Convention Program ... Diversity ... Education for Journalism ... Ethics and Values ... First Amendment ... Freedom of Information ... High School Journalism ... International ... Leadership Development ... Membership and Marketing ... News Literacy ... Online Programs ... Small Newspapers ... Technology

Convention Program Committee

Gregory L. Moore, The Denver Post, co-chair
Jeff Light, The San Diego Union-Tribune, co-chair
Gonzalo Marroquin, Prensa Libre, Inter American Press Association, co-chair

The Convention Program Committee is charged with developing a compelling blueprint for the 2011 Ideas Summit, which will be held next April 6-9 in beautiful San Diego in conjunction with the Inter American Press Association.

The committee will be co-chaired by Greg Moore, editor, The Denver Post, and Jeff Light, editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune. Gonzalo Marroquin, editor of Prensa Libre and incoming president of IAPA, will serve as honorary co-chair. They will work with ASNE President Milton Coleman and ASNE staff to identify speakers, workshops and general sessions that will create the most dynamic, practical, and topical summit possible for our members, guests and partners.

Diversity Commitee

Ronnie Agnew, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss., co-chair
Karen Magnuson, Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, co-chair

This committee’s central mission is to bring emphasis to coverage issues facing diverse audiences, including minority groups, whose growing numbers are causing a shift in the makeup of the country’s population. Central to that mission is a recommitment to staff diversity in America’s newsrooms. The diversity committee will hold conversations with minority journalism organizations and with national media companies to further this worthy cause through open dialogue. Through this committee, a census will be conducted on staff diversity in the nation’s newsrooms. Additionally, this committee will publish results of a census of diversity in digital operations. Staff reductions in newsrooms have caused worrisome setbacks in the progress once gained in this area. This committee views as its mission to jumpstart awareness of diversity’s importance on coverage and staff representation. On the agenda is a diversity summit, which will include representatives from media companies and stakeholders important to our success. A series of webinars will also be held to ensure all voices are heard.

Education for Journalism Committee

Lorraine Branham, Syracuse University, co-chair
Christopher Callahan, Arizona State University, co-chair

Ethics and Values Committee

Pamela Fine, The University of Kansas, co-chair
John F. Harris, Politico, Arlington, Va., co-chair

First Amendment Committee

Brian Cooper, Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, Iowa, co-chair
Gene Policinski, First Amendment Center, Nashville, Tenn., co-chair

The First Amendment committee’s mission in 2010-11 is to assist in the nationwide launch of the “1 for All” campaign in support of First Amendment freedoms by encouraging and assisting our colleagues in American newspapers in offering their support.

Freedom of Information Committee

James Brady, TBD.com, Arlington, Va., co-chair
Tim Franklin, Indiana University School of Journalism, Bloomington, co-chair

The Freedom of Information Committee's mission is to raise awareness and fight for that most essential element of our democracy — the openness of government. One of the committee's chief goals is to help educate both ASNE members and the public about the vital importance of transparency at all levels. Toward that end, the FOI committee will host webinars for members to keep them current on major issues and give them the tools they need to acquire critical information. At the same time, the committee will work to preserve the annual national Sunshine Week public awareness campaign, which engages scores of news organizations and helps educate the public on how they can use government records for their own benefit, and hold government and business officials accountable.

Central to the committee's role is its work as a first-responder, fighting to help members obtain access to public information and meetings. The committee will work with its members and partner with other media organizations so that journalists have access to information they're legally entitled to and that is in the public interest. In that regard, the committee is frequently called into action to call, write and cajole officials for access to public information, and to send alerts to ASNE members to marshal support around these issues and raise awareness. The committee also acts an advocate, prodding legislators to take actions to help keep our government open and accountable and to help journalists do their jobs. Toward that end, the committee will continue with the ASNE counsel for the enactment of a federal shield law.

