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Friday, August 31, 2007
Last Updated: August 25

STUDENT PROJECT BREAKFAST
8:00AM–9:30AM

BREAKFAST
9:00AM–9:30AM

Voices & Choices: Meet the Candidates
Before you cast your vote, hear from the candidates for the National Board of Directors who are vying to lead NLGJA.

MORNING PLENARY
9:30AM–10:45AM

(Still Not) At Ease: Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2007
Six years after 9/11, the U.S. military has its hands full across the world. But even as they're stretched thin, the armed forces still can't find room for LGBT people under the infamous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Join a distinguished panel of experts for a no-holds-barred discussion about the future of gays in the military, the stories that remain to be told and the role (if there is one) that LGBT journalists should play.

  • Dr. Nathaniel Frank, Senior Research Fellow, Michael D. Palm Center, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Steve Ralls, Director of Communication, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
  • Jason Knight, Former Petty Officer 2nd Class, United States Navy
  • Autumn Sandeen, Blog Contributor & Planning Board Member, Transgender Advocacy & Services Center, & Persian Gulf War Veteran
  • Eric Alva, Former Marine Staff Sergeant & Speaker, HRC Legacy of Service Tour
  • Geoff Dankert, Managing Editor, WFLD-TV (Chicago, IL), & NLGJA Vice President for Broadcast

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
11:00AM–12:15PM

Lip Service on Campus: Are J-Schools Ignoring LGBT Issues?
In the name of diversity and with a push from NLGJA, journalism departments are supposedly incorporating LGBT issues into college curricula. But is academia just paying lip service to LGBT issues? In this panel, academics and professionals attempt to answer these questions and decide what steps must come next.

  • Christopher Burnett, Assistant Professor of Journalism, California State University-Long Beach
  • Dane Claussen, Associate Professor/Graduate Program Director, Point Park University
  • Laura Castañeda, Associate Professor, USC Annenberg School of Journalism
  • Meg Moritz, Professor & UNESCO Chair, University of Colorado, Boulder

Gay Away From the City
Why are LGBT journalists choosing to live and work in locations without the big city luxuries that often make life better for LGBT folks? This panel answers your questions and concerns about smaller markets, from work to life to love.

  • Scott Dobroski, Reporter, ABC7 (Fort Meyers, FL), & Chair, NLGJA's Smaller Markets Task Force
  • Julia O’Malley, Reporter, Anchorage Daily News
  • Randol White, News Anchor, KCOY-TV
  • Deepak Saini, Morning Anchor, KCWY-TV (Casper, WY)
  • Lauren Ober, Reporter, Burlington Free Press

Milk & Cookies: Talk With LGBT Parents & Would-Be Parents
Bring the kids, your questions and your comments to this informal snacking session just for parents and would-be parents. What are the best tips to juggle home and work pressures? Are there resources just for LGBT parents? Sit down, relax and join the discussion.

Talkin' About My, er, Your Generation
There are now four distinct generations in the workplace, each with differing outlooks. This workshop will identify the four generations in today's workforce and explore five differences among them. Session will include strategies on how to navigate these differences effectively.

  • Jim Rogers, Consultant, Cook Ross, Inc.
  • Bobbie Bowman, Diversity Director, ASNE

Under the Radar: Uncovering Hidden Medical Stories
A panel of veteran medical reporters will provide the inside scoop on finding and developing stories about medicine and health. Where can you find reliable information? How do you figure out what's important? And how do you keep people from manipulating your coverage?

  • Sherry Boschert, Reporter, International Medical News Group
  • Randy Dotinga, Freelance Writer
  • Keith Darcé, Staff Writer, San Diego Union-Tribune
  • Matthew S. Bajko, Assistant Editor, Bay Area Reporter

The Worst Words: Where Do We Draw the Line?
Pundits, shock jocks and celebrities have turned up the heat this year by spouting a variety of slurs. Do we do more damage by reporting what they say? Are people on the Right the only perpetrators? And where should NLGJA stand?

