Dear NLGJA Members & Friends,

“Breaking Stories, Breaking Waves” is just a few months away. In past years, I’ve been disappointed that only about half of NLGJA’s 1,300 members have benefited from our annual convention.

One reason many don’t attend is that news media outlets have tightened their belts. Gone are the days when companies funded attendance at skills-building conventions. But the experience, training and connections gained at these conventions are invaluable to journalists, which is why more of us need to press our employers for their support.

Sell your employer on how attending NLGJA’s conference helps enhance your skills, which ultimately benefits your company. Last year’s convention in Miami included sessions on copy editing, improving political coverage, excelling on the legal beat, as well as plenary discussions on the decline of newsroom diversity and improving the coverage of LGBT families. There isn’t a media professional today that wouldn’t find value in this training.

I can personally attest to the fact that attending NLGJA’s conference is a powerful thing. I couldn’t imagine skipping because I always return to work feeling that I’m better prepared to handle the daily challenges of my job. What’s more, I return with a renewed zeal for what we do, stronger in the knowledge that what we do makes a difference.

Hopefully your employer will see the value in helping you attend this skills-building convention. But if they won’t or can’t assist you, then I’m hoping you’ll see the value in investing in it yourself.

Sincerely,

Mel Meléndez

Editor
The Arizona Republic
Phoenix, AZ