2024 workshop tracks

Schedule

Thursday
8-10:30 am registration at Murphy Hall on U of M campus
10:30 am Intro and keynote
noon lunch on your own
1:30-5:30 pm tracks
5:30-6:30 pm critiques and consultations in Murphy Hall

Friday

8-9 am critiques and consultations in Murphy Hall
9-11:45 am tracks
noon keynote
1-2 pm lunch
2-5 pm tracks
5-6 pm critiques and consultations

Saturday

8-9 am critiques and consultations
9 am-noon tracks
noon-1:30 pm lunch
1:30-3:30 pm tracks
3:45-5 pm keynote and awards

Advisers

Newer and veteran advisers will discuss the role of advising, and its rewards and challenges. We’ll focus on recruiting, training, managing and motivating students, as well as technology, media law and ethics, campus relationships and finances.

Advanced Multimedia Storytelling

This is an advanced multimedia storytelling track designed to challenge journalists who have been on staff two- to three years. We will spend our workshop time in small groups, or if you prefer you can go solo, creating a story about or from the area that includes not just a brilliant, compelling narrative, but accompanying multimedia that engage and invite the audience to come along for a great ride. Please bring your own laptop, and a camera that can shoot photo and video, an external mic, and tripod, and/or the identical appropriate tools for your iPhone/smartphone. We will be on the go, so plan accordingly, i.e., appropriate shoes, etc. Plan to have a great workshop where we will further develop your storytelling prowess.

Reporting

Reporting and writing remain the foundation of journalism and media, even as they become ever more digital. Your audience wants someone to find facts about the world around them and help them make sense of it.

This training will help journalists deepen their interviewing, writing and reporting skills and expand their thinking around audience engagement. This track will focus on not only improving your journalism toolbox but also look at developing sources and expand your skill set to tackle projects and daily stories.

Broadcasting

This track is presented by the Minnesota Broadcasters Association.

Registrants for this track will learn all aspects of broadcast production and reporting, both out in the field and in the studio. Registrants will shadow industry professionals and have their portfolio reviewed.

Leadership

If you’re a new editor-in-chief, managing editor or section editor — or an aspiring leader who’s ready to learn — the organizational leadership track is for you. Prepare for your new job by delving into leadership topics, including organizational tactics and policies, staff motivation, conflict resolution and media law and ethics.

Advanced Design

The Advanced Design class is tailored for students with an understanding of basic design principles and some publication experience. Through a blend of group and individual work, participants will focus on crafting intricate story packages for multi-story, multi-page, and multi-day packages. They will explore advanced typography, headline hierarchy, and information layering across print, digital, and magazine platforms, while also mastering the creation of style libraries for improved efficiency.

Students are encouraged to bring their current publication template files or style guides if available to them. This will allow for hands-on application of workshop concepts within their existing frameworks, facilitating a more personalized and practical learning experience.

Design

In this workshop, students will: Examine theories, principles and techniques of contemporary media design. Cover historical roots of media design. Be acquainted with use of photographs, illustrations, graphs, type and color in visual communication. Be introduced to InDesign, part of the Adobe Creative Suites package.

Students will learn about: Grid design, center of visual impact, why white space is your friend, hierarchy of headlines, single-photo stories, multiple-photo stories, photo pages, double truck photo/story pages, tracking and leading, text wrap, drop caps and pull quotes.

Photojournalism

The workshop motivates, sharpens photographic skills and develops visual literacy and personal vision. Whether it’s a single photo or photo essay, this track will address how to maximize your visual storytelling skills.

Sports writing

Sports writers capture a game’s energy, reveal players’ personalities and detail the ups and downs of a team’s season across all platforms. We’ll explore the basics, the challenges and the ethics of sports journalism. And we’ll gain some on-the-field training, too.

Please note that the Sports Journalists track will be covering the Minnesota Twins baseball game on Saturday July 20, at 6:10 p.m. Please plan on staying Saturday night. The Twins Game is optional, but a valuable extension to the track.

Business/Advertising

Business and advertising teams keep journalism running. This workshop will cover what you need to know to run an effective and efficient business team for a news publication.

Specialty publications: Yearbook and Magazine

This track will focus on putting together yearbooks and magazines. Come learn the skills and information you need to level up your publication next year.