Photo by Flickr user Jo Naylor

The free workshop, “Uncovering the Best Local Business Stories,” was originally held at the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Rural Journalism on April 13, 2012, and at Texas Christian University’s Texas Center for Community Journalism on April 26, 2012.

The session recordings below are from the workshop held at TCU. John Cheves’ PowerPoint presentations and handouts from the workshop at UK are available, along with Carlie Kollath, Chris Roush and Linda Austin’s earlier presentations, as additional resources.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• How to find good stories in the business of government, including budgets and contracts,
• How to cover economic-development agencies at the state and local levels,
• How to find public information on private companies,
• How to find stories in publicly available databases, such as incorporation records and real estate transactions,
• How to find stories in small businesses, including 15 questions to ask for small-business profiles, and
• How to localize national and international stories for your audience.

YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Linda Austin is the executive director of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. A former editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader and reporter and editor at the Dallas Times Herald, she is also a former business editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

John Cheves is an investigative reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader, with a focus on government watchdog stories that track how taxpayer money is spent. His projects include a nationally published 2006 series, “The McConnell Machine,” examining $220 million in political donations collected by U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and the favors that McConnell did for his biggest donors.

Carlie Kollath has been a business reporter at the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo since 2007. She fell in love with journalism in high school and discovered business journalism while working for two trade publications in New York after graduating from the University of Mississippi.

Chris Roush is the Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Scholar in business journalism and the founding director of the Carolina Business News Initiative at the University of North Carolina. He was named Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Teacher of the Year in 2009 and the North Carolina Professor of the Year in 2010.

Doug Swanson is the investigative projects editor at The Dallas Morning News. Before that, he was a projects reporter specializing in coverage of troubled state agencies and the financial misdeeds of state contractors. He has written five crime novels and is at work on a biography of Benny Binion, who started the World Series of Poker.

Tommy Thomason is the founding director of Texas Christian University’s Texas Center for Community Journalism. He was also the founding director of TCU’s Schieffer School of Journalism, which he led until starting the center in 2009. He has taught journalism at five universities and has been at TCU since 1984.

SELF-GUIDED LESSON

Take a look through the workshop session recordings and resources below. At your own pace, you can walk through essential tips and techniques for finding great business stories in your own community.

Numbers by Flickr user Jorge Franganillo

The free webinar, “Unlocking Financial Statements,” takes place May 14-18 at noon and 4 p.m. ET.

Jimmy Gentry, award-winning professor at the University of Kansas, continues the popular, weeklong training with tips for analyzing corporate financial statements.

This free webinar was also offered in 2011 and 2010.

AGENDA

• Day One: Introduction to financial statements
• Day Two: The income statement
• Day Three: Balance sheets
• Day Four: Cash flows
• Day Five: Writing stories based on what you’ve learned

What You Will Learn:

• How to read and interpret income statements
• How to read and interpret balance sheets
• How to read and interpret cash-flow statements
• How to find stories in financial statements

Your Instructor

This seminar will be led by James Gentry, a professor and former dean at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. He has presented workshops on understanding the numbers of business to thousands of journalists and corporate communicators.

Prior to joining KU, he was journalism dean at University of Nevada, Reno, and associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism.

SELF-GUIDED LESSON

Take a look through the resources below. At your own pace, you can walk through the self-guided lesson on finding stories in financial statements.

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is offering fellowships worth $2,000 for four days of intensive study in financials and accounting Jan. 2-5, 2013, in Phoenix.

Limited to 12 professional journalists with at least two years of business journalism experience, the sixth annual Strictly Financials Seminar will take place during Reynolds Business Journalism Week at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Jimmy Gentry presented during the 2012 Strictly Financials Seminar.

Fellowships cover the full cost of training, lodging, materials and most meals. In addition, fellows receive a $500 stipend to help offset travel and other costs.

This seminar will cover the essentials of of covering financials, from stock markets and bonds to financial statements and company research.

