APME NEWSTRAIN/MONTGOMERY
Full Program
June 14 - 15, 2006
NewsTrain is a national training program that emphasizes the development of editing and management skills in frontline editors. Sponsored by the Associated Press Managing Editors, the program receives substantial funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
| Workshop location: |
The Montgomery Advertiser 425 Molton St. Montgomery, Alabama |
With special thanks to the local partners who helped plan and promote this workshop: The Montgomery Advertiser; The Associated Press/ Alabama and Georgia; The Tuscaloosa News; The Dothan Eagle; The Anniston Star; Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc., and the Alabama Press Association.
Program note: We randomly divide the group into two teams, Green and Blue. Every editing and management session is offered twice so editors can take each of these segments.
| Wednesday, June 14: | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Registration Location: Lobby of the Montgomery Advertiser |
| 10:00 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions Wanda Lloyd, editor, The Montgomery Advertiser Lillian Swanson, NewsTrain project director Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 10:30 a.m. | Coaching Your Writers (Green Team) Why: More talk leads to an easier edit. The best editing occurs before a single word is written. Editors need to get involved early, talk about ideas, discuss the likely paths a story could take, the diverse sources that could be contacted. These conversations can be tricky, but when done right, are very rewarding for both the editor and the writer. You'll learn questions to ensure that fresh and diverse perspectives are addressed; how to have difficult conversations about stories, and how to get writers to be better editors of their own work. Presenter: Don Fry, writing and editing coach, and co-author of the book, "Coaching Writers". Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 10:30 a.m. | Having difficult conversations & giving effective feedback (Blue Team) Why: Because your integrity is on the line Learn key steps to resolving a conflict. Learn strategies for defusing an emotional situation and preserving the work relationship. Learn how to get your messages across effectively as you tie your feedback to your key goals. Presenter: Edward Miller, managing director, The Newsroom Leadership Group Location: Tallapoosa Room, first floor |
| Noon | Lunch Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 1:00 p.m. | Developing more enterprise off a beat (Green Team) Why: Because some of our best stories come out of beat reporting Learn how to set goals, manage time and define various kinds of enterprise so the opportunities are easier to spot off a beat. Presenter: Don Fry Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 1:00 p.m. | Motivation and morale (Blue Team) Why: Because it underlies all action What three things do your staffers want? Learn what the research says will move people to do their best work and what will chill creativity. See how to stay motivated yourself in a newsroom environment, and help others to keep striving, too. Presenter: Edward Miller Location: Tallapoosa Room, first floor |
| 2:00 p.m. | Break |
| 2:15 p.m. | Coaching Your Writers (Blue Team) Why: More talk leads to an easier edit. The best editing occurs before a single word is written. Editors need to get involved early, talk about ideas, discuss the likely paths a story could take, the diverse sources that could be contacted. These conversations can be tricky, but when done right, are very rewarding for both the editor and the writer. You'll learn questions to ensure that fresh and diverse perspectives are addressed; how to have difficult conversations about stories, and how to get writers to be better editors of their own work. Presenter: Don Fry Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 2:15 p.m. | Having difficult conversations & giving effective feedback (Green Team) Why: Because your integrity is on the line Learn key steps to resolving a conflict. Learn strategies for defusing an emotional situation and preserving the work relationship. Learn how to get your messages across effectively as you tie your feedback to your key goals. Presenter: Edward Miller Location: Tallapoosa Room, first floor |
| 3:45 p.m. | Break |
| 4:00 p.m. | Developing more enterprise off a beat (Blue Team) Why: Because some of our best stories come out of beat reporting Learn how to set goals, manage time and define various kinds of enterprise so the opportunities are easier to spot off a beat. Presenter: Don Fry Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 4:00 p.m. | Motivation and morale (Green Team) Why: Because it underlies all action What three things do your staffers want? Learn what the research says will move people to do their best work and what will chill creativity. See how to stay motivated yourself in a newsroom environment, and help others to keep striving, too. Presenter: Edward Miller Location: Tallapoosa Room, first floor |
| 5:00 p.m. | Management strategies: A follow-up conversation Why: Because there is much you can learn from each other We'll divide into small groups and talk some more about the management strategies you learned in the management segments. What will work in your newsroom? What else can you do to solve ongoing management problems? Facilitators: Edward Miller and Lil Swanson Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 5:45 p.m. | End of first day Play Ball! You're invited to keep the conversation going and join in a free trip to the ballgame to watch the Montgomery Biscuits host the Mobile Bay Bears in a Class AA Southern League game. Game time is 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, June 15: | |
| 8:00 a.m. | Continental breakfast available Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 8:30 a.m. | Welcome back & announcements Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| (Choose between the following two courses. Editors from the same paper might want to split up.) |
|
| 8:45 a.m. | Covering the New America Why: Because the demographics have changed dramatically We are in the midst of one of the great stories of our lives - a profound change in who makes up our cities; our suburbs; our state, and our country. Once again, the world has come to America. This great wave of immigrants will have long-term implications for our labor force; schools; the types of industries that will spring up; the kinds of stores that will open; how much we will pay in taxes, and who will pay for our Social Security. A session with plenty of facts, figures and a chance to talk about story ideas. Presenter: "Bobbi" Bowman, diversity director, American Society of Newspaper Editors Location: Tallapoosa Room, first floor |
| -- OR -- | |
| 8:45 a.m. | Building Your Readership Why: Because alternative story forms attract more readers You've heard about the Readership Institute's ground-breaking study of newspapers and subsequent research, but you're not sure what to make of it all. Are newspapers really using this stuff, and is it making a difference? You bet it is, and we'll show you some of the best examples from around the country. You'll take away good, useful ideas that can help your newspaper increase its readership. Presenter: Brad Dennison, VP for editorial at CNHI Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 10:00 p.m. | Break |
| 10:15 p.m. | Newsgathering partners: Reporters and photographers Why: Because photographers are good storytellers, too Secrets of brainstorming for higher-impact story packages. See what happens when photographers and reporters talk early in the story process. With examples of how this cooperation can make a big difference in presenting stories to readers. Presenter: Kenny Irby, visual journalism group leader and diversity program director, The Poynter Institute Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 11:15 p.m. | Break |
| 11:00 p.m. | Training: Get on Board Why: Because newspapers are a business, too A discussion of how and why some news organizations are putting more emphasis on professional development of their staffs. Resources you can use to get valuable training for yourself and push for more training for those you lead. Take a virtual tour of a new e-learning site, News University at Poynter. Presenter; Lil Swanson, APME NewsTrain director Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| Noon | Lunch and a Conversation with Georgette Norman Georgette is the director of the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Montgomery. Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 1:30 p.m. | Understanding the New Media Why: Because web-based journalism is here The winners in the great digital news shakeout of the early 21st century will be those who understand how to take advantage of the unique attributes of the different media, and how to make the lives of news consumers less complicated. The question is whether newspapers, in particular, are evolving quickly enough. We'll discuss some practical ways individual editors can make a difference in their newsrooms. Presenter: Paul Crawford, online director, The Montgomery Advertiser Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 2:30 p.m. | Break |
| 2:45 p.m. | Ethical decision-making Using case studies, we'll discuss some methods to approaching ethical issues. We'll examine what you are trying to balance when you are faced with ethical dilemmas. Editors will be encouraged to discuss ethical problems they've encountered and through Q and A, we'll see what the best solutions might be. Presenter: Kenny Irby Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 4:15 p.m. | NewsTrain Caboose Taking the lessons home, feedback forms and goodbye Location: Freedom Room, first floor |
| 4:30 p.m. | End of the workshop |