Keynote Speakers:

• Confessions of a former disco maniac: The write moves
  
  Friday Night Keynote

  Award-winning journalist Michael Quintanilla gets down with his bad self in this one-man performance show about writing that has been described as a "roller coaster ride of inspirational, theatrical journalism." Michael prefers to call it "journaltainment." With music, images and a disco ball, he shakes his groove thing while sharing his odyssey to reinvent and redefine himself as a person and a writer.
  
  A human interest and profile writer for most of his career, Michael says that whether he's telling stories of disco or death, writing is about exploiting and deconstructing the craft, about having fun with stories (not always being politically correct) and getting at intellectual and emotional truths. It's also about seduction and surprises, but mostly, about being human and unafraid to dig deep to better understand the people we write about-and never forgetting to connect your head with your heart.

• Security Breach
  
  Saturday Lunch Keynote
  
  

  In a stunning news report last February, Radio-Canada TV journalist Christian Latreille and videographer Bernard Huard showed how easy it was to gain entry to some of Hydro-Quebec's largest power generating facilities.

  The absence of security cameras and guards made it possible for the Radio-Canada team to go to the heart of Quebec's main hydroelectric power stations, such as Manic-5 and LG2, which provide power to one million and a half Quebecers.

  After their report was broadcast, Hydro-Quebec's management announced special measures would be taken to ensure the safety of its installations. In April, Hydro-Quebec named a new director of industrial security.

  Christian Latreille will talk about the background to his investigation, how he carried it out and its aftermath.

• Democracy Now!
  
  Sunday Coffee and Muffins Keynote
  
  Amy Goodman claims the mainstream media has become shills for the establishment, in her new book Exception to the Rulers: Exposing oily politicians, war profiteers and the media that love them. Goodman argues there's a need for more independent media. She makes the case that journalists who don't work for corporate owned media are increasingly under attack. Join this popular independent radio host on her only Canadian stop this year for her "Un-Embed the Media!" tour.
  
  Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of "Democracy Now!": an award-winning radio news program that features people and perspectives rarely heard in U.S. corporate media. Goodman has won a host of awards for her investigative reporting and documentaries. She is co-author of the national best-seller The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, written with her brother David Goodman. The book was chosen by independent bookstores as the #1 political title of the 2004 election season. The book was also chosen as one of the top 50 nonfiction books of 2004 by the editors of Publishers Weekly.
  
  Buzzflash Interview with Amy Goodman

Workshops will include:

• Writing for TV
  Veteran CTV newsman Larry Stout spends his days in one-on-one coaching with everyone from the newest hire to senior reporters throughout the CTV system. You are asked to bring samples of your work: full scripts in hard copy plus a VHS dub. How could you have been sharper, clear, more provocative, made the pictures sing for you? One on one coaching in a small group setting. Every story can be improved, regardless of how many years experience you have.



• When Documentaries are like Dramas
  It's been said that three-time Emmy winner John Kastner's documentaries are about as close to dramatic feature films as documentaries ever get. His recent CBC-TV documentary trilogy, Rage Against the Darkness, followed seniors' over three years through the wrenching transition from home to Seniors' home. Using examples from Rage Against the Darkness, Kastner will explore how to use storytelling techniques such as suspense, plot twists, character developments, and dramatic arcs. They're the tools he uses to make documentaries that resemble drama.
  
  
• Covering Aboriginal Issues
  The First Nations 'beat', is one of the most interesting but least covered areas in the mainstream media. Many reporters find it difficult to go into a First Nations community and come out with a story. Learn some of the reasons why, and how to navigate around them.
  
  David Wiwchar, managing editor of Ha-shilth-sa Newspaper in Port Alberni, B.C. and Vera Houle, Executive Producer, News & Current Affairs, APTN, and a former Communications Advisor for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.



• Going Undercover: The Art Of Surveillance Reporting
  Sometimes, there's only one way to get the story - you have to witness it. But getting on the inside isn't always easy. Going undercover in what are often delicate situations demands careful strategy, hidden technology and a strong ethical compass.
  
  Robert Cribb, an award-winning investigative reporter with The Toronto Star and Timothy Sawa, a producer with CBC TV outline the power and the pitfalls of undercover reporting.