A highlight of the week will be a panel discussion with the legendary investigative-reporting duo of Don Barlett and Jim Steele, along with the 2012 winners of the Reynolds Center’s Barlett & Steele Awards for investigative business journalism.

In addition, journalism professors from around the country, who are attending a concurrent seminar on how to teach business journalism, will attend some classes with Strictly Financials Fellows.

Venessa Wong (r), reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, attended the 2012 Strictly Financials Seminar.

“We’re offering this seminar in answer to requests from many participants in our one-day workshops who want to raise their sophistication level in all the financial aspects of business coverage,” said Andrew Leckey, president of the Reynolds Center. “Spending a week digging into balance sheets and accounting should provide a real boost to every journalist’s expertise.”

Mary Judd, a 2012 Strictly Financials fellow and reporter at the Fulton County Daily Report, said, “Thank you! I wish I’d had this experience 27 years ago when I began my career. What a generous, innovative investment the Reynolds Center is making in our profession, our economy and ultimately our world understanding of capitalism.”

The selection process is highly competitive, and applicants must be working in the United States or, if based overseas, for media outlets serving a U.S. audience. They must provide by 11:59 p.m. PDT Nov. 1 at BusinessJournalism.org:

• Contact information
• A resume
• A 100-word bio
• 500-word statement of why you are interested in attending the seminar, how it would improve your coverage and how you would share this knowledge with colleagues
• A letter of support from your editor recommending you for the seminar, explaining how your attendance would benefit the organization, and supporting your time away from work to attend. (Waived for freelancers.)

Questions? Contact Andrew Leckey, Reynolds Center president, at Andrew.Leckey@businessjournalism.org. or 602-496-9186.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s coverage of Reynolds Business Journalism Week 2012, and the agenda from the 2012 Strictly Financials Seminar follows:

Don Barlett and Jim Steele

REYNOLDS BUSINESS JOURNALISM WEEK 2012

AGENDA: “Strictly Financials Seminar”

Phoenix, Ariz.

Jan. 2-5, 2012
Monday — Jan. 2, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental Breakfast — (Combined groups) — First Amendment Forum
• 8:30 a.m. Welcome — (Combined groups) — Forum— Andrew Leckey
• 9 a.m.“Today’s Business Journalists as Investigators” — (Combined groups) —Forum–Diana B. Henriques of The New York Times
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break — Computer lab open for all breaks during the week (RM 352).
• 10:30 a.m. “Understanding Markets” — RM 314 — Jimmy Gentry
• NOON Box lunch discussion with Diana Henriques — (Combined groups)— Forum
• 1:30 p.m. “Understanding Markets” (continued) — RM 314 — Gentry
• 3:15-3:30 p.m. Break
• 3:30 p.m. “Understanding Markets” (conclusion) and “Sources” — RM 314 — Gentry
• 5-5:20 p.m. Group photos — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 5:20 p.m. Dinner – Southwestern buffet — (Combined groups) — Forum

Tuesday — Jan. 3, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental breakfast — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 8:30 a.m. “Financial Statements I” — (Combined groups) — RM 314 — Jimmy Gentry
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break
• 10:30 a.m. “Financial Statements I” (concluded) and “Securities Exchange Commission Filings” — (Combined groups) — RM 314 — Jimmy Gentry
• NOON Awards Luncheon with Jim Steele — (Combined groups) — Forum — “Reynolds Center’s 2012 Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism” — Panel Discussion and Presentation of Awards
• 1:30 p.m. “Financial Statements II: Tools for Analysis” — RM 314 — Jimmy Gentry
• 3-3:15 p.m. Break
• 3:15 p.m. “Financial Statememts II: Tools for Analysis” (continued) — Jimmy Gentry
• 5 p.m. Adjourn
• EVENING FREE

