NATIONAL CONFERENCE AGENDA

May 12-14, 2006

Delta Halifax Hotel, Halifax, N.S. 

Featuring....

KEYNOTES . . .

FRIDAY NIGHT KEYNOTE: -- David Asper

Topic: The high price of free speech. This will be followed by Q & A with David Asper, executive vice-president and director of CanWest Global Communications Corp. and CanWest MediaWorks Inc., and chair of The National Post.

 

 

SATURDAY LUNCH KEYNOTE: -- Nelofer Pazira

A journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker, Nelofer Pazira hasn't just documented the conflict in Afghanistan. She's lived it. Pazira was a six-year old living in Kabul when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, turning the country into a police state. Ten years later, her family escaped the country's bloody conflict and came to Canada. She has since written the acclaimed book A Bed of Red Flowers, about her return to the country under Taliban rule, and her desperate search for her friend Dyana. She has produced two documentaries about Afghanistan; and starred in the film Kandahar, a documentary based on her life story. Now based in Toronto, Pazira has worked as a journalist for CBC Radio, written for Elm Street, Maclean's, the Ottawa Citizen, The Toronto Star and others.

 

SATURDAY AWARD GALA EVENING – Hosted by Norma Lee MacLeod, CBC - Nominees

 

SUNDAY BRUNCH KEYNOTE: SPEAKER TO BE DETERMINED

 

New York Times reporter Judith Miller has been called away on assignment overseas and will be unable to speak at the conference as previously planned. The CAJ regrets that Ms. Miller is no longer part of the conference program but expects to announce a new brunch keynote speaker shortly.

 

While Ms. Miller's cancellation is due to circumstances beyond our control, the CAJ regrets any inconvenience this may cause and will issue refunds on request to those who have already purchased brunch tickets.

 

WORKSHOPS . . .

 

Advanced reporting techniques/Computer-Assisted Reporting – Fred Vallance-Jones, David McKie, Robert Cribb and Aron Pilhofer
Your PC or Mac can do so much more for you than Web searches and spell checks. From crime stats to campaign donations, your computer can analyze those large stacks of data you don't know what to do with, helping you produce compelling, original stories your readers will gobble up. New York Times CAR guru Aron Pilhofer will join three Canadian researchers to show you how to take your research skills to the next level.

 

Investigative Reporting – Robert Cribb, Dean Jobb, David McKie and Fred Vallance-Jones
Join four award-winning investigative journalists as they show you how to get the big story, right from coming up with the idea to writing the last paragraph. The workshop is based on their new book, Digging Deeper: A Canadian Reporter's Research Guide (copies available for sale). Real-life ideas will be used to illustrate the discussion throughout the day. The workshop is divided into four practical sessions on Saturday: * Getting the story started. Ideas and basic research, traditional and online. (9-10:30 am) * Using public records and access to information to gather evidence. (10:45 am-12:15 pm) * When all else fails, going undercover. (2-3:30 pm) * Organizing and writing your material. (3:35-5:15 pm)

 

How to Interview Victims – Paul McLaughlin
It's the worst part of this job: calling the family of a murder victim right after a horrible tragedy, and asking for an interview. Even the best crime reporters dread it. Paul McLaughlin, author of How to Interview: The Art of Asking Questions, will show us how to approach those dreaded interviews without hating yourself (or your story!) in the morning.

 

The Art of the Live Interview – Anna Maria Tremonti
Sure, we can all conduct an inelegant interview that gets the job done. But how do they sound when you know everyone from political leaders to your Aunt Polly are listening?  Anna Maria Tremonti, host of CBC's The Current, will help TV and radio journalists polish those live interview skills

 

Developing Sources and Contacts
We've all met reporters who get great stories because they know the right people. How do you meet those people? And how do you get them to trust you?  Well, it's not as hard as you might think. We'll show you how.

