Thursday, June 16
Columbia University Lerner Hall
115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)

SUPER WORKSHOPS
(longer than Thursday & Friday workshops)

• WORKSHOP: Computer Assisted Reporting
  9 am-4 pm
  Presented by Investigative Reporters and Editors, the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting
  Instructors will show how reporters can incorporate basic CAR skills into beat reporting. The workshop will cover data analysis in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, retrieving data from Web sources and a brief introduction to database software applications such as Microsoft Access. The all-day session will be conducted in a computer lab at Columbia Journalism School and includes a break for lunch ¶For journalists of all levels
  This is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  Instructor: Robert Gebeloff, The (Newark) Star-Ledger
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, Dallas Morning News
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Photojournalism
  9 am-4 pm
  Photographers of all levels will make their way to Jackson Heights, where the visual challenge will be to capture a day in the South Asian enclave. You will be back in time for the opening reception. Work will be showcased at a later point of the convention. ¶For photographers of all levels and non-photographers who want to learn photography
  This is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  Instructor: David H. Wells, photojournalist
  manager: Seshu Badrinath, ESPN
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Cutting-Edge New Media Journalism: An Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling, Blogs and Video Blogs
  10 am-4 pm
  Internet journalism is no longer about shoveling print copy to the Web. Established news organizations as well as independent journalists are blending text, audio, video and photographs to create a compelling form of storytelling perfectly suited for the Net. And video bloggers are bypassing traditional media all together to post reports directly to the Web. This hands-on workshop will give you the skills required to jump into these new forms of journalism. You will be pleasantly surprised at how simple it can be to produce pieces in this potent medium. The all-day session will be conducted in a computer lab at Columbia Journalism School and includes a break for lunch.
  ¶For journalists of all levels but the following computer skills are a prerequisite: Basic Web site design and digital image editing skills.
  This is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  Instructors: Eric Owles, senior producer, The New York Times on the Web
  Manager: Sandeep Junnarkar, Professor, Indiana University
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Editing with a Critical Eye
  10 am-1 pm
  This session will be broken up in two segments. Newsday editors Mae Cheng and Reginald Thomas will walk 20 participants through their approach to assigning, managing and editing in the first part. They will address the daily challenges faced by editors. In the second half William Connolly, of The New York Times, will lead an editing exercise using the infamous "Jimmy's World" story. Participants who register for this workshop will be sent a copy of the story beforehand and are expected to read it and be prepared to discuss it.
  ¶For intermediate journalists
  Instructor: Mae Cheng, Reginald Thomas, editors at Newsday
  William Connolly, editor at The New York Times
  manager: Vikas Bajaj
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Becoming a Better Business Journalist
  1 pm-4 pm
  Presented by The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
  Learn to navigate the business world more effectively using insight from the Wharton faculty. This workshop will include a discussion of timely business topics and useful tips for reporters.
  ¶For intermediate journalists
  Instructors: Faculty TBA; Mukul Pandya, Knowledge@Wharton
  Manager: Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Radio as a Creative Art Form
  1 pm- 4 pm
  Presented by National Public Radio
  The session will be a mix really for the novice as well as the advanced radio journalist--a philosophical inquiry into realizing the potential of radio as a creative art. The workshop will seek to cover how to use the language of sound to tell a story
  ¶For journalists and non-journalists
  Instructor: Wilma Counsul, associate producer, NPR News' Morning Edition
  manager: Deepa Donde
  [ pre-select when you register ] 
  
• WORKSHOP: Turning Your Story into a Documentary
  1-4 pm
  Do you want to turn a print or broadcast story into a documentary? This class provides an overview of how it's done from conception to production to distribution. ¶For broadcast and print journalists and non-journalists
  Instructor: Thom Powers, filmmaker
  manager: Deepti Hajela
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• SAJA General Membership Meeting
  4:15-4:45 pm
  All paid members of SAJA and those who'd like to become members are welcome
  manager: John Laxmi

THURSDAY
6-9:30 pm

FRIDAY, June 17
9 am -5:30 pm
Columbia University Lerner Hall
115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)

Registration
Badge and bag pickup
Networking room open

8:15-9 am

9 am-11 am
Columbia University Faculty House
116th St & Amsterdam Ave - NOTE NEW LOCATION!