Wednesday — Jan. 4, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental breakfast — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 8:30 a.m. “Decoding Financial Statements” — RM 314 — Gary Trennepohl
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break
• 10:30 a.m. “Decoding Financial Statements” (continued) — Gary Trennepohl
• Lunch – Garden Buffet — “Getting LinkedIn: Exploring LinkedIn, a social/career tool that is filled with useful data for business journalists” — (Combined groups) — Forum — Robin J. Phillips
• 1:30 p.m. “Decoding Financial Statements” (conclude) — RM 314 — Gary Trennepohl
• 3-3:15 p.m. Break
• 3:15 p.m. “Investing in a Time of Uncertainty” — RM 314 — Gentry/Trennepohl
• 5-5:30 p.m. Cronkite Building Tour — (Combined groups) — Outside RM 302 – Leadership Suite (in front of elevators) — Liz Smith
• 5:30 p.m. Dinner – BBQ picnic buffet — (Combined groups) — Forum

Thursday – Jan. 5, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental breakfast — (Combined groups) — RM 444
• 8:30 a.m. “Financial Markets in 2012: Where are the Stories?” — RM 314 — Trennepohl
• 9:45-10 a.m. Break
• 10 a.m. “Financial Markets in 2012: Where are the Stories?” (continued) — RM 314 —Trennepohl
• 11:30 a.m. Certificate Presentation — (Combined groups) — RM 444
• NOON Box Lunch/Adjourn — (Combined groups) — RM 444

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is offering fellowships worth $2,000 for four days of intensive study in how to teach an undergraduate course in business journalism Jan. 2-5, 2013, in Phoenix.

Limited to 12 prospective professors, the seventh annual Business Journalism Professors Seminar will take place during Reynolds Business Journalism Week at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Fellowships cover the full cost of training, lodging, materials and most meals. In addition, fellows receive a $500 stipend to help offset travel and other costs.

Carol Angela Davis (High Point University) and Sharon Bernstein (Arizona State University) participate during the 2012 Business Journalism Professors seminar.

This seminar will cover the essentials of teaching a hands-on course, including financial, economic and writing aspects. It is an opportunity for prospective business journalism professors to learn from experienced instructors and journalism professionals.

Former SABEW President Rob Reuteman was a 2012 participant and participated in the Reynolds Center’s inaugural Visiting Professors Program at Colorado State University during the spring 2012 semester. Feeling better prepared for the semester ahead he said, “It’s an intensive workshop. I don’t think there was a wasted minute. Every aspect was valuable to me in important ways.”

A highlight of the week will be a panel discussion with the legendary investigative-reporting duo of Don Barlett and Jim Steele, along with the 2012 winners of the Reynolds Center’s Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism.

In addition, business journalists from around the country, who are attending a concurrent seminar calledStrictly Financials, will attend some classes with the professors.

The selection process is highly competitive, and applicants must supply the following by 11:59 p.m. PDT Nov. 1 at BusinessJournalism.org:

• Contact information
• A 500-word statement explaining why they should be chosen and how the seminar will improve their instruction
• A resume
• A one-paragraph bio
• A letter of support from their dean or department head recommending the applicant and outlining the program’s commitment to offering a course in business journalism.

Questions? Contact Andrew Leckey, Reynolds Center president, at Andrew.Leckey@businessjournalism.org or 602-496-9186.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s coverage from Reynolds Business Journalism Week 2012, and the agenda for the 2012 Business Journalism Professors Seminar follows:

REYNOLDS BUSINESS JOURNALISM WEEK 2012

AGENDA: “Business Journalism Professors Seminar”

Mark Egan, professor at Montclair State University, attended the 2012 Business Journalism Professors seminar.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Jan. 2-5, 2012
Monday— Jan. 2, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental Breakfast — (Combined groups) — First Amendment Forum
• 8:30 a.m. Welcome — (Combined groups)— Forum — Andrew Leckey
• 9 a.m.“Today’s Business Journalists as Investigators” — (Combined groups) — Forum — Diana B. Henriques of The New York Times
• 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break – Computer lab open for all breaks during the week (RM 352)
• 10:30 a.m. “Deciding What to Teach” — RM 355 — Chris Roush
• NOON Box lunch with Diana Henriques — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 1:30 p.m. “Organizing Your Class” — RM 355 — Roush
• 2:30 p.m. Case Study: “Syllabus Writing”— RM 355 — Roush
• 3:15-3:30 p.m. Break
• 3:30 p.m. “Resources and Keeping Students Interested” — RM 355 — Roush
• 5-5:20 p.m. Group photos — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 5:20 p.m. Dinner – Southwestern Buffet — (Combined groups) — Forum

