UNITY Offers D.C. Tours for Families of Attendees

If your family will be traveling with you to Washington, DC, be sure to plan ahead for activities to keep them busy and entertained while you attend the convention.

UNITY has made special arrangements with Capital Services, Inc., to offer spouse and youth tours exclusively for guests of convention attendees. Several different tours of the city will depart daily.

Give your family an opportunity to enjoy the multicultural and historical magnificence of the the nation's capital while you attend the UNITY 2004!

UNITY is looking for interested journalists to write short articles for the next UNITY E-News. Are you interested in a particular aspect of the convention that your fellow colleagues may want to learn more about?

If you would like to explore a topic more in-depth for the newsletter, please contact Michelle Vignoli at mvignoli@nahj.org or call 202-662-7413 as soon as possible. Articles are needed by Friday, July 9.

The UNITY Press Conference Center, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is accepting applications from organizations that would like to hold a press conference -- free of charge -- at the UNITY 2004 convention.

The center will feature press conferences on hot topic issues affecting communities of color and the journalism industry. Ten press conferences will be held each day on Thursday, August 5 and Friday, August 6 from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information about the center or for a press conference application, contact Michelle Vignoli at (202) 662-7413 or at mvignoli@nahj.org.

UNITY 2004 pre-convention workshops provide a full day of interactive instruction covering a variety of industry-related curricula on Wednesday, August 4. Slots for pre-convention workshops are limited and require preregistrationThe deadline to register is July 16.

Scheduled sessions include:

UNITY/ASNE Advanced Leadership Development: Managing a Diverse and Changing Newsroom (off-site)
A distinguished panel focuses on the challenges of diversifying newsrooms and responding to diverse communities.

The Power of Leadership Development
Learn the skills and values of powerful newsroom leadership. Coordinated by the Poynter Institute.

Covering Changing Communities: A Leadership Seminar
Develop new strategies for covering and serving a multicultural audience.

Tools for Excellent Storytelling - WORKSHOP FULL
Instructors will focus on deadline writing and critical reporting tips. Coordinated by the Poynter Institute.

Crafting the Feature Story: Prose with Power - WORKSHOP FULL
An advanced feature-writing session challenging participants to think about how they report and write. Sponsored by The Washington Post.

IRE Better Watchdog Workshop
Learn the investigative skills that keep government and business accountable. Sponsored by The New York Times.

Using Sound Instead of Pictures: An Introduction to News Reporting on Public Radio (off-site) - WORKSHOP FULL
Held at NPR Headquarters, this workshop gives non-radio reporters and editors a sampling of the skills needed to make the transition to radio. Coordinated by National Public Radio.

TV Storytelling Workshop
A workshop for TV reporters, producers, photojournalists, writers and newsroom leaders who want to sharpen their storytelling skills. Sponsored by Scripps.

Non-Linear Editing - WORKSHOP FULL
A hands-on workshop developing digital editing skills with the latest equipment, including Final Cut Pro and Avid. Sponsored by Apple, Inc.

Converging Rivers: The Intersection of Native & African-American Cultures and its Environmental Effects on the DC/Virginia Region
NAJA, in partnership with the Society of Environmental Journalists and NABJ, proudly presents an exciting opportunity to participate in a rolling bus tour of environmentally sensitive areas in the Washington DC vicinity.

HIV/AIDS in America (off-site)
This workshop will give the latest information on the ongoing HIV epidemic. Coordinated by the Kaiser Foundation.

Who is An American? - A "Let's Do It Better!" Workshop on Race and Ethnicity
A workshop for top editors, news directors, executive producers and journalism educators who want to improve their coverage of race and ethnicity.

El español correcto en los medios de comunicación hispanos de Los E. U. (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
Los participantes trabajarán con el presentador para analizar juntos los textos noticiosos que antes habrán redactado, así como los materiales de la prensa hispana local. Con revisar todos los aspectos lingüísticos, los participantes aprendarán a resolver errores comunes en la redacción de noticias en español mientras logrando un buen nivel autocrítica.

Abandonados a su suerte: Los retos para los directores/editores en las publicaciones en español (12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m)
Esta sesión explorará los retos particulares que enfrentan los directores/editores y supervisores en los medios noticiosos en español en los Estados Unidos.

The New York Times will host several "TimesChats" at UNITY 2004. TimesChats -- held in the Renaissance Hotel, near the main convention center -- are an opportunity for UNITY attendees to engage in discussions about specific topics with selected reporters, editors and photographers from The New York Times. Space is limited, so attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The following TimesChats will be offered: The Tangled Web; Foreign Correspondence; Use Your Heads (copy editing); When the Issue Is the Story, Not the Content (for new managers); From Church to State; How I Taught Myself to Write; Recognizing When Graphics Should Tell the Story; Writing About Politics; Fiddling with the Fun Stuff; How to Think About a New Beat; Photography.

In addition, a separate event titled "The View From the Top" will feature a discussion with New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., Executive Editor Bill Keller, and Vice Presidents Cynthia Augustine and Dennis Stern. If you are interested in participating in TimesChats, please visit http://technyt.com/unity, send an e-mail to Unity2004@nytimes.com or call Seth Gilmore at 212-556-7490.

UNITY will host a town hall meeting to discuss the new multicultural dynamic in the entertainment industry. A panel of artists of color in music, film, television and publishing will will explore the fight for acceptance, the effect on broader culture, how the media covers people of color and the future of entertainment. CNN's Maria Hinojosa will moderate the event.

Confirmed panelists include entrepreneur and activist Russell Simmons, Canadian Aboriginal actor and radio news manager Gary Farmer, actress Sandra Oh, Cherokee actor/rap artist Litefoot, actress/comedienne Mo'nique and actor/comedian Henry Cho. Artists Jennifer Lopez, Rosie Perez and Elizabeth Peña have also been invited to speak on the panel.

The town hall meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center's third level ballroom. The panel is open to UNITY attendees and to the public. For more information, please contact the UNITY office at info@unityjournalists.org.

Are you looking for a job? Post your resume on-line with the help of a journalism Web site. Your resume will be available to all of the recruiters attending this year’s Media & Career Expo at UNITY 2004 by submitting it either before or during the convention.

To post your resume, visit www.JournalismNext.com and follow the links for Job Seekers.

UNITY Issues Convention News Release

"UNITY 2004 to Attract the Nation's Journalists of Color and Feature Industry's Largest Media and Career Expo; U.N.'s Kofi Annan, President Bush and Senator John Kerry Invited to Address Attendees"