2014 AAJA National Convention: Full Schedule

10:00am EDT

Crisis Reporting Abroad

A candid discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of being a woman journalist working in conflict zones or doing crisis reporting abroad.

Speakers

Caroline Drees

Global Editor for Editorial Events, Reuters

For almost 20 years, Caroline has worked as a reporter, editor and manager across the Middle East, Europe and the US. Besides global editor, her other assignments have included serving as Reuters General Manager for the Middle East and Africa, Middle East Editor, Bureau Chief for... Read More →

Allyn Gaestel

Freelance Human Rights Journalist

(@allyngaestel) Allyn Gaestel is a freelance journalist who covers human rights, inequality, gender, global health and the human repercussions of politics. She has worked in West Africa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post... Read More →

Jean Lee

Foreign Correspondent, Associated Press

(@newsjean) Jean H. Lee is a Seoul-based foreign correspondent for the Associated Press. She led the news agency’s coverage of the Korean peninsula as bureau chief from 2008 to 2013. During her tenure, she became the first American reporter granted extensive access in North Korea... Read More →

Allison Shelley

Freelance Photojournalist

(@allison_shelley) Allison Shelley is an award-winning freelance photojournalist, former staff photographer for The Washington Times and former director of photography for Education Week. Her documentary work from Haiti, India, Nepal and the United States has appeared in The Atlantic... Read More →

Thursday August 14, 2014 10:00am - 10:50am EDT
Meeting Room 3, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track

11:00am EDT

Using web analytics for mobile

Web analytics have become a central part of digital journalism in 2014. They speak to broader readership trends and help inform editorial decisions. In this age of mobile devices, web analytics have only gotten more fractured and confusing. We help you make sense of it all and discuss the delicate balance between driving web traffic and disseminating the news.

Moderators

Theodore Kim

Homepage Editor, The New York Times

(@theotypes) In September, Theodore Kim will begin a new job as a homepage editor at the New York Times. Previously, he served as mobile/tablet editor at The Washington Post, where he helped oversee daily story production and special projects on mobile platforms. Before The Post... Read More →

Speakers

Jake Batsell

Assistant Professor of Digital Journalism and Media Entrepreneurship, Southern Methodist University

(@jbatsell) Jake Batsell worked for more than a decade as a print journalist before learning to shoot and edit video as The Dallas Morning News Metro Desk’s “hybrid” reporter. He has covered everything including Latin American coffee farms and Michael Jordan’s baseball career... Read More →

Melody Kramer

Digital Strategist and Associate Editor, NPR

(@mkramer) Melody co-leads NPR’s social media team and strategy. She helps create and launch products that help the NPR newsroom better prioritize their time on social, consults on internal social projects, and evaluates third-party tools for NPR. She used to work at “Fresh Air... Read More →

Thursday August 14, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Meeting Room 14, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track

11:00am EDT

Writing long for the web

Long-form writing is finding huge audiences on the internet. Traditional print publications, as well as new online startups, are looking to take advantage. Learn writing strategies and discuss stories with some of the best writers and editors in the industry.

Moderators

Frank Shyong

Staff Writer, The Los Angeles Times

(@frankshyong) Frank Shyong covers the San Gabriel Valley for the Los Angeles Times. His work has appeared in the Orange County Register, Entertainment Weekly and The Taipei Times. A native of Nashville, Tenn., he moved to Los Angeles to study economics at the University of California... Read More →

Speakers

Thomas Huang

Sunday & Enterprise Editor, The Dallas Morning News

(@tomhuang) Tom Huang is the Sunday & Enterprise editor at The Dallas Morning News and reporting, writing and editing fellow at The Poynter Institute, where he oversees the school’s writing program. In 2013, he was a Punch Sulzberger Fellow at Columbia University, where he studied... Read More →

Jay Caspian Kang

Editor, New Yorker

(@jaycaspiankang) Jay Caspian Kang is an editor at NewYorker.com. He has written about 21-year-old online poker millionaires, the significance of Jeremy Lin, and Reddit's role in the coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings, among other topics. His work has appeared in the New York... Read More →

