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Cost: $150 student SPJ members | $175 professional SPJ members | $200 student non-members | $250 professional non-members | Mark of Excellence luncheon only: $85. Please send a check in advance, payable to SPJ Region 1 Fund, to Rebecca Baker, c/o The Journal News, 1 Gannett Drive, White Plains, N.Y., 10604 | Late fee for registrations after March 30

NEW! One-day option: students $100, professionals: $125.

Join SPJ and take advantage of the discounted rate! Click here to learn how.

Hotel reservations are now being taken at The New Yorker Hotel, 481 Eighth Ave. @ West 34th St. 1-866-800-3088. Ask for the Society of Professional Journalists block to get the discounted rate of $179 per night (double occupancy). Reservations must be made by March 31 to get the reduced rate. Or reserve here.

Planning committee:
Rebecca Baker, of the Journal News, Deadline Club president; planning chair of conference
Luther Turmelle, of the New Haven Register, Region 1 director and Connecticut SPJ board member
Cindy Simoneau, of Southern Connecticut State University; Connecticut SPJ president
Jane Primerano, a freelance journalist, New Jersey SPJ treasurer
Jamie DeLoma, of Quinnipiac University, Connecticut SPJ vice president

E-mail Rebecca Baker at newsgal73@yahoo.com with any questions.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, April 9

Noon-5 p.m.:

Registration at CUNY, 219 West 40th St

1-2:15 p.m.:

· Everything You Wanted to Know about FOIL (but were afraid to ask)
New York’s Freedom of Information guru will share the latest news on open records laws, especially those kept electronically, and advise you about what to do if an agency refuses to release a public record or throws you out of a public meeting.
Speaker: Robert Freeman, executive director, New York State Committee on Open Government

· Communicating on Camera: Can You Deliver?
Find out how to come across polished, poised and professional on video, whether it’s for an online or broadcast news organization. Bring in your tape and see the difference between an average video and one that makes news directors say, "Wow, that’s good!” All tapes should be in DVD format.
Speakers: Steven Kalb, adjunct professor of broadcast journalism, University of Connecticut; Phil O'Brien, veteran New York City producer, consultant; Frank Ucciardo, Contributing Correspondent, CBS News Up To The Minute; Traci Wilkes, Willinger Talent Agency in New York

· Covering the Hispanic Community: Portraying Latinos Accurately and Often. A panel by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
This panel, sponsored by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, will show you how to look beyond crime statistics, immigration concerns and Cinco de Mayo celebrations to paint a more vivid picture of the Hispanic community in your area.
Speakers:Cindy Rodriguez, freelance journalist and former columnist at the Denver Post; Randy Hecht, freelance journalist and owner of Aphra Communications. Moderator: Jessica Durkin, NAHJ Region 3 Director and Founder of InOtherNews.us

2:15-2:30 p.m.: Break

2:30-3:45 p.m.:

· Social Media Tips and Tricks: Better use of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
Many of us are on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn - or all three - but are not sure how to make best use of these and other social networking sites. This fun, fast-paced, customized session will make you more efficient, help you with your work and improve your online life. You will leave with a handout, several practical, actionable ideas and a whole new outlook on technology.
Speaker:Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia Journalism Professor and contributing editor, DNAinfo.com, and one of AdAge's "25 media people to follow on Twitter" | http://www.twitter.com/sreenet

· How to Break into Freelancing: An Insider’s Look
These longtime freelancers broke into the field as young journalists and have established successful careers writing for magazines and other media outlets. Learn how they got their first assignments and kept them coming over the years.
Speakers:Michael Luongo, freelance writer, editor and photographer specializing in travel; Julia Dahl, freelance writer for Salon, Columbia Journalism Review, Redbook, Seventeen and Slate

· The Crisis in Foreign News Reporting
Sponsored by the Overseas Press Club, the nation's oldest and largest association of journalists engaged in international news, this panel will discuss the changes in international reporting over the past 30 years, particularly as news organizations have cut their network of correspondents abroad. Learn how this trend has hurt the quality of sustained foreign news coverage and what that means to Americans’ understanding of the world.
Moderator: William Holstein, president, OPC Foundation

3:45-4:00 p.m.: Break

4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.:

