Communication StudiesCapin Hall • 570-408-4173 (T) • 570-408-7870 (F) • Email 2009 Tom Bigler Journalism Conference Named for one of the region’s most influential pioneers in broadcast journalism, the Tom Bigler Journalism Conference welcomes a wide variety of professionals from print, broadcast, public relations, photo and sports communication fields to the Wilkes University campus in Northeast Pennsylvania for an intensive one-day glimpse into the exciting world of journalism. Over a dozen professionals offer 40-minute interactive sessions to area high school students who have shown an interest in or aptitude for communication. The conference is free for all students, and also offers a simple lunch, student media competition, newspaper exchange, and hands-on workshops with Wilkes University students. Approximately 240 high school students from the region annually attend the event. In the interactive sessions, students will enjoy the opportunity to meet and talk with people they recognize from reading the newspaper, watching the nightly news, or whose award winning photography has been widely published in popular magazines. Most of the sessions involve lively Q & A time at their conclusion, and many students have noted afterward how valuable this first “up close” experience with the field is for them.
Over the past few years, Wilkes University has benefited from the generosity of several noteworthy professionals who have donated their time and expertise as keynote speakers for the event. Last year, our keynoter was Ms. Melinda Wittstock, Bureau Chief and Executive Director of Capitol News Connection, a hyper-local radio news wire service based in Washington, D.C. In 2007,Mr. Gene Policinski, Executive Director of the First Amendment Center in Nashville, TN, offered a keynote in keeping with the theme of the conference: “The Challenges and Responsibilities of a Free Press in the 21st Century.” In 2006, award-winning photojournalist, Gary Fabiano, offered insights into risk-taking in the field of journalism and provided firsthand accounts of his experiences covering Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. John Seigenthaler, Sr., one of the nation’s leading voices in First Amendment rights and responsibilities, donated his time to the conference in 2005. This year’s theme for the conference is “Reporting about Race,” and our keynote speaker is Arlene Notoro Morgan, Associate Dean of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and co-editor of The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity. We urge all high school students with an interest in public communication (print or broadcast journalism, public relations, photojournalism, entertainment and sports information) to join us for this exciting day of workshops.
Registration 7:30-8:50 a.m. 2nd Floor Henry Student Center Grand Ballroom; 84 W. South Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA Keynote Speaker 9:00 -9:45 a.m.
Plenary Session A: 10:00-10:45 a.m. (varied rooms)
Plenary Session B: 11:00-11:45 a.m. (varied rooms)
Plenary Session C: 12:00-12:45 p.m. (varied rooms)
Lunch & Awards 1:00-1:45 p.m. Henry Student Center Grand Ballroom 2nd floor The Tom Bigler Journalism Conference will take place at Wilkes University on Friday, April 3, 2009. Please call Dr. Andrea Frantz at 570.408.4165 or e-mail andrea.frantz@wilkes.edu with any questions. |