Program
View the live stream schedule
Thursday, April 23
4 – 8 p.m. Registration open
Conference materials available in the lobby of the Reynolds Journalism Institute.
Friday, April 24
7:30 a.m. Registration
Conference materials available in the lobby of the Reynolds Journalism Institute all day. Coffee available outside Fisher Auditorium, 88 Gannett Hall. Shuttles running from hotels 7:15-9 a.m. See shuttle schedule for more info.
8:45-9 a.m. Welcome and opening remarks
Fisher Auditorium, 88 Gannett Hall
Randy Picht, executive director, Reynolds Journalism Institute.
9-9:45 a.m. Beyond the Buzzwords: What it means to be a news organization in the digital age
Fisher Auditorium, 88 Gannett Hall
Speaker: Vivian Schiller, media executive.
10-10:15 a.m. ONA Special Presentation: 2015 Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education
Fisher Auditorium, 88 Gannett Hall
Speaker: Irving Washington, deputy director, Online News Association.
10:15-10:45 a.m. Staying Ahead of OTT, Mobile and Other Trends in Video News Consumption
Fisher Auditorium, 88 Gannett Hall
Speaker: Jim Spencer, founder, Newsy.
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Breakout sessions
New Models, New Tools, New Innovations
Lambert Room 200A, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Educators and professionals introduce specific new tools to ease video creation and verify tweets. Discussion will focus on how new tools create possibilities for existing newsrooms and entrepreneurial activities.
Moderator: Mark Poepsel, assistant professor, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Panelists: Bimal Balakrishnan, associate professor, University of Missouri Department of Architectural Studies; Sarah Hill, chief storyteller at Veterans United; and Twitter Trails, a video demo by Takis Metaxas, computer science professor at Wellesley College.
Social, Solutions and Public Interest: The emerging fields of how news and information can affect the greater good
Spencer Room 200B, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Thought leaders come together to discuss the role of journalism and civic engagement through the use of digital tools.
Moderator: Matt Sheehan, director of the Innovation News Center, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.
Panelists: David Bornstein, journalist and author, co-founder of Solutions Journalism Network, and New York Times “Fixes” columnist; Carrie Brown, director of the Social Journalism Program at The City University of New York; Ann Christiano, Frank Karel Chair in Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida.
Viral Content: You won’t believe what happens at this panel!
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Sharable, viral, distributed… Whatever it’s called, content engineered to get audiences to click and share has become a key element in the success of today’s digital media operations. This conversation will help participants understand and teach others how to create, manage and think about it smartly. Attendance also will put you several degrees closer to Kevin Bacon.
Moderator: Reuben Stern, Futures Lab deputy director, Reynolds Journalism Institute.
Panelists: Annie Colbert, viral content editor at Mashable; Thomas McBee, director of growth at Quartz; and Erica Williams Simon, deputy editor at Upworthy.
See the Missouri Method at work: Tour of the Columbia Missourian
Meet near the west entrance of Gannett Hall (to the left when exiting Fisher Auditorium). A tour guide will walk the group across the street to the Columbia Missourian at 11 a.m.
The Columbia Missourian is a community news organization managed by professional editors and staffed by Missouri School of Journalism students who do the reporting, design, copy editing, community outreach, information graphics, photography and multimedia. More than 200 students work in the newsroom each semester. The Missourian debuted Sept. 14, 1908, the same day classes started at the Missouri School of Journalism.
12:30-1:45 p.m. Lunch at Elm Street Ballroom and Tour of Newsy
Lunch at the Elm Street Ballroom
The Elm Street Ballroom is located in the back of Umbria Rustic Italian restaurant at 904 Elm St. Meal cards are provided in the name badges of those registered for lunch. Show your meal card to get into the lunch.
Media Tour: Newsy
Sign up at the registration table in RJI lobby ahead of time. Limited availability. Newsy is located at 904 Elm Street Suite 208, just above the Elm Street Ballroom (Enter on Watson Place side). Tours can be taken on the half hour during the lunch break from 12:30 – 1:45 pm.
Newsy is an award-winning video news company with OTTV and mobile apps, with millions of views daily in syndication.
2-3:15 p.m. Breakout sessions
Data Wrangling in the Classroom: Learn from professionals and professors about doing and teaching data-driven storytelling
Lambert Room 200A, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Moderator: Norman Lewis, associate professor at the University of Florida.
Panelists: Katie Park, graphics editor at The Washington Post; and Ryan Murphy, lead developer for news apps at The Texas Tribune.
Audience Metrics and What Really Matters
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Working journalists from very different sectors share the metrics that matter most to them — and how they use analytics data to guide decisions.
Moderator: Joy Mayer, associate professor, Missouri School of Journalism.
Panelists: Angilee Shah, social media manager at Public Radio International; and Heather Blythe, senior manager for analytics and insights at Cox Media Group.
Scaling for Success: Creating (and sustaining) giant-size learning opportunities at any size J-school
Spencer Room 200B, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Much has been written about “the teaching hospital model” of journalism education, but what does that mean for journalism schools, faculty and students? It’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition, so panelists will talk about the journalism their students are producing, how successful they’ve been at building an audience and what the best combination might be of classroom and newsroom experience.
