2022 New England Newspaper Convention Program

Friday, April 29

9:00 am – 10:15 am

Publishers Panel: Fighting To Keep Public Notices In Newspapers
This important, interactive session will provide updates on battles across the country to save public notice in newspapers. Information will be shared to arm publishers combating this in every New England state. Statewide public notice sites for newspapers will also be addressed.
Panelists:
Bob Ambrogi, Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association
Mike Donoghue, Vermont Press Association
Brendan McQuaid, New Hampshire Press Association, New Hampshire Union Leader
Chris Crockett, Maine Press Association, The Ellsworth American
Sam Fisher, Illinois Press Association

9:00 am – 10:15 am

Drone Journalism
This session will give you the basics you need to know to begin using drones in your reporting. Newsrooms around the country are gaining recognition and readers with high-quality visuals captured by drones that set them apart from their competitors. You will learn about the requirements and laws to begin using drones in your news coverage.
Presenter:
Robert C. Holt lll, Photojournalist

10:30 am – 11:45 am

Funding Journalism With Innovative News Labs
Readers, foundations, and corporations are supporting innovative news projects in New England newsrooms. We present three examples.
Panelists:
Carlos Virgen, The Day, New London, CT
Liz White, Record-Journal, Meriden, CT
Terrence Williams, Keene (NH) Sentinel
Moderator:
Joanne Heyman, Heyman Partners, The GroundTruth Project

10:30 am – 11:45 am

Visual Storytelling
Visual storytelling is becoming central to the audience strategy of large newsrooms like the Washington Post, but it’s a form of journalism that organizations of any size can take on. Learn how graphics such as maps and charts, as well as interactive elements like quizzes and calculators, can be used to grow readership and retain subscribers.
Presenter:
Reuben Fischer-Baum, The Washington Post, Nieman Foundation fellow

10:30 am – 11:45 am

Ideas And Inspiration To Grow Your Revenue
This session will be chock full of award-winning revenue ideas that you can bring back to your organization! Share your best revenue ideas with the group – and you might win a cash prize! Email your ideas to us so we can show them off!
Moderator:
Jim Rotche, President, Advantage Informatics

12 pm – 2:15 pm

Academy Of New England Journalists Presents Yankee Quill Award Luncheon

2:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Convention Keynote:
A Conversation With Boston Globe Editor Brian McGrory
The Boston Globe is celebrating 150 years as New England’s leading news organization. Join us for a conversation with editor, and 27-year Globe veteran, Brian McGrory, to talk about the challenges, opportunities, and innovations our industry is facing.
Presenter:
Brian McGrory, Boston Globe Editor

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Changing Roles And Breaking Barriers: Gender And Racial Inequity In Newsrooms And News Coverage
Newsrooms need to combat gender and racial inequities in their organizations and in their news coverage. This panel will discuss how you can better reflect the communities you serve.
Panelists:
Jeremy Fox, Boston Globe, The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide
Joanne Heyman, Heyman Partners, The GroundTruth Project
Gregory Lee, Boston Globe
Moderator: John Voket, Newtown Bee

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Journalism Funded By Philanthropy
The case for public support of local news has never been stronger. As publishers look to find sustainable ways to support their work, journalism funded by philanthropy has emerged as one viable pillar of funding. LMA’s Lab for Journalism Funding has helped 36 local publishers raise $7 million to fund essential local reporting. Hear lessons learned and best practices from the Lab’s leader and publishers who’ve participated.
Panelists:
Frank Mungeam, Chief Innovation Officer, Local Media Association
Jo Easton, Bangor Daily News

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Navigating The Briar Patch Of Ethics
Decisions on ethics often present news organizations with thorny dilemmas. This workshop will offer guidance to help you wend your way through these thickets. Our panelists will provide their thoughts – and ask for yours – on how to avoid or escape those dilemmas. We’ll share some anecdotal examples of dealing with touchy issues on deadline and invite you to join us in some exercises on how to handle decisions involving ethics. You’re invited to bring up at this session any difficult ethical cases you’ve faced, to explain how you handled them and whether fallout ensued.
Panelists:
Mike Donoghue, Vermont Press Association
Traci Griffith, Simmons University Associate Professor and Internship Coordinator
Link McKie, Consultant and Teacher
Judith Meyer, Sun Journal Executive Editor

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Convention Cocktail Reception Followed By Advertising Awards Presentation And Celebration

6:00 pm – 9:30 pm

New England Newspaper Hall Of Fame Cocktail Reception, Followed By Dinner And Induction

