Convention Schedule

Are you getting lost in the shuffle in your big-city newsroom? You can make big strides in your career by parlaying your experience in large markets into higher-level positions at smaller markets. And don't forget the intangibles: experiencing more job satisfaction, having a bigger impact with your work and boosting your quality of life. Print and broadcast journalists will share the advantages and disadvantages of going to smaller markets and offer strategies on how to negotiate for the best job and salary.

Coordinator: Victor Panichkul, managing editor, Statesman Journal
Moderator: Aki Soga, business editor, Burlington Free Press
Panelists: Janet Mason, president and general manager, WZZM 13; Howard Weaver, vice president/news, McClatchy; Don Wyatt, executive editor, Springfield News-Leader; Sherrie Marshall, executive editor, Macon Telegraph

We've heard it before, "Dress for success." Whether you're male or female, looking good is part of getting that TV news dream job. What should you wear? What about hair and makeup? What's appropriate for TV news? We ask the experts and the people who do the hiring. Bring a VHS tape of yourself on air for a live critique.

Are tabloids the future of news? Just how popular has celebrity gossip become? There are dozens of new magazines and broadcast shows competing in this market and it seems as if newspaper readers can’t seem to get enough of it either. So is there a place for the goings-on of celebrities among political and local news? How has entertainment and gossip coverage shaped reporting in other areas? Is there an erosion of ethics in covering celebrity news? Did Paris really get engaged to another Paris?! Top editors and reporters in the field tell all in this panel!

Coordinator & Moderator: Cynthia Wang, associate bureau chief, Los Angeles, People magazine
Speakers: Julie Dam, senior editor, People magazine; C.J., gossip columnist, Minneapolis Star Tribune; David K. Li, West Coast bureau chief, New York Post

What's it like being one of the rare Asian Americans in the world of hip-hop? Our special guests will shed light on the challenges and rewards of their unusual situations. The session will include Q&A.

Coordinator: PJ Joshi, business reporter, Newsday
Moderator: SuChin Pak (invited), correspondent, MTV News and host of MTV's documentary series, "My Life (Translated)"
Panelists: Minya Oh (a.k.a. "Miss Info"), "Celebrity Drama" reporter, radio station HOT 97; Jin, the first Asian American rapper to release a major-label solo album

Learn how to dig deeper into the documents and data on your beat. This hands-on class will focus on data analysis using a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel. The first part will include data entry when no data exists, doing essential calculations and importing data from the Internet. The second part will move from filtering and sorting data in Excel to calculating rates and ratios for news stories, cross-tabulating data and generating graphics. Upon completing the class, participants will be able to make CAR a regular part of their reporting tools.

Coordinator & Presenter: David Donald, training director, IRE; Mary Jo Sylwester, database editor, St. Paul Pioneer-Press

The war in Iraq, the tsunami disaster in Asia, and the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict are only a few of the many important international stories our news organizations are covering. Being a foreign correspondent is an exciting and often glamorous job, but it can also be demanding and sometimes hazardous. Find out from top foreign correspondents how to stay ready for sudden assignments and how to hit the ground running once you land in Kabul, Colombo or other challenging places.

Coordinator & Moderator: John Schidlovsky, director, IRP
Panelists: Rajiv Chandrasekaran, correspondent, The Washington Post; Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, staff writer, Time magazine; John Yang, correspondent, ABC News

Sponsored and presented by the Washington D.C.-based International Reporting Project (IRP) at The Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies

Following the event of September 11, coverage of the religion of Islam and Muslims became regular fixtures in mainstream news coverage. While much of the coverage tried to give readers a sense of the religion, its origins and beliefs, much of the coverage fell into using stereotypes that had little basis in reality. This panel will address current coverage of Islam and its believers and how reporters and editors can acquire the necessary knowledge to provide a more complete picture of this religion.

Coordinator: Ron Nixon, computer assisted reporting editor, Star Tribune
Moderator & Panelist: Allie Shah, education reporter, Star Tribune
Panelists: Niraj Warikoo, reporter, Detroit Free Press; Zafar Siddiqui, Islamic Resource Group; Maha ElGenaidi, founder and president, Islamic Networks Group

Sponsored by Religionsource -- The Journalist's Shortcut to 5,000 Scholars

Immediacy is the blessing and curse of modern newsgathering. While technology has increased the pressure to get it first, a news organization's credibility still rests on getting it right. Has the discipline of verification been lost in the flurry of information that is the 24-hour news cycle? Can the journalist still be a gatekeeper when stories, verified or not, are already "out there" on a blog or a talk show? This interactive session encourages journalists to examine their reporting habits and develop new strategies for improving accuracy.