Moderator: Katherine Reed, associate professor, Missouri School of Journalism.
Panelists: Suzy Smith, associate professor at Ball State University; Chris Snider, assistant professor at Drake University; and Reuben Stern, deputy director at the Reynolds Journalism Institute Futures Lab.
3:30 – 5 p.m. Breakout sessions
Setting or Chasing the Agenda: Who controls the news?
Lambert Room 200A, Reynolds Journalism Institute
The rise of social media is changing media’s role as the traditional gatekeeper of news. Media professionals and academics will discuss who determines the news, how news organizations determine their agendas, and whether or not media companies are the gatekeepers of journalism. This panel is sponsored by the Associated Press and the Reynolds Journalism Institute in an effort to connect academia and media professionals.
Moderator: Randy Picht, executive director at the Reynolds Journalism Institute.
Panelists: Lou Ferrara, social media editor at the Associated Press (via video chat); Kyle Luke, director of emerging media at Newsy; Tim Vos, associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism; Frank Russell, doctoral student at the Missouri School of Journalism; and Austin Federa, digital content director at KBIA.
Teach-A-Thon: Classroom tips on teaching digital journalism
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Journalism professors from 11 universities present creative strategies and tools for teaching digital journalism in seven-minute sessions each. Hosted by Christian Bryant, Newsy/KOMU.
- A Visualization Initiation - Marie Shanahan, University of Connecticut.
- The Mechanic is the Message: Merging learning game design and journalism - Juli James, Arizona State University Center for Games & Impact.
- #FAIL - Erika Lee, Indiana University.
- Snapchat and its place in the newsroom - Aaron Manfull, Journalism Education Association.
- The Open Book Classroom: How to create transparency and foster collaboration for individual and group success - Andrew Matranga, University of Denver.
- I-70 Sign Show - Anne Thompson, University of Missouri.
- #SocialStudyGuide - Leigh Wright and Melony Shemberger, Murray State University.
- Immersive Journalism Excursions: Cuba, Alaska and Ghana, Ed Madison and Mark Blaine - University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
- Augmented Reality vs. Alternate Reality as Teaching Tools - Mark Poepsel, Southern Illinois University.
- Using Brain Mapping to Frame a Story and You Can Too! - Steven Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Reception
Palmer Room 100A and lobby, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Shuttles running to hotels 5-7 p.m. See shuttle schedule for more info.
5:30 – 7 p.m. Media tour – KOMU-TV, NBC affiliate
Sign up at the registration table in RJI lobby. Limited availability.
The shuttle leaves from Reynolds Journalism Institute doors on 9th St. at 5:30 p.m. The shuttle will drop attendees off at The Broadway, The Tiger or RJI as needed when the tour concludes. See shuttle schedule for more info.
KOMU TV-8 is the University-owned NBC affiliate that serves as a training ground for television reporters, producers and editors. It reaches 40,000 homes in 15 mid-Missouri counties.
9 p.m. Documentary film screening: “Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi”
Ellis Auditorium, Ellis Library
Shuttles running to the film from hotels 8:15-9 p.m. and a return trip at 10:30 p.m. See shuttle schedule for more info.
This documentary explores the news frenzy fueled by social media rumors surrounding a missing college student and the Boston Marathon Bombing. Director Neal Broffman and Executive Producer Elisa Gambino will both be present at the screening. The “Viral Ethics” panel discussion Saturday morning will center on the film.
Saturday, April 25
7:30 – 8:15 a.m. Registration
Conference materials are available in the lobby of the Reynolds Journalism Institute all day. Coffee available on the second floor of RJI. Shuttles running from hotels 7:45-9 a.m. See shuttle schedule for more info.
8:30 – 10:30 a.m. Student Innovation Showcase
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Student teams present innovative projects or research they’ve carried out during the 2014-2015 school year. Adobe is proud to be a sponsor of the Student Innovation Showcase. We believe creativity is essential for students, for teachers, for educational institutions. Actually, for everybody. Let’s get creative. Let’s change the world.
Moderator: Mike McKean, director, Reynolds Journalism Institute Futures Lab, Missouri School of Journalism.
- SoundStir – Alix Carruth, Kristofferson Culmer, Rachel Koehn, Manav Singhal and Son Nguyen, University of Missouri.
- Uber and The Surge – Jenny Hottle, University of Maryland.
- The Making of an iPad App – Tina Shang, Caleb Baldree and Margaret Blakemore, Middle Tennessee State University.
- Creating a Mobile News Site for Nebraska Papers – Cody Elmore and Mike Stark, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
- Police + The Press – Kristina Thomas and Garrett Lamkin, Ball State University.
- Designing Journalism to Meet Community Needs – Patty Bobek, Kelsey McCutcheon Fitzgerald and Christine Seiber, University of Nevada-Reno.
- Clicking with The Audience: Google analytics drives engaging content – Gabriel Austin, Kendyl Noon and Ethan Turner, University of Mississippi.
