SPJ Region 12 spring conference goes off without a hitch at Lipscomb

Journalists from Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana converged on the Lipscomb University campus in Nashville Saturday for the 2011 Society of Professional Journalists' Region 12 spring conference.

Among the highlights:

• Our keynote speaker, SPJ national president and Nashvillian by upbringing Hagit Limor, gave a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting from Japan during the recent earthquake and tsunami and talked about the recent and troubling trend of states gutting their open government laws;
• Prof. Sybril Bennett of Belmont University got rave reviews for her morning session on multimedia in the changing journalism landscape
• The Louisiana schools took home bucketloads of honors in the Mark of Excellence awards for student journalism. Among our local winners were Lipscomb, TSU and Vol State (see separate post for more details and a complete list of winners). 
• And Prof. Donald Page of TSU won the door prize drawing, taking home free registration to the SPJ/RTDNA convention in September in New Orleans. 

Thanks to everyone who attended and volunteered!

"The Journalistic Enterprise": SPJ regional conference March 25-26 in Nashville

“The Journalistic Enterprise”

WHEN: March 25-26, 2011
Opening night reception March 25
Conference March 26

WHERE: Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tenn.
HOW TO GET THERE: Details at this link

REGISTRATION
Early bird (by March 18)
$90 for SPJ members
$100 for nonmembers
$55 for students

After March 18
$95 for SPJ members
$110 for nonmembers
$60 for students

To register: Send checks by mail to SPJ Middle Tennessee Pro, P.O. Box 22248, Nashville, TN 37202.

Accomodations: There are several reasonably priced hotels near the campus.

Plus, the Hampton Inn Vanderbilt, 1919 West End, has set aside a small number
of rooms for SPJ at $109 a night, double or king beds. This rate is available until
March 2. The Hampton can be contacted at 615-329-1144 or 888-880-5394.
The reservation code is SPJ.

Early bird deadline extended to April 5 for regional conference in Knoxville

Our friends at the East Tennessee Pro Chapter in Knoxville, who are hosting the April 9-10 Region 12 conference, have extended the early bird registration deadline to April 5.

April 5 is also the deadline for booking a room at the conference hotel, the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Convention Center, Regional Director Sonny Albarado said in an e-mail.

The focus for the conference programs on Friday will be environmental journalism, and the focus on Saturday will be sports journalism. You can go both days or just one day. Go to http://etspj.org/ to register.

Environmental journalism topic of this year's regional conference in Knoxville

SPJ's Region 12 will have its annual conference next month in Knoxville, hosted by our friends with the East Tennessee Pro Chapter.

Here's some description we are shamelessly lifting from their Web site:

Programs for April 9 will focus on environmental reporting issues, taking advantage of our location in Southern Appalachia between two opposites: at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and near TVA’s 2009 Coal Ash Spill.

Programs for April 10 will focus on issues in sports journalism (where the hometown Vols have been the source of some recent controversy), social media, health coverage and “The Myth of Diversity.”

Also featured are a reception at the East Tennessee History Center with live music Friday night and the Mark of Excellence Awards banquet Saturday.

The conference hotel is Holiday Inn Downtown Knoxville @ Convention Center , in easy walking distance of plenty of unique restaurants, shops and clubs, and in easy driving distance of the Smokies, where you might spend some time before or after the conference activities.

Plus, Knoxville will be in the middle of its annual renowned Dogwood Arts Festival with its art fair and entertainment events going on in nearby Market Square as well!

You may register for either day individually or for both days at a discount. When you make a reservation at the Holiday Inn please do so HERE using the code SPJ. If you phone them, please say you want the SPJ block of rooms.

For more details, including a full schedule, see ETSPJ's Web site.