 

Writing for a Rural/Small-Town Audience – Vernon Oickle
You can't get any closer to your audience than the small town or rural journalist does. After all, you can't duck the local councillor or the businessperson you just wrote something critical about when there's just one grocery store. How do you do your job well without getting run out of town?  What are the tricks behind the best small-town journalism journalism?  Vernon Oickle, the award-winning editor of the Bridgewater Bulletin, will share tips from his 25-year career.

 

Beyond a Minute-Fifteen – Anton Koschany
Want to report more than news conferences, crime scenes and fires? This session will give you an introduction to the techniques and story-telling methods used by newsmagazines and documentary-makers; skills that you can apply to long-form television reporting. Among them: research, characterization, scripting story elements and production, along with a review of hidden-camera investigation techniques. Presented by Anton Koschany, who has been reporting news and producing documentaries for more than 30 years; he is currently Senior Producer of CTV's top-rated W-FIVE.

 

What, Me Blog? – Saleem Khan
Sometimes it seems like everyone from newsmakers to lawbreakers has a blog these days. As watchdogs, commentators and critics, bloggers have broken big news - and even some journalists' careers. Journalists who blog have risen to prominence and bloggers have crossed over into mainstream media. Metro Toronto’s Saleem Khan will show you how to join the trend and explain why blogs, podcasts and more are good for journalists and journalism.

 

Law-Law Land: Navigating the Legal and Ethical Restrictions on Reporting – Dean Jobb and Jim Rossiter
Roll up your sleeves and join media lawyer Jim Rossiter and University of Kings College journalism professor Dean Jobb as they work through examples of the legal and ethical dilemmas that arise in newsrooms every day.

 

The Role of the Narrator – Dick Miller
Often in radio documentaries we see the narrator as the necessary voice to keep the story moving along, a kind of traffic cop bringing in clip after clip. But narration can be much more than a vehicle for information. Dick Miller, documentary editor for CBC Radio's The Current, will share his ideas and suggestions.

 

Photography for Reporters – Len Wagg
So your editor wants you to take pictures, but none of your shots are even good enough for your scrapbook, let alone your paper. Help is on the way. Chronicle-Herald chief photographer Len Wagg will help you take shots that will show off your story, not shame it.

 

Videojournalism for Reporters – Hance Colburne
New journalism grads, take note: if you want to be in TV, better learn to VJ. More and more stations are going the route of the one-man band. Hance Colburne of CBC Radio and Television will show you life beyond the white balance.

 

Feature Writing - Peter Cheney

The Globe and Mail's Ian Brown regrets that due to unforeseen circumstances, he will be unable to be in Halifax to give the two feature-writing workshops listed in the CAJ conference program. The CAJ is pleased, however, to be able to announce that Ian's colleague at The Globe, Peter Cheney, an award-winning journalist who has written features on topics ranging from interviewing survivors of the 9-11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center to the working life on Canada's biggest marijuana farm, will lead both sessions, in times and locations listed in the program.

 

Coaching Writers – Don Gibb
Find out how to get the best out of writers by helping them see the story. The best stuff is in their heads and you need to pry it loose – in a nice way, of course.

 

Writing and editing for readers – Don Gibb
Reporters and editors alike need to challenge themselves to write and edit with the reader in mind. Speak to readers by asking, What specific impact does the story have on them? Why should they care?

 

Commentary Writing – Paul Wells
How do you keep commentary writing fresh, insightful, engaging, original and even incisive instead of falling back on crutches and cliches? Maclean's magazine columnist Paul Wells leads this workshop to give you the answers and more.

 

PANELS . . .

 

No Joking Matter

Moderated by chief editorial writer Bob Howse of Halifax's The Chronicle-Herald, this panel will feature Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant, Dr. Mohamed Elmasry, national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, Bruce MacKinnon, the award-winning editorial cartoonist of The Chronicle-Herald and Metro Toronto’s news editor Saleem Khan. This feature panel discussion will look at the Danish cartoon controversy, which has sparked violence around the world and tough questions within newsrooms everywhere.