• How to Survive, and Even Prosper, as a Freelancer
  Many social and economic indicators point to freelancing as the way of the future in journalism and communications. This practical workshop provides participants with the knowledge and skill to become self-employed professionals.
  
  Paul McLaughlin, author of Asking Questions: The Art of the Media Interview, will inspire budding freelancers on topics including generating and pitching ideas, marketing yourself, tax advantages, establishing and negotiating fees, and getting started. Paul has been self-employed his entire career, and has taught journalism at Carleton and Ryerson universities.



• Advanced Internet Research
  Cecil Rosner, an award-winning investigative journalist and CBC-TV television producer, shows us how to look beyond Google to find more answers on the Internet.



• What to do when there's no one but you? Life in a small-market newsroom
  It's not uncommon for a reporter at a small weekly newspaper to be a journalist, an editor, and a photographer all rolled into one. Two small newsroom veterans offer practical advice on taking your own pictures while covering the news in a community where everyone knows you.
  
  Laura Rance is associate editor with The Farmers Independent Weekly. James O'Connor is currently managing editor at the Brandon Sun, former managing editor at Transcontinental Weeklies in Winnipeg and former photo editor at The Winnipeg Sun.



• Reinventing the Newspaper
  Newspapers won't be obsolete if Dana Robbins has anything to say about it. The young editor of the Hamilton Spectator has reinvented Steeltown's daily newspaper, making it easier to read, more relevant to readers and much more imaginative. He's experimented with narrative writing, hosted public forums on timely topics and tried to make the paper's workplace more open and flexible. He's become a hot speaker at American newspaper conferences. Hear how he revolutionized his newspaper and how your newsroom can adopt some of his ideas.



• Widgets, gadgets & tricks
  You don't need to spend a fortune on equipment to take great pictures. Learn how to get the most out of the tools you have.
  
  Brian Gavriloff, award-winning photographer for the Edmonton Journal.



• Feature Writing: The Best Journalism Has to Offer
  Explore the nuances of long-form journalism - from research and structure to scenes and style - in a session led by long-time feature writer Ian Brown, whose captivating pieces have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Saturday Night and Toronto Life. Through his mastery of the craft, Brown has earned six gold National Magazine Awards and two National Newspaper Awards. He is also the author of two books, Freewheeling (winner of the National Business Book Award) and Man Overboard.



• Think Big! Write a Book!!
  With Peter Edwards of the Toronto Star, author of One Dead Indian: The Premier, the Police, and the Ipperwash Crisis and co-author with Montreal journalist Michel Auger of The Encyclopedia of Canadian Organized Crime.
  
  Peter has appeared on CBC Newsworld, CBC Radio One’s As It Happens, and the BBC. He is also the author of five other books, including A Mother’s Story: The Fight To Free My Son David (with Joyce Milgaard), which was shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis award.
  
  
• Lunch With Jan Wong: Interviewing
  Award-winning Globe and Mail reporter and columnist Jan Wong shares her secrets to a successful interview - from "the Get" through to the research, question preparation to tips on how to be a good listener and use humour and pathos to truly "show, not tell."



• Civic Journalism 101
  Civic journalism is one of the more misunderstood trends in reporting. Should journalists be detached observers or active participants? In this workshop, learn hands-on techniques to engage readers, to better include their voices and issues in your reporting.
  
  With veteran reporter and Loyalist College journalism teacher Robert Washburn.



• Le journalisme engagée
  La journaliste et présentatrice Michaëlle Jean donnera une conférence portant sur le journalisme engagé ainsi que les différences de couverture journalistique en Amérique du Nord et dans les pays du Tiers-Monde. Lors de ses nombreux voyages à l'étranger, notamment en Haïti et au Mexique, Michaëlle Jean a été témoin de plusieurs cas où des journalistes ont mis leur vie en danger pour enquêter sur une histoire délicate, dans le but de faire avancer la démocratie. Elle en profitera aussi pour partager ses idées afin d'humaniser davantage les textes de reportage ou de narration.



• How to Write Good

University of Victoria instructor and well-noun writing coach Nick Russell expostulates on this popular and well-liked topic.


