SAJA Convention

Announcing SAJA Convention 2008

Registration is now open for SAJA's 14th Annual Convention and Job Fair on June 20-21 in New York City.

The convention gets going on Thursday, June 19 with a special event: a screening of the new film Brick Lane at Columbia University that evening.

On Friday, June 20, we head to CUNY's new Graduate Journalism School, where Robert Thomson, the new publisher of The Wall Street Journal, will deliver the opening keynote before a day of workshops, panels, and salons.

Friday's evening reception will be held at the new New York Times building. The Times is sponsoring our welcome reception in this remarkable structure.

On Saturday, June 21, we're back at Columbia's Lerner Hall for a plenary session about Decision '08: Reporters in the Trenches, followed by a day of discussion and ending with SAJA's signature dinner gala. A Sunday brunch at a New York City restaurant will conclude the programming.

To register, please go to: http://www.ersvp.com/r/conv08

Early bird registration ends on May 31, 2008.

For sponsorship details and opportunities, e-mail sajaconvention2008@gmail.com

See below for more posts about the convention's workshops, panels, salons, and other activities.

Photo by Preston Merchant

Salon: Photographer J. Adam Huggins

In the fall of 2007, on assignment for the New York Times, photographer J. Adam Huggins produced a story titled "New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India" to widespread acclaim.  Co-written with Heather Timmons and also produced as a narrated multimedia piece, the story profiled the "barefoot, shirtless, whip-thin men rippled with muscle" in West Bengal who work in steel foundries, forging manhole covers for New York city and other municipalities throughout the United States.  The photo-essay drew attention to the lack of safety protections for Indian workers and prompted Con Edison to rewrite its future international contracts to include safety requirements.  He was subsequently awarded a Certificate of Special Merit at the 2007 Human Rights Press Awards in Hong Kong for this body of work.

In late 2004 Huggins also covered the devastation caused by the South Asian Tsunami to numerous fishing communities along the southern coast of India.

Huggins was born in Canada in 1981.  His photography has been exhibited at venues which include Centre Pompidou, La Triennale di Milano, the Shanghai Art Museum, and Shiodomeitalia Creative Center in Tokyo. He has worked with numerous publications which include The New York Times, ELLE, Der Spiegel, COLORS, and the International Herald Tribune.

Manager: Preston Merchant, Convention Photography Chair
Time: 11:30 am to 1 pm
Date: Saturday, June 21
Room: TBA, Columbia University's Lerner Hall

Panel: Covering the Economy in a Time of Crisis

The economy and the troubles in the housing market have led the news for much of the last year, dominating front pages, magazine covers and the airwaves. Just as policy makers and industry officials have strained to respond to massive losses, journalists have struggled to make sense of this often complex story and explain it in simple terms to readers, viewers and listeners. A panel of economics and financial journalists discuss how they approached the story, the lessons they learned from it and how they are preparing for what's next.

Manager: Sudeep Reddy, SAJA Students Coordinator

Date: Saturday, June 21
Time: 4-5:30 pm
Place: Lerner Hall, Room TBA

Speakers:

Jennifer Alban, Reuters (reporter)
Jon Hilsenrath, Wall Street Journal (editor in Money and Investing)
Barbara Kiviat, Time magazine (reporter)
Steve Liesman, CNBC (reporter)

Moderator: Vikas Bajaj, New York Times reporter and SAJA VP emeritus

Panel: Pakistan in Peril

The past year has been a defining moment for the country labelled as the Most Dangerous Place in the World by Newsweek.  From the Declaration of Emergency to the assasination of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan has endured one of the most tumultous times in its 60-year history.  What lies ahead for this "democracy" that has seen more coups than periods of prosperity?  And what does that future spell for its burgeoning media and civil society movement?

Manager: Kiran Khalid, Convention Broadcast Chair

Time: 11:30am-1 pm
Date: Saturday, June 21
Place: Lerner Hall, Room TBA
Speakers: Anil Kalham, Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Fordham Law School; TBA

Decision '08: Reporters in the Trenches

If the race for the Democratic Nomination is any indication, the battle for the presidency will be unprecedented in its ability to rally the electorate.  Those covering the campaign trails have had a front row seat to history in the making.  Hear print and broadcast journalists share their stories about being in the trenches of the fierce battle of Decision '08.

Manager: Kiran Khalid, Convention Broadcast Chair

Time: 10-11 am
Place: Lerner Hall, Room TBA
Speakers: TBA

Workshop: Long-form Writing with Amitava Kumar

Tell a tale with the tips and techniques shared here on how to write compelling magazine-style stories. Amitava Kumar is a professor of English at Vassar College and has written a novel and several works of literary non-fiction. He has also edited five anthologies. His non-fiction book, "Husband of a Fanatic," was on the Editors' Choice list in The New York Times. His novel, "Home Products," was published in early 2007 by Picador-India.

