noticias newsletter may 2009

8/14/2019 Noticias Newsletter May 2009

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC JOURNALISTS MAY 2009

www.nahj.org PAGE 2

Let me guess what youre thinking about theupcoming NAHJ conference in San Juan, Puerto RicoJune 24-27.

Ive got a job, but the company isntpaying for anyone to travel anywhereand things are so uncertain. Im not sureif I should spend any money to go.

OrIve just lost my job, I, for sure, cant

afford to go.Actually, this is more than a guess. Ive

heard from a number of you already. Letme suggest that in either case you losta job or are fearful of losing one you

need to go to this conference.Heres why: This convention, more than any NAHJ

conference in the past, is designed to help you hone theskills you need to keep your job or to find a new one.

Evolve, Embrace, Reinvent. Thats the conventionstheme. They are more than words. They are the guidingforce behind how weve programmed this gathering.Nearly half of all the sessions at the convention will bemultimedia skills training or multimedia related. You willnot likely find this concentration of training available atone time for journalists again anytime soon.

Weve prided ourselves on our conventions trainingcomponents over the years. But this years emphasison real-world, multimedia training surpasses what weve

done before. The 2009 multimedia sessions will benearly three times the number we had at our conventionin San Jose in 2007.

We do not have blinders on here at NAHJ. We knowthat newsrooms are forgoing travel that, in more flushdays, might have been considered necessary. Weknow that being jobless or being fearful of losing a jobwill inhibit even longtime, loyal NAHJ members fromattending. But the point were making with thisconvention is that we know all that and its why thisconvention is all about helping you get the training youneed.

But Puerto Rico is so far, some are also thinking. But,actually, getting to Puerto Rico is no more expensivethan getting to many U.S. cities.

Your company cant pay your way?OK, see if they can at least give you the time off

without making you dip into your vacation time. Hotelrates too high? Weve negotiated further discountedrates.

Let your editors and publishers know that multimediatraining is what NAHJs 2009 convention will besubstantially about. And tell them that what theyll get inreturn if you go as a trained (and professionallyrefreshed) journalist. A bargain.

Ricardo Pimentel, editorial page editor of the Milwaukee Journal

Sentinel, can be reached [email protected]

This NAHJ convention designed to help you

RicardoPimentel

NAHJPresident

More hands-on training ofered to help journalistsBy Robert HernandezSeattle Times

As it did with the student projectsmore than 20 years ago, NAHJ isagain setting the new standard forhow skills-training is being offered atconventions.

The New Media tracks hands-onsessions that began in FortLauderdale, and have influenced

other conventions, have literallymore than doubled this year for thePuerto Rico convention.

Track coordinators HiramEnriquez, Joe Ruiz and RobertHernandez have planned a series ofworkshops that will give you theskills to help you navigate the seachange we are facing in theindustry.

We have in-depth sessions onmany topics that are really importantfor journalists trying to reinventthemselves for the digital media, butyou dont have to be intimidated ifthere are things that you dontunderstand, Enriquez said. Wealso have a few sessions that willcover the basics so that anyone canget up to speed before they ventureinto a more specialized session or

workshop.Thanks to NAHJs commitment to

serving its members, we have tworooms solely dedicated to thesehands-on workshops.

Nearly every 90 minutes there willbe two sessions offering attendeesexposure to new technologies suchas Twitter, Skype, PhotoSynth andmore. Many will be offered at

multiple times, like a movie theaterwith multiple show times.

"We're excited to teach thesecourses and organize the panels,said Ruiz. The people we'vesecured truly care about the industryas a whole and those who've beenaffected. We want this convention tobe worth it for everybody whowishes to take part.

Of course, were still offering the

same popular sessions from FortLauderdale like multimediastorytelling in Flash.

"We want people to feel like thisconvention will be worth their time,effort and financial consideration fortheir future," Ruiz said.

Robert Hernandez can be reached [email protected]
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By Mekahlo MedinaNBC Los Angeles

Forget television news as weknow it. Forget the daily printednewspaper, the 60-minute radionews program, and the infrequentlyupdated online site.

This summer in San Juan,Puerto Rico, 40 students and 30professional mentors will transformthe way the news industry wasinto what it can be -- a multimedia,one-stop source for news, andinformation where a journalist'shard and creative work on the

story is easily distributed throughmultiple platforms.

NAHJ has expanded itscommitment to the next generationof journalists by looking forwardthrough student projects that arebuilt around the current and futureways of how journalism isconsumed.

Unlike legacy media outletsmany of us work for, we as anorganization have the unique luxuryof being able to scrap what we'vedone in the past and start fresh,

said Mekahlo Medina, deputyproject director.

Over the last 20 years, NAHJ hassponsored many student projectslimited to one journalistic field: print,radio, television or online. Studentswere paired with working journalistswho mentored them in theirspecialized field.

In 2007, the projects were placedunder the umbrella of aconvergence project. For the firsttime, all of the specialized tracksworked in the same room and

communicated about storycoverage.

In 2008, the Unity Journalists ofColor conference took convergenceto a new level. Students were notonly put under the same roof, butorganizers attempted to cross-assign stories and platforms with aprimary focus on the online product.

