The cornerstone of JAWS’ work is training and mentorship. Often this takes place at our annual Conference and Mentorship Program (CAMP) gathering, but we also strive to provide opportunities for members to connect through regional gatherings and trainings. In addition, we also work to partner up mentors who wish to share their experience and expertise with mentees who seek to grow, advance and lead. We call this symbiosis, as mentoring is often a two-way exchange.
By Lindsey Anderson, JAWS CAMP 2017 co-chair
Somehow 2016 has flown by, and we’re already preparing for the 2017 JAWS CAMP in Hot Springs, Ark., next October.
We want next year’s CAMP to inspire you, encourage you and teach you something new — but we need your help.
Do you have an idea for an awesome keynote speaker? Do you want to set up a panel or workshop? Are you itching to share your know-how on a certain topic or technology?
We want to hear from you!
Story by Linnea Crowther and Connie K. Ho, JAWS members | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
At the Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) in Roanoke, Va., attendees participated in topic tables. Each of the tables had a different issue for discussion, including the topic of overcoming imposter syndrome. Here are a few takeaways from the participants regarding overcoming imposter syndrome.
Story by Connie K. Ho, JAWS web manager | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
Some remarks from Amy Resnick, editor of Pensions & Investments; Teresa Schmedding, managing editor of Rotary International; and Sheila Solomon of the Democracy Fund and Rivet Radio.
Story by Angilee Shah, 2016 JAWS Fellow | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
Cuban journalist Cristina Escobar has been to the United States six times. And for the most part, she feels that she has common cause with those attending the Journalism and Women Symposium conference in Roanoke, Va., in October.
Story by Mary Pember, 2016 JAWS Fellow | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
Although the faces and names are new, a panel at JAWS CAMP about Islamaphobia reaffirmed a shamefully persistent problem in today’s newsrooms: Too few people of color and diverse religious backgrounds are at the table when journalists decide how to cover communities that fall outside of the knowledge and comfort zones of mainstream white America.
Read the tweets from the third day of the Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP).
Story by Brenna Goth, 2016 JAWS Fellow | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
Journalists never know when they might be called to cover a mass shooting or other violent tragedy.
Reporters are not always prepared. National publications might send them to an unfamiliar place or local media could pull them off their normal beats. Unreliable official sources, misinformation spread through social media and competing narratives can complicate the chaos.
Story and photos by Jigna Kotecha, 2016 JAWS Fellow
How do journalists report stories of people who are distrustful of news media? How can a journalist establish trust to get invited into people’s lives? Fernanda Santos, Phoenix bureau chief of The New York Times, answered these questions at an Oct. 29 JAWS panel on the art of storytelling by sharing her experience reporting about a wildfire in Arizona that killed 19 firefighters in 2013.
Story and photo by Shahla Farzan, 2016 JAWS Fellow
Like many workers, journalists face a range of issues in the workplace, from harassment to discrimination. Feelings of powerlessness and isolation often prevent journalists from voicing concerns about issues, particularly for freelancers and other contractors. At a panel on workplace challenges at JAWS CAMP on Oct. 29, five panelists spoke about their personal experiences and suggested potential ways to navigate difficult situations.
Story and photo by Olivia Smith, 2016 JAWS Fellow
Google is much more than a search engine: It can help journalists in many ways, according to Victoria “Vix” Reitano, who taught a workshop on Google tools at JAWS CAMP in Roanoke this weekend. Vix dived deeper into what Google can offer in terms of searching, writing and gathering information.
Story and photos by Angilee Shah, 2016 JAWS Fellow
If you feel like you are being asked to do it all, you’re not alone.
Three journalists spoke on a panel at the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) conference Oct. 29 about the challenges of doing good journalism while juggling text, video, images, sound and social media. Their main message? Stand up for yourself and your stories and resist the urge (and the pressure) to tell stories on all platforms.
Story and photo by Katherine Sullivan, 2016 JAWS Fellow
Statistics show that one-quarter to one-third of women in the United States experience intimate partner violence. With a “pandemic” of violence abuse across the country, why aren’t we seeing this addressed in much of media?
Story and photo by Laura Onyeneho, 2016 JAWS Fellow
No matter what your income level, you should be creating a financial plan that will benefit you and your family in the long run, financial adviser Maureen O’Brien told JAWS attendees.
She shared her top 10 tips during her “Financial Planning for Journalists” session at CAMP on Oct. 29.
Story by Jigna Kotecha, 2016 JAWS Fellow | Photo by Mary Pember, 2016 JAWS Fellow
When starting to walk the road to becoming a freelancer, it is vital for writers and journalists to stay on the top of their bookkeeping to protect intellectual property and earn enough to pay bills on time.
Story by Shahla Farzan, 2016 JAWS Fellow | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
As journalism evolves into an increasingly digital profession, college professors must expand their courses to include a new set of skills. For instructors in smaller academic programs with limited budgets, it can be particularly difficult to get equipment and technical support.
Story and photo by Sarah Ellis, 2016 JAWS Fellow
The media and the public don’t have a great relationship these days. Trust is low.
“If you’ve seen the Gallup polls year after year after year about which institutions people trust, journalism is way down there,” said Jane Elizabeth, of the American Press Institute, told JAWdesses attending the “Trust Us, We’re Journalists!” workshop on Oct. 30 at JAWS CAMP 2016 in Roanoke.
Story by Rachel Sapin, 2016 JAWS Fellow | Photo by Erica Yoon, CAMP photographer
Aminda “Mindy” Marqués Gonzalez, executive editor and vice president for news at The Miami Herald, is somewhat of an anomaly in the newspaper industry.
“There are only two female editors at the top 25 newspapers in America,” said Mindy, the dinner keynote speaker on Oct. 29 at the Journalism and Women Symposium’s annual conference in Roanoke, Va.
Story and photo by Emily Wilkins, 2016 JAWS Fellow
Journalists often play the role of watchdog. Liza Gross would like to see them be guide dogs.“We are whistleblowers, we expose the wrongdoing and then we don’t do anything about it — we just leave it there,” said Liza, the director of newsroom practice change with Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit that works with newsroom on solutions-driven stories.
Story and photo by Mary Pember, 2016 JAWS Fellow
You’ll need to care about your book to the exclusion of everything else in your life — with the possible exception of family, according to Jane Isay, a former book editor turned author.
Story by Laura Onyeneho, 2016 JAWS Fellow
Among the talented women at JAWS CAMP this year is an international journalist who is paving the way for women in the media industry in her native Pakistan.
Mishal Bukhari is an award-winning news anchor for Neo @ 5. She is the host of her own news and current affairs program on Pakistan’s prominent news channels. She was a former subeditor and reporter for the Daily Express, and has covered major stories like the bombings of Pakistan’s security agency buildings, suicide blasts in Bhakkar, and corruption among government officials in Pakistan. Now, she volunteers with journalists and psychologists helping families in Pakistan affected by violence and terrorism.
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