Tuesday — Jan. 3, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental breakfast — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 8:30 a.m. “Mission Possible: Assignments that Build Skills” — (Combined groups) — RMS 355 — Pam Luecke
• 9:45 a.m. “Preparing Students for Business Journalism’s Future”— RM 355 — Randy Smith
• 10:45-11 a.m. Break
• 11 a.m. “Reflections on a Rookie Year” — RM 355 — Alan Deutschman
• NOON Awards Luncheon with Jim Steele — (Combined groups) — Forum — “Reynolds Center’s 2012 Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism” — Panel Discussion and Presentation of Awards
• 1:30 p.m. “Teaching the Effective Use of Data in Business Coverage” — RMS 352 — Steve Doig
• 3-3:15 p.m. Break
• 3:15 p.m. “Injecting Multimedia into Your Business Journalism Class” — RMS 355 — Mark Tatge
• 5 p.m. Adjourn
• EVENING FREE

Wednesday — Jan. 3, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental breakfast — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 8:30 a.m. “Financial Statements I” — RM 355 — Jimmy Gentry
• 10:45-11:00 a.m. Break
• 11 a.m. “Financial Statements I” (continued) and “Securities and Exchange Commission Filings” — RM 355 —Jimmy Gentry
• Lunch – Garden Buffet — “Getting LinkedIn: Exploring LinkedIn, a social/career tool that is filled with useful data for business journalists” — (Combined groups) — Forum — Robin J. Phillips
• 1:30 p.m. “Financial Statements II” — RM 355 — Jimmy Gentry
• 3-3:15 p.m. Break
• 3:15 p.m. “Financial Statements II” (continued) and “Tools for Analysis: Common Size” — RM 355 — Jimmy Gentry
• 5 p.m. Cronkite Building Tour —(Combined groups) — Outside RM 302 – Leadership Suite (in front of elevators) — Kristin Gilger
• 5:30 p.m. Dinner conversation on marketing your business program — Forum — Andrew Leckey

Thursday — Jan. 5, 2012

• 8 a.m. Continental breakfast — (Combined groups) — Forum
• 8:30 a.m. “What Editors Expect” — Room 444
  Panel: Linda Austin, Ilana Lowery, Jodi Schneider and Kathy Tulumello.
  
• 9:45-10 a.m. Break
• 10 a.m. “Preparing for the Job Market” — RM 444 — Jodi Schneider
• 11:30 a.m. Certificate Presentation — (Combined groups) — RM 444
• NOON Box Lunch/Adjourn — (Combined groups) — RM 444

The Particulars

Location: Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
and Mass Communication
Arizona State University
Phoenix, AZ 85004

When: Jan. 2-5, 2013

Deadline: Nov. 1, 2012

Apply for Strictly Financials Seminar.

Apply for Business Journalism Professors Seminar.

ATTENTION: Experienced business journalists and prospective business journalism professors.

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism is offering 24 fellowships worth $2,000 each for four days of study in business journalism – Jan. 2-5, 2013, in Phoenix.

Fellowships cover training, lodging, materials and most meals. Fellows receive a $500 stipend to offset travel and other costs.

The seminars will occur during Reynolds Business Journalism Week at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The journalists’ Strictly Financials Seminar teaches the essentials of covering financials, from stock markets and bonds to financial statements and company research. | More on the Strictly Financials Seminar

Hibah Yousuf, CNNMoney reporter, attended the 2012 Strictly Financials Seminar.

The Business Journalism Professors Seminar will cover the essentials of teaching a hands-on, university course in business journalism. | More on the Business Journalism Professors Seminar

The sixth annual, concurrent seminars (with 12 fellows attending each one) will be led by award-winning professors and journalists.