- Here Say Storytelling Project - Abigail Keel, Hope Kirwan and Torie Ross, University of Missouri.
10:45 a.m. – Noon Breakout sessions
Viral Ethics: Reining in irresponsibility on social content
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Panel discussion centers on Friday evening documentary, “Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi”
Moderator: Stacey Woelfel, director, Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, Missouri School of Journalism.
Panelists: Neal Broffman and Elisa Gambino, owners and operators of One Production Place; and Erik Martin, US general manager at Depop.
Code Building: Best practices for inspiring young journalists
Spencer Room 200B, Reynolds Journalism Institute
There has been an explosion in job openings for young journalists who combine reporting with coding, design and interactive storytelling skills. The panelists will discuss the best ways to recruit, inspire and train young journalists to seek careers in this hot field.
Moderator: Sean Mussenden, multiplatform director, Capital News Service, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland.
Panelists: Emily Withrow, assistant professor of interactive narrative and multimedia storytelling, Northwestern University (Medill); and Rob Weir, director of digital development, Columbia Missourian, Missouri School of Journalism.
Creating a Killer Portfolio: Advice for students who will soon be entering the job market
Lambert Room 200A, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Speakers: Debora Halpern Wenger, associate professor and director, undergraduate journalism, Meek School of Journalism and New Media, University of Mississippi; and Sebastian Distefano, strategic development manager, digital media, Adobe.
Noon – 1:30 p.m. Lunch in downtown Columbia
Meal cards are provided in name badges for those registered for lunch. Those registered will receive a voucher redeemable at various restaurants in downtown Columbia. Show your meal card at the registration table to pick up your voucher. Applicable restaurants are highlighted on the back of the voucher.
1:45 – 3 p.m. Skills and training workshops
When Sharks Attack: Finding stories in data
Lab Room 247, Walter Williams Hall
The explosion of interest in data has journalists and academics alike focused on coding. But the ability to scrape a website or code a news app isn’t necessarily the key to good story-telling with data. Once you have access to a database, then what? How do you identify stories? How do you clean your data, sort it and present it? This hands-on session will provide participants with some preliminary lessons. Participants will leave the session with ideas, approaches and resources that can be used in the classroom.
Speaker: Mike Jenner, Houston Harte Chair in Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism.
Tableau Crash Course: Building interactive visualizations without hiring a programmer
Lab Room 206, Neff Hall
Speaker: David Herzog, associate professor, Missouri School of Journalism, and academic adviser, National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting.
How to Become a Mobile Ninja in the Field
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Learn to use mobile tools while reporting to quickly generate direct-to-social content.
Speaker: Judd Slivka, assistant professor, Missouri School of Journalism.
Using the Web for Better Investigative Stories
Lambert Room 200A, Reynolds Journalism Institute
From better search techniques to the invisible Web, you’ll learn practical ways to find reliable information on deadline or for enterprise work. Get tips on more effective Web searches, the latest search engines and other practical information you can use immediately. Find free applications for mapping and other reporting tools and visuals.
Speaker: Mark Horvit, associate professor, Missouri School of Journalism, and executive director, Investigative Reporters and Editors.
3:15 – 4:30 p.m. Skills and training workshops
Visual Verification: Tools and techniques for vetting UGC
Smith Forum 200, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Today, when breaking news happens, there will likely be a crowd photograph of it. For journalism, that can be an opportunity — but as journalists, we also need to ask important questions about UGC. Attend to learn more about tools and techniques for verifying digital photographs, including using reverse-image search, metadata analysis, and more. This session is sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Speaker: Samaruddin Stewart, independent journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Analytics in the Newsroom: What you need to know about using data
Spencer Room 200B, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Entering the newsroom now often means seeing analytics and data about your work. This session will be an intro on the meaning of different metrics, ways to use them in your work, and ways to use them to foster collaboration with other departments. Even if you’re not new to the newsroom, this session will be a great way to put some meaning behind numbers you’ve been wondering about. It will also include an overview of the Parse.ly analytics dashboard.
Speaker: Clare Carr, director of marketing, Parse.ly.
Basics of Cybersecurity for Journalists
Lambert Room 200A, Reynolds Journalism Institute
Security experts provide best practices on how to secure your digital data in an era when every journalist has greater challenges in protecting sources and confidential information from governments, corporations and other interests.
Speakers: Ferdous Al-Faruque, medical device reporter at The Gray Sheet, and Aaron Rinehart, founder and CEO at TestBed Inc.
5– 7 p.m. Closing reception at Lee Hills Hall
Lee Hills Hall (home of the Columbia Missourian) is located on the corner of Elm St. and 8th St. Exit RJI on the “back” entrance (closest to the circle drive and Quadrangle). Turn right onto 8th St. Walk until you get to Elm St. and there is Lee Hills Hall. Hors-d’oeuvres provided.
A shuttle will run to hotels from RJI 4:30-5:15 p.m. for those not attending the reception. A shuttle will run to the hotels from Lee Hills Hall 5:30-7 p.m. for those returning to the hotels from the reception. See shuttle schedule for more info.