Opening Session
Vikas Bajaj, SAJA VP & Convention Chair
Deepti Hajela, SAJA President

Thomas L. Friedman, opinion columnist of the New York Times, bestselling author and three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize!

manager: Sreenath Sreenivasan

11:15 am -11:30 am

Friday, June 17
Columbia Lerner Hall
11:30-1 pm

Panels & Workshops

• PANEL: "Beyond Stereotypes: South Asian Immigrant Children in America
  Presented by the Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families
  What happens when the children of recent South Asian immigrants are thrown into American schools and swept into its culture? Historically, children and teens are better able than their parents to adapt and thrive in a new country. They often become the "interpreters" of the new culture, and are sometimes the family's public voice, particularly if the parents have language barriers. But often, those children are torn between parental expectations and their own growing independence. That can create pressures within families, as the children become more "Americanized" and pull away from parents' traditions and expectations. How do those pressures play out in the health, education and social lives of these immigrant children and teenagers?
  ¶For journalists of all levels and for non-journalists
  Speakers: This panel will feature academic experts, journalists and South Asian teens.
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, Convention Chair
  
• WORKSHOP: Investigative Business Journalism
  Presented by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the American Press Institute
  Come listen to techniques on digging into investigative business stories from an award-winning reporter from The New York Times. Diana Henriques, who so far this year has taken home the Worth Bingham Award, a George Polk Award and Goldsmith Prize for her stories on financial companies that preyed on young military men and women, will give her tips on how to turn business story idea into successful project.
  ¶For intermediate/mid-career journalists
  Instructor: Diana Henriques, The New York Times
  Manager: Vandana Sinha, Reynolds Center
  
• SALON: How Madhulika Sikka and ABC News did Bollywood
  Bollywood seems to be all the rage in the American media these days. But what is it like for the mainstream American media to report on a business used to dealing with the sympathetic filmi press back home? Nightline Senior Producer Madhulika Sikka talks about what it took to get "Bollywood" to air.
  ¶For intermediate/mid-career/veteran journalists only, please
  Manager: Hari Sreenivasan

Friday
2-3:30 pm

Workshops

• WORKSHOP: Long-form Writing with Paul Span
  Learn how to write longer - and better. Tips that will help you work on your long-form newspaper and magazine projects by dissecting a major story from The Washington Post - back by popular demand for the third year in a row!
  ¶For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
  Instructor: Paula Span, Columbia journalism professor and former staff writer, Washington Post Style section
  manager: Vikas Bajaj
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Depicting Disasters
  Two leading photographers talk about what it’s like to work in disaster areas such as South and Southeast Asia in the aftermath of the tsunami. How do the pros overcome the personal, moral and other challenges inherent in disaster assignments and still come away with compelling pictures.
  ¶For journalists of all levels.
  Instructors: Shahidul Alam, Drik, Bangladesh; David Handschuh, New York Daily News;
  manager: Seshu Badrinath, ESPN
  
• SALON: The Washington Bureau Life with Nikhil Deogun
  Want to break into a bureau in the nation's capital? What does it take to get to Washington -- and then what is the job like once you get there? Hear the answers from a DC-area decision maker for one of the country's largest newspapers in this salon discussion with Nikhil Deogun, deputy Washington bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal.
  ¶For intermediate/mid-career/veteran journalists only, please.
  Manager: Vandana Sinha
  
• MORE WORKSHOPS TBA

Friday
2:15-3:30 pm

Panels

• PANEL: Climbing the Magazine Ladder of Success
  Presented by the American Society of Magazine Editors
  The panel will provide strategic information about: How to obtain freelance assignments that can lead to a full-time job; if you're not in the inner circle, how do you gain entry?; how to translate,leverage your experience to move up the ladder; the characteristics of a "good" editor; how to network with people in journalism in order to lead you to a successful magazine track.
  Speakers: Nisid Hajari, managing editor Newsweek International; Cindy del Rosario, associate editor, O, The Oprah Magazine
  Moderator: Cyndi Stivers, president and editorial director, Time Out New York
  Manager: Monica Mehta, U.C. Berkeley
  
