Emmy and Peabody and Pulitzer, Oh My! Learn from the Experts in ASJA 2021’s Journalism Track
Hi everyone! I’m Jen, your Journalism track host for ASJA 2021, and your guide through all the fascinating and informative sessions we’ve got planned from April 13 to 15. The amount of awards won by panelists and moderators is staggering—we’re talking Pulitzers, Emmys, Peabodys, and more. Plus, we’ve heard your concerns about the need for more diversity training, so we have two different diversity sessions in the track for this year’s conference. Here are a few of the sessions you’ll get to enjoy:
Everything You Want to Know About Covering Diversity; 4:30 pm – 5:45 pm on Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Moderated by Court Stroud and Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, with panelists Imara Jones, Melissa Blake, Jack Rico, and Mike Sargent.
This past summer, the Washington Post announced style changes (such as from “black” to “Black”) for racial and ethnic identifiers. Should a white male writer review a book by a Hispanic female? Can a cisgender woman interview a trans man effectively? The rules of writing about marginalized groups are shifting. How to know what to do? Join a panel of experienced writers who’ll share advice and best practices on how to cover diversity in fair and equitable ways.
Responsible Travel Writing; 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm on Wednesday, April 14, 2021
JoAnna Haugen, speaker
Travel writers are fortunate enough to visit some of the farthest corners of the world, but they have also been witness to the dark side of the tourism industry: overtourism, environmental destruction, depletion of natural resources, wildlife exploitation, white saviorism, cultural degradation, and gentrification. This workshop offers guidance for travel writers to ensure they are part of the solution rather than contributing to the problems tourism accelerates. Three specific areas will be touched on in this workshop: On-the-ground considerations, the writing and publishing process, and considerations for travel writers as responsible global citizens. Responsible travel writing requires understanding personal bias and perspective. That includes understanding the role colonialism has played in tourism in general, exacerbated by travel writing. Particularly in the section about on-the-ground considerations, we’ll be examining this role of perspective and bias, how and why systems of oppression have silenced stories in the past, and how travel writers can actively engage in decolonizing their writing.
The Sweet Spot: Where Science and Culture Mix; 4:30 pm – 5:45 pm on Thursday, April 15, 2021
Panelists Caren Chesler, Timothy Meinch, and Pam Weintraub
Science reporting isn’t only about laboratories, biology, or geology. Panelists discuss how to mine our contemporary lives for good stories that tap into human science.
And don’t miss the mid-track yoga and meditation session—a moment to relax with your colleagues is a great way to have a productive break.
Obviously, this is all just a taste of what we’ve got planned for the Journalism track. Want to know more or see the agenda for the entire conference? Find it all at the conference website.
Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash