Proposals solicited for national convention

SPJ is accepting proposals for professional development programs until Dec. 11.

By Jodi Cleesattle, San Diego Pro Chapter

Partner, Ross, Dixon & Bell, LLP 

Reporters, editors, educators and other news junkies still have time to pitch their best ideas for programs for the 2007 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference, set for Oct. 4-7, 2007, in Washington, D.C.  SPJ is accepting proposals for professional development programs until Dec. 11.

Proposals should address one of the following topics:

• Hot topics in journalism;
• SPJ missions (diversity, ethics, freedom of information);
• Using technology (researching online, digging for databases, using data in reporting, using FOIA, podcasting, computer-assisted reporting, etc.);
• Career development (managing career, work/life balance, freelancing, book writing, etc.);
• Skill building (reporting, writing, investigating, editing, etc.), or
• Visual journalism (broadcast, Web, photojournalism, multimedia, etc.).

SPJ looks for programs that provide leading-edge information, focus on skill-building and professional development, and provide useful “how to” information.  Programs should include no more than two speakers.  The person submitting the proposal doesn’t have to be one of the participants, but will act as the liaison between SPJ and the proposed speakers.

SPJ does not pay speakers or provide travel expenses, but speakers get free one-day registration for the convention for the day their program is scheduled.

For more information, and to submit a proposal online, visit www.spj.org/c-call.asp.