Campaign Headquarters > Convention Schedule > Saturday, August 23, 2008

Saturday, August 23, 2008

9:30AM-10:45AM
BREAKFAST

Stop by the Expo Hall for a cup of coffee and the chance to visit with our exhibitors.

9:30AM-10:45AM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Hot Topics
Mirror, Mirror: Is There A Gay Journalistic Bias?
Is there a "gay journalistic bias?" If so, should it be stamped out, or are some kinds of bias inevitable, even necessary, for storytelling? This interactive session will ask participants to consider personal and institutional values that influence their reporting in both positive and negative ways.

• Trainer: Deborah Gump, Director Print/Online, Committee of Concerned Journalists

Broadcast
Ahead Of The Curve: Negotiating Your Broadcast Personal Services Contract
As the broadcast industry undergoes massive change, competitive pressures in the marketplace are making it more crucial than ever to make wise career moves. It can be difficult to negotiate a personal services contract that provides adequate protections in the areas of wages, hours, job duties and working conditions. Learn from professionals about how to negotiate the best deal, choose an agent or a manager, and protect yourself.

• Trainer: Ray Bradford, National Director of Equal Employment Opportunity , AFTRA
• Joe Krebs, Anchor, NBC4 (D.C.)
• Maggie Linton, Producer & Talent, XM Satellite Radio
• Dave Frankel, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads
• Tom Carpenter, General Counsel, AFTRA
• Randol White, Founder/Managing Partner, JournalismJunction.com

New Expo Hall Classroom
LGBT Media Roundtable
Regional gay print media roundtable on sharing content, co-op marketing and ad dollars.

11:00AM-12:15PM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Hot Topics
Gays & Sports: Asking The Big Questions
The culture of American sports is, in part, driven by homophobia. What is it about sports that limit how far members of the media are willing to go with their reporting on gay-related issues? Is there a right or wrong time to ask an athlete or a coach if they're gay? Do the sports media have a responsibility to ask the question? We'll talk to sports journalists and people in sports about the role of LGBT people in the sports media and in sports.

• Moderator: Cyd Zeigler, Jr., President, Outsports
• LZ Granderson , Senior Writer, ESPN the Magazine
• Bill Konigsberg, Sports Writer & Author
• Maggie Linton, Producer & Talent, XM Satellite Radio
• Ted Rybka, Director of Sports Media, GLAAD

Author, Author
Closing The Book: Is LGBT Publishing In Its Death Throes?
Hard times have hit the publishing industry, and the gay and lesbian niche may be suffering the most. Last year saw the closing of Carroll & Graff, Haworth Press and the LGBT book club InsightOut, while Alyson changed hands. Meanwhile, big-box bookstores and Internet booksellers are threatening local gay bookstores. Does LGBT publishing have a future?

• Moderator: Michael Luongo, Freelance Writer & Photographer
• Lisa Moore, Founder & Editor, RedBone Press
• Karen Schechner, Senior Editor, Lambda Book Report

New Media
Watch Your (Graphic) Language: Using New Media To Expand Traditional Reporting
The Web offers a variety of ways to tell stories. What stories should be told in what manner? Now that you've attended all the digital panels to this point, this panel will give you an overview on how to make your content shine by using the best medium, text, photos, interactive or video.

• Trainer: Rich Hanley, Graduate Program Director, Journalism & Interactive Communication, Quinnipiac University

Broadcast
Wash Your Mouth Out: The FCC & You
The FCC is watching – and listening. In the past few years, it has cracked down on indecency, video news releases and payola, often at the beckoning of members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. Get a handle on how federal regulations affect your broadcast work and learn about what changes will come with a new presidential administration.

• Moderator: Kevin Latek, Attorney at Law, Dow Lohnes PLLC

New Expo Hall Classroom
Freelancer Pitch/Slam
Got a great story idea? Pitch it to some of the top editors and industry insiders in the business. Our panelists will critique your pitch and perhaps even hire you on the spot.

• Coordinator: Benoit Denizet-Lewis, Contributing Writer, New York Times Magazine, & Author  
• Matthew Breen, Executive Editor, OUT Magazine
• Corby Kummer, Senior Editor, The Atlantic
• Rachel Dowd, Deputy Editor, The Advocate
• Sydney Trent, Deputy Editor, The Washington Post Magazine
• Angel Linares Lugo, Deputy Managing Editor, People en Espanol

Everyone's Entitled: Opinion Writing In The Age Of Blogs
Crazed rants. Personal essays. Partisan analysis. Opinions are everywhere, but who's really being heard? How do you start trading in the marketplace of ideas? What works where? Should you write for op-ed pages, blogs, online publications or magazines? And how can you best influence politicians and policymakers?

• Moderator: Robin Rauzi, Articles Editor, Los Angeles Times Opinion Pages
• James Kirchick, Assistant Editor, The New Republic
• Laura Brown, Editor, Southern Voice
• Chris Nolan, Founder, Spot-on.com

The War Within: LGBT Journalists & The ENDA Debate
The Congressional debate over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act unearthed some of the tensions within the LGBT community over inclusion and definition. But how do those stories play out in the media and what are the difficulties in covering disagreements over gender identity, politics and religion. Panelists will examine how divisive issues are viewed online and in the LGBT and mainstream press, as well as describe the role of advocates involved in those battles.

