“Scaling New(s) Heights” is the theme of the 2015 Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 Conference April 24-25 on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver.
The conference, designed for college journalism students and faculty and professional journalists, is co-hosted by the SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter and the Auraria Campus Chapter. The last time Denver was the conference site, in 2012, 140 students, faculty and professionals from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming attended.
Conference highlights include panel discussions on freedom of information, ethics, diversity, multimedia journalism, non-profit news, investigative journalism, the future of the news industry, challenges for collegiate journalism, and how to get an internship and a job.
The Mark of Excellence Awards luncheon on April 25 will recognize outstanding work by student journalists in the four-state region. Following the luncheon, students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with professional journalists to discuss job interview tips and resume reviews.
People may register at SPJ Region 9 Conference website. Early bird registration fees are in effect until March 27 for SPJ member students, non-member students, SPJ member professionals and non-member professionals. Registration fees increase in all categories after March 27. Payment may be made by credit card oE the Eventbrite site.
Attendees will be on their own Friday for lunch and dinner, and there are dozens of restaurants – in Larimer Square and on the 16th Street Mall – near the campus. For out-of-town visitors, there are many downtown hotels near Auraria. The SpringHill Suites are on campus.
Parking both days will be available on campus in surface lots and parking garages.
Conference Schedule
Friday, April 24
8:30 a.m. -Registration Desk Opens St. Cajetan’s Church, 1190 9th St., Auraria Campus
Morning Sessions
9 a.m. – Opening Remarks – Bill McCloskey, SPJ National Director At-large
9:15 – 10:30 a.m. – Session 1 FOI. Panel: Tom Johnson, SPJ Region 9 director; Jeff Roberts, Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition executive director; Peg Perl, Colorado Ethics Watch staff counsel.
10:45-Noon – Session 2 Ethics. Panel: Fred Brown, former SPJ national president and ethics chair; John Ensslin, The (Bergen, NJ) Record reporter; Deb Hurley Brobst, contributing editor, Evergreen Newspapers.
10:45-Noon – Session 3 Diversity. Panel: Tak Landrock, Fox31 reporter; Gil Asakawa, CU-Boulder student media manager.
Noon-1:30 p.m. Lunch on Your Own
Afternoon Sessions
2-3:15 p.m. – Session 4 Multimedia Journalism. Panel: Phil Tenser, 7News digital executive producer; Nicki Jhabvala, Denver Post sports digital editor; Sandra Fish, independent journalist.
2-3:15 p.m. – Session 5 Non-profit News. Panel: Brian Calvert, High Country News associate editor; Neil Best, KUNC president and CEO; Cara DeGette, Greater Park Hill News editor.
3:30-4:45 p.m. – Session 6 Investigative Journalism. Panel: Natasha Gardner, 5280 Magazine senior editor; Bob Burdick, retired editor and publisher.
3:30-4:45 p.m. – Session 7 Future of the News Industry. Panel: Laruen Gustus, Fort Collins Coloradoan executive editor; Neil Best, KUNC president and CEO; Jim Anderson, Associated Press Denver bureau news editor.
Dinner on Your Own
Saturday, April 25
8:30 a.m. Registration Desk Opens. St. Cajetan’s Church, 1190 9th St., Auraria Campus
Morning Sessions
9-10:15 a.m. – Session 8 Challenges for Collegiate Journalism. College editors and advisers panel: Metropolitian State University-Denver, Colorado State University-Fort Collins, University of Colorado-Boulder, and Community College of Denver.
10:30-11:45 a.m. a.m. – Session 9 How to Get an Internship and a Job. Panel: Doug Bell, Evergreen Newspapers editor; Noelle Leavitt Riley, editor, Craig Daily Press; Kara Mason, Colorado State University-Pueblo.
Noon- 2 p.m. – Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon. Region 9 director Tom Johnson announces winners. St. Cajetan’s Church.
2:30-4:30 p.m. – One-on-one mentoring and resume review. Students will have the opportunity to discuss job interview techniques and have their resumes reviewed by professional journalists.