• Access on the fly
  Learn from a three-time winner of both the CAJ and National Newspaper awards. Whether you work in print, radio or TV, The National Post's Andrew McIntosh will show you how to use the access to information law to break daily and quick hit stories; in addition to more traditional investigative projects. He teaches reporters how to read newspapers and watch newscasts and think documents, documents, documents. Macintosh will review the basics of access laws and involve participants in a lively hands-on practical session where reporters and editors draft records requests and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.



• Putting the Fun and Passion Back in Photojournalism
  This workshop will explore everything from how to make your subjects relaxed and comfortable to how to spot a good story/picture to getting out of your comfort zone to take chances and make better pictures. We'll also look at the relationship between photographers and reporters (assuming they're not one in the same) and how they can work together for the perfect blend of story and art.


Brian Gavriloff, award-winning photographer for the Edmonton Journal.


• CAR Is Your Friend
  If you are skeptical about computer assisted reporting, or just don’t know what it is, consider this: CAR has helped break some of the biggest stories in Canada in the last five years. Computer-based analysis has uncovered stories of systemic police discrimination against blacks, fraud in Ontario’s Drive Clean program, and squalid conditions in Toronto apartments: to name a few.
  
  Three of Canada’s foremost experts on CAR will tell you how you can use its techniques: Rob Cribb, Toronto Star, Fred Vallance-Jones, Hamilton-Spectator and David McKie, CBC Investigative Unit.



• Making It Work: Investigative Journalism On The Run
  The hardest part about investigative journalism is staying focused when your colleagues think you're goofing off and the editorial desk keeps asking what's taking so long. Practical tips for getting the time and support for enterprise journalism from investigative journalist Sandra Bartlett, CBC Radio National News / Investigative Unit



• Inside "Ka-boom!"
  A great investigative story often begins with a simple idea, but then a host of other skills come into play. Harvey Cashore's award-winning story "Ka-boom!" (produced for CBC News: Disclosure) began with a question about something Don Cherry said on Coach's Corner. Why was body-checking going to be allowed in children's hockey for the first time in 20 years? Cashore will use examples from "Ka-boom!" to show how he and his research team developed a nagging question into one of the major investigative reports of 2004. Cashore will talk about the need for a "philosophy" of journalism, an ethical and practical set of do's and don't's, and will argue why any good investigative story depends on sound organization and good strategy. Cashore will also draw on other examples of past investigative stories to explore why some stories succeed when others may fail.



• Wringing The News From The Numbers
  Nothing can make - or ruin - a good story like a bunch of numbers. The trick is knowing which ones to use and how to use them to the best effect - without being an accountant. Practical tips from a veteran business journalist on how to wade through earnings data and budgets to unearth the news and write compelling stories on tight deadlines.
  
  Reuters Calgary correspondent Jeff Jones will show to get to the key figures when your eyes are swimming from pages of financial data - and how to avoid the company line and corporate cliches.



• Preparing For Life After The Newsroom
  You've made a career out of telling stories, but how well do you know your own? Being aware of who you are and what you have to offer is critical in today's ever-changing world, especially if you're considering a career shift. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is a process through which you take inventory of your learning, identifying skills and competencies you have acquired in all areas of your life.
  
  With the help of counsellor and facilitator Teresa Francis, a Learning Specialist at the Prior Learning Assessment Centre in Halifax, you can use this process to develop a Skills and Learning Portfolio that showcases what you know and can do. The topic of this session is YOU; through a series of exercises you'll begin to identify your own skills and learning as first steps in the journey of telling your story.

Panel Topics will include:

• Coping with a Crabby Newsroom
  Let's face it: Journalists do a lot of complaining. About their bosses, their assignments, their computers, the kinds of pens in the supply closet. It's two-way traffic, too. Editors often harbour their own beefs about reporters, who are sometimes tough to motivate and averse to change. Hear some of Canada's best bosses, including Sadia Zaman, Director of In-House Production at Vision TV and Rob Tripp, city editor of the Kingston Whig Standard, explore the flaws in newsroom management and ways to make reporters happier and more productive despite shrinking budgets.



