Colorado Press WomenWorkshop Program & Schedule
Friday, Sept. 8
Ethics: Who’s Buying the Story? — Friday, Sept. 8, 9:30 a.m., Journalism Track
Ethical lines appear to be blurring as traditional news media compete with entertainment and business pressures to get readership and ratings. What’s the effect of web news, bloggers, citizen journalists, controlling politicians and the pressure of the bottom line? T.R. Reid of the Washington Post and Fred Brown, former political editor of the Denver Post, explore these issues.
Putting the Special in Special Events — Friday, Sept. 8, 9:30 a.m.,
Public Relations Track
It takes a unique set of skills to organize, promote and manage special events, and these two speakers are pros at it. Cindy Matthews served as the assistant director of communication for World Youth Day, where she coordinated the media relations efforts for Pope John Paul II, President Clinton, Vice President Gore, as nearly half a million people visited Denver for the international event. Dana Brandorff is the public relations consultant for the Denver affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, which has the most successful Race for the Cure in the nation, with over 64,000 participants raising more than $3 million.
Convergence: News As You Like It — Friday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m., Journalism Track
Technology has turned newsrooms into multimedia production centers. Newspaper reporters find themselves on camera. TV reporters’ stories may show up in print. Everybody’s stories end up on the Web, where deadlines are continuous. Our panelists work in that world for Denver’s major media outlets. Christine Tatum, the current national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, was the Chicago Tribune’s convergence expert before signing on with The Denver Post. Demetria Gallegos coordinated the multimedia partnership arrangement between 9News KUSA, Denver’s NBC affiliate, and The Denver Post until she became The Post’s online news editor. Mike Noe, the online editor for the Rocky Mountain News, is Gallegos’ chief competitor.
From Proposal to Print — Friday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m., Freelance/Authors Track
It’s said we each have at least one book in us. The problem is how do we get it published? Learn about publishing from the writer’s and publisher’s viewpoints in this workshop. This workshop will feature three speakers. Pam Novotny is a published non-fiction author and freelance writer for 25 years who focuses on parenting, women’s health issues and psychology. She is now breaking into the world of fiction. Bob Baron is the founder of Fulcrum Publishing, a small, independent Colorado publishing firm that has published a variety of books from those penned by prominent politicians, including Gov. Richard Lamm, Sen. Gary Hart and Sen. Eugene McCarthy, to those written by leading Native Americans, including Wilma Mankiller, Vine Deloria Jr. and Joseph Bruchac. Diana Saenger is a journalist in California and the president of SANDS Publishing.
Mercado Grande: The Burgeoning Hispanic Market — Friday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m., Public Relations Track
The Hispanic market is the fastest growing market segment in the United States. How are companies reaching out and touching this market, so they don’t get left behind? These speakers will share their experiences about how to best meet the needs of this growing market. Elizabeth Suárez is the founder of Avanza Business Group, which focuses on providing interactive training on marketing and ethnic strategy, as well as strategic consulting, qualitative research and meeting facilitation. Monica Pleiman is founder of Latino Suave, a new bimonthly Colorado magazine, and also founder of the Latina Chamber of Denver. Alvina Vasquez is with Azteca, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network in the United States, at KMGH Channel 7 in Denver.
Zooming In on Digital Photography—Friday, Sept. 8, 2 p.m., Cross Track
How many megapixels does it take to produce a good quality 8 x10 photo? How do you decide whether to invest in a digital camera or a traditional 35 mm camera? Can you shoot artsy photos, like slow-motion imagery, with a digital camera? What are the limitations of digital photography? Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Rick Giase enlightens us with the nuts and bolts of digital photography, tips on buying a digital camera and guidelines for shooting beautiful images. Giase was awarded a Pulitzer in 2003 for his shots of Colorado wildfires for the Rocky Mountain News. He started his own custom freelance photography business in 2004, specializing in editorial, corporate, portrait and wedding photography.
Creating Your Dream Job — Friday, Sept. 8, 2 p.m., Public Relations Track
Four successful public relations practitioners and entrepreneurs describe how they found their niches. Today, each one of them operates a successful, woman-owned public relations firm in Colorado. Lisa Cutter created Cutter Communications, Lesley Dahlkemper runs Schoolhouse Communications, Gina Seamans founded Accent Public Relations and Christine Turner operates Turner Public Relations. Hear their success stories, what they learned and how they have succeeded in making their dreams a reality.
Who’s Covering First? Women in Sports Journalism — Friday, Sept. 8, 2 p.m., Journalism Track
While Title IX brought down barriers to the participation of females in sporting events, the number of women who report on the topic still lags far behind the number of men whose bylines appear regularly on sports pages. In Denver, however, two strong women are familiar faces in the locker room and on TV. Marcia Neville’s name is synonymous with prep sports on CBS4, where her reporting skills have earned her numerous awards. Her own quarterly news program is devoted entirely to women and girls in sports. Susie Wargin is the morning sports anchor for 9News, the NBC affiliate, and she frequently fills in for the evening anchors and provides coverage of Denver’s major league teams, including the Broncos and the Nuggets. Marcia and Susie will talk about what they’ve learned in becoming “first” female sports reporters, the state of sports coverage today, and what still needs to be accomplished by women covering sports as well as women participating in sports. Vicki Michaelis is the lead Olympics reporter and Denver bureau sports reporter for USA Today.
Portrait of a Muslim Feminist Cowgirl — Friday, Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m., Cross Track
Asma Hasan, columnist and author of Why I Am a Muslim and American Muslims: The New Generation, discusses the American media's perceptions and misconceptions about Moslems. Hasan dispels the stereotypes and generalizations about Islam in the US and around the world, putting a fresh face on Islam and rebutting the terrorist image of Muslims that is often presented in the media. Hasan, born in Chicago and the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, considers herself an all-American girl. A frequent guest on several cable TV news programs after the 9/11 tragedy, Hasan was selected by the U.S. State Department as an ambassador in the public relations campaign with the Islamic world. The Christian Century Magazine called her book “a ground-breaking portrait” of the growing American Muslim community.
Turning Your Niche into Scratch — Friday, Sept. 8, 3:30 p.m., Freelance Track
How do you take a creative vision, focus your passion and successfully market it? Three freelance writers — Roxanne Hawn, Sherry Robinson and Sally Stich — share how they nurtured their niche. Hawn takes writing about weddings and pets to new heights. In addition to her Denver Post “Vows” column, Hawn’s nuptial coverage appears frequently in the Sunday New York Times. A pet lover who also writes for general interest magazines, Hawn shares her Five Tips for Successful Freelancers. Denver writer Sally Stich is a savvy writer and talented essayist who also teaches the art of essay writing. Stich has written for TIME and Woman’s Day, where she is a contributing editor. Her work has appeared in Marie Claire, This Old House, Parade, Ladies Home Journal and Delta SKY. Albuquerque journalist Sherry Robinson focuses on her expertise and contacts in business and economic development. This prolific writer operates a small syndicate that provides opinion pieces to nine New Mexico newspapers. Robinson also writes Web site copy, newsletters and internal reports, as well as ghost writing op-eds. And she’s a historian who speaks and writes on Apaches.
Saturday, Sept. 9
Three Dimensions of Crisis: Reporting, Responding, Recovering — Saturday, Sept. 9, 9:30 a.m., Cross Track
Crisis communications can be challenging for everyone, including the victims and the journalists who cover the tragedy. Hear three different perspectives from those who have experienced crises from different vantage points — Greg Dobbs, a broadcast journalist who has seen both manmade and natural disasters across the world; Marsha Shuler, NFPW vice president, a seasoned journalist who spoke so eloquently at last year's conference about Hurricane Katrina; and Marilyn Saltzman, longtime NFPW member who helped handle communications for Jefferson County School District during the Columbine High School tragedy.
Get out of Jail Free? Journalists and the First Amendment — Saturday, Sept. 9, 9:30 a.m., Journalism Track
In recent years, several high profile First Amendment issues concerning confidential sources and access to information have raised important questions about the media’s role and responsibilities. A panel of experts discusses the Lewis “Scooter” Libby/Valerie Plame/Judy Miller case, possible charges against the New York Times for its stories about National Security Agency wiretaps, the Patriot Act and a possible national shield law for journalists. Panelists Bob Moore and Bob Nagel present various perspectives on the issues. Moore, executive editor of the Fort Collins, Colo., Coloradoan, provides the perspective of a newspaper editor faced with First Amendment and access to information issues. Nagel, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School, puts the issues in the context of constitutional law more generally.