This year in San Juan, we haveeliminated tracks all together.Students will be multimedia contentproviders, who for the most partalready produce content on multipleplatforms at their universities.During the projects, they mightproduce a video story about onetopic and an article on the sametopic. Both elements will primarily be

destined for the Web site. The videoalso may be used in NAHJ's long-running El Noticiero newsmagazineshow. The article also might be usedin NAHJ's long-published LatinoReporter print edition. Though theselegacy products will continue, theirproduction will be reduced as theprimary focus becomes the Website.

It's no surprise that more andmore content is being consumedonline, and on mobile devices. If anystudent walked into a television or

newspaper newsroom today, theywill face an organization strugglingwith effectively producing content forthese new ways of consumption,Medina said.

We want to give them a leg up,take away the focus of legacyproduction, and give them anewsroom that is focused on thenew ways of consumption. The

focus will always be journalism --always the story -- but they will learnthe experience of delivering

journalism through variousvehicles."

The Web site will be the contenthub, and the place to connectsocially and through mobile devices.It is on the Web site that consumerswill get live developments on our

host city, the conference, and itsparticipants.Through the Web site, members

will be able to read, view, and hearcontent created by our multimediastudent journalists.

They also will be able to follow liveconference events through Twitter,live cameras and live blogging. Theproject hopes members willparticipate by sending in phonevideo reviews of panels, pictures ofevents, or their own reports ofconference events.

Its a unique, and innovativeexperiment. An experiment ourentire industry is facing or will facesoon. We, as NAHJ mentors, manyof whom are former students, arecommitted to making it work,Medina said.

Mekahlo Medina is NAHJ deputydirector of student projects.

Student Danny Rodriguez gets help from a mentor during the NAHJConvention in San Jose in 2007.

Students pro ects place focus on Web site
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By Nancy San MartinThe Miami Herald

Some newspapers have reducedthe numberof print editions theyoffer. Others are joining forces withformer competitors to sharenoncompetitive content. J-studentsare helping to supplement suburbansections. And at least one longtimedaily -- the Seattle Post-Intelligencer-- has given up on print altogetherand morphed into an Internet-onlynews publication.

These strategies are designed tokeep an industry that is said to bedying on life support until a newmodel for disseminating newscompletes its evolution.

At the NAHJ conference in SanJuan, Puerto Rico, we will look athow companies are trying differentmethods to save journalism,examine options being usednationwide and explore what thefuture of journalism will look like.

Many critics of newspapers andeven some of its new competitors,

such as online start-ups that havebeen helping to mold journalism'sfuture, acknowledge that traditional

journalism remains indispensable.It would be a terrible thing for any

city for the dominant paper to gounder because thats who does thebulk of the serious reporting, JoelKramer, former editor/publisher ofthe Star Tribune and now editor andchief executive of MinnPost.comtold The New York Times.

Places like us would spring up,but they wouldn't be nearly as big,he said. We can tweak the papersand compete with them, but we can'treplace them.

Newspapers are experimentingwith an array of new endeavors andthere is growing discussion aboutcharging readers for online access.

At The Miami Herald, effortsinclude publishing stories and

photos from the Palm Beach Postand the Sun-Sentinel in FortLauderdale, as well as signingpartnerships for international newscoverage with outlets such as theTrinidad Express in Trinidad andTobago and the Christian ScienceMonitor. College journalism studentsalso have been helping tosupplement some news pages.We're experimenting on all sorts

of fronts, from news partnerships weonce thought impossible to manynew Web sites and features to help

us reach readers however theywish, said Anders Gyllenhaal,executive editor for The MiamiHerald. Our news coverage arrivesin a half dozen different ways -- inprint, online, over the radio, in webTV, in e-mails, on mobile newsdevices. I dont think we could beworking any harder to try newthings.In Seattle, The P-I is now found

only on www.seattlepi.com. Thenews outlet operates with a newsstaff of about 20 people, down from

165, and its site is filled withcommentary, advice, some staffstories and lots of wires and links toother news sites.

Its Web format is likely to beduplicated by other newspapers. Butthe kind of future content that will beoffered by that nation's news outletsremains to be seen.I think journalism will be delivered

in many different ways, which is afuture thats already here,Gyllenhaal said. The importantthing is that however it arrives, thatreporting is aggressively collected,deeply researched and verified inthe newspaper tradition. As long aswe stay faithful to the principles ofgood journalism, that future will bestrong.

Nancy San Martin can be [email protected]

Newspapers gettingcreative to stay alive

Convention schedule

* Unless otherwise specified, allevents take place at the PuertoRico Convention Center.

Tuesday,martes, 2 une 23/3 de junio

1 p.m. -5 p.m.

Exhibitor/RecruiterOnly Registration

9:30 p.m. The Midnight SplashNoche de San JuanBeach Party- Caribe Hilton Hotel

Wednesdmircoles

y, June 24/, 24 de junio

8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Exhibitor/RecruiterRegistration &Setup

8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Registration/Inscripcin

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.


9 a.m.-5 p.m.

MediaTraining Series/La Serie deCapacitacinProfesional

**Pre-registrationrequired

5:30 p.m. Opening Plenary/Sesin Plenaria deApertura

7 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

Opening Reception/Recepcin Inaugural

Thursday,jueves, 2

June 25/de junio

8 a.m.-

6 p.m.

Registration/

Inscripcin

8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.

