SPJ Region 4 spring conference

Chapter Meetings:
THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH @ 11:30 A.M.
WCPO CHANNEL 9
1720 GILBERT AVE.
CINCINNATI, OH 45202

SPJ Region 4 spring conference - April 3 & 4

Registration is open for the SPJ Region 4 spring conference at http://spjspringconference.eventbrite.com. Cost is $70 for professional members and $45 for student members. Use the discount code "spring" before March 15 to get this early-bird rate.

The conference, April 3-4, will be held at the Doubletree Worthington, with programming support from the Online News Association and the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism.

The event will open Friday with a reception, followed by a full Saturday of networking and professional development sessions dedicated to new media. Registration includes Saturday's Mark of Excellence luncheon, which will honor the best student journalism in the region.

Pulitzer-prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald will deliver a keynote on President Obama's influence on national culture. Detroit News recruiter Walter Middlebrook also will be on hand to talk about his paper's plan to cut back home delivery and boost digital readership.

Topics for Saturday breakout sessions are scheduled to include:

The Impact of Digital Media on Public Affairs Reporting
New Media Ethics
Powerhouse Writing for the Web
Better Broadcast Writing
Beat Blogging
The Art of the Two-Minute Video

Breakfast and lunch on Saturday are included in the registration fee.
A block of rooms is being held at the hotel for $94 a night. Rooms are limited, so make your reservations <http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/CMHWNDT-SPJ-20090403/index.jhtml> before March 20 to get the special conference pricing.
For more information or questions about the event, contact event chair Katy Waters <mailto:kwaters@bizjournals.com> , or check CentralOhioSPJ.org <http://www.centralohiospj.org/> for updates.

I hope to see you in Columbus!