Mina Kimes

Senior Writer, ESPN The Magazine

(@minakimes) Mina Kimes is an award-winning senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, where she writes features and a column called "The Ticket." Before joining ESPN this year, she was a features reporter at Bloomberg, where she wrote longform stories about companies for Bloomberg News... Read More →

Stephanie McCrummen

Staff Writer & National Enterprise Reporter, The Washington Post

(@mccrummenwapo) Stephanie McCrummen is on the national enterprise team at The Washington Post, where she specializes in narrative writing on an array of subjects. She has served as the paper's East Africa Bureau Chief, and reported from Iraq, Egypt and Mexico. She previously worked... Read More →

Thursday August 14, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Meeting Room 3, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track

2:00pm EDT

What newsrooms can learn from web-only models

Every newsroom is shifting fast to digital mode, and a number of new journalism projects now serve online readers only. This session is meant to help reporters, editors and producers from print and broadcast newsrooms to learn about workflow and newsroom philosophy.

Moderators

Iris Kuo

Reporter, Argus Media

(@thestatuskuo) Iris Kuo is a reporter covering the oil industry for energy wire Argus Media in Houston. Previously, she was lead green writer for tech news outlet VentureBeat, and has also reported for the Houston Chronicle and The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong. She is a former... Read More →

Speakers

Melissa Bell

Senior Product Manager/Executive Editor, Vox Media

(@melissabell) Melissa Bell co-founded Vox.com in 2014 and was the first person at the company to hold both a technology and editorial title. She works to unite traditional journalism techniques with digital applications. Prior to Vox, Melissa oversaw digital platforms at The Washington... Read More →

Kevin Delaney

Editor-in-Chief, Quartz

(@kevinjdelaney) Kevin J. Delaney is editor-in-chief and co-president of Quartz, the global business news site from Atlantic Media that he co-founded in fall 2012. Delaney was named Business Journalist of the Year by TalkingBizNews in 2013. He was also managing editor of The Wall... Read More →

Shani Hilton

Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Buzzfeed

(@shani_o) Shani Hilton joined the company in January 2013 and focuses on maintaining the social news and entertainment company's editorial standards. Within the BuzzFeed newsroom, Hilton oversees developing news coverage, features and special projects and is responsible for the development... Read More →

Thursday August 14, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Meeting Room 2, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track

3:00pm EDT

Social media reporting & ethics

Social media is constantly evolving and almost every newsroom now requires its journalists to make use of social media tools for news gathering. But not every newsroom has given guidance on what’s right and wrong in social media reporting. This panel will answer questions about fair use, sourcing, permissions, privacy and more.

Speakers

Jesse Holland

Race, Ethnicity & Demographics Writer, The Associated Press

Jesse J. Holland is the Race, Ethnicity & Demographics writer for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. A former Supreme Court, White House and Congressional reporter, Jesse was named one of TheRoot.com 100 Most Influential African Americans in 2011 and is the youngest person on the University of Mississippi's Top 50 Journalism Graduates. Jesse is also the social media coordinator for the AP’s Washington bureau, where he helps train political journalists and editors in best social media practi... Read More →

Melody Kramer

Digital Strategist and Associate Editor, NPR

Meghan Peters

Strategic Partnerships, Facebook

(@petersmeg) Meghan Peters works on the media partnerships team at Facebook, where she helps news organizations use Facebook as a tool for journalism and community building. Previously, she was the community director at Mashable and web producer at The Seattle Times, where she contributed... Read More →

Thursday August 14, 2014 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Meeting Room 2, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track

11:00am EDT

What's new in social media?

Social media tools come and go, but it’s clear that social media will be a part of journalism now and in the future.

