Workshops

From boot camps for journalism educators to symposia for citizen media makers, J-Lab creates and produces rich opportunities for emerging and established news people to build skills, share ideas and advance journalism. These sessions often take place at national conferences.

ONA 2009: Fund My Media

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 - San Francisco

The digital streets of America are rife with journalists looking to practice their craft and their passion outside the structures of a traditional, brand-name newsroom. This daylong workshop will be full of practical advice—and cautionary tales—for those thinking about striking out on their own. Covered will be starting a site from scratch, looking for funding, making the choice about nonprofit or ad-driven models and how to define success.
Speakers: Susan Mernit, Oakland Local; Ben Burns, GrossePointToday.com; Andy Hall, WisconsinWatch.org; Paul Bass, NewHavenIndependent.org; Debbie Galant, Baristanet.org; Jan Schaffer, J-Lab; Lisa Williams, Placeblogger and H2OTown; Scott Lewis, VoiceofSanDiego.org; Joel Kramer, MinnPost.com; Kevin Braun, E&E Publishing, LLC

AEJMC ‘09 - Civic News Networks: Collaboration vs. Competition?

Friday, Aug. 7, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. - Boston

In response to shrinking newsrooms, costly wire services and an emerging culture of collaboration and participatory media, regional news organizations around the country are starting to build innovative consortiums for sharing content on a statewide or regional basis. Participants see it as a win-win: Securing additional feet on the street, broader distribution of their content and less “me, too” duplication of reporting. How is the public served? And can the public participate?
Speakers: Susan Goldberg, Editor, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland; Anders Gyllenhaal, Senior Vice President/Executive Editor, The Miami Herald; Rex Smith, Vice President and Editor, The Times Union, Albany, N.Y.

J-School Entrepreneur Bootcamp

Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 - Washington, D.C.

What should we teach aspiring journalists these days: Writing and copyediting? Multimedia productions?  They need the right mindsets as well as skill sets. Learn how journalism programs around the country are seeding innovative ideas, launching hyperlocal news sites and breeding new media entrepreneurs.
Keynote Speaker: Jeff Jarvis, Blogger, Buzzmachine.com; Director, Interactive Journalism Program, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

Playing the News

Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 - Washington, D.C.

When does a news “experience” tell the story better than a news “story?” This daylong workshop focuses on what’s happening in the world of news games from election, budget, environmental and other exercises.  We’ll look at the creation, usefulness and ethnics of news games and searchable databases. And we’ll hear from both the journalists and the programmers who build the games.
Keynote Speaker: Ian Bogost, Author, “Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Video Games,” Creator of “Fat World” for ITVS, watercoolergames.com.

UNITY ‘08: “Citizen Media: Entrepreneurial Ventures Plug Gaps in Local News”

July 25, 2008 - Chicago

Around the world, ordinary readers and viewers are contributing photos, video and their own forms of citizen journalism to the news and information landscape. From placeblogs to hyperlocal Web sites, these ventures are gaining momentum, supplementing breaking-news stories, filling voids in local news, and delivering a new competition to mainstream media. Check out audio slideshows from the presenters.
Speakers: Suzanne McBride, Co-founder, ChicagoTalks.org; Abdirahman Aynte, Correspondent, BBC World Service; Bruce Koon, News Director, KQED-FM Public Radio

SPJ 2007: “Citizen Media@SPJ”

Oct. 4, 2007 - Washington, D.C.

More than 500 CitMedia sites now pepper the hyperlocal newscape. More come online every day. They fill in the news gaps, watchdog local journalists and train future reporters. Now, legacy newpapers are staking out their claims on this turf. Learn what this means for the future of news.
Keynote Speaker: Rob Curley, Vice President for Product Development at Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive

APME 2007: “Citizen Media@APME”

Oct. 2, 2007 - Washington, D.C.

Fast Forward to the Future was the theme of the 2007 conference of the Associated Press Managing Editors.  J-Lab brought together an impressive group of pioneers to share some good news (and lessons learned) about the growth of citizen media online in this daylong workshop.
Keynote Speaker: Rob Curley, Vice President for Product Development at Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive

ONA 2006: “Citizens Media Summit II”

Oct. 5, 2006 - Washington, D.C.

Learn about the latest developments, the newest models, and future visions in the fast-evolving world of hyperlocal citizen news ventures. Produced in conjunction with the Online News Association, this day-long workshop had five panels featuring speakers from hyperlocal start-ups and established community news sites, solo journalists, mainstream media and community television. Also, read some initial takes on J-Lab’s study of citizen media projects, funded by the Ford Foundation.

AEJMC 2006: “Citizen Media: J-School Entrepreneurial Ventures”

Aug. 4, 2006 - San Francisco

An increasing number of journalism schools are launching hyperlocal community news projects and using them to train both students and citizens in community reporting. This panel offered a look at emerging models.
Speakers: Jeremy Iggers, Twin Cities Daily Planet; Lew Friedland, University of Wisconsin and MadisonCommons.org; Dave Poulson, Michigan State University and GreatLakesWiki.org; Keith Graham, University of Montana and the Rural News Network

Citizens Media Summit

Oct. 24, 2005 - College Park, Md.

A one-day workshop with advice, ideas and collaborative learning for citizen media advocates and editors. Sponsored by J-Lab and the NAA’s New Media Federation, the first Citizens Media Summit featured four panels with the movers and shakers of the early citizen media movement. Discussed were the ins and outs of starting up, examining mainstream models, using the latest tech tools and managing a community of contributors.

AEJMC 2005: “Interactive Journalism Summit: When Consumers Become Creators”

Aug. 12, 2005 - San Antonio

From blogs to hyperlocal citizens media, the consumers of news are reporting it in compelling new ways. Hear from the pioneers: NorthwestVoice.com, MyMissourian.com and the New Voices’ Loudoun Forward initiative.
Speakers: Mary Lou Fulton, The Northwest Voice; Clyde Bentley, MyMissourian.com; David Wiseman, Loudoun Forward

UNITY 2004: Gaming the News

Aug. 5, 2004 - Washington, D.C.

Learn how media makers are engaging audiences with new forms of interactive and participatory journalism, from inviting citizen contributions to blogging to involving niche audiences.
Speakers: Mary Lou Fulton, Publisher, NorthwestVoice.com; Retha Hill, Chief Editorial Officer, BET Interactive; Sreenath Sreenivasan, Associate Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

AEJMC 2003: “Interactive Journalism Summit”

July 30, 2003 - Kansas City

Innovative journalists from MSNBC.com, The Seattle Times, Minnesota Public Radio spoke about “news experiences rather than news stories” at this luncheon at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention.
Speakers: Eric Pryne, Reporter, The Seattle Times; Mike Skoler, Managing Director of News, Minnesota Public Radio; Angela Clark, Director of Interactive Content, MSNBC.com

 

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J-Lab helps journalists and citizens use digital technologies to develop new ways for people to participate in public life with projects on innovations in journalism, citizen media, news games, interactive stories, entrepreneurship, research, training, and publications

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