[updated 30.5.03]
Opening Reception/Social Hour
Refreshments and conversation with colleagues
Welcome from Best Practices in Journalism
Keynote speaker: Bill Schneider, senior political analyst, CNN
From stump speeches and photo ops to the campaign bus and limited interview time, the campaign tries to set the coverage agenda. But what's really news and what's worth covering? Should we cover the campaign process itself? How can we take a photo op and turn in into journalism?
Taking a photo-op and turning it into a story Dealing with stump speeches and press conferences Doing a story without the candidates Profiling the people behind the campaignSo, whatever happened to that state lottery that was supposed to bail out public education? And does the proposed gas tax add up as they say it will? And do term limits really work? A discussion featuring new political stories that check-up on whether promises made are promises kept.
Are term limits working? Truth checking the lottery issue Reality Check: Gas TaxStories that feature the role politics actually plays in people's lives, from food labeling to garbage collecting to the new rules that govern our business.
What do we get for our tax dollars? What our garbage money buys Whatever happened to the "State That Works?" The new FCC ownership rules and what they mean to viewersA discussion of some ethical dilemmas of broadcast political reporting.
Dealing with management or sponsor interference When do you go for the gotcha? When are public lives private?Breakfast
How to tell and pitch stories even your station's consultants will love and the audience research to back it up.
Break
How do we portray what candidates are really about, especially early in the campaign? A look at the benefits and limitations of traditional profile pieces and some new approaches.
Profiling candidates before they enter the race Whatever happened to candidate platforms?Reviewing your 2004 plans and take-home story ideas
Story ideas for 2004, plus how to plan your own coverage strategies