Athens, Ga. -The Broadcast News Bluejeans Workshop, held annually at the University of Georgia, has changed its name to the Digital News Bluejeans Workshop to reflect changes that have taken place in the industry. The casual, low-cost workshop will be held on March 26, at the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Grady professor of telecommunications David Hazinski said the name change was necessary because the workshop focus has changed. “While we haven’t abandoned broadcast news, the field now includes a lot more reporting and storytelling on a different platform,” he noted. “The name change reflects that.”
The 2011 workshop will open with a panel discussion about what journalists need for the new age. Kurt Muller, executive editor of CNN Wires, will lead the discussion focusing on how much attention journalists should be paying to non-journalistic sources such as Wikileaks, bloggers and citizen journalists. Holly Manheimer, executive director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, will discuss what the liabilities of relying on those sources may be.
The panel will be followed by skills workshops with participants rotating through each session. Linda Stouffer, anchor/reporter with WSB-TV, Atlanta, will focus on stand-up and live presentations. Chris Rosenthal, a photojournalist with WAGA-TV Atlanta, will discuss how to shoot better video on short turn-around time. NBC correspondent Thanh Truong will explain how to be a one-man band on the network level.
Also expected to participate is Egyptian journalist Shahira Amin, the Nile TV anchor who walked off the set rather than report government propaganda during the recent uprising against the Mubarak regime. The former deputy head and senior correspondent for state-run Nile TV quit her job in protest and will share her story with workshop participants.
The final session of the day will consist of a wrap-up and critique session where participants will have the opportunity to have their stories on DVD reviewed.
The Bluejeans Workshop is designed for everyone involved in news and is not limited to any age group or experience level.
Registration is $25 before March 21, $30 after March 21. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Register online at www.grady.uga.edu/bluejeans.
Established in 1915, the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers undergraduate majors in advertising, digital and broadcast journalism, magazines, newspapers, public relations, publication management and mass media arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, see www.grady.uga.edu or follow @UGAGrady on Twitter.
