando Arrieta, producer/trainer, news training unit, National Public Radio; Tom Krymkowski, freelance radio and film engineer and trainer for NPR’s Next Generation Radio; Traci Tong, producer/director, BBC World Service, Public Radio International, WGBH-Boston, and trainer for NPR’s Next Generation Radio

Presented by National Public Radio

To sign up for this Media Institute, email Albert Lee at AlbertL@aaja.org

4:00p.m.-6:00p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

STUDENT NIGHT: THE REAL WORLD – WHAT J-SCHOOL DOESN’T TEACH YOU

Students are invited to attend a panel discussion on the realities of working in journalism. If you have questions your school isn’t answering, this event is for you!

We’ll begin with a short overview on navigating the convention. Dinner will be served, so come hungry and prepared with questions for our pro’s. Open only to students registered for the convention, students participating in the student convention projects and invited professionals.

Coordinator: Jennifer Abbasi, assistant editor, Parenting Magazine
Moderator: Shruti L. Mather, reporter, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Panelists: Tony Ramirez, reporter, The New York Times; Cynthia Wang, associate bureau chief, Los Angeles, People magazine; Cindy del Rosario Tapan, associate editor, O, the Oprah Magazine.

Sponsored by Chevron Corporation

5:00p.m.-5:45p.m.

Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

NEWCOMERS' ORIENTATION

First convention or new to AAJA? Then don't miss the Newcomers' Orientation, with games, prizes and a cash bar. Learn about AAJA's important role in the industry and how it can help your career from Dallas Morning News columnist and AAJA national president Esther Wu. Get tips on making the most of the convention from Minneapolis Star Tribune TV critic and convention co-chair Neal Justin. KTVU/FOX2 bureau chief and AAJA's first elected president Lloyd LaCuesta and The News & Observer reporter Peggy Lim will share their perspectives as a veteran and a new member.

5:00p.m.-6:00p.m.

WCCO-TV
90 South 11th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM RECEPTION

A private reception for sponsors and graduates of AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program, and other invited guests.

Sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment

6:00p.m.-9:00p.m.

WINDOWS on minnesota

OPENING RECEPTION

Spectacular panoramic views of the Minneapolis skyline await attendees of this year's opening reception, held on top of the city's tallest building. Mingle with old friends and meet new ones as you enjoy live jazz music, scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and the grand atmosphere of Windows on Minnesota, a private facility on the 50th floor of the IDS Center. Local spoken word phenom Bao Phi, of Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam fame, performs his explosive poetry.

Emcee: Neal Justin, Twin Cities Convention Chair and Star Tribune TV Critic
Coordinators: Allie Shah, staff writer, and Tippi Thole, features designer, Star Tribune

Sponsored by The McClatchy Company/Star Tribune

10:00p.m.-late

First Avenue Club & 7th Street Entry

RAPPER JIN at First Avenue Club: The Rest is History.

Exclusive to convention attendees! A free concert by hip-hop artist Jin Au-Yeung, the first Asian American rapper to release a major-label record. Jin's new CD, The Rest is History, challenges negative images of people of Chinese heritage in American culture.

The concert venue, the famed First Avenue Club & 7th Street Entry, itself has a history dating back to 1937. The club was born in 1970, but the history of live music in that distinctively curved black building on the corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street rightfully begins much earlier. It was on a February Friday in 1937 that the orchestral music of the Gopher Melody Men played, ribbons were cut, and the new Northland-Greyhound Bus Depot opened for business.

Sponsored by AZN Television, a cable television network for Asian America.