PlenarySession/SesionPlenaria

8:45 a.m.-5 p.m.

CyberLab @NAHJ

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By Gustavo Reveles AcostaEl Paso Times

Jaime Abeytia has for more than a

year written The Lionstar Blog, whichprovides information and opinion onthe topsy-turvy political scene in ElPaso.

His blog includes well-craftedstories on the hot topics of the day,interviews with the city's movers andshakers and even breaking news.

But I wouldnt consider myself ajournalist. I have no training in

journalism, said Abeytia, who hasused his blog to land gigs as a radiotalk-show host and a columnist for anews Web site.

Being a reporter, a journalist,comes with a lot of responsibility, hesaid. I write my blog and I follow myown principles. I am not sure howthey are aligned to the rules thatreporters for newspapers ortelevision stations use.

With the advent of communityjournalism, it may be hard forconsumers to distinguish Web-based

content that comes from traditionalnewsrooms from the kind that isoften formulated on a desktopcomputer in the den of someone'shome.

The difference between the two isgetting even harder to distinguish asmany of the more than 20,000

journalists that have been laid offsince 2008 are creating blogs andonline news sources as analternative to the ever-shrinkingmedia job market.

The NAHJ board of directors will

address its definition of a workingjournalist during its summer meetingin San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Updating the definition of a workingjournalist is important because it mayallow bloggers and non-traditional

journalists working for onlinepublications to obtain regular-member status with NAHJ, which

includes the right to serve on the 18-member board.But deciphering which bloggers

provide legitimate news to the publiccan be a difficult task.

Esther J. Cepeda, a formercolumnist for the Chicago Sun-Timeswho was laid off in January 2008,said she understands the need todetermine which bloggers and online

journalists are bona fide and whichones can be passing off as reporterswithout using the strict, albeitunwritten, rules that journalists follow.

As a matter of fact, when Cepedabegan writing the 600 Words blog,she cringed at labeling herself ablogger.

I used to think of bloggers aspeople in their pajamas writing abouttheir favorite movie stars from theirmothers basement, she said. But Isee that because of the state of ourindustry, that has really changed.Many of the (laid-off journalists) arenow using blogs to do what theyknow how to do best: write news.

Cepeda said she wants journalism

organizations like NAHJ to recognizebloggers as full-fledged memberswho bring significant contributions to

journalism.She does concede, though, that

certain guidelines should be used todetermine which bloggers areworking as any other journalistshould be.

If bloggers want to be legitimate,they need to be trained professionalsthat abide by our code of ethics.They need to attribute sources, theyneed to be transparent and, of

course, they cant plagiarize,Cepeda said.

I am still rooted in qualityjournalism. Thats something I wontchange just because I now write ablog.

Gustavo Reveles Acosta can be

reached [email protected].

Working journalisttakes new meaning

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Media & CareerExpo Open/Exposicin sobreCarreras en losMedios deComunicacin

10:15 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Workshops/Talleres

Noon -2 p.m.

NewsmakerLuncheon/Almuerzo conoradores

5 p.m.-7 p.m.

MediaReceptions/Recepciones

8 p.m.-Midnight

Social Event/Actividad social

Friday, Jviernes,

ne 26/6 de junio

8 a.m.-6 p.m.


8:45 a.m.- 5 p.m. CyberLab @NAHJ

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Media & CareerExpo/Exposicinsobre Carrerasen los Medios deComunicacin

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Workshops/Talleres

5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Exhibitor/recruitertear-down

6 p.m. 2009 andJournalism Awardwinners reception

7:30 p.m.-Midnight

Hall of Fame Gala& El Gran Baile/Gala del Saln dela Fama de NAHJ& El Gran Baile

Convention schedule

Thursday, June 25/jueves, 25 de junio

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By Esther J. Cepeda

It aint easy being an out-of-workjournalist. I should know, its been a littleover a yearsince I was pushed off myperch as a columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times and I was only slightly ahead of thecurve. For awhile I kept track of others whobit the dust, but the numbers overwhelmedme, so now I offer moral support to thosewho have fallen and those who are scaredthey may be next.

So whether you were laid-off, down-sized, cut-back or just plain given the boot,

times are tough for those who wield a penwhich, though supposedly mightier than thesword, clearly isnt mightier than the P&Lreport.

Since Ive been there and done that its inthe spirit of making lemons out of lemonadethat I offer you Esther's Top 9 Reasons togo to the 2009 NAHJ Convention!

9) Wade into social networking. Dontknow your Ning from your Digg? Do youfear Tweeting will make you write like a 10-year-old? Do you have a Facebook accountthat has cobwebs all over it? Take sometime to leverage all the free tools out there

to spread your words or video all over theworld. How about these NAHJ conventionworkshops: Social Networking forJournalists (English and Spanish) andSkills Training Sessions on Twitter 101,Audio Slideshows 101 and Blogging 101

8) Network, network, network. Hey, whylie? Misery loves company and journalistslove mixed drinks, so bring your cards andprepare to make the kind of acquaintancesthat might turn into friendships that mighthelp you through these rough times.Therell be talented professionals from allcorners of journalism there to mingle with.