  • Javier Morgado, Supervising Producer, The Today Show
  • Eve Batey, Blogging & Interactive Editor, San Francisco Chronicle
  • Johnita Due, Senior Counsel & Diversity Council Chair, CNN
  • Jay Croft, Publications Manager, Cox

LUNCH PLENARY
12:30PM–2:00PM

Tattle-Tales: The Dirt on Hollywood Dish
Did you ever wonder about the gurus behind the gossip, the movers and shakers who turn Hollywood rumors into morning headlines? Ever wanted to meet the journalists who spend their days and nights shaking the red carpet for dirt? We put latter-day Hedda Hoppers on the hot seat and ask them about the highs, lows and limits (if there are any) of their privacy-averse profession. Get the skinny on how they got started, how they get the inside story on celebrities, and how they avoid being sued into oblivion.

  • Richard Reid, Senior Segment Producer, "The Insider" & "Entertainment Tonight"
  • Karen Bonsignore, Executive Producer, CNN
  • Marc Malkin, Columnist, E! Online
  • Will Keck, Reporter, USA Today

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
2:15PM–3:30PM

Ahead of the Curve: Negotiating Your Personal Services Contract
With massive competitive changes in the broadcast industry, it can be difficult to negotiate a personal services contract. Learn what you can do to negotiate the best deal possible, choose an agent and protect yourself from a non-compete clause if you find yourself between jobs when the market is tight.

  • Ray Bradford, National Director of Equal Employment Opportunities, AFTRA
  • Hank Plante, Reporter, KPIX-TV (San Francisco, CA)
  • Kristen Allen, Chief Corporate Counsel, Ken Linder & Associates
  • Tom Carpenter, Chief Counsel, AFTRA National

Gay Airwaves, Mainstream Audience
How can we move beyond LGBT radio for gays? Broadcasters provide insight into how to expand the appeal of their radio shows beyond the obvious listeners.

  • Marilyn Pittman, Co-Executive Producer & Host, "Out in the Bay"
  • Eric Jansen, Co-Executive Producer & Host, "Out in the Bay"

The Cost of Objectivity
The public expects journalists to remain impartial and objective when covering stories, even when those stories are brutal or horrific. A panel of journalists and experts discuss the impact and costs of objectivity and strategies for coping when the story starts to hit home.

  • Roger Simpson, Dart Professor of Journalism & Trauma, University of Washington
  • Chris Bull, Author & Founder of QueerCity.com
  • Keith Darcé, Staff Writer, San Diego Union-Tribune
  • Meg Moritz, Professor & UNESCO Chair, University of Colorado, Boulder

OUT in Front: NLGJA's Excellence in Journalism Award Winners in Print/Online
Join the winners of NLGJA's Excellence in Journalism Awards as they talk about what went on before their stories hit the headlines. An exciting opportunity to meet the people behind the bylines.

  • Ina Fried, Senior Writer, CNET News.com, & NLGJA Vice President for Print & New Media

Covering Children
Many news stories involve children and teenagers but their voices are rarely included in mainstream news stories, even when the news stories are about them. Learn from journalists and educators with experience covering and studying youth issues (from a professional and personal perspective) how to bring youth voices into your stories, whether you’re covering the military, gay issues or city hall. Hear how gay youth voices are being heard (and silenced) and learn to deal with media, school and parent restrictions.

  • Katia Hetter, Associate Editor, New Youth Connections
  • Patrice Pascual, Executive Director, Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families
  • Colin Dugdale, Student, Indiana University & Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award Recipient
  • Sandy Banks, Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times
  • Lauren Ober, Staff Writer, Burlington (VT) Free Press

Putting in a Good Word: How to Make Yourself Indispensable, No Matter Who You're Writing For
Remember the 20th Century, when newspaper people wrote for newspapers, TV people wrote for TV, and writing for the Internet consisted of BRB and OMG? Those days are gone, and the best way to survive the changing media environment is to be ready to write well across multiple platforms. Our panel will give you the writing tools you need, or will refresh the skills you have.

  • Geoff Dankert, Managing Editor, WFLD-TV (Chicago, IL), & NLGJA Vice President for Broadcast

Gadgets & Gays: Tools Every Homo Journo Needs
Today’s print journalist doesn’t just need to know how to write. You need to know how to take pictures both still and video, record audio and edit it all into a multi media package. In this session, we will learn the basics of photo composition and audio techniques for the field. We will discuss how asking questions for video differs from what you may be used to doing. We’ll look at editing your video and how to get started. You’ll walk away with some video and audio to practice your editing, resources, and a list of good starter equipment and programs.

