Journalism Boot Camp

Join the staff of Armstrong’s student newspaper Saturday, Sept. 22 in University Hall, Room 157 for The Inkwell’s annual Journalism Boot Camp. This is a great opportunity for those interested in journalism to gain valuable knowledge from professionals in the industry. You need not be an English major or enrolled in the journalism program to attend this event. The boot camp is open to anyone who simply has an interest in the news.

This event is free and open to the public.

The event’s line up is as follows:

Registration: 8:15 – 8:30

Morning:
Welcome session
8:30 to 8:55 – Jeremiah Johnson, The Inkwell, editor-in-chief, Dr. Tony Morris, advisor

Workshop Sessions
9:00 - 9:50 – Editorial Responsibilities: What's the (news) Point? – Susan Catron, editor-in-chief, Savannah Morning News

• News values: the newsroom budget

10:00 - 10:50 – Imagination Station – Rich Burkhart, staff photographer, Savannah Morning News

• Introduction to photo selection and techniques

11:00 - 11:50 – Imagination Station II – Jason Kendall, entertainment editor, Savannah Morning News

• Layout and design tips for newspaper and online publishing: understanding how readers engage with pages, establishing and meeting expectations, balancing text and image
• Social media in the 21st century information space: why Twitter and Facebook are more important to the news cycle than your homepage

Noon to 1:00 – Presentation by The Inkwell Editorial Staff - Introduction of editorial staff & Bill Kelso, assistant vice-president of ASSU Student Affairs. Lunch/tours (newsroom and writing labs)

Afternoon:
1:00 - 1:50 – The Business of News – Gale Baldwin, business/managing editor, Savannah Morning

• Newsrooms operate under great financial pressures, and the seminar will help reporters to better recognize the value and costs of their work to keep the doors open for business

2:00 - 2:50 – Clear and Clean Writing – William Dawers, columnist, Savannah Morning News

• The fundamentals of concise newswriting: 10 Tips to a Better Story

3:00 - 3:50 – Investigating Power – Lesley Conn, Savannah Morning News, Staff Reporter

• Investigative Reporting: How to break through the walls of institutional public relations officers and spin through background research, good interviews and dogged legwork

4:00 - 4:20 – Closing session