7) Work on translating your skills fromone specialty to another. Spent most ofyour career in radio and looking to go intoTV? Maybe you wrote for a magazine butthink there are more opportunities in Webwriting? Not only can you make thosecontacts at the convention but you canattend sessions like Writing Fast, Write onTime (for broadcast) and BeyondNewspaper Photography: Alternative

Options for the Working Photographer.6) Its Puerto Rico in June, duh! Plan todo horseback riding on the beach or hikethe El Yunque rainforest or a coffeeplantation, or fly to the island of Vieques forlunch. Lounge on the beach, or sail on acatamaran to snorkel off Puerto Ricosnortheast coast.

5) All this too 101 for you? You alreadyTweeting and got your Google on? Take itto the next level, try convention classes likeJournalists as Entrepreneurs: MonetizingYour Blog, Biz Models: Making Your OwnJournalism, or Audio Editing and

Podcasting, or Doing a Live Shot Throughthe Internet.4) You say your media outlet is actually

paying for this and you need to come backto your emerging digital newsroom withvalue-added? Try Multimedia 101Bootcamp, Final Cut for MultimediaProduction: The Basics and Beyond,Flash Workshop, Photography Workshopfor Non-Photographers, and Live Shots inthe Best and Worst Times.

3) Sharpen that beat reporting or prepareyourself to be able to cover a new beat withCovering the 2009 Financial World: New

Rules and a New President, MakingFinancial Sense in the Midst of Crisis, andEl uso del espaol en los medios decomunicacin.

2) You say you always wanted to speakin a different voice? How about: Cmoutilizar los recursos literarios en lashistorias periodsticas, Audio Storytelling -Coordinated by NPR, or El poder de laimagen y la voz.

1) But the No. 1 reason why you shouldgo to the 2009 NAHJ Convention is(drumroll please): Where else will theLatino cream-of-the-crop be gathering for

the sole purpose of celebrating being ableto tell the stories about the nations fastestgrowing population?

Now, thats well worth the price ofadmission!

Esther J. Cepeda is an opinion journalistand expert on the issues of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. She writes about that and much,much more on www.600words.com

Nine reasons why you should goto the convention in Puerto Rico

Satur

27/s27 de

ay, June

bado,junio

All-day

Sightseeingtrips andexcursions/Excursiones y pasadias

9a.m.- 2p.m.

GolfTournament

/Torneo deGolf

9

a.m.-3p.m.

Registration

/Inscripcin

9a.m.- 5p.m.

Media

TrainingSeries/La SeriedeCapacitacinProfesional **Pre-

registrationrequired/Se requierereservar unespacio deantemano**

9:30p.m. -Midnight

ClosingParty

Conventionschedule

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A year ago, whoever even heard of Twitter? A year

later, how many of us know to use it?Do you know how to create an audio slide show? Idont, but Im often asked to produce them.

This years convention offers what our online trackleaders call the multiplex repeated offerings forthose essential classes in topics such as Flash andFinal Cut Pro.

Computer lab classes on blogging and Twitter arebeing offered three times each. Also, all-day and half-day boot camps are being offered Wednesday inmultimedia and Flash. Two classrooms are beingdedicated strictly to quick-hit hands-on instruction.

Compared to San Jose, we can say that the numberof training sessions almost tripled from 12 to 33,

Roman said.NAHJ's executive director did the math:33 of the 73 sessions we will be having at the

convention are multimedia-skills training ormultimedia related. That's 45 percent.74.5 of the 152.5 hours dedicated to training,

sessions, panels, etc. at the convention arespecifically dedicated to multimedia skills training ormultimedia related sessions. That's 49 percent.When we designed the program, we paid special

attention to the journalists who have lost their jobs inthe past year, said San Martin, assistant world editor atThe Miami Herald. Thats why youll see new offerings

on topics like starting your own business, how to be abackpack multimedia specialist and monetizing yourblog.

Even those of us who are still employed at metrodailies are being asked to take on new duties, so we feltstrongly that NAHJ needed to be the place to learnthem.

Frenchie Robles can be reached at [email protected]

Member

Non-member

Student Member

Student Non-member

Spouse/partner

One-Day registration:member

One-Day registration:non-member

Early Bird

By May 15

$325

$425$150

$215

$225

$165

$215

On site

After May 15

$395

$530$225

$275

$285

$200

$265

NAHJ to offer more multimedia training

Discounts for hotel, air fare off

ered to membersContinued from Page 1headquarters hotel, was reduced from $199 to $150 anight. Resort fees were also cut to $15 a night for totalsavings of $62 a night at a hotel with a beach, palmtrees and even a strutting peacock.

If youd like to find a roommate for the convention,visit the blog message board at http://nahjpr09.blogspot.com/

Need a flight? Continental Airlines, the officialsponsor of NAHJs special events, offers discounts offpublished fares of 2% to 10% or Zone fares.

Call your travel professional or ContinentalMeetingWorks at 800-468-7022 for reservations. Referto Z Code ZZKM and Agreement Code: A1TYHW. Or,save an additional 3% off by booking your ownreservations at www.continental.com. Choose yourflight times and access your meeting discounts byinserting ZZKMA1TYHW in the Offer Code box.

NAHJ is offering some air travel and a limitednumber of complimentary registrations to members whohave been laid off and/or who are employed, and in

financial hardship. An application, a brief statement andother information is required. The deadline to apply isFriday, May 15. To download the convention assistanceapplication, visit http://www.nahj.org/events/2009/Convention/09conventionassistanceapp.pdf

Secure your spot for great training in San Juan byacting now. Its a sound investment and the bestbargain around.