  • Doug Stewart, Internet Operations Manager, WTIC-TV (Hartford, CT), & NLGJA National Board Member

COFFEE BREAK
3:30PM-4:30PM

Network at the hosted coffee bar in the Career & Community Expo and get your second wind.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
3:45PM–5:00PM

It Comes Naturally: Sex Writing for Fun and Profit
Birds do it, bees do it and you can make money off it without leaving your laptop. Authors, columnists and bloggers will expose the ins and outs of writing about sex. How do you start? How does it pay? What do you tell the neighbors when they ask what you do?

  • Randy Dotinga, Freelance Writer, & NLGJA National Board Member
  • Regina Lynn, Columnist & Author
  • Damon Brown, Columnist & Author
  • Shana Naomi Krochmal, Pop Culture Blogger, Out.com
  • Trebor Healey, Author

Hey, Fellow
Time away from deadlines? Hands-on experience to keep the Layoff Dragon from breathing down your neck? How on earth does that happen? Learn from the people who have landed the fellowships that keep them energized and sharp on how to find the perfect opportunity, write the killer application letter and use all those new skills that dazzle your bosses.

  • April Hunt, Reporter, Orlando Sentinel, & NLGJA National Board Member
  • Jen Christensen, Senior Producer, CNN

OUT in Front: NLGJA’s Excellence in Journalism Award Winners in Broadcast
Before these award-winning stories hit the airwaves and the small screen, they were ideas scratched on napkins or what-if conversations. The winners of NLGJA's Excellence in Journalism Awards’broadcast categories take their bows at this discussion.

  • Geoff Dankert, Managing Editor, WFLD-TV (Chicago, IL), & NLGJA Vice President for Broadcast

Breaking News, Making Families: Legal and Practical Issues for Covering LGBT Families
As the technology for assisted reproduction becomes ever more sophisticated, families are springing into existence in ways the legal system never envisioned and can barely cope with. This panel will address legal and practical issues for journalists covering LGBT families, from both personal and professional angles.

  • Elizabeth Weise, Science Writer, USA Today
  • Deborah Wald, Chair, National Family Law Advisory Council, National Center for Lesbian Rights
  • Morris Goldin, Student, City College of San Francisco
  • Patrice Pascual, Executive Director, Casey Journalism Center on Children & Families

Hacks vs. Flacks: Peace in Our Time
For reporters, are PR folks a necessary evil they must work around? For PR professionals, is it possible to keep bosses and reporters happy? A seasoned panel of journalists and PR professionals share their pet peeves, needs and challenges in an effort to develop a better understanding on both sides.

  • Don Stanziano, Director of Corporate Public Relations, Scripps Health
  • Christine Romero, Public Relations Manager, Westcor/The Macerich Co.
  • Sharif Durhams, Staff Writer, The Charlotte Observer
  • Steve Rosen, Managing Partner, President, Star/Rosen Public Relations
  • Javier Morgado, Supervising Producer, The Today Show

Ready for the Close-Up
These days, many journalists are being asked to be photographers in addition to getting the story. This can be intimidating if you don't know the difference between an f-stop and a bus stop. This hands-on workshop is for beginner to intermediate and film or digital users.

  • David Poller, Metro Photo Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune

DIVERSITY RECEPTION
5:15PM–6:30PM

Join us for NLGJA's annual salute to the value of diversity in our organization and industry. NLGJA honors the goals of inclusion that unite us all.

  • Special Guest: Christine Daniels, "Day in LA" Columnist, Los Angeles Times

WOMEN'S COCKTAIL RECEPTION & NETWORKING DINNER
7:00PM–9:00PM

All NLGJA members are invited to join us for this highly anticipated annual event. We'll applaud the hard work and successes of the women of NLGJA and spotlight their invaluable contributions to the organization. $35 pre-registration is required.

SAN DIEGO NIGHT OUT
9:00PM–MIDNIGHT

From Horton Plaza to Hillcrest, NLGJA will be hitting the town for a night of great friends and the kind of laid-back cool only Southern California can offer. This is no night to be a wallflower, so gather up a group and don't forget to set that wake-up call for Saturday morning's breakfast plenary. The fun is just getting started!