SOME OF OUR 75+SPEAKERS (full list below)

Just added to the program: Brian Williams, anchor, NBC Nightly News, will deliver the Friday morning keynote!

TOP ROW: Betty Wong, managing editor, Reuters America; Riz Khan, anchor, Al Jazeera Intl; Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia;Tom Curley, CEO of Associated Press; Daljit Dhaliwal, host, "Wide Angle" on PBS; Raju Narisetti, head of new biz daily in India; ROW TWO: Mervin Block, America's leading broadcast writing coach; Kiran Desai, author; THE1SHANTI, rapper; Mir Ibrahim Rahman, CEO of GEO TV, Pakistan; Peter Bhatia, executive editor, The Oregonian; Barbara Chen, producer, ABC News
THIRD ROW: Ketan Gandhi, publisher, NJ Home News Tribune; Walid El-Gabry, co-founder, Arab & Middle Eastern Journalists Association; Anupreeta Das, freelance writer; S. Mitra Kalita, reporter, The Washington Post; Amy Waldman, former India bureau chief, The New York Times; Hari Sreenivasan, anchor, ABC News Now;
ROW FOUR: Rahul Siddharth, standup comic; Amitava Kumar, author & Vassar prof; Fred de Sam Lazaro, correspondent, Lehrer Newshour; Raeshem Nijhon, producer, MTV Desi; Deepti Hajela, SAJA president & AP Newswoman; Vikas Bajaj, SAJA convention chair and business reporter, The New York Times    SEE FULL LIST BELOW! or register now!

Make your plans to come to the
2006 CONVENTION & JOB FAIR!
July 13-16 at Columbia University in NYC
1,000+ journalists & guests

Registration & Tickets
Become a sponsor
Hotel & Travel Info

Convention Overview - July 13-16

DOWNLOAD printable PDF Version

• Thursday, JuLY 13 8:15 am-5 pm: Registration
  9 am – 4 pm: Super Workshops of various lengths
  4:15 – 5 pm: Members Meeting
  6:30 – 8:30 pm: Opening reception at Reuters, 3 Times Square
  Keynote: Betty Wong, managing editor, Reuters America
• Friday, JuLY 14 8:15 am-6 pm: Registration
  8:15-9:45 am: Networking Breakfast
  10-11 am: Keynote: Brian Williams, anchor, NBC Nightly News
  11 am: Newsmaker Q&A: Richard Boucher, Assistant Sectary of State for South Asia - interviewed by Nikhil Deogun, deputy Washington bureau chief, The Wall Street Journal
  11 am - 12:30 pm: Panels, workshops, salon
  12:30 - 2 pm: Lunch
  2 - 6 pm: Job fair
  2 - 3:30 pm: Panels, workshops, salon
  4 - 5:30 pm: Panels, workshops, salon
  6:30 - 9 pm: Reception
  Keynote: Riz Khan, anchor, Al Jazeera International
  9:30 - 11:30 pm: Desis and Hip Hop afterparty presented by
  MTV Desi - see details and all-star lineup here.
• Saturday, JuLY 15 9 am - 10:30 am: Plenary: The State of Press Freedom in South Asia
  11 am – 12:30 pm: Panels, workshops, salon
  12 – 6 pm: Job fair
  12:30 – 2 pm: Lunch
  2 – 3:30 pm: Panels, workshops, salon
  4 - 5:30 pm: Panels, workshops, salon
  6:30 - 10:30 pm: Gala dinner
  Keynote speaker: Tom Curley, President & CEO, Associated Press - winner of SAJA Journalism Leader Award
  SAJA Hall of Fame Induction of the late A.M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
  
• Sunday, JuLY 16 11-2 pm: Networking brunch featuring South Asian comics
  Venue is Malika Restaurant, 210 E. 43rd St, btw 2nd & 3rd Aves
  
  Last updated: July 12, 2006 - register now!
• DOWNLOAD printable PDF PROGAM
  FRIDAY & SATURDAY!
  Day passes, $100 Saturday gala dinner tickets all still available. Come to Columbia Lerner Hall (115th St & Broadway) or see what's available online by checking this link
  

Thursday, JULY 13 - register now! Columbia University Lerner Hall 115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)

(SUPER WORKSHOPS: longer than Friday and Saturday workshops)

• 8:15 - 6 pm: Registration
• Thursday, 9 am - 4 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP Bootcamp for Broadcast Journalists: "LIVE, LOCAL, LATE BREAKING"
  Practice makes perfect but what they don't teach you in J-school is what you have to hone on the air. That may be what makes the perfect live shot more elusive for some than others. But whether you're in Market 198 or at a network, the ability to go LIVE is essential for any TV reporter and/or anchor.
  
