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- 1,000 journalists and guests from around the United States & Canada + Europe & South Asia
- Internationally known headliners, superb speakers, panels and workshops
- JOB FAIR and several professional development and skills panels
- Gala scholarship dinner + three receptions + networking brunch
- See stories about previous conventions -
2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001
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Questions, comments, suggestions for speakers?
Contact SAJA Convention Chair VIKAS BAJAJ
of The New York Times: vikasbajaj+convention@gmail.com -
feel free to CC saja@columbia.edu.
Want to be a sponsor? Talk about maximum visibility!
Become a member! (Discounts on registration)
Get a Job Fair booth (just $125!) Email SAJA
Corporate table of 10 for Gala Dinner ($1,000)
10 convention passes + listing in program
get more information: Email SAJA
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- Thursday, June 169 am - 4 pm at Columbia
Super workshops (3-5 hours each)
2 pm - 4 pm: Resume & tape critique
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm: SAJA Members General Meeting
6 - 9 pm: Opening reception
- Friday, June 17Registration
8:15 am: Networking Breakfast at Lerner Hall, Columbia
9 am: Opening Plenary on War Coverage
11:30 am - 6 pm: Workshops, Panels (1.5 hours)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Lunch
2 pm - 5:30 pm: Job Fair
6 pm - 9 pm: Reception
- Saturday, June 188 am - 8:45 am: Networking breakfast at Lerner Hall, Columbia
9 am - 10:30 am: Plenary/Headliner
10:45 am - 6 pm: Workshops, Panels
Noon - 5:30 pm: Job Fair
6:30 pm - 10 pm: Gala Dinner
- Sunday, June 19 11
am - 2 pm: Networking brunch featuring South Asian
comics
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Columbia University Lerner Hall 115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)
(SUPER WORKSHOPS: longer than Friday and Saturday workshops)
- SUPER WORKSHOP Computer Assisted Reporting
Thursday, 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
Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
Instructors Robert Gebeloff, The (Newark) Star-Ledger
Manager Vikas Bajaj, Dallas Morning News
[ pre-select when you register ]
- SUPER WORKSHOP Photojournalism
Thursday, 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.
Since 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 ]
- SUPER WORKSHOP Cutting-Edge New Media Journalism: An Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling, Blogs and Video Blogs
Thursday, 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.
Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
Instructor
Eric Owles, senior producer, The New York Times on the Web
Jay Dedman, community organizer at MNN, a Manhattan TV station.
Manager Sandeep Junnarkar, Professor, Indiana University
[ pre-select when you register ]
- SUPER WORKSHOP Editing with a Critical Eye
Thursday, 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 ]
- SUPER WORKSHOP Becoming a Better Business Journalist
Presented by The Wharton School of the University of PennsylvaniaThursday, 1 pm-4 pm
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
Instructor
John R. Percival, Ph.D., adjunct professor of finance, The Wharton School;
Mukul Pandya, Knowledge@Wharton
Manager Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
[ pre-select when you register ]
- SUPER WORKSHOP Radio as a Creative Art Form
Presented by National Public RadioThursday, 1 pm- 4 pm
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 Consul, associate
producer, NPR News' Morning Edition
Manager Deepa Donde
[ pre-select when you register ]
- SUPER WORKSHOP Turning Your Story into a Documentary
Thursday, 1 pm - 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 Meema Spadola, director, producer, writer; credits include "Red Hook Justice," "Our House" for PBS; "Private Dicks" and "Breasts" for HBO/Cinemax
Manager Deepti Hajela
[ pre-select when you register ]
- SAJA General Membership Meeting
Thursday, 4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
All paid members of SAJA and those who'd like to become members are welcome.
Manager John Laxmi
- Opening Reception
Thursday, 6:00 pm - 9 pm
Location Rubin Museum of Art, W. 17th St - details to come
sponsorship available!
Drinks, light food, networking; cash bar.
sponsorship available!
KEYNOTE
Vanita Gupta, NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer who helped acquit 46 African Americans wrongly accused in Tulia, Texas
Adam Liptak, legal affairs writer, The New York Times (covered the case for NYT)
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Columbia
University Lerner Hall 115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)
- Registration
Badge and bag pickup
Networking room open
- BREAKFAST :: Network,
network, network!
Friday, 8:15 am - 9 am
Coffee, tea & pastries will be served during breakfast
- Opening Plenary
Friday, 9 am - 11 am / room 555
Vikas Bajaj, SAJA VP & Convention Chair
Deepti Hajela, SAJA President
Covering the war in Iraq presents a new set of challenges for
journalists. The chasm between reporting and safety seems to
growing bigger daily as journalists decide whether to embed
themselves with the U.S. military or brave the security situation
on their own. Leading reporters talk about their experiences
covering Iraq, what the U.S. public is not reading about the
situation there and figuring out how to cover the conflict
zone.
