Veteran journalist and association leader Alison Bethel McKenzie moves into the Society of Professional Journalists' executive director role this month with a mission to fight for press freedom and to elevate SPJ's work.
Jonathan Eig took on a legend when he set out to write an autobiography of "The Greatest" man in sports, Muhammad Ali. Through more than 500 interviews, Eig developed a best-selling portrait of a complicated sports figure who changed our culture.
These two prominent journalists will headline the Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky) conference April 6-7 in Chicago -- and you're invited.
The conference, open to journalists, students and supporters of a free press, will feature more than 15 sessions led by more than 30 journalism professionals and educators on the most important topics in journalism.
Go to https://www.spj5conference.com/ for all the conference and registration details. Discounted early bird registration continues until March 22.
• Hear the story behind WBEZ's multimedia investigation into gun violence in Chicago, learn the do's and don'ts of podcasting and how to find truth in science.
• Discover strategies for listening to your community, explore new approaches for building trust and experiment with apps for scraping data.
• Join in discussions on the way newsrooms should address the Me Too movement, build trust with diverse communities and prepare for the impact of Alexa and other smart speakers.
• Educators, let's talk about what J-schools should be teaching.
• Professionals, check out SPJ's new Facebook training program.
• Students, share your resume with hiring managers and enjoy well-deserved recognition at the Mark of Excellence Awards ceremony.
Plus much more! This is the conference you don't want to miss.