High School Journalism Committee

Diana Fuentes, Laredo (Texas) Morning Times, chair

International Committee

Alfredo Carbajal, Al Día, co-chair
Anders Gyllenhaal, The Miami Herald, co-chair

The agenda for the International Committee will part from its recent focus on planning ASNE trips abroad to take on a couple of key topical efforts and also explore a longer-term project that focuses on the global free flow of information. The two areas are the Haiti News Project, which ASNE has helped to launch to support journalists in Haiti trying to recover from the earthquake; and the violence in Mexico, which has accelerated and become a major threat to journalists in the region. The Haiti project is well underway and ASNE is a primary partner helping to support the fundraising and training plans that are moving ahead. The project has started sending computers and other supplies to journalists, chiefly in Port-au-Prince. We’re also working on developing a training program that would focus on helping prepare journalists for coverage of the recovery. The topic of violence in Mexico is clearly one of the major media issues in the hemisphere. We’re looking at what role the International Committee should play, perhaps helping develop a conference to draw attention and look for solutions. Finally, the committee is exploring whether ASNE should play a role in a major new initiative to on setting standards for the global free flow of information. This is a preliminary proposal and we’ll know more about the project in a month or so. The committee will continue to play its role looking for international journalistic issues of importance or developing crisis that ASNE should become involved in.

Leadership Development Committee

Michael Oreskes, The Associated Press, New York, co-chair
Margaret M. Sullivan, The Buffalo (N.Y.) News, co-chair

Membership and Marketing Committee

Andrew N. Alexander, The Washington Post, co-chair
Carlos Sanchez, Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald, co-chair

The newly created Membership and Marketing Committee is key to ensuring that ASNE survives and thrives. This committee will immediately craft and implement a comprehensive plan to engage current members and attract new ones through an aggressive marketing effort. The goals are to relentlessly remind existing members that their annual dues provide a remarkable range of professional services and training opportunities, as well as tireless efforts to champion diversity, open government and the First Amendment. At the same time, our marketing plan needs to lure new members with the promise that they will be joining the nation’s preeminent organization for newsroom leaders. Our overarching goal is to promote ASNE as an organization that is vital, vibrant, cutting-edge and growing. Our plan will need to do this through aggressive internal marketing, but also through external marketing that involves visibility on industry Web sites and through social media. It will also need to identify and pursue new members in academia, online media and other news-related enterprises.

News Literacy Committee

David Shribman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, co-chair
Rex Smith, Times Union, Albany, N.Y.co-chair

The digital age has spawned an unprecedented flood of information -- and disinformation. In an environment where everyone can have access to an almost unlimited range of both trustworthy and questionable sources, it's becoming clear that great journalism will survive only if there's an audience that recognizes and appreciates it. The News Literacy Committee works on the demand side of the supply/demand equation. We hope to encourage strategies to expand citizen understanding of the core values of journalism. News literacy can be taught through curriculum offerings in higher education and in secondary and middle schools, or through community outreach programs. Our goal is to back these efforts, so more students can apply critical thinking skills to the information they obtain and recognize the journalism that empowers citizenship.

Online Programs Committee

Mizell Stewart III, Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press, chair

The Online Programs Committee plays a crucial role in making ASNE membership the best value in the news industry. It does so by providing timely webinars and related professional development programs at no additional cost to ASNE members. From helping newsroom leaders understand emerging trends such as consolidated copy desks to preparing their staffs to make the most of mobile news delivery, our training opportunities will be designed to keep editors at the top of their game. The committee's efforts include planning frequent programs on content, diversity, leadership, open government, technology and other topics.

Small Newspapers Committee

Kathy Spurlock, The News-Star, Monroe, La., chair

Technology Committee

Chris Peck, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn., chair

What do editors need to know to prepare their content for iPad and other tablet devices? That's one question the ASNE Technology Committee will answer this year.

A second issue we'll tackle is to look at how copy desks and front-end systems must adapt to a single source publishing platform that allows content to be created once and the edited and formatted seamlessly for print, mobile, and online use.