Campaign Headquarters > Convention Schedule > Thursday, August 21, 2008

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Media Summit Welcome Breakfast
8:00AM-9:00AM

Join us for the kick-off breakfast for NLGJA's historic 5th Annual LGBT Media Summit. What started as a great idea at the 2003 convention in New York has grown to be one of the most thought provoking and innovative LGBT media events in the country.

Media Summit Breakout Sessions
9:15AM-10:30AM

Diversifying LGBT Newsrooms
Is the gay press ignoring communities of color? Are front pages too male-centric? How are editors and reporters ensuring multicultural coverage in their pages and in their newsroom hiring decisions?  

• Moderator: Andy Marra, Asian/Pacific-Islander Media Strategist, GLAAD
• Matthew Leung, Student, Vassar College
• Laura Brown, Editor, Southern Voice
• Mashaun D. Simon, Freelance Writer
• Joshua Lynsen, News Reporter, Washington Blade

Foreign Correspondence
Gay news is truly global in this media age, so how can LGBT press outlets with limited budgets and staff cover stories overseas? Learn from reporters who have jumped the pond to bring home international news.  

Moderator: Michael Luongo, Freelance Writer & Photographer

Marc Bromley, Founder, LGBT Foreign Policy Project

Itay Hod, Reporter, CBS News on Logo

Media Summit Breakout Sessions
10:45AM-12:00PM

Congressional Confidential
Jim Neal, the openly gay man who lost a Democratic primary battle in North Carolina, will sit down with here! Network's Stephen Macias for a one-on-one Q&A about his Senate race.  

• Moderator: Stephen Macias, Senior Vice President, Corporate & Marketing Communications, here! Networks
• Jim Neal, Former Democratic Primary Candidate, U.S. Senate, North Carolina

A Gay Reporter Goes To Washington
Hear how D.C.-based LGBT media reporters and editors navigate the halls of Congress and gain entrance to the White House. How do these journalists stay ahead of the Beltway's mainstream press pack?  

• Moderator: Kevin Naff, Editor, Washington Blade
• Michael Rogers, Publisher, BlogACTIVE & PageOneQ
• Lou Chibbaro, Senior News Reporter, Washington Blade
• Lisa Keen, Freelance Writer

Media Summit Lunch Plenary
12:15PM-1:45PM

The March On News Coverage
Is entertainment coverage overwhelming the pages of LGBT media? How do editors feed readers' voracious appetites for celebrity news with a commitment to hard news?  

• Moderator: Michael Lavers, Mid-Atlantic Editor, EDGE Publications
• Tammye Nash, Senior Editor, Dallas Voice
• Laura Kiritsy, Editor In Chief, Bay Windows & South End News
• Aaron Hicklin, Editorial Director, OUT Magazine & The Advocate
• Ross von Metzke, Editor In Chief, GayWired Media 

Media Summit Live Broadcast
2:00PM-4:00PM

Access: The LGBT Press & The Candidates
The Michelangelo Signorile Show
Be part of the studio audience of one of Sirius OutQ’s most popular radio programs. Host Michelangelo Signorile helps NLGJA celebrate the 5th anniversary of the LGBT Media Summit by hosting a live broadcast from the event’s closing plenary. Michelangelo and his guests will discuss what access the LGBT press has to the major candidates. What have we learned from the primary campaign and how should we be positioning for the big contest? And, when they will talk, how do we approach those LGBT issues some are reluctant to address?

• Host: Michelangelo Signorile, Journalist, Author & Talk Show Host, Sirius OutQ
• Pam Spaulding, Blogger, Pam’s House Blend
• Lisa Keen, Freelance Writer
• Kevin Naff, Editor, Washington Blade
• Kerry Eleveld, News Editor, The Advocate

Media Summit Closing Reception
4:00PM-5:30PM

Join friends and colleagues from across the country for the closing of the 5th Annual LGBT Media Summit. NLGJA will be joined by Michael Guest, former Ambassador to Romania , for this celebratory reception.

Convention Reunion Reception
5:30PM-7:00PM

Head to the Expo Hall to meet up with old friends and to get to know our convention newcomers. It's your chance to work out your Expo Hall strategy. Whose booth will you visit first? Which recruiters are looking for new talent? Who has the best freebies?

Convention Welcoming Reception
7:00PM-8:30PM

There won't be any confetti or balloons, but it's official: NLGJA has made it to our nation's capital! It's been a long campaign, but we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Well, after a bit of networking and a cocktail.