Saturday, April 30

9:00 am – 10:15 am

Monetizing Content
Join Nicco Mele, academic, writer, and businessman to discuss strategies and opportunities to monetize your content.
Presenter:
Nicco Mele, Managing Director, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation

9:00 am – 10:15 am

Social Media Audience Engagement Strategies
Social media is changing and challenging the way news publishers engage with their audiences. In this session, attendants will learn the best methods for attracting and retaining new audiences on social media platforms and learn more about various tools to expand their audience engagement.
Presenter:
Adriana Lacy, digital and audience engagement editor, Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

9:00 am – 10:15 am

Photojournalism – Year In Review
Photojournalists’ work over the past year is reviewed. How images are strong and/or lacking in composition, lighting, and capturing the 5 Ws depicted in the image. We’ll also discuss photojournalists’ ethics and responsibilities in covering communities.
Presenter:
Robert C. Holt lll, Photojournalist

10:30 am – 11:45 am

Media Law – Hot Issues In 2022
This panel will cover some hot topics in media law, including a contemporary look at such issues as defamation and more.
Presenters:
Rob Bertsche, Klaris
Roy Gutterman, Tully Center for Free Speech

10:30 am – 11:45 am

Covering Climate Change
Panelists will discuss how climate news is reported, how newsrooms are meeting the challenge, and how smaller community newspapers can cover climate news. Has demand for coverage shifted? What stories do readers respond to? Can stories impact policymaking? We’ll share particular stories we’ve enjoyed working on or found challenging, heartbreaking, or inspiring, and discuss the challenges we encounter in getting information to readers.
Panelists:
David Abel, Boston Globe
Sadie Babits, Society of Environmental Journalists, ASU Cronkite School of Journalism
Leslie Garrett, Bluedot Living
Jamie Kageleiry, Bluedot Living
Frank Mungeam, Covering Climate Collaborative, Local Media Association

10:30 am – 12:15 am

The Documentary Film “Those People” – An Experiment In Collaborative Storytelling
In the fall of 2010, the murder of Matthew Chew – committed by six teenagers – sowed anger, division, and fear in New London. While residents argued about how to respond to the tragedy, a group came together to stage a talent show at the Garde Arts Center. Over the next ten years, the annual New London Talent Show provided an outlet for young people in New London and the surrounding communities to express themselves, overcome obstacles and bridge divides.

Those People (70 minutes) tells the story, in their own words, of the lives that have been changed by the New London Talent Show. The documentary was an experiment in collaborative journalism, with some of the subjects taking part in the reporting process and having a say in how their stories were told. We will screen the film and discuss what lessons can be learned by breaking journalistic norms.
Presenter:
Peter Huoppi, The Day

2:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Beyond Summer Interns: How Journalism Schools And Local Publishers Are Teaming Up To Save Community News 
As we’ve been told many times, there is no silver bullet when it comes to finding a sustainable future for local news. But a growing number of publishers are leveraging a powerful community resource: journalism students and the professors who teach them. Come to this panel to learn about the benefits and challenges of partnering with journalism schools to fill gaps in your local information ecosystem. Panelists will share case studies from urban and rural markets, plus new research on how journalism schools are helping to solve the news desert crisis. You’ll also hear practical tips for collaborating with colleges and universities.
Panelists:
Meg Heckman, Northeastern University
Kristen Nevious, Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication, Franklin Pierce University
Richard Watts, University of Vermont
Lex Weaver, The Scope
Angelo Lynn, Addison County Independent

2:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Enhancing (Or Establishing!) Your Newsletters
Are your organizations producing eNewsletters that are (still) getting the engagement, results, and revenue generation you want? Spend an hour or so with award-winning creatives and admins chatting up ideas and tips to improve your eNewsletter – whether you’re just getting started, or your team is already cranking out multiple targeted products!
Panelists:
Jamie Kageleiry – Special Projects, The MVTimes / Director of Publications – Bluedot Living
John McCright, Managing Editor – Addison Independent
Karen Florin, Engagement Editor, The Day of CT
Moderator: John Voket, Editor, Newtown Bee

2:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Election Coverage With The Citizens Agenda
In this session, professor Jay Rosen of NYU will explain how your newsroom can get started with a more engaging form of election coverage, commonly known as the “citizens agenda” model. It begins not with the “race,” but with a simple engagement method. Learn the key steps in the citizens agenda style of campaign coverage, how to get started and what to watch out for.
Presenter:
Jay Rosen, New York University

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Convention Cocktail Reception

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Journalism Awards Banquet

Prizes sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics, Inc.

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