An Old Dilemma for the New Media

The recent controversy around the Gizmodo tech blog’s decision to purchase a “lost” iPhone prototype for the sake of a scoop renewed the debate about the ethics and viability of checkbook journalism in today’s aggressive and competitive news environment.

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites the public to join in a dialogue with a distinguished panel of experts to examine how this old dilemma is playing out in the brave new media world.

WHO:

Panelists include:

• Marc Cooper, contributing editor, The Nation.
• Jon Healey, editorial writer, Los Angeles Times.
• Sharon Waxman, founding editor/publisher, “The Wrap” website.

Joel Bellman, press deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, will moderate.

WHAT:

Panel Discussion: “Ka-Ching! Checkbook Journalism: An Old Dilemma for the New Media”

WHEN:

7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 27

WHERE:

Omni Hotel, Bradbury/Rose Room
251 S. Olive St.

Los Angeles, CA

DIRECTIONS:

http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/LosAngelesCaliforniaPlaza/MapAndDirections.aspx

COST:

$20 for SPJ members, $23 for non-members.  Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP:

Seating is limited, so please let us know whether you’re coming by Friday, July 23.  E-mail spjlosangeles@gmail.com or call the SPJ/LA hotline at (323) 259-3350.

PARKING:

Validated parking will be available for $12 on Olive Street, or limited meter parking on Grand Avenue.

Details about the event will be posted on our Web site, http://spjla.wordpress.com/

Panelists include: Marc Cooper, USC Annenberg Journalism School senior lecturer who serves as contributing editor to The Nation, as columnist forL.A. Weekly, and as a frequent contributor to The Atlantic; Jon Healey, an opinion writer and a member of the editorial board at the Los Angeles Times who created the Bit Player blog in 2006, and Sharon Waxman, award-winning journalist and author who, as a long-time observer of the entertainment industry, has covered studio sales and corporate mergers, the Academy Awards, the film festivals and the unusual personalities that make up Hollywood.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry, works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists, and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

The Los Angeles chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association got involved with Cal State University Fullerton’s Comm Week, a week-long event for ambitious students interested in a higher dose of education in the world of print and broadcast journalism from experienced, professional journalists.

The AAJA panel discussion, titled “The Future of TV News,” moderated by KTLA photojournalist and AAJA LA Board Member Phil Ige, touched base on the current state of TV news, as well as the direction where the broadcast medium is going.

The discussion included a three-person panel, which included representatives from KTLA and KCBS/KCAL.

The changing makeup of TV news, the main theme of the discussion, means news professionals must be able to keep up with the changing times, said KCBS/KCAL multimedia journalist Melissa Mecija, one of the panelists in attendance. “If you are willing to adapt and learn, then there will be a job out there for you,” she said.

Mecija said that while there has been a lot of publicity on downsizing in the news industry, that job growth will eventually return with time.

“The world of journalism is undoubtedly changing at a rapid pace, but there will always be a place for news”, Mecija said.

One pertinent point that students received was how upgraded technology has shaped how TV news is performed.

“The future of TV news will be dictated by the technology that’s yet to come,” said Jeff Nguyen, a writer and web producer for KTLA 5, and another one of the panelists. “The industry has always been advanced by equipment that has allowed us to deliver information with the greatest immediacy.”

“HOW TO LAND YOUR FIRST JOURNALISM JOB: ADVICE FROM INDUSTRY INSIDERS”

Are you a graduating senior who wants to work in journalism or media? Or are you looking for your first internship at a newspaper, television/radio station, or website? Come to an exclusive event to talk to Los Angeles-based reporters, producers, editors, freelance journalists, and bloggers to get advice straight from the insiders.

You will get job hunting tips from award-winning journalists who have worked for KTLA 5, People, NBA.com, Yahoo!, The New York Times, National Public Radio and other outlets.  We will also provide complimentary lunch with the journalists and small group discussions based on your specific beat or media interest.