· Looking for a Job? Meet the Recruiters
Who says no one is hiring journalists nowadays? These headhunters from New York City-based media outlets will explain what they look for in a candidate and how you can make yourself more attractive as a job applicant.
Speakers:Mark Anthony Thomas, director, City Limits; Karen Danziger, Managing Partner, The Howard-Sloan-Koller Group; Michelle LaRoche, Editor, Training and Recruiting, Dow Jones Newswires

· Why J-School?
Students, alumni and faculty from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism talk about how you can determine if graduate school is right for you and what undergraduates as well as working professionals can gain from an advanced journalism degree.
Speakers:Margaret Teich, CUNY J-School SPJ chapter president; Eliot Caroom, CUNY J-School alumus and reporter at the Newark Star-Ledger; Anne Shreffler, CUNY J-School alumna and founding member of its SPJ Chapter (live via SKYPE from Boston). Moderator: Colleen Marshall, CUNY J-School Admissions/Outreach Counselor.

· How to Interview Crime Victims and Approach Grieving Families
It’s part of the job that every journalist dreads: knocking on the door of a family whose loved one was killed or calling a victim to get his or her story. These experts will offer tips to get reluctant interview subjects to open up and how to make sure their stories are treated with respect.
Speakers:Shawn Cohen, criminal justice reporter, The Journal News; Julia Dahl, freelance writer and contributing editor, The Crime Report; Kevin Deutch, freelance writer at the New York Daily News, former crime writer at the Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald; William Kaemppfer, police reporter, New Haven Register

6:30-8:30 p.m.: Opening Night Reception
The Midtown Executive Club,40 West 45th St., b/t 5th and 6th avenues. Open Bar (beer/wine/soda) and light hors d’oeuvres

Saturday, April 10

9 to 11:45 a.m.: Registration

9-10:15 a.m.:

· Layoff Survival Guide: What You Need to Prepare for and Recover from a Job Loss, Part 1
With newsrooms downsizing and media companies laying off employees at every turn, learn how to prepare if you’re concerned about losing your job, and what you can do if you’ve already gotten the pink slip. The speakers will address topics such as employee rights, personal finance and job searching in the toughest of markets. This is a double session; Q&A will follow after the break.
Speakers:Allison Hemming, founder of The Hired Guns and author of “Work It! How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass and Land a Job in Any Economy;” Hanan Kolko, labor attorney with Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein; New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Personal Finance Planning Committee. Moderator: Don Mazzella, editorial director, Information Strategies, Inc.

· Covering the Financial Crisis, the Bloomberg Way
These journalists from Bloomberg News will explain how they tackled the nation’s economic implosion, including the housing market crash. The panelists also will pay tribute to the late Mark Pittman, a Bloomberg News reporter whose groundbreaking work covering the mortgage trading scandal was featured in the documentary film “American Casino.”
Speakers: David Levitt, Bloomberg News, Rob Urban, managing editor for global real estate and investing coverage and Bob Ivry, business reporter. Moderator: Dean Starkman, Columbia Journalism Review

· Don't Bury The Lede: How To Write An Effective Resume
Increase your odds of getting that job or internship in a shrinking market. Learn from an experienced “resume doctor” what to put in a resume, what to leave out and how to organize it the way editors want, not the way career centers tell you to do it.
Speakers: Newsday reporter and former SPJ regional director Bill Bleyer and Meredith McGinn, assistant news director, WNBC-TV

· Make Your Stories More Visual
If you’re a content editor, reporter or copy editor, you might not think it’s your job to bring visual appeal to your stories. But research shows that visuals attract readers. Find out from the Society of News Design how to attract more eyeballs to your stories through planning, reporting and editing. And learn how work to with the designers, photographers and graphic artists in your newsroom to get the best results.
Moderator: Andrew DeVigal, multimedia editor, The New York Times

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Break

10:30 to 11:45 a.m.:

· Layoff Survival Guide: What You Need to Prepare for and Recover from a Job Loss, Part 2
This is your chance to ask questions and get answers from the panelists. See Part 1 above for a description of the panel.