  This year's SAJA convention will feature a new workshop that examines the art of the live shot. Participants will have the opportunity to synthesize information from a mock breaking news event before "going live." The elements, including breaking information and time constraints, will be recreated to mimic the pressures involved in delivering a story live on the air. Seasoned news professionals will then provide tips and feedback on the live shots, which will be recorded for on the spot critiques. Yes, you can keep your tape. Don't miss out on this invaluable opportunity to advance your skills in this critical area. Sign up now, space is limited!
  
  But the training doesn't stop there. Need a further edge in the cutthroat world of on-air news reporting? Then join us for a discussion on negotiating your broadcast contracts with leading talent agents Steve Herz and Carol Perry of If Management. The session will focus on career development from experts in the field of mana ging and planning the careers of anchors, reporters and producers, in news and sports broadcasting at all career levels. The all-day session will be conducted in a computer lab at Columbia Journalism School and includes a break for lunch.
  
  For broadcast journalists of all levels
  
  Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  
  Instructors Hari Sreenivasan, ABC News; Reena Ninan, FOX News; Steve Herz and Carol Perry, talent agents at If Management; others TBA
  Managers Kiran Khalid, Court TV; Anita Shah, Granada TV
  
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
  SUPER WORKSHOP Computer Assisted Reporting
  Thursday, 9 am - 4 pm
  
  Presented by Investigative Reporters and Editors, the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting
  Instructors will show how reporters can incorporate basic CAR skills into beat reporting. The workshop will cover data analysis in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, retrieving data from Web sources and a brief introduction to database software applications such as Microsoft Access.
  
  The all-day session will be conducted in a computer lab at Columbia Journalism School and includes a break for lunch.
  
  For journalists of all levels
  
  Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  
  Instructors Ron Nixon, The New York Times
  Manager Vikas Bajaj, The New York Times
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
  
• Thursday, 9 am - 4 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP Photojournalism
  Photographers of all levels will make their way to Richmond Hill, where the visual challenge will be to capture a day in the South Asian enclave. You will be back in time for the opening reception. Work will be showcased at a later point of the convention.
  
  For photographers of all levels and non-photographers who want to learn photography.
  
  Since this is an all-day session; you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  
  Instructor Scott Lewis and Preston Merchant, photojournalists
  Manager Seshu Badrinath, ESPN
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
  
• Thursday, 10 am -1 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP Editing with a Critical Eye
  Editors play numerous roles from boss, teacher, psychologist and coach. But they need coaching and training, too. This session is meant to serve that purpose for both reporters aspiring to editing and mid-career editors seeking to learn new lessons. Hear tips from two seasoned editors about the tools and tricks they use to enliven, sharpen and, when needed, fix copy that arrives in their queues and in boxes.
  
  For intermediate journalists
  
  Instructor Ray Hennessey, editor SmartMoney.com; and Mark Prendergast, retired editor, The New York Times
  Manager Aparna Mukherjee
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
  
• Thursday, 10 pm - 3 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP Becoming a Better Business Journalist
  Presented by The Wharton School of the University of PennsylvaniaLearn to navigate the business world more effectively with insight from the faculty of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. This workshop will include a discussion of timely business topics and useful tips for reporters, from spotting accounting tricks to understanding the intricacies of hedge funds and other investment vehicles.
  
  For intermediate journalists
  
  Instructors Brian J. Bushee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Accounting, The Wharton School; and Todd Millay, J.D., Executive Director, Wharton Global Family Alliance
  
  Manager Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
  
• Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP Narrative Writing
  A former writing coach at the Omaha World-Herald and director of tailored programming at the American Press Institute talks about how to bring narrative elements to even the shortest of daily stories. He trades his tips on how to spot details during the interviewing and reporting process that bring color to copy, how to use storytelling techniques, how to develop story structures and narrative elements, and how to write short, but compelling, pieces on a daily basis.
  
  For intermediate journalists
  
  Instructor Steve Buttry, director of tailored programs and former writing coach, American Press Institute
  Manager Vandana Sinha, Washington Business Journal
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
  
• Thursday, 10 am - 3 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP New Media Journalism: Tailoring print/broadcast content for the Web
  Your newspaper or magazine publishes an insightful article or your station broadcasts a compelling piece. Now how do you translate that content for the Web? Come work with award-winning journalist Angela Morgenstern, a supervising producer for MTVNews.com (formerly of PBS's Frontline.org) as she shows you how to manage projects as they are taken online.  Morgenstern and her associates will address how best to use various management techniques and tools to create compelling value-added online material from your broadcast and print content. The all-day session will be conducted in a computer lab at Columbia Journalism School and includes a break for lunch.
  
