Need time to recharge? Want to explore a new part of the country? Get ready for all this and more when the Journalism and Women Symposium arrives at Hot Springs, Ark., for the Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP). Here are just a few things to look forward to.
1. Meet inspiring women from the journalism field and connect with them in a professional and personal setting.
2. The Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa was named to Refinery29’s top 15 favorite hotel bars in the world. The area has a highly walkable downtown with 30 miles of trails.
3. Catch the Fran Lewine interview with JAWS members Linda Deutsch and Edith Lederer as well as Maureen Bunyan, a 44-year veteran of television news who anchored the 6 o’clock weeknight newscasts for ABC7/WJLA-TV from 1999 to 2017.
4. Hear keynotes by trailblazing speakers: Nikole Hannah-Jones, a domestic correspondent for The New York Times Magazine focusing on racial injustice, and Lynn Sweet, a columnist and Washington Bureau Chief at the Chicago Sun-Times.
5. Take part in one of two exciting pre-conference workshops and boost your skills in podcasting and leadership.
6. Go shopping at the annual JAWS auctions, where you can pick up trinkets such as journalism swag, jewelry and autographed copies of books; if you like the hunt of a good find, keep your eyes peeled for bidding wars of popular items.
7. Dip into Hot Springs National Park and its soothing thermal waters. Hot Springs National Park was included in a list of 18 Southern places to visit before you die by SouthernLiving.com. Hot Springs was also named one of the 20 best small towns by SmithsonianMag.com.
8. Learn a myriad of things including how to cover state legislatures and public health in the age of Trump; polish your interviewing, fact-checking and writing skills; tune in to how to use Google tools and put together a book proposal.
9. Meet this year’s class of fellows, journalism rockstars from all across the U.S.
10. Break bread with new and old friends at some catered meals or local eats; if food is not your thing, strike a yoga pose at the break of dawn or boogie the night away at the Friday Night Welcome Party.