One highlight will be a discussion with the legendary investigative-reporting duo of Don Barlett and Jim Steele, along with the 2012 winners of the Reynolds Center’s Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism.

Ronald Campbell, veteran reporter for The Orange County Register and 2012 Strictly Financials fellow, appreciated a new approach to business reporting. He said, “I’ve been covering business for years, but I was surprised by what I learned here. Highly recommended.”

Janice Paskey, a 2012 fellow from Mount Royal University in Calgary, enjoyed the content covered during the Business Journalism Professors Seminar. She said, “I liked the enthusiasm for business journalism presented by the speakers. They offered knowledge and passion — a terrific combo.”

Rob Wells, Reynolds visiting professor at the University of South Carolina, attended the 2012 Business Journalism Professors Seminar.

TO APPLY, Deadline Nov. 1: For information on the two seminars, including how to apply online, go to the call for fellows for Strictly Financials or Business Journalism Professors seminars.

Questions? Email Andrew Leckey, Reynolds Center president, or call 602-496-9186.

ABOUT THE CENTER
The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, located at ASU’s Cronkite School, was launched in 2003. More than 10,000 journalists have benefited from its free training. A calendar of upcoming free workshops, as well as daily tips on how to cover business better, are at BusinessJournalism.org.

The Center is funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.

The Particulars

When: 9-10 a.m., Sept. 21

Instructor:
Ron Nixon, domestic
correspondent,
Washington Bureau,
The New York Times

Location:
Marriott Harbor Beach
Resort & Spa
3030 Holiday Drive
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33316

Hotel: Harbor Beach Marriott
Resort and Spa

This session is part of the
Excellence in Journalism
2012 Conference.

To attend, you must
register for the Excellence in
Journalism 2012 Conference.

Too many journalists needlessly fear math — an anxiety that can keep them from effectively tackling the biggest story in the world today: the economy.

Here’s your chance to brush up on basic calculations and learn to judiciously use numbers to tell better stories in text and graphics.

Ron Nixon, domestic correspondent at The New York Times’ Washington bureau, will lead this one-hour breakout session on Sept. 21 at the Excellence in Journalism (EIJ) 2012 Conference in Fort Lauderdale.

NOTE: To attend, you must register for the Excellence in Journalism 2012 Conference. Some scholarships are available for SPJ members to attend.

Nixon is also scheduled to present “Tracking Companies’ Influence on Politics,” a morning Pre-Conference Workshop sponsored by the Reynolds Center on Sept. 20. You can attend that Pre-Conference Workshop for $25, without registering for the rest of the conference.

The Reynolds Center is a proud co-sponsor of the Excellence in Journalism 2012 Conference. Stop by our booth and register for a chance to win a tablet computer. EIJ is the joint annual conference of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Ron Nixon, The New York Times

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Ron Nixon is a domestic correspondent in the Washington Bureau of The New York Times, where he has worked since 2005.

He is the former computer-assisted reporting editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and a former training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This conference session is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. If you have any questions about the center’s training, please email Executive Director Linda Austin or call 602-496-9187.

MORE TIPS AND TRAINING IN MATH FOR JOURNALISTS

• Danger! Numbers in the newsroom — tips from Sarah Cohen on taming digits in stories
• Essential Math for Business Journalists, an online tutorial
• Magic with Google Spreadsheets, an online tutorial

THE PARTICULARS
When:
9 a.m. – noon, Sept. 20

Where:
Marriott Harbor Beach
Resort & Spa
3030 Holiday Drive
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33316

Instructor:
Ron Nixon, New York Times
domestic correspondent

Host:

The Society of Professional
Journalists and Radio Television
Digital News Association’s
Excellence in Journalism 2012
Conference

This is a Pre-Conference Workshop
for the EIJ Conference, Sept. 20-22, 2012.

Hotel: Marriott Harbor Beach
Resort & Spa

Register for this workshop.

Payment of a $25  fee is required.