The Puerto Rico Convention Center will host this years

NAHJ Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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By Kevin Olivas

NAHJ Parity Project Director

Under a grant from the Chicago Tribune Foundation,NAHJ has placed interns at various Parity Projectpartner media companies since 2004. Through thisgrant, NAHJ is able to pay the intern while they gainvaluable experience at a news organization that mightnot otherwise be able to afford to have interns.

This years intern is University of Miami student CarlaKerstens, who was an NAHJ Ford Motor Company 2008scholarship recipient. She will be interning at theScripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida thissummer. These publications serve Martin, St. Lucie andIndian River counties along Floridas Atlantic coast.

NAHJ spoke with Carla about pursuing a career injournalism and her expectations for this internship.

NAHJ: What event, person or thing inspired you towant to pursue a career in journalism?Carla Kerstens (CK): While growing up in Venezuela,

I lived through the tense socio-politicaltimes, witnessed the food riots andChavezs coup. The way that the

journalists covered the increasing chaoson the streets to keep the populationinformed was admirable. This made methink of the service journalists do forsociety and how truly noble theprofession is. I was drawn to study masscommunications in Venezuela, but in the

late 90s we could already see thatjournalism was no longer a safe profession in thecountry. After moving to the U.S., events such as 9-11strengthened my desire to be part of the journalisticworld. Working for student media, participating in

journalistic events and conventions such as UNITY 08and obviously being part of NAHJ has allowed me tosee the true potential of the field I have grown toappreciate so much.

NAHJ: You have indicated in the past that youhave a particular interest in investigative

journalism. Why is that?CK: Investigative journalism allows for a more

thorough research and thus a better understanding of

the issue. I think that by taking a longer time to researchand put the pieces together, the journalist can act as awatchdog for the public interest with more accuracy.Having such accuracy helps build confidence in the

journalist and the vehicle, making their word trusted.Many of the stories that have shaken American society(not to mention other countries) have been the result oflong and arduous investigation on the part of the

journalists and have ignited changes that otherwisewould not have existed.

NAHJ: You will be an intern this summer at theScripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida.What are you hoping to learn during yourinternship?

CK: Im very excited about this opportunity, andgrateful to the NAHJ Parity Project for contacting meabout it. I would like to gain experience reporting on ashorter deadline basis, which is not something I havebeen able to do in any campus media. I am hoping tolearn to deliver news in a digital platform, since the fieldis expanding so rapidly and multimedia seems to be theway the industry is moving toward. Last, I want to learnthe business and managerial side of the newspaper andits online arm.

NAHJ: Latinos are still under-represented innewsrooms. What would you like to see happen tochange that?

CK: I think we have entered an era where minoritiesare being taken more seriously in this country. I lived inNorth Carolina for a couple months, when I first movedto the U.S. in 2000. From my experience, the localpeople had the wrong impression about Hispanics.They stereotyped us as uninformed and ignorant,which saddened me, especially knowing what ourcommunity is truly capable of. I would like to see morefaces representing our community, showing successfulLatinas/Latinos and positive role models for Hispanicyouth to look up to. I think that we should lobby forlegislation to guarantee Latinos a place in the mediain markets around the nation. We should also exertmore pressure so that local markets pay moreattention to the issues of Hispanic communities, togive them a better chance to be acknowledged by theauthorities.NAHJ: More and more people are getting their newsthrough the Internet. What kinds of things have youlearned to make yourself a multimedia journalist?CK: Thats exactly what I want to focus on during theupcoming internship. I recently learned somemultimedia storytelling at a workshop facilitated byUnited Press International. I am hoping to producesome quick stories for Internet release. More and moreit seems that when people dont have access to othermedia (when working, for example) they receive theirnews from an Internet source, which usually updates itsstories quite often. I think it is vital for all up-and-coming

journalists to learn multiple platforms of delivery,production and editing, blogging and other tools that willallow not only to deliver the news but to create a loyalfollowing among readers/viewers.

Carla is set to graduate from the University of Miamiwith a degree in Media Management and Economics inDecember 2009.

More Parity Project news on Page 9

PARITY PROJECT: SCHOLAR RECIPIENT GETS INTERNSHIP

CarlaKerstens
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The National Center for Atmospheric Researchin Boulder, Colo., is offering its second annualNCAR Journalism Fellowship from August17-21, 2009. The fellowship introduces

journalists and science communicators toatmospheric and Earth system sciences.

The application deadline is Monday, May 11.NCAR Journalism Fellows will learn about

topics such as severe weather and effects ofclimate and weather (e.g., hurricanes, wildfires,tornadoes); sun and space science (e.g., effectsof space weather on Earth); human-environmental-societal interactions (e.g., climaticinfluence on disease transmission); and applied

science (e.g., pinpointing turbulence forcommercial planes).The program is a five-day, residential

experience open to professional writers,producers, and editors working for print,broadcast, radio, and online media.

Journalists and science communicators fromother countries are welcome to apply.