  For journalists of all levels but the following computer skills are a prerequisite: Basic Web site design and digital image editing skills.
  
  Since this is an all-day session, you may NOT sign up for other workshops on Thursday.
  
  Instructor Angela Morgenstern, supervising producer, MTVNews.com and others
  Manager Sandeep Junnarkar, professor, CUNY Journalism School
  [ pre-select when you register ]
• Thursday, 1-3 pm
  SUPER WORKSHOP Turning Your Story into a Documentary
  Do you want to turn a print or broadcast story into a documentary? This class provides an overview of how it's done from conception to production to distribution.
  
  For broadcast and print journalists and non-journalists
  
  InstructorTBA
  Manager Sital Patel, Bloomberg News
  [ pre-select when you register ]
  
• Thursday, 3 - 4 pm
  NETWORKING Getting the Most of the SAJA Convention
  Come meet fellow conventioneers and get some tips on how to best use of your SAJA time and the connections you make here. You are welcome to bring resumes for informal critiques.
  
  For all journalists and non-journalists
  
  Manager Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia Journalism School
• Thursday, 4:15 - 5 pm
  SAJA General Membership Meeting
  All paid members of SAJA and those who'd like to become members are welcome.
  
  Manager John Laxmi, SAJA Board
  
• Thursday, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
  Opening Reception at Reuters US HQ
  Location The Reuters Building, 3 Times Square, 30th Floor
  Between 42nd and 43rd Streets at Times Square - from Columbia, take #1 downtown subway; from elsewhere, take any Times Square subway.
  
  Come meet fellow conventioneers and NY-based journalists at a cocktail hosted by Reuters - in a room with one of the best views in all of Manhattan.
  Keynote: Betty Wong, managing editor, Reuters America - recently named one of the most influential women in business journalism. Also meet South Asian employees at Reuters, including Asif Alam of Association of Pakistani Professionals.
  
  Wine & Beer, light food, networking - no charge for thos with a convention pass.

FRIday, July 14 - register now! Columbia University Lerner Hall 115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)

• 8:15 am-6 pm: Registration
• 8:15-9:45 am: Networking Breakfast
• Friday, 10-11 am
  KEYNOTE Brian Williams, anchor, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
  Meet the most-watched anchor on American network news as he discusses his career, his recent reporting from Africa and trends in broadcast news.
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, The New York Times
• Friday, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  PLENARY Newsmaker Q&A: Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia
  Richard Boucher, who has a resume long on senior diplomatic posts, took over the South and Central Asian beat in early 2006 just as President Bush made his first trip to the Subcontinent. A former spokesman for the State Department under both the Clinton and Bush administrations, Mr. Boucher has become the administration's point person on South Asian affairs at a crucial inflection point for the U.S. relations with India, Pakistan and other countries in theregion. He will be interviewed by Nikhil Deogun, deputy Washington bureau chief, The Wall Street Journal
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, The New York Time
• 12:30-2 p.m. - LUNCH
• 2-6 p.m. - JOB FAIR
  Confirmed recruiters include: CNN, ABC News, MTV Desi, The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Florida Sun-Sentinel and many, many more.
  ALSO: Rolling Critique Sessions
  Have your resume, cover letters and broadcast tapes critiqued by
  recruiters, professors and fellow journalists. E-mail, Sudeep Reddy at sreddy@dallasnews.com to sign up.
• Friday, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Investigative Business Reporting
  Learn how to land great investigative stories off of the business beat with Barry Meier, who wrote a series of stories about the defects in implantable heart devices made by the Guidant Corporation
  that won the George Polk award and were a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Instructor: Barry Meier, reporter, The New York Times
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, The New York Times
• Friday, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  PANEL Choosing the Trade Pub Path
  What steps must reporters and editors take to score a job at a trade
  publication? What must they do if they want to jump from trade pubs
  to mainstream media?
  Speakers: Cathy Panagoulias, The Wall Street Journal; Daniel Dupont, Inside Defense Publications; Andrew Noyes, Communications Daily and Washington Internet Daily
  Moderator and moderator: Gopal Ratnam, Defense News
• Friday, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Covering Islam presented by the Religion Newswriters Association
  Get tips to better understand the world's fastest-growing religion from an award-winning religion writer, and write more accurately about today's changing world.
  Speaker: Deborah Caldwell, Beliefnet.org
  Manager: Debra Mason, Religion Newswriters Association
• Friday, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP The Census Story and How it Impacts Immigration
  As the immigration debate rages on, this speaker looks into how reporters can use census figures to their advantage to tell the story in new, and more accurate, ways.
  Instructor: Wendell Cochran, American University
  Manager: Gopal Ratnam, Defense News
• Friday, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Covering Your Own Company and The Media presented by SABEW, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers
  Nothing in business journalism is much harder than reporting on your
  employer, supervisors and colleagues. But good news organizations
  recognize that their credibility in providing coverage of themselves.
  In this discussion organized by the Society of American Business
  Editors and Writers, three veteran journalists talk about how, deftly
  and thoroughly, a conscientious reporter can get the job done.
  Instructor: David Andelman, Forbes.com; James Madore, Newsday; Mark Mitchell, CJR Daily
  Manager: Josh Mills, Baruch College
• Friday, 2 pm. to 3:30 p.m.
  SALON Daljit Dhaliwal, host of PBS show, "Wide Angle"
  The former CNN and ITN anchor will talk about her latest endeavor, hosting the PBS documentary show, "Wide Angle," the lessons she has learned over her career and the world of broadcast journalism writ large.
  Manager: Sreenath Sreenivasan, Columbia University
  