· Transplanting Yourself Overseas
AP veterans discuss the realities of working in the world's hot spots. Panelists include a photography director who has covered wars and disasters around the world and a news editor who oversaw war coverage in Iraq and Afghanistan and covered the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the landing of U.S. troops in Somalia.
Panelists: Santiago Lyon, AP director of photography; Nick Tatro, AP New York news editor and former Israel bureau chief. Moderator: Howard Goldberg, AP New York bureau chief

· Anonymity, Liability and Accountability: Emerging First Amendment Issues in Cyberspace
This panel of top media attorneys will discuss cutting-edge legal issues facing journalists and speakers in the Internet.
Speakers: Thomas Cafferty, New Jersey Press Association lawyer and partner with Scarinci & Hollenbeck in Lyndhurst, N.J.; Robert Bertsche, partner with Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye in Boston; Ann Salisbury, lawyer for the "Anonymous Blogger" in the "Skanks of New York" blog case. Moderator: Roy S. Gutterman, professor of journalism and communications law, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University.

· Do You Know Design?
Is your idea of good design stuck in the ‘80s? The last time you designed a page, were you using a pica pole? Or maybe you never had the opportunity to learn the basics. Then this session is for you. See the latest trends from the Society for News Design’s Best of Newspaper Competition. By the end, you might not be an expert, but you¹ll be able to talk like one.
Moderator: George Frederick, innovation editor, Star-Ledger

12:30 to 2:30 p.m.:

Mark of Excellence Awards Ceremony, Luncheon and Regional Fund Auction, The New Yorker Hotel
Unlimited hot lunch buffet
Appetizers: grilled vegetable platter, fresh bocconcini and cherry tomato salad, rotinisalad with shrimp and mixed baby field green salad
Entrees: apple and cranberry stuffed chicken roulade, filet of sole stuffed with crab and scallop and vegetable lasagna
Desserts: seasonal sliced fresh fruit, New York-style cheesecake, coffee and tea
Keynote speaker: David Barstow, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, The New York Times
Mark of Excellence Award Ceremony: Luther Turmelle, Region 1 director; Cindy Simoneau, Mark of Excellence awards coordinator, Region 1

3 to 4 p.m.:

· Tour of the Associated Press, 450 West 33th St.

3 to 4:15 p.m.:

· From Full-Timer to Freelancer: Making the Mid-Career Leap
Whether you decide on your own to leave the daily grind to choose your own assignments, or whether layoffs have led you to turn to freelancing to stay in journalism, learn from these professionals what it takes to make the transition from a staff member to an independent contractor, and how to keep enough work coming to pay the bills.
Speakers:Brandon Moran, writer, editor and Web consultant; Rayna Katz, freelance journalist specializing in travel, meetings and lifestyle; Jeff Cutler, social media journalist; Chantee Lans, News 12 freelance general assignment reporter

· Lessons Learned Covering the Economic Meltdown: A panel by the New York Financial Writers Association
In many ways, the financial media missed the red flags that could have predicted the financial collapse. What did we learn? What are we doing differently now? And what we can do in the future to change how we cover the economy?
Speakers: Jan Alexander, freelance journalist and former features editor at Worth; Dan Colorusso, managing editor for Bloomberg Television; David Graubard, U.S. senior financial writer for Creditflux. Moderators: Josh Friedlander, online editor, AR: Absolute Return + Alpha; Imogen Rose Smith, Institutional Investor

· Covering Tragedy: How to Cope with Post-Assignment Trauma
Experienced reporters discuss the impact of covering traumatic events and the necessity of taking care of yourself while getting the story first, fast and accurately.
Speakers: Bill Bleyer, Newsday reporter; Bob Braun, The Star-Ledger. Moderator: Jane Priminaro, freelance reporter

4:15-4:30 p.m. : Break

4:30-5:15 p.m.:

· Harnessing Technology to Get the Big Story
Getting the big story no longer entails just going to the scene and making a few phone calls. This interactive discussion will explore the ways technology is enabling journalists to do their jobs more effectively. Understand how services like Twitter, Facebookand Google Buzz works can work for you and how RSS feeds, advanced searching techniques and thinking outside the box will help you present a more exciting and riveting story.
Speaker: Jamie DeLoma, Hearst Connecticut Newspapers freelance journalist and adjunct professor of journalism at Quinnipiac and Southern Connecticut State universities