Speakers to Star at SPJ Convention
2008 Society of Professional Journalists, Convention National Journalism Conference
Sept. 4-7
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
The Society of Professional Journalists works hard every year to provide top-notch professional development session and special events during our convention.
This year is no different, and we are sure the lineup for the 2008 SPJ Convention Journalism Conference will help you and those in your newsroom become the best journalists they can be.
But what really has our juices flowing this year is the marquee lineup of journalism greats.
Presenters from top media outlets such as CNN, NPR, The Associated Press, NBC News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will share their experiences and insight into today’s changing journalism world. Here are just a few that could inspire you.
* Hannah Allam, was the youngest Baghdad bureau chief when she was hired at the age of 25. Now, at the age of 30, serving as McClatchy’s bureau chief in Cairo, Allam covers the Middle East and Islamic world. She was named “Journalist of the Year 2004” by the National Association of Black Journalists.
* Brett Blackledge received the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism and the Associated Press Managing Editors public service award for his ongoing series on corruption and cronyism in Alabama’s two-year colleges.
* Hank Klibanoff, former managing editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is co-author of “The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle and the Awakening of A Nation.” The book won the Pulitzer Prize in history in 2007.
* Charlayne Hunter-Gault recently left her post as CNN’s Johannesburg bureau chief and correspondent, which she had held since 1999, to pursue independent projects. Before joining CNN, she worked from Johannesburg as the chief correspondent in Africa for NPR from 1997 to 1999.
* Martin Fletcher, NBC News’ Tel Aviv bureau chief and correspondent, has covered every event of consequence in the unpredictable Middle East region for 35 years. He began his current Tel Aviv assignment in 1982 and took on the additional role of bureau chief in November 1990. He has also been based in Johannesburg, Paris and Frankfurt.
* Tom Hallman Jr., is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and considered one of the nation’s premier narrative writers. During his career, he has won every major feature-writing award, some for stories that took months to report, others less than a couple of hours.
One of the perks this year for conference attendees is that they will be staying at the Hyatt Regency in beautiful downtown Atlanta — just a walk away from numerous local attractions, including a tour of CNN or a visit to the Georgia Aquarium.
Don’t miss out on any of the activities. Book your hotel stay and register for the 2008 SPJ Convention National Journalism Conference today!