Opening Doors
Society of Professional Journalists – Region 9 Conference
April 13 and 14
Tivoli Theaters at Auraria Campus, Downtown Denver
Preliminary Program – subject to change – Check back often for updates
Thursday night
Welcome party and induction ceremony for new SPJ members at the Denver Press
Club (sponsored by the Auraria Campus SPJ Chapter)
Friday, April 13
8:30 a.m. – Registration opens
Morning Sessions: Traditional Track
9 to 10:15 a.m.
The goodie bag of open records
Federal, state and local governing bodies must provide public records when requested.
This workshop will provide tips on when and how to formally request everything from
phone records to police reports to financial dealings to email correspondences –
documents that will provide much-needed background when ferreting out the truth.
David Cuillier – SPJ National Secretary/Treasurer, former FOI Chairman
Cara DeGette – SPJ Colorado Pro President, Colorado Public News
Shaun Schaffer – Assistant Professor, MSCD Journalism department
10:30-11:45 a.m.
The numbers add up
Business journalism is where the jobs are. But you won't get very far if you can't figure
out financial statements. This workshop will show you how to make heads and tails out
of all those numbers – and explore ways to dig up the dough on anyone.
Presenter: David Milstead, Investing columnist for Canada's Globe and Mail
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Ethics in a digital world
Newsrooms have gone digital, and the insistence on high standards, accuracy
and accountability has never been greater. These longtime pros talk about
emerging ethical challenges -- and temptations – in a new era, and revisit some
classics case studies.
Jim Anderson, News Editor, Associated Press
Deb Hurley Brobst, Evergreen Newspapers
Fred Brown, Former Denver Post Bureau Chief, SPJ President,
Raj Chohan, Attorney, Baker Hostetler, former CBS4 Reporter
Moderator: Doug Bell, Evergreen Newspapers
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Lunch on your own
Afternoon sessions: Digital Media Track
Beginning track
2 – 3:30 p.m.
Is blogging journalism? (Yes, and…)
Blogging within new media companies as well as blogging outside news as a potential
freelance opportunity for journalists (and why all journalists should be blogging anyway).
Kurtis Lee, The Denver Post
Mike Roberts, The Latest Word -- Westword.com
Scott Yates, BlogMutt.com
Moderator Gil Asakawa
3:45 - 5:15 p.m.
Intro to SEO: playing the online hed game
A hands-on workshop on why headlines need to be different on the web.
Advanced track
2 - 3:30 p.m.
Forget the website, we need an App strategy!
Are websites already passe? Should we all be working on mobile versions and apps?
What is in the cards for news organizations?
Panel TBA
3:45 - 5:15 p.m.
Using social media as a news source
Hands-on workshop on using social media as a news source, with case studies.
Presenter: Dan Petty, The Denver Post
Saturday, April 14
Morning Sessions: Traditional Track
9 a.m. - noon
One-on-one mentoring, resume review, coaching/ Individual sign-up
9 to 10:15 a.m.
The care and feeding of student journalists
What’s hot, current and connecting in student newsrooms.
Moderator: Kris Kodrich, CSU
Panelists: Student Editors TBA
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Getting arrested for doing Journalism
Mark Silverstein, Legal Director, ACLU of Colorado
Thomas Mink, student journalist
12 - 2 p.m.
Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon
Emcee: David Cuillier, National SPJ Secretary/Treasurer; Assistant Professor,
Department of Journalism, University of Arizona
Afternoon sessions: Digital Media Track
Beginning track
2:15 -3:45 p.m.
Social Media: Why do we newsies care?
There are a dizzying number of social media sites we have to pay attention to --- or do
we? Is it just Facebook and Twitter? What about Google Plus? How about Pinterest?
And why do we pay attention to these sites anyway? (Answer: Because they can drive
crazy traffic to our sites, and because they're great sources for news tips.)
Alison Noon – CU Independent
Dan Petty – DenverPost.com
Moderator: Misty Montano, 9News
4 -5:30 p.m.
New tech on the horizon: How media need to adapt
A lively roundtable about the ever-evolving horizon of emerging technology and media
gadgetry, especially mobile and tablet platforms.
Steve Outing, Digital News Test Kitchen at CU Boulder
Dave Elchoness, Tagwhat
Moderator Gil Asakawa
Advanced track
2:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Crowdsourcing – Getting audiences to be part of the news
Whether it's sending along weather photos to joining the Public Insight Network or
connecting with users via various services such as Tackable or Storify, these are the
tools now available that allow audiences to help the newsgathering process,
Wendy Norris, Freelance journalist
Lee Hill, CPR Public Insight Network Analyst
Moderator Steve Outing
4 -5:30 p.m.
Is hyper-local the future of news – or just hype?
A look at the buzz over local news from Your Hub to Examiner & Patch, and whether
that's really the future of news media.
Laura Rich, Street Fight Magazine
Moderator Gil Asakawa