Sept. 20 Southwest Broadcast Newsroom Workshop focuses on journalism basics

The Southwest Broadcast Newsroom Workshop takes place Saturday, Sept. 20 in Austin at the Belo Center for New Media on the University of Texas campus.  TAB has staged this annual event, the largest broadcast newsroom workshop in Texas and the region, for more than decade.

This year’s program sessions focus on core skills needed by broadcast journalists in today’s hectic newsroom.   Twenty sessions will focus on topics such as:

• ritical thinking skills
• use of social media in journalism
• broadcast newswriting
• compelling storytelling
• effective interviewing techniques
• tips for telling non-visual stories
• ethical decision making in a social media world
• newsroom legal issues
• investigative journalism
• developing and maintaining sources
• verifying the facts in political advertising or campaign claims
• essentials of captivating video journalism

TAB underwrites the workshop to keep registration prices low while bringing nationally-known newsroom trainers in addition to Texas broadcast processionals and media law specialists.  

Registration is $70 for TAB member station staff, TAB Associate Members, and members of the Texas Association of Broadcast Educators.

University and college students can attend the workshop for $40.  The registration fee includes a box lunch.

Although the workshop is geared to the professional, TAB will present two sessions to aid student job seekers who are also attending the conference.  These sessions will feature Texas news directors discussing the job hunt and newsroom staff who have made the transition from campus life to a  broadcast newsroom.

Nationally-known trainers at this year’s workshop include Al Tompkins, the Poynter Institute for Media Studies; Deborah Potter, NewsLab and Les Rose of CBS News.  

View the complete schedule of sessions here.

Sponsoring organizations include the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin; the Texas Associate Press Broadcasters; the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences,  Lone Star Chapter and TAB Associate Member Sky Helicopters.

Questions?  Contact TAB's Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.