• PANEL: Parachuting into Disaster
  In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, many American media organizations turned to reporters of South Asian origin for help. Hear four print and broadcast reporters who were dispatched to Asia discuss their individual experiences. They will talk about how they dealt with both the superlative and mundane challenges posed by the assignment, their editors and the horrific circumstances.
  Speakers: Pia Sarkar, reporter, San Francisco Chronicle; Mehul Srivastava, Dayton Daily News; Dr. Mona Khanna, reporter, KTVT-TV, Dallas
  Moderator and manager: Suleman Din, The (Newark) Star-Ledger

Friday
3:30 pm -3:45 pm

Friday
3:45-5:15 pm

Workshops

• WORKSHOP: Information Graphics Made Easy (Really!)
  Presented by Society for News Design
  A hands-on workshop designed to help you think through and create graphics when you are short on time, money and people.
  ¶For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
  Instructor: Pankaj Paul, Director of Design & Presentation, The (Delaware) News Journal
  manager: Vikas bajaj
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: New York Times Writing Workshop
  Presented by The New York Times
  A hands-on workshop designed to help you think through and create graphics when you are short on time, money and people.
  ¶For journalists of all levels
  Instructor: Senior reporters and editors from the NYT.
  manager: Sree Sreenivasan
  
• WORKSHOP: Afraid of Math? Take a Number
  The biggest source of mistakes in newspapers is numbers. Whether it’s confusing millions with billions, calculating percentage of change incorrectly or confusing percent with percentage point, numbers have been baffling reporters and editors for years. Many journalists seem to pride themselves in how little they know about numbers, and it shows every day. This seminar—which takes word-for-word examples from some of the nation’s best newspapers—aims to correct that by providing samples of some of the most common mistakes and the solutions to them.
  Instructor: Richard Holden, executive director, Dow Jones Newspaper Fund
  

Friday, June 17
4-5:30 pm

Panels

• PANEL: Thinking Big: Making the Best of a Bureau Beat
  The great thing about journalism is that even if you're new to the job, in a tiny newsroom or in the suburban bureau of your newspaper, you can still tell meaningful stories. This panel features reporters who have done just that, winning accolades in their newsrooms, winning awards and -- most importantly -- doing the work of watching out for the public interest, fostering thoughtful debates on public issues and writing lively narratives that engage readers.
  ¶For journalists of all levels
  Speakers: Jon Rockoff, Baltimore Sun; Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press; Ryan Kim, San Francisco Chronicle; Sandhya Somashekhar, former reporter at the Fremont (Calif.) Argus
  Moderator: Julie Patel, San Jose Mercury News
  Manager: Julie Patel
  
• PANEL: How to Be a Change Agent in Your Newsroom
  Presented by the American Society of Newspaper Editors
  A panel of top editors explains how to influence news coverage whether you are a beginning reporter or assistant mid-level editor.
  Speakers: TBA
  manager: Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
  
• PANEL: SAJA Award Winners Talk About their Work
  Winners and runners-up in SAJA’s annual awards will discuss their work and how they went about getting the interviews and photos that set their work apart.
  Speakers: Award winners TBA
  manager: Sandeep Junnarkar, business reporter and Seshu Badrinath, ESPN
  

Friday, June 17
5:30-6 pm

Friday, June 17
6-9 pm
Columbia University Lerner Hall
115th St & Broadway

Friday Reception
Drinks, light food, networking; cash bar
Free for convention attendees; $20 for all others; pay at the door

SATURDAY, June 18
8 am - 5 pm

SATURDAY, June 19
8-8:45 am
LOCATION: Lerner Hall Columbia University
115th St & Broadway

SATURDAY, June 18
9 am-10:30 am

PLENARY: Desis Changing America
Senior journalists, newsmakers and experts look at how the South Asian community has changed and how it has changed America over the last 10 years
¶For journalists and non-journalists
manager: Sreenath Sreenivasan

SATURDAY, June 18
10:30 am -10:45 am

SATURDAY, June 18
10:45 am - 12:15 pm

Panels & Workshops

WORKSHOP: Business Stories Beyond the Business Desk
Presented by the Society of American Business Editors & Writers
Some of the best business stories can be found on non-business beats. Education, city council, sports and the arts all have one thing in common: money. And where there's money, there are great business stories. Listen to experienced business journalists talk about how to bring them to life.
Instructors: Josh Mills, director of Master's Program in Business Journalism at Baruch College and former The New York Times reporter and editor
¶For journalists of all levels
Manager: Vandana Sinha, Reynolds Center

Lunch on your own / Networking

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! You are invited to taste what The New York Times called "the best street food in NY"... By special arrangement, "Trinidad-Pakistan United Nation Food," a cart serving South Asian food in midtown will be available outside the convention building. You are in for a real treat. Or you can eat at one of the neighborhood restaurants.