For more information and to apply online go to:http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/resrel/jfellowship/

Corpus Christi Caller-Times:Bill to honor the late Dr. Hector P. GarciaThe late Dr. Hector P. Garcia helped found the American GIForum, the Corpus Christi, Texas-based organization whichsupports Latinos who have served in the U.S. military. Dr.Garcia also served as an adviser to three U.S. presidents aswell as having been the first Hispanic to serve on the U.S.Civil Rights Commission. If the bill is approved, it would set

aside the third Thursday in September to honor Dr. Garcia.More at: http://www.caller.com/news/2009/apr/15/day-honoring-dr-hector-on-fast-track.

Orlando Sentinel report: NASAtrying to reach out to Hispanic audienceReporter and NAHJ member Alsy Acevedo-Lugo says theU.S. space agency is translating its mission updates intoSpanish as well as reaching out to Spanish-language mediaas part of a four-year effort to involve Latinos in itsendeavors. This comes after the recent space mission ofJoseph Acab, the first astronaut of Puerto Rican descent togo into outer space. NASA plans to launch a mission inAugust that will have two astronauts of Mexican origin,Danny Olivas and Jos Hernndez. NASA says that missionis receiving interest from journalists in Mxico.

PARITY PROJECT UPDATES

NCAR ofers journalismfellowship August 17-21

National Association of Hispanic Journalists

1000 National Press Building 529 14th St., NWWashington, DC 20045-2001E-mail: [email protected]: 202.662.7145; Fax: 202.662.7144Executive Director: Ivn Romn [email protected]

Noticias editors: Gary Pia, copy editor/designer,neighborsgo, a community supplement of The Dallas MorningNews; and Brandon Benavides, KSTP-TV/5 EyewitnessNews

Copy editor: Veronica Garcia, freelance journalist, LosAngeles

NAHJ Calls for Truth andFairness in Swine Flu Coverage The National Association of Hispanic Journalists called onthe media on April 29 to be fair and prudent when coveringthe spread of swine flu in the U.S. and around the world,

and resist the portrayal of Mexican immigrants asscapegoats for the possible pandemic.

The following is a statement from the NAHJ Board ofDirectors:

We have come to expect immigrant bashing from theusual suspects commentators who use purposefullyinflammatory rhetoric to seek attention and to suit theiragenda. And they havent disappointed, now using theswine flu as cause to decry immigration and immigrants.Immigrants, of course, have long been favorite andconvenient scapegoats for some for everything from hightaxes to infectious diseases. Facts havent much mattered.

For the complete article, go to www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2009/April/SwineFlu.shtml

Immigration training program

application deadline is June 5Professional journalists from U.S. Spanish- orEnglish-language print, broadcast or digitalmedia outlets who have experience coveringimmigration issues are invited to apply to aweek-long training program administered by theInternational Center for Journalists.

The goal is to produce more accurate,engaging and responsible reporting onimmigration. The application deadline is June 5.The program is funded by the Scripps HowardFoundation.

Visit www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/

ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspx
http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.nahj.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.nahj.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.icfj.org/OurWork/LatinAmericaCaribbean/ScrippsImmigrationProgram/tabid/1303/Default.aspxhttp://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2009/April/SwineFlu.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2009/April/SwineFlu.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2009/April/SwineFlu.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2009/April/SwineFlu.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/presidentsmessage/pimentel/augustletter.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/presidentsmessage/pimentel/augustletter.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/presidentsmessage/pimentel/augustletter.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/presidentsmessage/pimentel/augustletter.shtmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.caller.com/news/2009/apr/15/day-honoring-dr-hector-on-fast-trackhttp://www.caller.com/news/2009/apr/15/day-honoring-dr-hector-on-fast-trackhttp://www.caller.com/news/2009/apr/15/day-honoring-dr-hector-on-fast-trackhttp://www.caller.com/news/2009/apr/15/day-honoring-dr-hector-on-fast-trackhttp://www.ncar.ucar.edu/resrel/jfellowship/http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/resrel/jfellowship/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/


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www.nahj.org PAGE 10

By SA4Mayor.com

As print and broadcast news outlets reduce coverage,a small team of local journalists in Texas have seizedthe day and introduced SA4Mayor.com, the brain childof NAHJs Spanish Language At-Large Officer PatricioEspinoza.

On April 14, less than 90 days since it was launchedas a digital journalism project, SA4Mayor.com held theAlamo city's first live virtual-interactive town hallmeeting, a milestone for community journalism at whichthe people of San Antonio had the final word.

During the town hall with San Antonios 2009candidates for mayor, a live online and on-site audiencecould ask questions via Twitter, blogging and a live chatroom. This was in addition to Web video capsulescalled "It's Your Turn" that connected the candidates,and questions from San Antonios voters.

It is after all, your voice, your vote, your forum, to onelection day pick your mayor ... and everyone wasinvited, Espinoza said.

Self funded, SA4mayor.com is powered by a localcrew of experienced news media professionals andvolunteers, including Jerry Gonzalez, Ed Lozano andJoe Sandoval.

Many are Latino journalists in transition working forthe greater good regardless of whether we get paid ornot, said Espinoza. We used readily available digitaltools, affordable DV cameras, online video services likeUStream, and every social media tool I could get myhands on like Twitter and Facebook.

SA4Mayor.com also recruited a local social mediaclub to manage online traffic during the event. And, tobring it all together, knocked on many doors for in-kinddonations from food for the crew to AT&T wirelesscards. San Antonio based NewTek gave us theirstudio in a box, the Tricaster, which we used towebcast the town hall.