By Flickr user League of Women Voters of California

As the most expensive election campaign in U.S. history draws to a close, now’s the time to dig into campaign-finance and lobbying reports. Find out how at this Pre-Conference Workshop at the Excellence in Journalism (EIJ) 2012 Conference in Fort Lauderdale on the morning of Sept. 20.

Bring the name of a company you follow to learn how to track its efforts to influence elected officials.

Find out how to locate campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures at the local, state and federal levels, as well as how to tie company spending to legislative or regulatory actions.

Using case studies, you will get a road map to this data, including best practices for unearthing donors to super PACs.

New York Times reporter Ron Nixon will be your guide to tracking companies’ efforts at political influence.

A fee of $25 is required for this half-day workshop, which is a pre-conference event for the joint meeting of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA).

You can register for this workshop without attending the rest of the Excellence in Journalism 2012 Conference; however, some scholarships to attend the full conference are available to SPJ members.

Register for this Pre-Conference Workshop and pay the $25 fee.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

How to:

• Find campaign contributions by companies at the state and federal level.
• Find lobbying expenditures by companies at the state and federal level
• Tie company spending on candidates or lobbying to legislative or regulatory actions

AGENDA: Tracking Companies’ Influence on Politics

9-9:10 a.m.: Welcome and introductions — Reynolds Center staffer Cassandra Nicholson

9:10-10 a.m.: How the world of campaign finance has changed since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010. — Ron Nixon

10-10:50 a.m.: How to track campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures — Nixon

10:50-11 a.m.: Break

11 a.m.-noon: How to tie companies’ spending on politics to regulatory or legislative action — Nixon

Ron Nixon

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Ron Nixon is a domestic correspondent in the Washington Bureau of The New York Times, where he has worked since 2005. He is the former computer-assisted reporting editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and a former training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Nixon will also lead a session during the conference on Sept. 21 from 9-10 a.m. on Mastering Math to Tell Better Stories.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This workshop is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. If you have any questions about the workshop or the center, please email Executive Director Linda Austin or call 602-496-9187.

The Reynolds Center is a proud co-sponsor of the Excellence in Journalism 2012 Conference. Stop by our booth and register for a chance to win a tablet computer.

Can’t make it to EIJ? A similar workshop, “Follow the Money — Tracking Companies’ Influence on Politics,” will be presented at Investigative Reporters and Editors’ annual conference in Boston on June 13.

The Reynolds Center also offered a similar workshop ahead of IRE’s CAR Conference in St. Louis on Feb. 22. Videos, handouts and PowerPoints from that training are available as self-guided training.

The Particulars

Instructor: Mark S. Luckie,
social media editor at
The Washington Post

Location:
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119

When:
Aug. 1, 2012
9 a.m. – noon

Hotel: Mandalay Bay Resort
& Casino

This session is open to only
attendees of the
UNITY 2012 Convention.

Register here for UNITY.

Whether you’re working in a mainstream news organization or striking out on your own with a blog, news site or freelance business, we’re all media entrepreneurs these days.

In this Aug. 1 session at the UNITY 2012 Convention in Las Vegas, learn how to brand and market yourself and to pitch your ideas, plus understand the basics of financial and time management. And leave with five things to do when you get home to advance your career as an entrepreneur.

Mark S. Luckie, now the social media editor at The Washington Post, shows you the ropes. He started the 10,000 Words blog and sold it to Mediabistro. He’s also the author of The Digital Journalist’s Handbook.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendees must be registered for the UNITY 2012 Convention. The Reynolds Center is also sponsoring a second convention session from 1-4 p.m. Aug. 1: Occupy UNITY: Covering the Economy Better, with Marilyn Geewax, national economics correspondent for NPR. Register here for UNITY to attend either or both Reynolds Center sessions on Aug. 1.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

How to:

• Turn your idea into a business
• Brand yourself and project your worth
• Pitch your idea
• Build a community of followers
• Find funding
• Manage your time and finances