WHEN: Saturday, May 15th, 2010, 11am-1:30pm
WHERE: University of California, Los Angeles
118 Kerckhoff Hall 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90024 (look for signs)

= PANELIST LINE-UP =

• BRYAN CHU — Bryan Chu is a reporter for NBA.com who covers the Los Angeles Lakers. His career has included stops at the San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union. He has also freelanced for ESPN the Magazine and The Associated Press. During his career, Chu has won numerous national and local awards for his work as a sports and criminal reporter. Chu graduated from UCLA and worked at the UCLA Daily Bruin all four years as a sports reporter.
• PHIL IGE — Phil Ige is a videographer at KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles. His favorite mantra about his job: “Without us, it’s radio.” He takes a lot of pride in being a TV Photojournalist. Phil has worked at ABC (KERO) in Bakersfield, at the ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara, Norfolk, VA, at the NBC and WB affiliates in San Diego, and now he’s back home in L.A at KTLA.
• COREY TAKAHASHI — Corey Takahashi is an independent journalist, audio producer, and photographer. He has worked as a staffer and freelancer in the print and broadcast industries, and he began his career as an editor at a start-up hip-hop magazine in New York. Corey currently contributes to NPR and PRI, among other media outlets. His freelance print work has appeared in the Best Music Writing anthology, The New York Times, and Vibe magazine.http://www.coreytakahashi.com/
• KEN LEE — Ken Lee has worked as a reporter for PEOPLE magazine for the past six years. He covers the courts/crime beat, mostly for PEOPLE.com. Prior to this, he was a freelance reporter based in the Middle East for two years, covering the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the Iraq war mostly for the New York Daily News and the BBC Online.
• KIM BUI — Blogger, social media and web producer (Consumertrack)
• LAWRENCE YEE — Senior web producer and programmer, specializing in entertainment coverage (Yahoo!, Emmy and Webby winner for Olympics coverage)

= LUNCH & REFRESHMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED =

= FREE & OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS =

RSVP: The event is free and open to all, but please RSVP on Facebook at http://bit.ly/AAJAstudentpanel
HOW TO GET HERE:
Park: Structure 6 for $10: Enter from Westwood Boulevard and Strathmore
Transit: Take the Metro (2, 305, or the 720), Culver City Bus (6), or Big Blue Bus

TO LEARN MORE:

Go to http://aaja.org to learn about the Asian American Journalist Association

We are looking for dynamic individuals that can be very hands-on and practical, not just theoretical.  So drop us a note with the name of the speaker, why you think the speaker would be a good fit for this year’s convention and if available, a link to their bio and contact information, and if possible some youtube video if available. Please submit panelists recommendation to feedback@aaja.org by Friday, May 7th

The topics they will be speaking on come from the ideas we asked you about earlier this year.

The State of Journalism

We’re examining where we are and what’s to come within the broadcast, print and Web world

• Online Journalism, Present and Future: Panelists describe storytelling methods, emerging technologies and digital skills for social media, data visualization and citizen journalism. What works — and what’s next.
• Broadcast Journalism, Present and Future: Change is transforming our TV and radio newsrooms. Panelists discuss the latest innovations and emerging technologies as means to enhancing storytelling.
• Print Journalism, Present and Future: Where is print heading? Which business models are working? Panelists lead a discussion on innovation, consolidation, experimentation and progression.

Career Crossroads

The current job market is dreary, but these sessions will help illuminate your way.

• Building Your Brand: Learn how to present yourself to best effect through tools both contemporary (blogs and social media) and traditional (your résumé and networking)
• Your Career, the Sequel: Seeking alternatives to traditional media companies? Explore freelancing or working abroad as options for your journalism second life.
• Survivors’ Island – Coping With Unemployment: A rundown on healthcare, unemployment benefits, severance packages, legal counsel, financial planning and retirement.
• Opportunities in Digital Journalism: You hopped on the DJ train early and never looked back. Now what? Learn about opportunities in our changing newsrooms, pitching yourself and staying competitive.
• Be Your Own Boss: Ever wonder whether you would be better off starting your own media business? Hear how from journalists who have proved it can be done.
• Platform Portability: Broadcast and print have skills that translate to the Web and vice versa. Learn how to market yourself and gain the tools you will need to master the medium.

