2021 Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism

Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard gave the opening remarks at the 2021 Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism.

Senior political correspondent and anchor at CNN Abby Phillip gave the Keynote. The keynote introduction was given by Amanda Su, president of The Harvard Crimson. Su also moderated a keynote discussion.

Taylor Blatchford, news producer at The Seattle Times and founder of The Lead, a resource newsletter for student journalists, will present an overview of the state of student journalism.
Introduction by James Bikales, managing editor of The Harvard Crimson

A comprehensive overview of the laws protecting student-run media outlets and your rights as a student journalist with Frank D. LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information.

Covering a Beat

Scott Dance, environment reporter for The Baltimore Sun; Sarah Kaufman, chief dance critic for The Washington Post; and Robert Frederick, digital managing editor for American Scientist, share tips and advice for developing journalistic expertise on a particular subject, and how to develop or pursue a journalistic beat.

Working in Radio/Podcasting

Yasmin Amer, senior podcast reporter and producer for WBUR; Emily Corwin, investigative reporter and editor for Vermont Public Radio; and Samantha Broun, managing editor for Atlantic Public Media’s Transom.org, talk about the many exciting opportunities of working in radio.

Starting Out in Television

Amber Payne, former NBC Nightly News producer, and Bukola Adebayo, senior producer for CNN Digital in Nigeria, discuss the many different jobs in television and the skills necessary to break into the business.

Working at Digital-First Outlets

Maxwell Strachan, senior features editor for Vice, and Joseph Bernstein, senior technology reporter for BuzzFeed News, talk about the various jobs and skills needed to work in digital-first newsrooms.

Diversifying Newsrooms

Austin Bogues, reporter for The Asbury Park Press, and Willoughby Mariano, investigative reporter at The Atlanta Journal Constitution, discuss the urgent challenges facing the news business as it works to diversify its ranks, as well as advice for journalists of color working to navigate a career in journalism.

International Reporting

Ever wondered what it would be like to report on global stories from countries around the world? Join Alissa Rubin, Baghdad bureau chief for The New York Times, and Vidya Krishnan, an investigative journalist based in India, for a session on international reporting.

Finding Your Journalistic Voice

John Archibald, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and Marc-Olivier Bherer, Op-Ed editor and reporter for Le Monde in France, talk about how to write columns, Op-Eds and opinion pieces and share tips on honing your journalistic voice.

Short presentations from student participants about special projects and newsroom challenges
Moderator: Hanaa’ Tameez, staff writer, Nieman Journalism Lab

Presenters:
The Harvard Crimson (Harvard) Presenter: Hana Kiros
A look at the Crimson’s commemorative issue on March 10, 2021, marking the one-year anniversary of the day students learned they had to leave campus because of COVID-19, and the editorial board’s “Notes from Day 365: Requiem for a Lost Year.”

The Bates Student (Bates College) Presenter: Vanessa Paolella
A look at how The Bates Student made a successful transition from a print-first to a digital-first platform.

Cal State Journalism Newswire (Cal State) Presenters: Aidan McGloin and Madalyn Amato
The Cal State Journalism Newswire is a newly created news service for the student news outlets in the California State school system.

The Famuan (Florida A&M) Presenter: Ariyon Dailey’s 2020 Gun Edition centered around gun violence, statistics and advocacy efforts in the Tallahassee area to end gun violence.

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian (UMass Amherst) Presenter: Cassie McGrath
A look at “What Went Wrong,” a three-part series on the causes and effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the UMass campus.

The Open (UMass Amherst) Presenter: Claire Healy
Claire Healy will discuss creating The Open, a new international multilingual magazine that is available in English, Arabic and Spanish.