Managing the Message in the Harper Era

Don Martin from the National Post and former Chrétien communications director Peter Donolo along with CBC’s Keith Boag and Sandra Buckler, the current director of communications in the PMO will look at media relations with the new Tory government in Ottawa. After 12 years of Liberal rule, are the rules of media access changing? Maclean's columnist Paul Wells moderates.

War Correspondents

WA last minute assignment to cover events in Haiti means CBC’s Stephen Puddicombe is unavailable. Stephen Thorne of The Canadian Press will be flying this panel/workshop solo.

No Respect

Why do journalists rank only in the middle of the pack in opinion polls that measure just how much the public trusts different professions? Corporate Research Associates president Don Mills will be joined by Darce Fardy, former review officer for Nova Scotia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and Rob Cribb, an award-winning investigative reporter with The Toronto Star, to discuss journalists’ image and try to find answers.

Thou Shalt Not Steal?

Halifax Chronicle-Herald editor Terry O'Neill, University of Missouri professor Jacqui Banaszynski and others will talk about the problem of plagiarism in the Google age.

Ethics Roundtable

The CAJ has just announced the makeup of its new standing ethics advisory, to be chaired by Stephen Ward, associate professor of journalism ethics at the University of British Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. Come and join Stephen, who’ll moderate, others on the committee and members of the CAJ national board of directors in a freeflowing roundtable discussion about the committee’s origin, development, mandate and future role.

Stephen Ward is the author of The Invention of Journalism Ethics: The Path to Objectivity and Beyond, by McGill-Queen’s University Press. He is director of Canada’s first comprehensive web site devoted to the study and promotion of journalism ethics from a global perspective, www.journalismethics.ca. He has published articles and reviews on journalism ethics in the Journal of Mass Media Ethics, The Harvard International Journal of Press and Politics, Journalism Studies and other publications. He has given many talks on journalism ethics at national and international conferences and roundtables, and is a frequent media commentator on journalism ethics. He has 15 years of experience as a foreign correspondent, editor and newsroom manager.

News Radio

John Lewandowski of The Canadian Press/Broadcast News will join Mark Campbell of Halifax’s News 95.7 to talk about the future of all-news radio in Canada .

Leaders Don't Follow

Rick Grant of CTV and others will talk about agenda and enterprise journalism. How do you set the news agenda, not follow it?

Blog, Blog Revolution

The CAJ is pleased to announce that Tom Regan of the Christian Science Monitor will be joining our panel discussion on blogging, its impact on journalism and what the future holds. Other panelists are CBC’s Jonathon Dube and Paul Wells of Macleans. Unfortunately, Metro Toronto’s Saleem Khan will not be arriving in Halifax in time to participate.

Not So Free After All

Health problems have unfortunately forced Nova Scotia Finance Minister Michael Baker to cancel his appearance. Jim Bronskill of The Canadian Press, who has considerable experience using information laws to uncover important stories, and Carla Heggie, national chair of the Canadian Association of Professional Access & Privacy Administrators, and information access and privacy manager at Nova Scotia Environment & Labour, have been added to the panel. Ms. Heggie has a degree in political science and labour economics from Dalhousie and is a graduate of the information access and protection of privacy certificate program at the University of Alberta. They’ll join Darce Fardy, the former review officer for Nova Scotia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Analyze This

Joining CTV’s Peter Mallette on our panel talking about the best ways to manage stress in a stress-rich environment will be Shaune MacKinlay (pictured at right), a former reporter with the Halifax Daily News now working in public relations for the Halifax Regional School Board, and Dr. Arla Day, an associate professor of industrial/organizational psychology at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.

What Your Profs Didn't Tell You

Newsroom managers will tell us what new journalists are lacking when they step into their first jobs. . Panel features CP Halifax bureau chief Donna Hooper, CTV’s Wade Keller and Progress magazine’s Pamela Scott Crace.

CAJ/CIDA lunch – Come, Look, Listen: 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. Friday, May 12. Bluenose Room. A light lunch will be served.