Highlights Include a Conversation With NBA Player Jason Collins, a Panel on Chicago-style Politics and Expert Tips From “Oprah” Producer Chris Gajilan on Landing the Interviewer’s Big Get and More
For Immediate Release: July 7, 2014
Media Contact: Bach Polakowski
202-588-9888 or bach@nlgja.org
The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) will hold its National Convention and 10th LGBT Media Summit at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago August 21through August 24 with a full lineup. This annual event marks the 22nd year the organization has brought together journalists, news executives and communications professionals to build skills, network and engage in a lively and engaging discussion on the topic of fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues in the news media.
The four-day assembly will begin with the LGBT Media Summit on Thursday, August 21 and three boot camps, followed by two full days of programming with more than 30 workshops designed to address the needs of journalists and those in the communication industry. The convention also will include Connect: the NLGJA Student Journalism Project, the Women's Networking Dinner, NLGJA's Excellence in Journalism Awards and numerous other learning and networking opportunities.
NBA Brooklyn Nets player Jason Collins will be among the headliners at this year’s convention, sharing his experiences in dealing with the news media after coming out after the end of the 2012-2013 season. Among this year’s notable speakers will be Chris Gajilan, National Emmy and Gracie Allen Individual Achievement Award-winning “Oprah” producer. She will discuss how to land the big get at “The Art of the Interview”. Melissa Bell, founder of Vox Media, will address attendees at the “Digging Deeper with Digital Media” boot camp. Craig Dellimore, political editor at WBBM Newsradio, will lead “The Center of the Universe: Chicago and Politics” and implications for election news coverage in a live airing of the station’s “At Issue” program
“We believe this year’s convention is going to be one of the best ever,” said Jen Christensen, NLGJA president and a CNN producer. “Chicago is a perfect location for staging the event given how central it is to issues driving the news both literally and figuratively. In addition, we are excited about innovative new programming we are introducing.”
There are two new additions to the convention this year; a slate of boot camps focused on marketing, communications and business skills and the Michael Triplett Speaker Series on the intersection between religion and the LGBT community. Both are availble to the public.
The boot camps will be held August 21 and will focus on the following subjects: “The Write Stuff: How to Write a Book Proposal that Sells Without Selling Out,” “Digging Deeper with Digital Media” and “The Business of Me: Innovative Ways to Build Your Personal Brand or Business.”
The convention will also feature StoryCorps, which will collect the various stories of NLGJA’s members through the years and the organization’s impact and for possible inclusion in a StoryCorps OutLoud segment. StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization that records the stories of everyday people and preserves them at the Library of Congress, with selected stories broadcast on NPR.
To register for the NLGJA National Convention and LGBT Media Summit and to stay updated on the latest speaker and programming news, please visit: www.nlgja.org.
About NLGJA
Founded in 1990, NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members.
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