Course Descriptions
Bob Dotson
Formber National Correspondent
NBC News, New York, NY
GETTING BACK TO STORYTELLING
Telling better stories is key to saving our jobs, but that is sometimes the last thing we consider. We’re faced with a constant stream of deadlines. Our time is sliced too thin for thought. Bob Dotson will share some tips to quickly make your stories memorable.
Blayne Alexander
Dateline Correspondent
NBC News, Atlanta, GA
FROM LOCAL MMJ TO DATELINE CORRESPONDENT
The newest correspondent for Dateline NBC, Blayne Alexander began her reporting career in a place that’s familiar to many of us: as a small-market MMJ. Her journey included stops in Atlanta, Washington, DC and, most recently, NBC News’ southern bureau – all of which gave her valuable tools that led to her newest position.
In this session, Blayne will break down her career path from Augusta, GA to one of the world’s most recognizable news magazines. We’ll discuss what to look for in a career move, how you can (and should!) prioritize your personal life and the importance of always building your “journalistic toolbox”.
Most importantly, she will answer YOUR questions big and small – so please come with plenty!
Kevin Benz
Newsroom Coach
KevinBenz.News, Austin, TX
BUILDING TRUST WHEN TRUTH IS NOT ENOUGH
Local news audiences are smaller today than at any time in our history. There are many reasons for that, most out of a journalist's control — except one — trust. Audience trust in news has eroded over the last decades. Research tells us that much of that erosion is due to our own missteps as well as due to a new “post-truth” society we report in. This session will discuss the unvarnished truth about how local news has damaged its relationship with the audience and based upon audience research, what we need to do to earn it back.
Katie Eastman
Manager of Storytelling
KOTV, Tulsa, OK
OPENING DOORS
Finding the open doors, knowing when to walk through the ones that open in front of you, and learning how to open one yourself is not only a good way to live life, but also necessary in this career. Katie will talk about how this philosophy has applied to her as a solo video journalist and a manager on a practical level and help you do the same.
Alex Rozier
Reporter
KNBC, Los Angeles, CA
REPORTING IN A FIRESTORM
When wildfires erupted in Southern California this January, KNBC’s Alex Rozier was one of the first Reporters on the scene.
In this session, he’ll talk about his experience and tell you what you need to remember when covering major breaking news. He will show you how you can shine as a storyteller when it matters most.
Jobin Panicker
REPORTER
WFAA, Dallas, TX
THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW
This course is designed to equip participants with the essential skills to excel in interviews. We'll go through some tricks of the trade, learn to craft questions, read body language, and build rapport with subjects. Emphasizing both verbal and non-verbal communication, this course provides practical strategies for different interview formats, including in-person, virtual, and press conferences. We’ll dive into techniques a photographer can utilize to get “good” sound. Also, how a reporter and photographer can work together to maximize their time while getting a strong interview.
Noel Brennan
Multimedia Journalist
WBBM, Chicago, IL
MMJ LIFE IN A MAJOR MARKET
In Chicago, where reporter-photographer teams are still the norm, Noel Brennan works solo, turning stories that stand out like a lone lavalier in a sea of stick mics. Noel will show you how to turn a crowded press conference into powerful storytelling. He’ll break down day-turn stories and memorable features that aired in Chicago and nationally on CBS News.
Forrest Sanders
Multimedia Journalist
WTVF, Nashville, TN
OVERCOMING HURDLES: TAKING NON-VISUAL STORIES AND MAKING THEM VISUAL
We've all been faced with it; a good story for a web script...but it's just lacking visuals. Maybe it's a historical piece. Maybe it's just something serving up hurdles. What do you do? We're talking about those challenges and how to get creative with them in both special projects and day turns.
Mike Grady
Photojournalist
KUSA, Denver, CO
FUN-DUH-MENTAL: KEEPING DAILY NEWS INTERESTING
Looking at how to approach daily news coverage to get the job done while finding opportunities to do things a little differently. We'll look at some stories, and go through some raw footage to see how we go from a concept to a story with solid fundamentals, and taking some risks.
Emily Gracey
Creative Content Producer
The National Weather Desk, Charleston, SC
STORYTELLING WITH SOUND: TURNING A PASSION INTO A PODCAST
After 20 years as a local broadcast meteorologist, Emily Gracey turned her love of weather into a national podcast - "Off the Radar". She will offer advice on how to create memorable content that captivates diverse audiences, master the technical essentials for getting started, and understand why podcasting is an effective and rewarding way to tell a story.