Speakers:
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, former Baghdad bureau
chief for The Washington Post;
Gaiutra Bahadur,
staff writer, Philadelphia Inquirer;
Drew Millhon, ABC News producer;
Michael Massing, contributing editor, Columbia
Journalism Review.
Moderator: Leela Jacinto, editor/writer, ABCNews.com.
Manager Renuka Rayasam, Austin-American
Statesman; S. Mitra Kalita, TheWashington Post
- BREAK :: Network,
network, network!
Friday, 11:15 am -11:30 am
Network, plan your day
- PANEL South
Asian Trade Winds and Economic Shifts
Friday, 11:30 am -1 pm
The rapid growth of India and China pose not only outsourcing
challenges but also significant economic opportunities
and shifts in worldwide trade, currency, investment
and immigration patterns. This panel will focus on
the extent and quality of coverage of these issues,
from a range of perspectives, including media and journalism,
business and investor interests, public policy and
government. The panel will probe into the coverage
of China vs. India, India vs. the rest of South Asia
and examine whether the coverage is sufficiently in
depth to be useful to the general public, investors,
business and government.
Speakers will include seasoned journalists from Business
Week and The Wall Street Journal, an influential investment
manager and a representative of the Government of India.
For journalists of all levels and for non-journalists
Speakers Mike
Allen,
page one editor, The Wall Street Journal; A.R.
Ghanashyam,
consul/minister, Consulate General of India; David
Rocks, Asia Editor of BusinessWeek; Ram
Kolluri, president,
GlobalValue Fund; Ram Mynampati, president,
Satyam Computers Services
Moderator John
Laxmi,
SAJA Treasurer
- PANEL Beyond
Stereotypes: South Asian Immigrant Children in America
Presented by the
Casey Journalism Center on Children and FamilieFriday,
11:30 am -1 pm
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 S.
Mitra Kalita, staff
writer, The Washington Post and author of The Suburban Sahibs;
Madhulika S. Khandelwal, director of the Asian/American
Center and associate professor in the Urban Studies department
at Queens College, City University of New York; Annetta
Seecharran,
executive director of South Asian Youth Action.
Moderator Beth
Frerking, executive director, Casey Journalism Center
at the University of Maryland.
Manager Vikas Bajaj, Convention
Chair
- WORKSHOP Investigative
Business Journalism
Presented by the
Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
at the American Press InstituteFriday, 11:30
am - 1 pm
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 did Bollywood
Friday, 11:30 am - 1 pm
¨
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 101" to
air.
Manager: Hari Sreenivasan, anchor, ABC News Now
Room: East Lounge
- LUNCH on your own
or network, network, network!
Friday, 1 pm - 2 pm
Grab a quick lunch in the neighborhood.
- Job Fair (continues
Saturday)
Friday, 2 pm - 5:30 pm
Meet recruiters in an informal setting. Bring your resumes.
Confirmed recruiters include:
ABC
ABCDLady
Associated Press
UC Berkeley/Nirvana
Diversity Magazine
Dow Jones
ESPN
Gannett
NBC/WNBC
Rave
Star Tribune
Sun-Sentinel
Time
WNYC
WSJ
Job seekers attending the convention can upload their
resumes at JournalismNext.com,
a SAJA partner. Recruiters will be able to access
your information before, during and after the convention.
- Individual Critiques
Get your resumes, design portfolios, photos and broadcast resume
reels critiqued. Senior journalists from various disciplines
will be on hand to critique your work. First come, first served.
For journalists of all levels
Instructor TBA
- WORKSHOP Long-form
Writing with Paul Span
Friday, 2 pm - 3:30 pm
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
Friday, 2 pm - 3:30 pm
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
- WORKSHOP Are
South Asians really more successful than other Asians
in the United States?
Presented by the U.S.
Census BureauFriday, 2 pm - 3:30 pm
The number of South Asians in America has grown in
population. They are advancing in their education and
earning high incomes. But exactly by how much and how
well are they doing compared to other Asians? A recent
Census report examined Asian Americans in the United
States and its author will talk about its findings
and provide tips on finding and using Census data in
stories about South Asians in America.
Instructor Rosemarie
Fogarty, Information Services Specialist of
the U.S. Census Bureau
Manager Monika Mathur,
The Associated Press
- SALON The
Washington Bureau Life with Nikhil Deogun
Friday, 2 pm - 3:30 pm
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
- PANEL Climbing
the Magazine Ladder of Success
Presented by the
American Society of Magazine EditorsFriday,
2:15-3:30 pm
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;
Albert Kim, asst. managing editor,
People,
Cindy del Rosario, associate editor,
O, The Oprah Magazine
Moderator Cyndi
Stivers, executive VP, Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia
Manager Monica Mehta,
U.C. Berkeley
- PANEL Nonfiction
Book Writing
Friday, 2:15-3:30 pm
Speakers will talk about how one can make the transition
from reporter to writer. They’ll also discuss
how to develop a book premise off of a story or beat.
Speakers Michele
Wucker,
World Policy Institute, co-director of the
Immigrant Voting Project; Irshad
Manji, author of The
Trouble with Islam Today; S. Mitra
Kalita, staff writer,
The Washington Post and author of The Suburban Sahibs.
Manager Nirav
Desai, The Subcontinental
- PANEL Parachuting
into Disaster
Friday, 2:15-3:30 pm
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
- BREAK :: Network,
network, network!
Friday, 3:30 pm -3:45 pm
- WORKSHOP Information
Graphics Made Easy (Really!)
Presented by Society for News
DesignFriday, 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
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 TimesFriday, 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
Always struggling with ledes? Can't seem to get sources to open
up to you? Told to write with voice but can't find yours? Having
trouble separating spin from fact? We've all got demons when
it comes to getting the story and writing it. Bring yours to
this problem-solving session with reporters from The New York
Times. We'll help you work out some of your issues and, in the?process,
we'll engage in rich conversations about our craft. Come prepared
for a lot of give-and-take.
For journalists of all levels
Instructors NYT reporters Jennifer
8. Lee, Jennifer Bayot, Warren
St. John, Lola Ogunnaike
Manager Sree Sreenivasan
- WORKSHOP Afraid
of Math? Take a Number
Friday, 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
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
- PANEL Thinking
Big: Making the Best of a Bureau Beat
Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
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
Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
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
Genetta M. Adams, assistant managing
editor/features, Newsday;
Henry Freeman, editor and vice president/news,
The Journal News, Westchester, NY;
Jim Willse, editor, The Star-Ledger,
Newark, NJ
Moderator TBA
Manager Sudeep Reddy,
The Dallas Morning News
- Break ::
Network, network, network!
Friday, 5:30 pm - 6 pm
- Friday Reception with Oscar
Winners
Lerner Hall, Columbia
University, 115th St & Broadway 6 pm -
9 pm
A tribute to Ismail Merchant, the
award-winning film maker who died last month. He
and his partner James Ivory made a lasting contribution
to Western and Desi cinema.
Speakers: Vibhuti Patel, editor at Newsweek and leading arts writer; Asif
Mandvi,
actor.
Remarks and Q&A with film makers Ross
Kauffman (2005 Oscar winner for "Born
into Brothels") and Roberto
Romano ("Stolen
Childhoods").
Drinks, light food, networking; cash bar
Free for convention attendees;
$20 for all others; pay at the door
Email SAJA | Convention Overview | Ticket Info | Buy Tix | Sponsorship
-
Lerner
Hall, Columbia University, 115th St & Broadway
Registration
Saturday, 8 am - 5 pm
Badge and bag pickup
Networking room open
- Breakfast :: Network,
network, network!
Saturday, 8 am - 8:45 am
Coffee, tea & pastries will be served during breakfast
- PLENARY A
SAJA Conversation
Saturday, 9 am - 10:30 am
Come listen to two of the most successful South Asian journalists
in American media discuss their careers, their journey and the
state of the media. Plenty of Q&A.
For journalists and non-journalists
Raju Narisetti,
editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe and
Snigdha Prakash, reporter for NPR's Morning Edition
Manager Sreenath Sreenivasan
- Break :: Network,
network, network!
Saturday, 10:30 am -10:45 am
- WORKSHOP Business
Stories Beyond the Business Desk
Presented by the
Society of American Business Editors & WritersSaturday,
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
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.
For journalists of all levels
Instructor Josh
Mills, director of Master's Program in Business Journalism
at Baruch College and former The New York Times reporter and
editor; John J. Edwards III, news editor in
charge of production for The Wall Street Journal's forthcoming
Pursuits section.
Manager Vandana Sinha, Reynolds
Center
- PANEL Fiction
Writing
Saturday, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Five US-based South Asian fiction writers will talk
about the writing process, finding agents, selling
and marketing their books.
