Women lead the conversation at CAMP 2018
By Lindsey Anderson
Women media leaders have taken over the narrative in an unprecedented way this past year, from the #MeToo movement to “The Post.”
We will continue leading the conversation at the Journalism & Women Symposium’s annual Conference and Mentoring Program (CAMP) in Welches, Oregon, this fall where we will master new skills, make lasting connections and rejuvenate after another busy news year.
The weekend will feature nearly two dozen breakout sessions focusing on four tracks: storytelling, navigating the news industry, tools of the trade and deep dives into various topics.
Sessions include:
The ABCs of a Hard-Hitting Investigation
Growth Hacking for Journalists
Moving Beyond Talk and into Action on Newsroom Diversity
Personal Branding
Reaching the Fact-Resistant
Covering LGBT Issues
Following the Money in Reporting on Elections
Writing a Book
Creating Online Communities
Moving into Management
Arts, Entertainment and Culinary Reporting
Women from the American Press Institute will also lead a plenary session in which we will examine our identities and the role empathy plays in journalism to rethink our approaches to interviewing sources, researching communities and interacting with the public.
But CAMP is more than a great slate of learning opportunities. It is also a time to bond with other women living their passions, to look to legends for inspiration and to reach down the ladder to help other journalists find their own way.
My favorite part of CAMP is the Friday welcome dinner, when every attendee introduces herself in 10 seconds or less. Right off the bat it sets the tone for CAMP — we’re all sisters in news, whether we just entered the field or have spent decades transforming the industry.
CAMP will also feature an opportunity for authors to sell and sign their books, as well as free time to explore Mt. Hood with friends new and old.
JAWS board member Lottie Joiner will ensure we start our mornings off right by leading a Jazzercise workout on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
To top it off, CAMP will feature keynote speeches by two talented journalists who have reported on some of the biggest stories of the past year: The Undefeated’s Jemele Hill and NPR’s South Korea bureau chief Elise Hu.
CAMP will be Oct. 12-14 at the Mt. Hood Oregon Resort.
Lindsey Anderson is a freelancer based in the Kansas City area.
She was previously an investigative reporter covering education at the El Paso Times in West Texas and at the Las Cruces Sun-News in Southern New Mexico.
A native of Phoenix, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in international relations and Spanish from American University.