Diversifying your coverage

Enhance your reporting repertoire with advice, tips and techniques from experts.

• A Hyphenated World: Journalists face challenges covering a diverse, multicultural landscape. How to counter prevalent stereotypes — with a focus on Asian Americans in Hollywood — and report with style and nuance.
• Diversity in New Media: The Internet offers a symphonic range of voices. Experts and experimenters alike talk tips, hurdles and highlights in making diversity work for you and your audience.
• In Search of Arab America: How conversant are you in covering the vital Arab American community? A discussion of trends, story ideas and potential.
• A View From the Right: Conservative pundits and activists seem to be everywhere. Is there diversity within the segment? We’ll discuss the growth of the right and best practices for objective coverage.

Practical skill upgrade

Arm yourself with a multi-level education to bolster your current career and future potential.

• Broadcast Meets Web: It sounds beautiful on the air and looks great on TV. We’ll show you how to make that same story or script sparkle online and draw in readers.
• Print Meets Airwaves: Great print copy doesn’t always translate smoothly onto air. Learn from expert editors and reporters how to craft effective scripts for video and audio.
• Beginning Interactive Narrative: Learn how to tap the tools of interactive storytelling, whether it’s writing short, as in creating video for the Web, or tackling longer-form nonlinear pieces.
• Intermediate Interactive Narrative: Planning is key to a successful interactive experience. Learn to prioritize, storyboard and chart how multimedia elements blend in order to use your time efficiently.
• Advanced Interactive Narrative: Your videos, graphics, databases and text are ready to go. Learn how to intertwine those elements and use social media to reach a broader audience.
• Audio for Print Journalists: Sounds, scenes, emotion, vocal tone — these are the key elements of a strong audio story. Learn how to rethink and rework your print story.
• Audio for Broadcast Journalists: Learn how natural sound can enhance even the shortest segment. Among the lessons: how to recut your broadcast piece for radio.
• Shooting Video: We’ll cover the basics in a hands-on workshop: what you need to know about cameras, shooting B-roll, light, framing and other fundamentals.
• Editing Video: Now that you’ve shot your video, what are you going to do with it? Learn tips from the pros in a hands-on workshop about editing broadcast and digital packages.

Digital know-how

There’s no question that the media market is increasingly digital. Let’s look at how far we’ve come and what’s in store.

• Beginning Social Media: Learn the basics of social media — mastering the lingo, assembling your basic tool kit and drawing on experts’ tricks of the trade.
• Intermediate Social Media: You’re grounded in the basics — so what’s over the horizon for journalists who want to stay ahead of the curve?
• Advanced Social Media: Explore how others have built tools on top of Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks to gather news and interact with audiences.
• SEO for Journalists: More than 80% of users click one of the top three results on any given Web search. We’ll discuss methods for boosting your standing in search queries.
• The All-Platform Journalist: Most of us are being asked to meet multiple deadlines for multiple platforms. Find out what skills and gear you need to create great packages for broadcast, online and mobile.
• Strengthening Investigative Journalism: The technology may evolve, but the value of local watchdog journalism persists. This workshop presents the latest innovations in delivering investigative pieces to digital readers.

Media Innovation

Let innovation in upstarts, trends and technology provide inspiration for current projects and future plans.

• Hyperlocal News: From small start-ups to legacy media players, it seems that everyone is going hyperlocal. A discussion of lessons learned and keys to success.
• Innovative Upstarts: Listen to the behind-the-scenes success stories of entrepreneurs and funders who have brought new media projects to market.
• Ten Essential Tech Trends: As journalists seek out stories — or new business models — technologists are developing tools for gathering and sharing content. Hear what’s next.
• Future of Mobile: Mobile technology means you no longer need a computer to publish text, photos and video. Find out how iPhones, iPads and Flip cams are affecting journalists and news consumers.
• Data Visualization: Many newsrooms are using databases in innovative ways. Hear from industry leaders about how to use data to enrich your storytelling and create effective visualizations.
• Media-Centric Design: Many media innovations have been created outside the journalism industry. Design industry leaders will tell us about hardware and storytelling methods that could eventually make it to the newsroom.