Manager: Preston Merchant, Convention Photography Chair

Time: 2:15 to 3:45 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, Lerner Hall, Columbia University

Tell a tale with the tips and techniques shared here on how to write compelling magazine-style stories. Amitava Kumar is a professor of English at Vassar College and has written a novel and several works of literary non-fiction. He has also edited five anthologies. His non-fiction book, "Husband of a Fanatic," was on the Editors' Choice list in The New York Times. His novel, "Home Products," was published in early 2007 by Picador-India.

Manager: Preston Merchant, Convention Photography Chair

Time: 2:15 to 3:45 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, Lerner Hall, Columbia University

Sunday Brunch: Convention Finale

We'll conclude the convention with brunch Sunday morning, at a Manhattan restaurant TBA. Stay tuned for details!

Time: 11 am to 2 pm
Date: Sunday, June 22
Place: TBA

Cost:
Students: $15
Everybody else: $20

Salon: Reena Ninan of Fox News Channel

Meet Reena Ninan, who serves as correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) based in New York. She has spent a majority of her tenure reporting from the Middle East.

• Read Reena's Blog

While at FNC, Ninan has provided extensive coverage of the Saddam Hussein trial from Baghdad. Most recently, she provided on-site updates of Iraq's first parliamentary elections. She also reported live from the hotel compound that was car bombed by Al Qaeda in Baghdad and interviewed top Shiite leader Abdel Aziz al-Hakim.

Prior to her position as a correspondent, Ninan served as a producer in FNC's Washington, D.C., bureau. In this role she assisted in the network's 2004 presidential election coverage, including the Iowa Caucus, the New Hampshire Primary and both the Democratic and Republican conventions.

Before joining FNC, Ninan was a producer for The Washington Post. She also worked as a freelance reporter for BET News and ABC News. Ninan graduated from George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication. (From Fox's official bio.)

Time: 2:15 to 3:45 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, CUNY 

SAJA Buddy Program Meetup at Friday Reception

If you participate in SAJA's Buddy Program, administered by SAJA secretary Anusha Shrivastava, meet up with your buddy from 6:30-7:30 pm at our opening reception.

Friday Opening Reception: See the New NYT Building

Meet the attendees at this year's convention as we mingle in the new New York Times building. The Times is sponsoring our welcome reception in this remarkable structure.

Read more about the building here! See Annie Leibovitz's photographs of the building here.

Where: 620 8th Avenue, between 40th and 41st Streets

When: 6:30-9:30 pm, Friday, June 20

Speaker: TBA

Thanks to the Times for hosting us!

Workshop: Writing Broadcast News

Sponsored by NBC News

Ninety minutes guaranteed to improve your TV and radio writing skills, taught by the newswriting guru who has worked with some of the biggest names in broadcasting—back by popular demand!

For journalists of all levels; non-journalists welcome

Instructor: Mervin Block
Manager: Kiran Khalid, Convention Broadcast Chair

Time: 11:30 am to 1 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, Lerner Hall, Columbia University

Sponsored by NBC News

Ninety minutes guaranteed to improve your TV and radio writing skills, taught by the newswriting guru who has worked with some of the biggest names in broadcasting—back by popular demand!

For journalists of all levels; non-journalists welcome

Instructor: Mervin Block
Manager: Kiran Khalid, Convention Broadcast Chair

Time: 11:30 am to 1 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, Lerner Hall, Columbia University

Salon: Amar Bakshi of The Washington Post, "How The World Sees America"

Come meet Amar Bakshi! Amar C. Bakshi spent the past year reporting for the online editions of The Washington Post and Newsweek, and traveled around the world looking at how America impacts ordinary lives in a dozen countries.

He posted text and video daily at www.washingtonpost.com/america. Before launching How the World Sees America, Amar worked with David Ignatius and Fareed Zakaria as the first editor of PostGlobal, an international affairs forum. Amar is also the founder of Aina Arts, a nonprofit organization connecting local artisans with schools in the developing world, and was the associate managing editor of the Oxford International Review. He graduated from Harvard in 2006, and wrote his thesis on media propaganda in Zimbabwe. Amar speaks widely on public diplomacy, arts exchanges, new media, public opinion among global youth, and America's image in the world at universities across the United States, think tanks, and on international TV and radio, including CSPAN, BBC, and NPR. More at www.amarbakshi.com

This salon is especially for our student and early-career members interested in breaking into journalism.

Time: 11:30 pm to 1 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, Columbia University's Lerner Hall

Friday Morning Opening Keynote: WSJ Publisher Robert Thomson

SAJA's 2008 Convention and Job Fair is pleased to welcome our opening keynoter, WSJ publisher Robert Thomson!

Thomson was previously editor of the Times of London and U.S. editor of the Financial Times.  Read more about Thomson in this Times profile, or his official bio on the Dow Jones website. 