• What it's like to be covered
  Victims of tragedy can count on being in the media's cross hairs. But the reporter leaning on the doorbell or canvassing neighbours often has no idea the impact "just doing my job" has on someone whose personal tragedy has suddenly become the day's top story.
  
  Find out from Teresa Strongquill, daughter of slain RCMP Const. Dennis Strongquill, Sam George, whose brother was shot by OPP in Ipperwash Park, and others just what making the front page means.
  Moderator: Bruce Spence, Executive Producer, Contact, APTN.



• Couvrir une communauté minoritaire....et survivre !
  Quelles sont les difficultés auxquelles font face les journalistes francophones en milieu minoritaire ? Cette table ronde sera l'occasion de débattre du rôle de ces journalistes qui se retrouvent à la frontière entre l'empathie et l'objectivité.
  
  Les participants à la table ronde réagiront à une dissertation, rédigée par l'enseignante et ancienne journaliste, Claire Corriveau, intitulée "Informer ou défendre : le dilemme de la presse franco-manitobaine". Léo Robert, ancien président de la Société franco-manitobaine, Marie-Reine Roy, journaliste à la télévision française de Radio-Canada au Manitoba et Isabelle Déry, relationniste des médias au Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba prendront part au débat, avec la modératrice Sylviane Lanthier, directrice du journal La Liberté.



• Will Canada's Aboriginals ever be mainstream news?
  Looking for stones left unturned? The 'Native Beat' is a mountain still unexplored by mainstream media outlets, while Aboriginal newspapers, magazines, and television programs struggle to fill the void. So why do the mainstream media do such a poor job of covering Aboriginal issues? How well is the emerging Aboriginal media covering its own stories? Will there always be a gulf between the two? Hear some of the country's brightest and most critical Aboriginal reporters debate the state of their craft.
  
  Moderator: David Wiwchar, managing editor of Ha-shilth-sa Newspaper in Port Alberni, B.C.
  Panelists: Kim Ziervogel, Aboriginal Journalists Association of Canada; Dan Smoke, co-host of "Smoke Signals" on CHRW Radio in London, Ontario and Rick Harp, host of Contact on APTN.



• The Diversity Blind spot: What are our newsrooms missing?
  
  Look around your newsroom - is it a sea of white faces? How about the stories on your evening news show. Are they mostly about white people? Reporting on visible and religious minorities is foreign territory for many journalists, and editors find it tough to create diverse newsrooms. Does this jeopardize the quality of news? Global terrorism has made religion a key element in thousands of news stories and several Canadian cities enjoy booming immigrant populations that are still only bit players in news stories.
  
  A panel of journalists, moderatated by Danielle Rochette, including Karyn Pugliese from APTN, Sadia Zaman, Director of In-House Production at Vision TV and former Winnipeg Free Press editor Nick Hirst, discuss the need for religious and cultural knowledge in reporting, as well as the challenges of a creating a multi-cultural newsroom.



• Blogging
  
  How the computer he reshaped news coverage. Panelists include Saleem Kahn of Metro News in Toronto; Paul Wells, Macleans back-page columnist; blogger Hosein Durakshan and Wayne Hurlbert of Blog Business World .



• "Off-the-record - an excuse for drive-by slagging?"


Moderator: Donald Benham, professor of journalism, Red River Community College in Winnipeg.

Panelists: Paul Wells, Macleans back-page columnist.


• Journalists and Police


William Kaplan, author of A Secret Trial: Brian Mulroney, Stevie Cameron, and the Public Trust; 5th estate producer Harvey Cashore and Rob Tripp, city editor of the Kingston Whig Standard.

CAJ/CIDA SATURDAY BREAKFAST:
Join us as we listen to a short presentation by the winners of the CAJ/CIDA Fellowships to Africa. Hear them describe their trip to Africa, how they found their way off the beaten path and followed it to find a story. 7:30 a.m.

And don't forget the Awards Banquet will be held Saturday evening, May 14th.

Rooms at Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel are $112.00 per night for delegates. Book through the toll free line 1-800-685-8088 or
(204) 942-8251. Let the hotel know you’re part of the CAJ National conference in order to get delegate rates.