AGENDA: The Business of Me

• 9-9:10 a.m. Introductions and welcome
• 9:10-9:20 a.m. Who are some journalists who have made the leap to being entrepreneurs?
• 9:20-9:35 a.m. How to turn your idea into a business — What IS my idea? Is this a “business”? What resources exist to develop a business plan?
• 9:35-9:50 a.m. Branding yourself — What is my expertise? How can I use social media to establish myself as an expert?
• 9:50-10:05 a.m. Determining and projecting your worth — How to use web analytics to track your reach online.
• 10:05-10:15 a.m. Break
• 10:15-10:35 a.m. How to pitch your idea — Perfecting the elevator pitch, finding contacts and using psychology.
• 10:35-10:55 a.m. Exercise: Participants practice pitching followed by group critique.
• 10:55-11 a.m. Break
• 11-11:15 a.m. Building a community/following online
• 11-15-11:30 a.m. Financing your business — What about ad networks, crowdsourced funding and alternative ideas?
• 11:30-11:45 a.m. Managing your time and money — How do you balance a full-time job with outside work, plus keep up with the records for your business?
• 11:45 a.m. -noon Discussion: Five things to do when you get home to advance your career as an entrepreneur

Mark S. Luckie

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Mark S. Luckie is the social media editor for The Washington Post. He founded the 10,000 Words blog and sold it to Mediabistro.

Luckie is an experienced journalism trainer and also the author of The Digital Journalist’s Handbook.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This UNITY conference session is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. If you have any questions about the center’s training, please email Executive Director Linda Austin or call 602-496-9187.

Self-guided training in being an entrepreneurial journalist

Please check out other Reynolds self-guided training on entrepreneurial journalism, branding and social networking:

• Getting LinkedIn — Sourcing through Social Networking
• Digital Efficiency for Business Journalists — 36 Tips to Tame Info Overload
• Sales Strategies for Freelance Business Journalists
• How to Launch You.com — Build Your Personal Website
• How to Be an Entrepreneur as a Business Journalist
• Social Media 101, 202, 303

The Particulars

Instructor: Marilyn Geewax,
national economics correspondent
at NPR

Location:
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119

When:
Aug. 1, 2012
1 – 4 p.m.

Hotel: Mandalay Bay Resort
& Casino

This session is open to only
attendees of the
UNITY 2012 Convention.

Register here for UNITY.

Photo by flickr user david_shankbone

We’ve all seen stories about the latest jobs reports and images of protesters on Wall Street clamoring for economic change. But business journalists will tell you that today’s up-and-down economy is yielding stories far richer in depth, humanity and impact.

In this afternoon session on Aug. 1 at the UNITY 2012 Convention in Las Vegas, Marilyn Geewax, national economics correspondent for NPR, will help you sift through the post-recession data and trends to yield reporting gold.

If you’ve heard her on NPR, you know Geewax can break down complicated economic concepts and make them understandable in her chatty, conversational style. You will get a grounding in how the overall economy works, plus specific insights into the employment and housing markets.

Beyond the basics, you’ll see how to apply what you’ve learned to find fresh story ideas on the economy in your town.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendees must be registered for the UNITY 2012 Convention.

The Reynolds Center is also sponsoring a second session at the UNITY Convention: The Business of Me, on Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon with Mark S. Luckie, social media editor at The Washington Post.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• How to find the economic angle in stories on any beat,
• How to use statistics to find and develop local economic stories, and
• How to find fresh angles on joblessness and the foreclosure crisis in your town.

AGENDA: Occupy UNITY: Covering the Economy Better

• 1-1:10 p.m.: Welcome and introductions — Reynolds Center staff
  
• 1:10-2 p.m.: It’s the economy, stupid – What will it take for us to get out of this economic slump? How can you tell whether your local economy is recovering; what are the signs to track? — Marilyn Geewax
• 2-2:10 p.m.: Break
• 2:10-3 p.m.: What will it take for jobs to come back – How do you find fresh stories in the drumbeat of stats about joblessness in your area? — Geewax
• 3-3:10 p.m.: Break
• 3:10-4-p.m.: Foreclosures and falling housing prices – What needs to happen for the housing market to recover? What are the fresh local angles to pursue now – four years after the mortgage meltdown? — Geewax

Marilyn Geewax

YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Marilyn Geewax is the national economics correspondent for NPR. Geewax is regularly heard discussing economic news on Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation and Weekend Edition. Her work contributed to NPR’s 2011 Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News for “The Foreclosure Nightmare.”