Opening Keynote:

Time: 10 am
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, CUNY

Friday Superworkshop: Broadcast Bootcamp, "Live, Local, Late-breaking"

Sponsored by NBC

Practice makes perfect but what they don't teach you in J-school is what you have to hone on the air.  That may be what makes the perfect live shot more elusive for some than others.  But whether you're in Market 198 or at a network, the ability to go LIVE is essential for any TV reporter and/or anchor.

Back by popular demand: SAJA's broadcast bootcamp—a workshop that examines the art of the live shot.  Participants will have the opportunity to synthesize information from a mock breaking news event before "going live."  The elements, including breaking information and time constraints, will be recreated to mimic the pressures involved in delivering a story live on the air.

Seasoned news professionals will then provide tips and feedback on the live shots, which will be recorded for on the spot critiques. Don't miss out on this invaluable opportunity to advance your skills in this critical area.

Sign up now, space is limited!

Since this is an all-day session, you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Friday.

Instructors: TBA
Manager: Kiran Khalid, SAJA Convention Broadcast Chair
Time: 11:30 am to 4 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, CUNY
Cost: $15

Friday Superworkshop: An Introduction to Video for the Web

As broadband increases, web users are expecting video pieces to accompany print stories. Established print news organizations, from local dailies to international weeklies are creating compelling short form videos. This hands-on workshop will introduce you to the skills required to create video pieces. You will be pleasantly surprised at how simple it can be to produce pieces in this potent medium. The all-day session will be conducted in a computer lab at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism School and includes a break for lunch.

Instructor Jigar Mehta has over 10 years of experience in documentaries, from feature length to web shorts. As a seasoned cameraman and editor, he has reported from India, Mauritania, France, and Sri Lanka. Currently, he is a Video Journalist at The New York Times (nytimes.jigarmehta.com)..

For journalists of all levels but the following computer skills are a recommended: Basic video editing (Final Cut Pro, iMovie, or equivalent)

Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Friday.

Manager: Sandeep Junnarkar, SAJA President
Time: 11:30 am to 4 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, CUNY
Cost: $15

Friday Superworkshop: Going Longer in Narrative Writing

So you've written a lengthy article that cries out for even more space, and you've already had to cut out some of the best stuff. This was a story so good you didn't want it to end. Those images and characters have haunted you long after you pushed the "send" button. Unanswered questions abound and your initial interest has morphed into full-blown obsession. There's nothing else to do now, really, but try to make the perilous leap from journalist to author.

In this day-long session, you will learn how to turn a great long-form piece or idea into an even better book, with emphasis on structuring a book proposal in a way that makes your idea shine. You'll also learn how to ask the right questions of your sources – and yourself – to unearth the narrative foundation that a book demands.

Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Friday.

Your speaker will be Tom Zoellner, a newspaper and magazine journalist who became a full-time author four years ago. His book The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire (St. Martins Press), reported from fourteen different countries, was named a "Notable Book of 2006" by the American Library Association and was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. He is also the author of the forthcoming Uranium: A Biography (Viking/Penguin). He was previously a reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle and a contributing editor at Men's Health magazine. His first job was at a 5,000-circ. biweekly newspaper in Superior, Nebraska.

Manager: V.V. Ganeshananthan, Convention Chair
Time: 11:30 am to 4 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, CUNY
Cost: $15

Thursday night: BRICK LANE

BRICK LANE, the widely acclaimed book by Monica Ali about Bangladeshi immigrants in London, is coming to U.S. theaters as a movie on June 20. On Thursday, June 19, the SAJA Convention & Job Fair is hosting a screening and discussion with Ali, director Sarah Gavron and some of the cast members.

Here's the trailer [earlier SAJAforum coverage here]. .

Where: Roone Arledge Cinema, Columbia University When: evening of Thursday, June 19 Thanks to sponsor Sony Pictures Classic!

Friday Superworkshop: Complementary Photojournalism

So your editor just handed you a digital camera and told you come back with a few pictures to go with the story you are writing?  In this workshop, you will learn what makes a good news photograph, how to take pictures to complement other media (in print or online), and how to develop an understanding of visual narrative. This workshop provides both time in the classroom for discussion and critique, as well as time in the field -- Times Square -- for shooting.  Participants should come with a digital camera and be familiar with its basic operations.

Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Friday.

Instructors: Annie Tritt, freelance photographer, shoots for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel, and Stern magazine.  She has worked extensively in Africa and the Middle East and has covered electoral politics in Mexico and the United States.  She divides her time between New York and California.

J. Adam Huggins' work has been exhibited at venues which include Centre Pompidou, La Triennale di Milano, the Shanghai Art Museum, and Shiodomeitalia Creative Center in Tokyo. He has worked with numerous publications which include The New York Times, ELLE, Der Spiegel, COLORS, and the International Herald Tribune.  Adam is also presenting his work on India's manhole covers in a Salon on Saturday of the convention.

Manager: Preston Merchant, Convention Photography Chair
Time: 11:30 am to 4 pm
Date: Friday, June 20
Room: TBA, CUNY
Cost: $15