SATURDAY, June 18
1:15-2:45 pm

Workshops

• WORKSHOP: Be an Idea Machine: Visual Brainstorming Secrets
  Presented by Society for News Design
  Everyone has days where the stories are complex, abstract, or something that's been done a million times before. How do you show something that's hard to tell? This session is for anyone who's looking for ways to connect emotionally with readers and become a more imaginative thinker.
  ¶For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
  Instructor: Bonita Burton, assistant managing editor, The Orlando Sentinel
  manager: Vikas bajaj
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Investigations Off the Beat
  Presented by Investigate Reporters and Editors
  Covering a beat means daily stories and “feeding the beast,” whether in print or broadcast. But beat reporters also find bigger stories from their beats, stories that require not only time but also deeper skills. Often these beat stories are at the heart of fulfilling our First Amendment responsibilities. Learn how to plan, report and write or produce the big story while managing and juggling a beat. Find out how to do better interviews, get a documents frame of mind and create the stories that have big impact in your community.
  ¶For journalists of all levels.
  Instructors: TBA
  Manager: David Donald, IRE

SATURDAY, 1:30-2:45 pm

PANEL: Reporting the Tsunami: A New Model for Global Disaster Coverage?
How did the U.S. media cover the Dec. 26 tsunami and its aftermath? This was not only South Asia's biggest story so far this year -- it was an international catastrophe. How well did reporters and editors convey its global scale and impact? Covering the tsunami required a sophisticated understanding of science, public health, international aid flows and local politics. How well did journalists handle that task? This disaster, like so many others, had its iconic images. How did media outlets use them, or misuse them? This panel of senior journalists will answer these questions and challenge us to find, through the lessons of covering the tsunami, a new model for reporting on international disasters.
Speakers: Subrata De, producer, NBC Nightly News; Howard Chua-Eoan, chief of correspondents, Time; Shahidul Alam, director of Bangladesh's Drik.
Moderator and manager: Jyoti Thottam, Time.

2:45 pm - 3 pm

SATURDAY, 3 pm - 4:30 pm

Workshops

• WORKSHOP: Broadcast News Writing
  90 minutes guaranteed to improve your TV and radio writing skills, taught by the newswriting guru who has worked with some of the biggest names in broadcasting - back by popular demand!
  ¶For journalists of all levels; non-journalists welcome
  Instructor: Mervin Block, America's leading broadcast writing coach
  manager: Hari Sreenivasan
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• WORKSHOP: Telling Life’s Intimate Stories
  This workshop teaches techniques to help reporters learn and tell stories about intimate topics such as abuse, death, addiction, grief, sexuality and faith.
  ¶For journalists of all levels; non-journalists welcome
  Instructor: Steve Buttry, director of tailored programs, American Press Institute
• MORE WORKSHOPS TBA

SATURDAY, 3:15-4:45 pm

Panels - TBA

4:45 -6:30 pm

SATURDAY, 6:30 pm-midnight

SUNDAY, June 19
11 am-2 pm
NOTE VENUE: Maharaja Restaurant, 230 E. 44th St (btw 2nd & 3rd Aves), two blocks from Grand Central Station and UN

Networking Brunch & Comedy Show
SAJA's traditional Sunday Brunch this year features a show by three prominent South Asian comics who are all first-timers at SAJA
Rasika Mathur (from Los Angeles)
Dan Nainan (from New York)
Azhar Usman (from Chicago)

Join us for a hilarious show, delicious South Indian buffet and great company.

Pay at the door (includes South Indian buffet and performance):

• Student Attendees: $10
• All others registered: $15
• Non-Convention attendees: $20

RSVP: sajarsvp@yahoo.com (subject line = "Brunch") -- you will pay at the door.
manager: Aseem Chhabra & Vikas Bajaj