• Moderator: Michael Triplett, Assistant Chief of Correspondents, BNA
• Joe Jervis, Blogger, Joe.My.God.
• Jon Barrett, Editor in Chief, The Advocate
• Patrick Sammon, President, Log Cabin Republicans
• Donna Cartwright, Founding Board Member, National Center for Transgender Equality
• Simon Aronoff, Vice President, Renna Communications

12:30PM-2:00PM
LUNCH PLENARY

Missing White Women: Is Media Coverage The True Crime?
The missing and murdered fill our headlines, but a certain type of missing and murdered tends to dominate. What goes into deciding which crimes balloon from a brief into a full-blown narrative? Confronted with a slammed phone or unanswered door, what tactics are available to bring those stories to life? How can you sharpen the focus when the crime overwhelms the reporting resources? And how do crimes against LGBT people fit into the mix, and do they deserve any special attention? 

• Moderator: Ted Gest, President, Criminal Justice Journalists
• Jose Antonio Vargas, Reporter, Washington Post
• Larry Sutton, Staff Editor, People Magazine
• Cathy McElrath Renna, Managing Partner, Renna Communications

2:15PM-3:30PM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Hot Topics
Oh God! (Or Allah...Or Buddha): Reporting On Issues Of Faith & Religion
As is the case with the LGBT community, there is great diversity within the Christian community, the Muslim community and all communities of faith. What are the common mistakes journalists make when covering those who have chosen to live a "religious lifestyle" and what resources are out there to help you avoid the pitfalls?

• Moderator: Mitchell Gold, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Founder, Faith In America, Inc.
• Ann Craig, Director of Religion, Faith & Values, GLAAD
• Jimmy Creech, Director of Community Service, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Former Executive Director, Faith in America, Inc.
• David Waters, Editor, “On Faith,” The Washington Post & Newsweek
• Ian Markham, Dean, Virginia Theological Seminary

Author, Author
Me, Myself & I: Writing (& Selling) The Personal Memoir
The personal stories of LGBT people have become breakout sensations in the publishing world. Learn about the art of the memoir from folks who have made the private public and get insight into how to turn your own story into the next bestseller.

• Moderator: Randy Dotinga, Freelance Writer
• Craig Seymour, Author, "All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, D.C.," & Associate Professor of Journalism, Northern Illinois University
• Jacqueline Taylor, Author, "Waiting for the Call," & Dean, College of Communicatio n , DePaul University
• Rigoberto Gonzalez, Author, "Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa"
• Amy Hoffman, Author, "An Army of Ex-Lovers" “& Editor In Chief, Women’s Review of Books
• Scott Pomfret, Author, “Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir”

New Media
Digital Savvy For Your Career: Beyond The Basics
If you want to get ahead in journalism, you need to know more about digital media than the next guy or girl. In this advanced panel, we'll cover pay rates, content ownership rights, electronic job applications, e-mail etiquette, jargon and strategies for better blogging.

• Trainer: Sean O'Neill, Senior Editor, BudgetTravel.com
• Dave Singleton, Author & MSN /Match.com Columnist

Broadcast
Finding The Michael Moore Within: Making (& Selling) The Documentary
We know who you are. You're the one watching the History Channel at 2 a.m. to see how the New York City subway system was built. The one who doesn't answer the phone when "This American Life" is on. The one who has actually seen all of the Oscar nominees for best short documentary film. It's time to come out: Learn how filmmakers turned their dreams into award-winning documentaries.

• Moderator: Jen Christensen, Producer, CNN
• Alix Spiegel, Creator, The America Project
• Michael Billy, Host, “In the Life”
• tiona m., Filmmaker, black./womyn.: conversations with lesbians of african descent
• Tom Dziedzic, Writer, Producer & Director, Tom Dziedzic Video
• Erica Ginsberg, President, Docs In Progress

Dyke Culture In The New Media
Dyke culture has traditionally suffered from a lack of visibility – ignored by mainstream media, underrepresented in the male-oriented gay press and challenged by the financial difficulties of sustaining its own media outlets. With the advent of blogs, online magazines, podcasts, multimedia projects and satellite radio, there are new, decentralized ways to tell stories about the dyke experience.

• Moderator: Angela Jimenez, Freelance Photojournalist & Documentarian
• Diana Cage, Host, The Diana Cage Show, Sirius OutQ
• Grace Moon, Founder, Velvet Park , & Managing Editor, OurChart.com

About The Benjamins: Gayby Boomers, Finances & Estate Planning…Oh My!
From the generation that ushered in the gay rights movement and brought us free love, hippies and the Stonewall Riots, explore the impact this cohort will have on money, finances and the new (ahem) retirement. We will explore the demographics of the gayby boomers, finances, gay retirement planning and passing assets to the family of choice. Also addressed will be practical tips pertaining to journalist and contract workers for getting their savings back on track.

• Trainer: Joseph Kapp, Financial Planner & Columnist

3:45PM-5:15PM
CLOSING SESSION

Broadcast
No Dumb Questions: Five Years Later
"No Dumb Questions" is a Sundance award-winning documentary film about three sisters struggling to understand why and how their Uncle Bill is becoming a woman. "No Dumb Questions" is being re-released this year with new footage and an interactive online community where anyone can use video, audio, photos, text and social media to ask – and answer – their own questions about gender identity and sexual orientation. Hear from filmmaker Melissa Regan about this innovative re-imagining of the traditional documentary film.

• Special Guest: Melissa Regan, Filmmaker

3:45PM-5:45PM
AUTHORS' CAFE

Author, Author
Authors' Café
While Washington , D.C. , has no shortage of great cultural institutions, NLGJA is bringing one of its own to our nation's capital. NLGJA's Authors' Café is your chance to pull up a chair and hear what your fellow members are writing when they're not on deadline.

• Host: Bob Witeck, CEO & Co-Founder, Witeck Combs Communications

6:45PM-8:45PM
The Not-So-Silent Auction

Open To Attendees & The D.C. LGBT Community
Proceeds benefit NLGJA's programs, so get ready to shop for a good cause! $25 at the door admission required for non-convention attendees.