Relying just on word-of-mouth for online traffic,Espinoza also partnered with the San Antonio Currentand a local, alternative weekly publication to promotethe event in exchange of co-hosting the town hall.

That said, it took an entire team to bring the webcasttogether; more than 15 people, good friends, andcolleagues who shared this vision of going beyondtraditional news outlets in the public interest, Espinozasaid.

Recently, SA4Mayor.com hosted members of theNAHJ Student Chapter, Texas State University San

Marcos who produced a series of reports also usingreadily available digital tools. You can see CesarChavez -- La Marcha here: http://txstatenahj.blip.tv

On April 14, SA4Mayor.com's virtual-interactive townhall generated a live online audience of more than 350people in the first hour. They participated withquestions, twitts and comments. The site is now gettingmore than 30,000 page views a month.

Here is some of the local medias coverage of theevent: http://www.sa4mayor.com/2009/04/sa-tonight-you-made-history/

Patricio Espinoza can be [email protected]

Latino journalistsproduce San Antonio

interactive town hall

Candidates running for mayor of San Antonioparticipated in the first interactive town hall session on

April 14, produced by SA4mayor.com.

The crew works behind the scenes at the first interactivetown hall session in San Antonio on April 14, producedby SA4mayor.com.
http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.sa4mayor.com/category/your-turn/http://www.sa4mayor.com/http://www.nahj.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.sa4mayor.com/2009/04/sa-tonight-you-made-history/http://www.sa4mayor.com/2009/04/sa-tonight-you-made-history/http://www.sa4mayor.com/2009/04/sa-tonight-you-made-history/http://www.sa4mayor.com/2009/04/sa-tonight-you-made-history/http://txstatenahj.blip.tv/http://txstatenahj.blip.tv/http://www.sa4mayor.com/category/your-turn/http://www.sa4mayor.com/category/your-turn/http://www.sa4mayor.com/http://www.sa4mayor.com/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/


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America Arias, the NAHJ student representativefrom California State University in Fullerton, Calif., was

recently named one of the top 100

student journalists in the nation byUWIRE, a free membership organizationfor college student media. ArelisHernandez and Natalia Bonilla, NAHJstudent members, also made the list.The UWIRE 100 were announced April 27and were selected from more than 825nominations, representing 135 schools,and submitted by professionals, students

and educators. View the full list at: http://www.uwire100.com.

Arizona State Universitys Cronkite School ofCommunications has won an award from the Robert F.

Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights for amultimedia series on immigration through the U.S.-Mexico border and its impact on families, entitledDivided Familes. Heres a link to the info about theawards: http://www.rfkcenter.org/node/309

Heres a link to the Divided Families multimediaproject that the ASU Cronkite School produced: http://cronkitenews.asu.edu/dividedfamilies/

ProducerMarisa Pealoza is a part of a team ofNational Public Radio journalists who have won aSigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of ProfessionalJournalists in the Radio Investigative Journalismcategory for a series called Dirty Money, which

focuses on a change in tactics in the war on drugs andhow it might have some law enforcement officers moreconcerned with trying to get drug money than with tryingto get drugs off of the streets. Here is a link to moreinformation about the awards: http://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878

NAHJ memberRosa Flores, a reporter at KHOU-TV in Houston, has created a Web site and video showgeared toward motivating teen-agers to stay in school.She has taken her show to South Texas and Oklahoma.

Here is the link to the Live Show: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_page

Here is the link to a radio interview on "La Z": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGc

Her Web site: www.theBACCbureau.comHer Blog: http://theBACCbureau.blogspot.com

Latina Voices: SMART TALK is an Englishlanguage, half-hour television and Internet streamedtalk show with a Latina perspective but addressinguniversal topics such as politics, business, pop culture,health trends, entertainment, womens issues and other

topics of value to professional Latinos and themainstream audience.

SMART TALK is hosted by show creator and

executive producerMinerva Prez, an award-winningBroadcast journalist and community leader in Houston;Sofia Adrogu, a Rice University and HarvardBusiness School alumna and a Texas Super Lawyer;and Patricia Gras, an Emmy-award winning HoustonPBS senior host/producer. Check it out atwww.latinavoices.com

Texas State University, San Marcos NAHJ StudentChapter students where in San Antonio last March for aone day Digital Journalism Project. Together theycovered the Cesar Chavez March and got first handdigital tools and reporting training. The stories can beseen online at http://txstatenahj.blip.tv. Austin's PBS

Docubloggers has also picked up the student reports,including one in Spanish, for a May broadcast. Theworkshop was sponsored by the SA4Mayor.com crew.

NAHJ BRIEFS

AmericaArias

Sofia Adrogu, left, Minerva Prez and Patricia Gras ofLatina Voices: Smart Talk.