Speakers

Andy Carvin

Social Media Strategy and Community Engagement, First Look Media

(@acarvin) Andy Carvin is an award-winning journalist who has pioneered new forms of reporting. For seven years, Andy led NPR’s social media efforts. He became known as "the man who tweets revolutions" due to his innovative coverage of the Arab Spring using social media. Now he... Read More →

Tammy Gordon

Vice President, AARP

Tammy Gordon is currently Vice President at AARP, serving as interim lead for television and radio strategy and managing enterprise-wide social media strategy for the organization's direct-follow audience of more than 2 million people. Her team won Twitter DC's Best Real Time Twitter... Read More →

Angela Kim

Social Media Editor, Yahoo

(@angelaishere) Angela Kim is a Social Media Editor at Yahoo, working with editorial teams on engagement strategy and social media best practices. Previously, she was a producer at public radio’s Marketplace. Her stories have also aired on Here and Now, Splendid Table and Weekend... Read More →

Meghan Peters

Strategic Partnerships, Facebook

Victoria Taylor

Director of Communications, Reddit

(@happysquid) Victoria Taylor came to Reddit from ID PR, where she was involved with the strategic social media marketing and overall digital public relations campaigns. At Reddit, she works hand-in-hand with community managers and the site’s general manager to optimize communications... Read More →

Friday August 15, 2014 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Meeting Room 14, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track

2:00pm EDT

Got #realtalk? Fostering meaningful reader engagement on touchy subjects

It’s difficult enough reporting on sensitive topics. But when your story publishes/airs, the conversation your work can spark becomes a whole different challenge. This session walks through the tactics of what it takes to have meaningful and regular discussions with your readers, viewers and listeners (on social media, in the comments and beyond). Pick up practical tips for creating the resilient communities that push your journalism farther and engage your audience deeply. Don’t close your eyes and plug your ears! We’ll talk through ways to make even the most difficult conversations worth having.

Speakers

Kelly Chen

News Engagement Specialist, Center for Investigative Reporting

(@chenkx) Kelly Chen is a news engagement specialist at The Center for Investigative Reporting. She manages day-to-day social media strategies and online engagement for CIR. In addition, she works to break down complex issues and ideas and create content for CIR’s online communities... Read More →

Kat Chow

Digital Journalist, NPR

(@katchow) Kat Chow is a journalist covering race, ethnicity and culture for NPR’s new Code Switch team. In this role, she is responsible for reporting and telling stories using social media, sparking conversations online and blogging. Prior to NPR, she worked with WGBH in Boston... Read More →

Ryan Kellett

Deputy Editor, Digital Audience, The Washington Post

(@rkellett) Ryan Kellett is the editor for search, social and audience engagement at The Washington Post. Ryan Kellett joined The Post newsroom in 2010 as interactivity producer. He previously worked on the social media team at NPR. He is a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermo... Read More →

Friday August 15, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Meeting Room 13, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC 20001

Web-Social Track

2:00pm EDT

How to bring your newsroom into the digital future

When newsroom managers buy in to digital progress, it’s only the beginning. The real challenge comes in training a newsroom with reporters and producers at different levels of digital literacy. How do you keep training interesting without losing the people with the least experience? How do you recognize the different experience offered by people with less digital savvy?

Speakers

Fred Katayama

Anchor/Producer, Reuters

(@freddiethekat) Fred Katayama is an anchor, reporter and producer at Reuters in New York. He anchors Techquity and formerly hosted Investing 201 and Reuters World Update. In his multimedia career, he has worked as an anchor, correspondent or reporter at CNN, NHK, KIRO-TV, Fortune... Read More →

Jessica Plautz

Travel Editor, Mashable

(@jessicaplautz) Jessica Plautz is the travel editor at Mashable. She has lived in 14 cities in three countries, but considers New York home. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, and Investigative Reporters and Editors... Read More →

Meena Thiruvengadam

Editor, Yahoo Finance

(@meena_thiru) Meena Thiruvengadam is a journalist with experience reporting, writing and editing multimedia news and feature content. She has worked at local newspapers, an international wire service and digital startups. She’s obsessed with innovative journalism, media strategy... Read More →

Friday August 15, 2014 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Meeting Room 8, Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown 999 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001

Web-Social Track