The 2009 Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism
The
2009 Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism, “Telling True Stories in Turbulent Times,” took place March 20-22 at the Sheraton Boston. Narrative Director Constance Hale organized a program that appealed to journalists in all media and included documentary filmmakers, bloggers and award-winning broadcasters.
In an end-of-conference survey, a number of attendees told us they arrived discouraged by the state of the news industry and concerned about newsroom layoffs but left encouraged by the speakers, reassured about their intrinsic value as journalists and writers, and armed with important new skills and ideas. The opening keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist Connie Schultz from
The Plain Dealer, set a positive tone when she told her audience of journalists that the business model for news is broken, not them.
Although attendance was down due to the troubled economy, many appreciated the smaller size of the event and the more intimate atmosphere of this year’s sessions. Master classes were filled quickly and numerous networking opportunities provided an easy way for people to connect.
The New York Times, Poynter, Yahoo,
The Christian Science Monitor and The Harvard Bookstore helped sponsor the conference.
Due to current budgetary constraints, the annual narrative conference has been suspended. However, the foundation’s commitment to narrative journalism continues through the work being done by the
Nieman Narrative Digest and
Nieman Storyboard Web sites.
Learn more about the Nieman Narrative Program at
www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrativejournalism/ »
SimpleViewer requires JavaScript and the Flash Player. Get Flash.