Texas State University students, front, from left, SirheemFuentes, Andy Sevilla, Audrey Cuellar and Laura Coria.Back, mentors Ed Lozano, iGosa.com and PatricioEspinoza, SA4Mayor.com. Not pictured is Kaye Cruz.
http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878http://cronkitenews.asu.edu/dividedfamilies/http://www.rfkcenter.org/node/309http://www.uwire100.com/http://www.uwire100.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878http://txstatenahj.blip.tv/http://txstatenahj.blip.tv/http://txstatenahj.blip.tv/http://txstatenahj.blip.tv/http://www.latinavoices.com/http://www.latinavoices.com/http://thebaccbureau.blogspot.com/http://thebaccbureau.blogspot.com/http://www.thebaccbureau.com/http://www.thebaccbureau.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFftkaPcpGchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJJStotCog&feature=channel_pagehttp://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878http://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878http://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878http://www.spj.org/news.asp?REF=878#878http://cronkitenews.asu.edu/dividedfamilies/http://cronkitenews.asu.edu/dividedfamilies/http://cronkitenews.asu.edu/dividedfamilies/http://cronkitenews.asu.edu/dividedfamilies/http://www.rfkcenter.org/node/309http://www.rfkcenter.org/node/309http://www.uwire100.com/http://www.uwire100.com/http://www.uwire100.com/http://www.uwire100.com/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/


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NAHJS list of exciting programs isconstantly changing and expanding tomeet members needs. Our currentprofessional development and studentprograms includes:

NAHJ National Convention andCareer Expo:An annual gathering ofthousands of Latino journalists, otherjournalists of color and industry leadersthat includes training sessions,professional development workshops inEnglish and Spanish, networking events,social events, mentoring, professionalsupport, job opportunities and muchmore. Join reporters, photographers,producers, media executives, scholars,

recruiters, exhibitors and other media-related professionals for this not-to-be-missed annual event.

Regional workshops and seminars:NAHJs local chapters tailor professionaldevelopment sessions to your needs,including everything from new mediatraining to social networking.Mid-Career and professionaldevelopment programs: NAHJ staysin touch with industry leaders who offerour members fellowships, networkingopportunities and personalized careerconnections.

Online job bank: Our redesigneduser-friendly jobs site offers opportunitiesin print, broadcast, online, new media,communications, academic and othermedia-related fields. Members can alsouse the site to post their rsums forrecruiters.

Journalism Awards: We recognizemembers best work each fall during ourannual Noche de Triunfos awards gala,

which has honored everyone from themost recognized names in the news fieldto young journalists just starting their

career.Black-tie events: The associationsannual scholarship banquet, held eachFebruary in New York City, receives

generous support from dozens of mediacompanies and funds the Rubn SalazarScholarship Fund. The annual Hall ofFame Gala held during each conventionhonors veteran leaders in the field.

Internships, scholarships and

fellowships: We compile and connectyou to career boosters for every stage ofyour journalism career, including anexclusive student training partnership

with the New York Times JournalismInstitute, sought-after fellowships andmore than $1.5 million in scholarshipfunds through NAHJs Rubn SalazarScholarship Fund for journalism studentsheaded to college.

Students Projects: Students can bepart of the annual Student Campus,Newsroom Bound Program, fourconvention-based news projects (radio,television, newspaper, online), and arange of career resources. For mostparticipants, the Student Campus andnews projects are their first opportunityto meet others pursuing similar hopesand facing similar challenges.

Student journalism workshopsand professional projects: Students

can learn hands-on training from newsveterans and participate in a student-

produced newspaper, broadcast newsprograms and online news projects.Member newsletter:A quarterlydigital publication produced by membersthat is full of industry news and memberupdates, plus job listings and otherindustry news.

Local chapters: NAHJ has

professional and student chaptersthroughout the country. Become active atthe regional level and build your localsupport network. If there isnt yet achapter in your areastart one. Visit

www.nahj.org to find chapters.

Social and professionalnetworking: Career expos, cocktailhours, cultural gatherings, golftournaments and much more.

Media Advocacy: NAHJ continues toremain a strong voice for better newscoverage and media access. Efforts haveranged from writing letters to lawmakersin favor of a strong federal shield law,calling on network news companies toimprove their racial and ethnic newsroom

make ups and speaking before Congressabout further media consolidation thathurt diversity in media ownership.

Parity Project

Launched in 2003, the Parity Projectsgoals were: To advance the number ofLatino journalists, especially in cities

where Latinos are underrepresented innewsrooms, and to improve the quality ofnews coverage of the Hispaniccommunity.

The plan: Develop long-termpartnerships between NAHJ, individualmedia companies and the community incities with large and growing Latinopopulations.These goals areaccomplished through town hallmeetings, newsroom cultural awarenesssessions, online surveys to gauge opinionsof news staffand Hispanic communityleaders on coverage of Latinos,community advisory committees andestablishing a pipeline of Latinojournalism talent through high schools,colleges and universities.

Join Now!

Its easy to join and become part of theNAHJ movement. Dues are structuredon a calendar-year basis. Join online at

www.nahj.org or by contacting ourmembership director in the nationaloffice directly at 202-662-7460.

NAHJ wants to helpLaid offand out of a job,we

want to help. NAHJ is committedto help its members. Resume

writing, online training, let usknow what you need.

Contact Parity Project Director,Kevin Olivas at [email protected] can get you in touch withthe organizations who are hiring.

Also, contact General At-LargeOfficer Brandon [email protected].

Visit the NAHJ online job bank:http://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtml

NAHJ PROGRAMS
http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlmailto:[email protected]://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlhttp://www.nahj.org/jobbank/jobbank.shtmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/http://www.nahj.org/

noticias newsletter may 2009

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