Coordinator: Thomas Avila, staff director
Panelists: Walter (Wally) Dean, broadcast training coordinator; Dave Jones, trainer

Presented by Committee of Concerned Journalists

Think you nailed the interview only to be told you didn't get the position? Confused about which clips to send? Do you sweat and stutter when asked what you'd like to be doing five years from now? The job is yours if only you can convince the editor/recruiter that you're the best in the pool of candidates. Learn to ace the process with confidence and professionalism: from the initial contact and first impressions to negotiating a suitable salary. Your resume and clips may get you in the door, but the rest isn't so easy. Panelists will go over the Dos and Don'ts in looking for a job, the best way to follow up and what impresses future bosses the most. Role-playing exercises are planned to help clarify the mysteries of interviewing well.

Coordinator & Moderator: Donna Kato, style editor and former recruitment editor, San Jose Mercury News
Panelists: Joe Grimm, recruiting and development editor, Detroit Free Press; Susie Kamb, editorial operations director, ESPN; Randy Hagihara, hiring editor, Los Angeles Times; Lori Aratani, education reporter, The Washington Post

Sponsored by Southern Progress Corporation

Religion was a major story angle in the December tsunami, but reporting it was not easy. What are resources for covering religion on the fly? How do journalists cover non-Western faiths fairly and what are some ways to be sensitive to faith when reporting tragedies.

Coordinator: Debra Mason, executive director, Religion Newswriters Association
Moderator & Panelist: Janet Tu, religion reporter, Seattle Times
Panelists: Janet Perez, producer, Metro One (Radio); Steve Scott, reporter, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Presented by the Religion Newswriters Association

Longing to move into newspaper management, but not sure what it takes? Thinking about climbing the newsroom ladder, but afraid that means leaving "real" journalism behind? Already on the management rung, and feeling like an alien from another planet? Come have a conversation with New York Times staff members who've made the transition to manager -- and discovered that great journalism and great management are not a contradiction in terms. We'll discuss the various paths to management, and the lessons learned along the way. We'll also talk about the difference between managing and leading.

Coordinator: Sheila Rule, senior manager
Moderator: Sheryl Wudunn, assistant business editor
Panelists: Laura Chang, science editor; Archie Tse, deputy graphics editor; Michael Hale, assistant arts & leisure editor

Sponsored and presented by The New York Times

What can a mentor do for you? Wading through newsroom politics and other realities of the business can be a challenge. Why not be prepared for the journey by enlisting the support of someone who has already traveled down that road? Hearing of past experiences, stories and mistakes from those farther in their careers can help you emulate their successes and avoid their failures. Attend this panel discussion and reception to learn more about yourself by listening to others. Come and network and form relationships to advance your career.

For those who have considered becoming a mentor, come and meet the journalists of tomorrow and take someone under your wing. See how this program offers you a chance to give back.

Coordinator: Jam Sardar, reporter, WOOD-TV
Moderator: Hoda Kotb, correspondent, NBC News, Dateline
Panelists: Hoda Kotb, correspondent, NBC News, Dateline; James Hattori, correspondent, NBC News; Darren Lyn, reporter, KTRK-TV, Houston; Rosa Yum, reporter, WNEP-TV; Julie Tam, reporter, KLTV-TV, Tyler,Texas; Karen Swensen and is the 10pm News Anchor at WWL in New Orleans.

Sponsored by NBC

An anonymous tipster calls the Homeland Security offices to advise of Chinese "dirty nuclear bomber terrorists" entering Boston. Wire services immediately identify four suspects and post artist renderings of them and the alert becomes national headline news; although the tip later proves to be hoax, no apologies are offered to the accused or those who might have been subject to their "profile." A man is charged with killing six men in Wisconsin last fall after a dispute over hunting territory. Many early media reports tried to link his Hmong heritage with the shooting deaths. A Muslim Army chaplain is arrested and charged with espionage and possibly treason, but is later released with all charges dropped.

In recent months, several high-profile stories involving Asian Americans have made national headlines. There has been some perception that these cases are tried in the media. What are the hurdles to justice that Asian Americans face? Is there a presumption of guilt when Asian Americans are accused of certain crimes? How has the Patriot Act and the War on Terrorism affected Asian Americans--and what does the news media need to know to ensure fair and balanced coverage of the increasing numbers of such cases?

For this special Town Hall Meeting, the Asian American Journalists Association is convening a dialogue between community members and leaders as well as journalists; together, they will examine the relationship between Asian Americans, justice and the media.

The public is invited to join AAJA for this community forum.

Coordinator: Helen Zia, author and journalist
Moderator: Rekha Basu, columnist, Des Moines Register
Panelists:
Hon. Mee Moua, Minnesota State Senator; Capt. James Yee, former US Army Chaplain ; Jaideep Singh, co-founder, Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (now Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, SALDEF); Bill Ong Hing, professor, UC Davis School of Law

Journalists/Commentators:
Tram Nguyen, Colorlines Magazine Executive Editor and author of “We Are All Suspects Now: Untold Stories from Immigrant Communities�?; Steve Montiel, director, Institute for Justice and Journalism, USC Annenberg School for Communication

Sponsored by Nielsen Media Research