Writing with Humor — Saturday, Sept. 9, 9:30 a.m., Freelance Track
Expand your arsenal of creative tools — use humor to punctuate your writing. Use irony, setups and punch lines to enliven your nonfiction and fiction. Freelancer and author Elyse Singleton will help you see the humorous potential in almost any subject, develop your own uniquely funny perspective, use the element of surprise and make a dull anecdote a hilarious one. Singleton is a multiple-award winning writer who has had more than 1,500 articles published in such venues
as the Chicago Tribune to USA Today to the New Zealand Herald. Her novel, This Side of the Sky, (Penguin Putnam) won the Colorado Book Award and is this year's featured novel for the city
of Aurora's Power of One Program.
Lead Story: Look Who Made It to Management — Saturday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m., Journalism Track
That glass ceiling is still firmly in place when it comes to the top management jobs in charge of newsrooms in major media outlets. Few women get these jobs, but Denver is fortunate to have three such esteemed leaders, and this panel will feature all of them. CPW member Sue Deans is the editor of the Boulder Daily Camera (circulation 40,000+), having worked her way up through the Knight Ridder and E.W. Scripps chains. As vice president/news director of 9News, KUSA, Denver’s NBC affiliate, Patti Dennis has a team of 100 anchors, reporters, photojournalists and producers reporting to her. Deb Goeken is managing editor of the Rocky Mountain News. Deans, Dennis and Goeken will talk about their challenges and offer advice for women who want to follow in their footsteps.
Reaching the Global Market — Saturday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m., Public Relations Track
In today’s global economy, the work of the public relations professional has expanded to include international relations. Three seasoned public relations professionals — Andrew Hudson, senior director of marketing and corporate communications for Frontier Airlines; Rebecca Smith, senior manager for executive communications, Sun Microsystems; and Lisa Sigler of Sigler Communications — will share their insights and advice on how to work with clients and customers around the world. Sigler Communications has successfully managed communications, community relations and public involvement programs for dozens of environmental sites throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Sun Microsystems, operating in more than 100 countries, develops technologies that power the world's most important markets. Frontier Airlines, a Denver-based airline with 48 destinations in 29 states, spans the nation from coast-to-coast and to seven cities in Mexico.
Travel Writing: A Long Day’s Journey — Saturday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m., Journalism/Freelance Cross Track
While newspapers shrink, nontraditional travel outlets are
growing, and advertisers are increasingly marketing travel
on the web. The biggest trend in travel writing is nontraditional
travel outlets, so writers must not only cover the story well but
have more tools to tell their stories — with photos and even
video for multimedia shows on web sites and podcasts. Three
panelists include Los Angeles Times travel editor Catharine Hamm,
former Denver Post travel editor Mim Swartz and travel web site
owner Janna Graber. Graber's web site http://www.goworldtravel.com/
was selected as one of seven globally-trusted travel contributors
for the recently launched Google Co-op Travel Directory.
Our Right to Privacy: Myth or Reality? — Saturday, Sept. 9, 2:15 p.m., Journalism Track
Should Big Brother check our library cards, our book purchases and our computer use to make sure the whole country is safe? Where do we draw the line between personal freedoms and public protection? Joyce Meskis and Mimi Wesson discuss these issues. Meskis, owner of the unique Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, stood up to a local government push to get customer records and contested a Colorado law criminalizing the display of “obscene” materials. Wesson, University of Colorado law professor and author of legal thrillers, has addressed the conflict between freedom of speech and regulating pornography in her book Chilling Effect. Wesson has also been interviewed frequently on National Public Radio.
Death in Demand: Masters of the Mystery — Saturday, Sept. 9, 2:15 p.m., Freelance/Authors Track
Three Colorado authors have mastered the mystery genre, periodically hitting the New York Times bestseller lists with their compelling characters, intriguing plots and
masterful styles. Margaret Coel writes Native American Indian mysteries set in Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation; Stephen White, a clinical psychologist, writes psychological thrillers, many set in Boulder and other Colorado cities; and John Dunning writes contemporary mysteries about a Denver cop-turned-bookseller. (John Dunning has canceled due to illness.) The remaining two authors will discuss the competitive mystery market and developing their appealing characters — Coel’s complex Father John O'Malley, and White’s Boulder-based psychologist Alan Gregory. Join the authors after the presentation for a book sale and signing. Books from NFPW members also will be available.