Los Angelena on a Metro transit tour (HD version) from Corey Takahashi on Vimeo.

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.

Date & Location: Friday, August 6, 2010 | 10am to Noon | The Los Angeles Times, 202 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA (RSVP required)

This is a session for local community organizations to learn how to pitch their stories to the media and how to get their news covered.

Meet with local and national journalists in print, broadcast and online media. How do these reporters, editors and producers choose stories to cover? What’s a pitch, and what should go into one? How do you pitch a local story to national media? How can you help journalists gain access to and understand diverse communities?

Learn from these journalists and hear first-hand how they make their news decisions. The workshop will include a one-hour panel discussion involving several journalists from Los Angeles and across the country. Then the session will move into small groups, with a journalist facilitating a conversation in each group. The session will wrap up with a final Q&A.

Space is limited so please RSVP by Thursday, July 15 at http://bit.ly/AAJA2010MediaAccess

PRESENTED BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOS ANGELES TIMES. SPONSORED BY UNION BANK

MODERATOR: Thomas Huang, Sunday & Enterprise Editor, The Dallas Morning News; Ethics & Diversity Fellow, The Poynter Institute

PANELISTS: Keith Woods, Vice President, National Public Radio; Jenny Hamel, Reporter/Anchor, San Diego 6 News; Elise Hu-Stiles, Online Reporter, The Texas Tribune; Gretchen Parker, Public Communications Manager, USC Annenberg; My-Thuan Tran, Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Victor Hernandez, Director of Coverage/ADJ Project Manager, CNN; Linda Takahashi, Freelance broadcast journalist

For more information: http://www.aaja.org/programs/convention2010losangeles/community2010/

or contact Tom Huang (tom.t.huang@gmail.com) or Joz Wang (jozjozjoz@gmail.com)

(NOTE: No shuttle service provided for this event from the AAJA Convention.)

Wrap up the convention in true Southern California style with a trip to Disneyland! Just $85 will get you transportation to and from the convention hotel to the theme park, plus admission. This is a fantastic group rate, which is only available if at least 50 people sign up. The regular admission rate alone is $72! So don’t wait! Those who RSVP will be asked to pre-pay for the trip, so as to ensure attendance. (The trip will be canceled if not enough people RSVP). RSVP email.snwong@gmail.com by Tuesday, July 6.

The Price Is Right | Tuesday, August (all day)

Be a part of the live studio audience at The Price Is Right. You’ll get to see Drew Carey and the girls up close and personal, AND possibly get the contestant call to “Come on down!” RSVP gelim@cbs.com by Tuesday, July 6.

Lucky Strikes Bowling | Thursday, August 5 (late evening)

No one goes to bed early in L.A. – and certainly not during convention week. Meet at the star-studded and famous Lucky Strikes bowling alley located within the hotel’s Hollywood and Highland complex at 10 pm, for a fun late night of bowling and networking! RSVP bryanchu8@gmail.com

The Huntington Gardens | Saturday, August 7 | 10A – 4P

The world-famous Huntington Gardens invites all AAJA convention attendees to experience paradise in the heart of Pasadena. From the enchanting Japanese garden to the recently added multi-million dollar Chinese garden to priceless artwork. RSVP gelim@cbs.com by Saturday, July 31.