Ever envision yourself as a hard-hitting Lois Lane-style journalist? A social media-savvy showstopper? A silver-tongued restaurant reviewer? Any seasoned communication professional will tell you that it’s half about what you know, and half about who you know.
Luckily, a new media conference coming to U of L next week will help you get both the knowledge you need to succeed in this industry, and the connections you need to get the work you need. The Louisville Media Institute, organized by The Louisville Cardinal and the student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, will be taking over the Chao Auditorium from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 20.
“When we concocted LMI we polled students and professional journalists in the region about what journalism skills are must-have in 2014. We have the answers,” said Ralph Merkel, a communication professor and one of the organizers of the conference. “LMI is dirt-cheap and presents a calvalcade of high-profile experts whom students will truly adore.”
Sessions will include:
- Features writing and reviewing
- Investigative journalism
- Multimedia journalism
- Social media
- Local politics and government
- Data journalism
Speakers will include:
- Toni Konz and Chris Otts of WDRB
- U of L graduates Lyndsey Gilpin and Conner Forrest of CBS Interactive
- Jennifer Day and Christopher Borrelli of the Chicago Tribune
- Mark Wert of the Cincinnati Enquirer
- Taylor Dungjen of The Toledo Blade
- John Boel of WAVE 3
- Brendan McCarthy of the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting
- Scott Jennings of RunSwitch PR
- Neil Budde of The Courier-Journal
The conference is also sponsored by The McConnell Center and U of L’s communication department.
For more information about the conference, or to attend LMI, visit Louisvillemediainstitute.org/register-online
Full disclousure: Editor-in-Chief Simon Isham is an organizer for LMI. Ralph Merkel is the faculty adviser of The Louisville Cardinal.