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers
Abha Dawesar, Babyji;
Pooja Makhijani, Mama's Saris;
Mary Anne Mohanraj, Bodies in Motion;
Meera Nair, Video;
Sanjay Sanghoee, Merger.
Moderator and manager Aseem
Chhabra
- PANEL Finding
the Faith Angle Amidst Tragedy
Presented by the
Religion Newswriters AssociationSaturday,
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Religion was a major story angle in the December tsunami but
reporting it was not easy. What are resources for covering religion
on the fly, how do journalists cover non-Western faiths fairly
and what are some ways to be sensitive to faith when reporting
tragedies.
Speaker Jeff
Diamant, reporter,
Newark Star-Ledger and Niraj Warikoo, staff
writer, The Detroit Free Press
Moderator Kim
Lawton, managing editor and correspondent, Religion & Ethics
Newsweekly;
Manager Vikas Bajaj
- PANEL Making
It As a Freelancer
Saturday, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Tips and advice from top freelancers about how to get
ahead. Topics covered include: Do's and Don'ts, networking,
freelance unions, legal aspects, freelancing on the
side, how to enter new markets, how to break into bigger
and better magazines
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers
Marci Alboher, career/workplace issues
reporter;
Sandeep Junnarkar, business reporter;
Julia M. Klein, cultural reporter/critic
Moderator and manager Nina
Mehta, finance reporter
- Job Fair (continues
from Friday)
Saturday, Noon - 5:30 pm
Meet recruiters in an informal setting. Bring your resumes.
Confirmed recruiters include:
ABC
ABCDLady
Associated Press
UC Berkeley/Nirvana
Diversity Magazine
ESPN
Gannett
NBC/WNBC
Rave
Star Tribune
Sun-Sentinel
WNYC
WSJ
If you would like to attend as a recruiter, let us know.
Job seekers attending the convention can upload their resumes
at JournalismNext.com, a SAJA partner. Recruiters will be able
to access your information before, during and after the convention.
- Individual Critiques
Saturday, Noon - 5:30 pm
Get your resumes, design portfolios, photos and broadcast resume
reels critiqued.
Senior journalists from various disciplines will be on hand to
critique your work. First come, first served.
For journalists of all levels
Instructors TBA
- Lunch on your own ::
Network, network, network!
Saturday, 11:45 am - 1:15 pm
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.
- WORKSHOP Be
an Idea Machine: Visual Brainstorming Secrets
Presented by Society
for News DesignSaturday, 1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
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
Saturday, 1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
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: Tom McGinty, reporter,
Newsday
Manager: David Donald, IRE
- WORKSHOP Negotiating
Broadcast Contracts
Saturday, 1:15 pm - 2:45 pm
Need an edge in the cutthroat world of on-air news
reporting? Hear from three leading talent agents talk
about career development from experts in the field
of managing and planning the careers of anchors, reporters
and producers, in news and sports broadcasting at all
career levels.
Instructors
Alfred Geller of Geller Management
Steve Herz and Carol
Perry of If Management.
Manager Anita Shah,
Granada Television
- PANEL Making
the Best of a Trade Pub Job
Saturday, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
It’s not uncommon for journalists to switch between
general circulation publications and the trade press. This
panel features top trade journalists, the kind that the mainstream
press call upon as experts, as well as those who have parlayed
their experience at specialty publications to cross over
into the general media. Uncover the advantages and disadvantages
of working as a trade reporter, and how to get a job at a
specialty publication. And for those working at a trade publication,
get tips on how to cross over into the mainstream press.
Speakers
Marc Hochstein, consumer finance editor, American
Banker;
Lee Sheppard, contributing editor, Tax Notes;
Tania Padgett, assistant city editor at
Newsday and
Angela Shah, reporter, Dallas Morning News
Moderator and manager Vineeta
Anand, Washington Bureau Chief at Pensions & Investments
- PANEL On
the Verge: Tips on Breaking into the Film Industry
Saturday, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
The explosion of desi-themed films has created a
nascent South Asian American film industry. Whether
you are interested in breaking into the film business,
or covering South Asian film, the varied experiences
of the panelists will create a richly textured overview.
Designed to provide a bird’s eye view of breaking
into the field.
For journalists and non-journalists.
Speakers
Ayad Stehle-Akhtar, director and producer of ‘Over
the Mountains’;
Aalok Mehta, actor who starred in
"American Chai";
Rehana Mirza, producer of "Barriers"
and writer/director of "Fillum Star: The Peter
Patel Story";
Anisha Nagarajan, the lead actress of "Bombay Dreams";
Deepa Donde, Austin-based film maker and radio journalist.