Before joining NPR in 2008, Geewax was the national economics correspondent for Cox Newspapers’ Washington Bureau for nearly a decade. She has also taught business journalism at George Washington University. 

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This UNITY Convention session is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. If you have any questions about the center’s training, please email Executive Director Linda Austin or call 602-496-9187.

The Particulars

When: 12:30 – 5 p.m.,
June 7

Instructors: Marilyn Geewax,
national economics
correspondent, NPR;
and Josh Harkinson,
reporter, Mother Jones

Host:
Association of
Alternative Newsmedia

Location:
The Westin Book Cadillac
1114 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226

Hotel: Westin Book Cadillac

This workshop free and open to
the public. It precedes
the Association of
Alternative Newsmedia’s
35th Annual Convention.

Register for this free workshop.

Workshop attendees qualify for
a discounted rate to the AAN
convention. Please email
Tiffany Shackelford
for more information.

Photo by flickr user AR McLin

The economy is still the biggest story going, and this workshop will equip you with the story ideas and skills you need to tackle economic stories on any beat.

This workshop is presented by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, and it precedes the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN) 35th Annual Convention. Workshop attendees qualify for a discounted rate for the convention.

Get armed with the tools and understanding you need to tackle local economic stories, including those in the labor and housing markets.

Sign up for this free workshop.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• How to find the economic angle in stories on any beat,
• How to use statistics to find and develop local economic stories,
• How to find fresh angles on joblessness and the foreclosure crisis in your town, and
• What 10 stories on the economy you should jump on now.

Marilyn Geewax

YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Marilyn Geewax is the national economics correspondent for NPR. Geewax is regularly heard discussing economic news on Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation and Weekend Edition. Her work contributed to NPR’s 2011 Edward R. Murrow Award for Hard News for “The Foreclosure Nightmare.”

Before joining NPR in 2008, Geewax was the national economics correspondent for Cox Newspapers’ Washington Bureau for nearly a decade. She has also taught business journalism at George Washington University.

Josh Harkinson

Josh Harkinson is a San Francisco-based reporter with Mother Jones and previously a staff writer with the Houston Press, the Texas alt-weekly. Josh covers the economy, the national Occupy movement, and a wide range of political issues in California and the West.

Harkinson spent last fall in New York City, where his coverage of Occupy Wall Street was shortlisted in the reporting category at the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media.

AGENDA:

• 12:30-1 p.m.: Registration
  
• 1–1:10 p.m.: Introductions and welcome – Linda Austin
• 1:10-2 p.m.: How are we going to get out of this economic slump – How can you tell whether your local economy is recovering; what are the signs to track? — Marilyn Geewax
• 2-2:10 p.m.: Break
• 2:10-3 p.m.: What will it take for jobs to come back – How do you find fresh stories in the drumbeat of stats about joblessness in your area? — Geewax
• 3-3:10 p.m.: Break
• 3:10-4 p.m.: Foreclosures and falling housing prices – What needs to happen for the housing market to recover? What are the fresh local angles to pursue now – four years after the mortgage meltdown? — Geewax
• 4-5 p.m.: 10 stories on the economy to jump on now – Leave with 10 story ideas and a head start on the resources to start reporting them in your community. — Josh Harkinson

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This workshop is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. If you have any questions about the center’s training, please email Executive Director Linda Austin or call 602-496-9187.

Those who successfully complete three regional workshops or online seminars presented by the Reynolds Center are eligible to receive a “Circle of Achievement” certificate.

Please do not register unless you are sincere about participating. Signing up and not participating deprives someone else of the opportunity.