Moderator Gitesh
Pandya, founder and editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com
Manager Reema Keswani,
Golconda LLC; Deepa Donde
- 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.
For journalists and non-journalists.
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.
- Break :: Network,
network, network!
2:45 pm - 3 pm
- WORKSHOP Broadcast
News Writing
Saturday, 3 pm - 4:30 pm
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
Saturday, 3 pm - 4:30 pm
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
- WORKSHOP Jumping
in Feet First
Saturday, 3 pm - 4:30 pm
What's the secret to breaking into your dream job?
How can you make the switch to a different medium,
whether it's newspapers, magazines or TV? What special
skills can you market to launch your career? Professional
journalists and recruiters will share their secrets
to making it in journalism.
For journalists of all levels.
Speakers:
Cheryl Tan, staff writer for The
Wall Street Journal.
Abigail Pesta, an editor at Glamour
Leslie Granston, Associate Director,
Human Resources, Time Inc.
Moderator: Hari
Sreenivasan, anchor, ABC News Now
Manager: Pradnya
Joshi, Newsday
- WORKSHOP: Award-Winning
Writing at a Local Level
Saturday, 3 pm - 4:30 pm
Two award-winning reporters from small dailies show
us what its like to cover their local beats. They
share techniques from gathering information to interviewing
locals to telling the story on paper.
For journalists of all levels.
Instructors
Jessica Adler, Herald & News (NJ);
Jim Lewis, The Patriot-News
Manager Monika Mathur, The Associated Press
- PANEL PLENARY:
The Ethnic Press in 2005
Saturday, 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Even as South Asian culture goes mainstream in the
U.S., the number of niche media outlets aimed at
South Asian Americans continues to grow. This panel
will discuss the emergence of this next wave of desi
media, with a focus on youth culture. How are blogs
and other online media transforming the desi media
landscape? What are newer print publications like
Nirali, Anokhi Vibe and Rave Sq doing for 2nd-generation
desis that traditional weeklies don't? And just how
sexy does MTV Desi intend to be?
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers
Manish Vij, co-founder of Sepia
Mutiny; Nimesh Patel, co-founder
of Badmash; Rishi
Shah of Rave Sq, Homayra
Ziad,
a founder of Chowrangi, a Pakistani-American magazine;
Raj Shah, former head
of multicultural marketing for Coca Cola.
Moderator and manager Arun
Venugopal, India Abroad
- Break :: Network,
network, network!
Get ready for the Gala Dinner and Awards
- Gala Dinner and Awards
Saturday, 6:30 pm - midnight
Columbia University Lerner Hall
115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)
6:30-7:30 pm
Registration & cocktails
Cocktail hour (appetizers, wine, beer and soft drinks; see menu below)
7:30-10 pm
Welcome
(Vikas Bajaj, Convention chair and SAJA vice president)
Our Emcees
Sumi Das, correspondent, CNN
Hari Sreenivasan, Anchor 'ABC News Now'
Announcement of SAJA Scholarship Winners
Announcement of SAJA-Knowledge@Wharton Prize
(Aparna Mukerjee, student committee chair)
Photo presentation
(Shahidul Alam, leading Bangladeshi photojournalist)
Induction of Amrit Kakaria into SAJA Hall of Fame
Presentation of SAJA Journalism Leader Awards
(Deepti Hajela, SAJA president)
The SAJAJournalism Leader Awards are SAJA's highest
honors
Keynote speech
(Steve Shepard, former editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek
and dean of new CUNY Journalism School)
Dinner:
Full Indian meal
SAJA
Journalism Awards presentation
(Sandeep Junnarkar,
SAJA Awards chair and Indiana Univ. journalism professor & Sreenath
Sreenivasan, former SAJA president - including fourth annual Daniel
Pearl Award for reporting on South Asia-
Live auction, including two Air-India executive class return tickets
to India + raffle prize for anyone dressed in "ethnic" clothes
Dessert Reception
Continue to network over dessert and coffee
Email SAJA | Convention Overview | Ticket Info | Buy Tix | Sponsorship
- Comedy
Show & Networking Brunch
Maharaja
Restaurant, 230 E. 44th St (btw 2nd & 3rd Aves),
two blocks from Grand Central Station and UN11 am - 2 pm
Rasika Mathur (from Los Angeles)
Dan Nainan (from New York)
Azhar Usman (from Chicago)
Pay at the door:
Student SAJA Members: $10
All others registered: $15
Non-Convention attendees: $20
RSVP: sajarsvp@yahoo.com (subject line = "Brunch") -
please pay at the door.
Manager Aseem Chhabra
Want to be a sponsor?
Great opportunity to support SAJA
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