• Friday, 4-5:30 p.m.
  SALON Samuel Freedman, Columbia University Prof & Author
  This newsmaker professor and New York Times education columnist (and former NYT reporter) shows why he's an inspiration to students and would-be book writers around the country. This session is specifically designed for student members, though others are welcome to sit in.
  Manager: Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
• Friday, 4-5:30 PM
  WORKSHOP Photography: A New Viewfinder on the World
  From his work with the Columbine shootings to Ground Zero, this award-winning photographer shows how to capture the world's most crucial moments into memorable photos.
  Speaker: David Handschuh, New York Daily News
  Manager: Seshu Badrinath, ESPN
• Friday, 4-5:30 PM
  PANEL Turn Freelancing into a Career
  Not sure of how to collect story ideas as a freelancer? Want tips on
  the best way of pitching them to established publications? Now is
  your chance to get answers to those questions.
  Speakers: Marci Alboher, lawyer-turned-freelance writer and writing coach; Kiran Khalid, freelance TV journalist
  Manager: Sital Patel, Bloomberg News
• Friday, 4-5:30 pm
  PANEL How I Got the Story (Broadcast & New Media)
  SAJA's own 2006 award winners share the story behind their stories.
  Speakers: TBA
  Manager and Moderator: Sandeep Junnarkar, CUNY
• Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
  WORKSHOP Covering International Affairs: Both Sides of the Fence
  Note: New workshop
  Are you interested in covering international affairs and diplomacy? Do you get excited about issues such as the Indo-US nuclear deal; the US sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan; the race for the next UN Secretary General (might it be Shashi Tharoor of India or Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka?); what the Mumbai blasts mean for India and the US? If so, then this is the workshop for you. You will get a chance to learn how such issues are covered by journalists and how to get the most useful information from diplomats and government officials.
  Instructors: K.P. Nayar, chief diplomatic editor of The Telegraph, and T.P. Sreenivasan, former Indian ambassador to UN & host of foreign affairs talk show on Asianet TV and a columnist for Rediff.com.
  Room: 502
• Friday, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Columbia University Lerner Hall, 115th St & Broadway
  Reception
  Keynote: Riz Khan, anchor, Al Jazeera International (former anchor, CNN International)
  Emcee for the evening: Kiran Khalid, SAJA board member and TV journalist
• Friday, 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
  AFTER PARTY: Desis in Hip Hop - presented by MTV Desi
  Meet and watch some of the hottest rappers, including Chee Malabar and THE1SHANTI, in the nation in this special event. See details and all-star lineup here.

Saturday, july 15 - register now! Columbia University Lerner Hall 115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)\

• 8:15 am-6 pm: Registration
• 8 am-8:45 am: Networking Breakfast
• Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  PLENARY State of Press Freedom in South Asia
  When it comes to telling the truth about politics, society and community in some countries in South Asia, journalists face physical risks that their American counterparts could never imagine. Listen to their stories of how they took on those challenges, and sometimes risked their lives, to tell the story and keep their readers informed.
  Speakers: Imran Aslam, president, GEO TV; Abi Wright, communications director, Committee to Protect Journalists; Saleem Samad, exiled journalist and former Time correspondent in Bangladesh; Paramendra Bhagat, Nepali blogger
  Moderator: Ramesh Rao, chair, Communication Studies & Theatre Department, Longwood University
  Manager: Sandhya Somashekhar, University of California-Berkeley
  PANEL SPONSOR: PacifiCare, a UnitedHealthcare Company
• Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  PANEL Reporting on Foreign Terrain
  Reporters who have been in the field for years discuss the challenges - and rewards - of making international news relevant to both their American and overseas audiences. With the global reach of news Web sites, foreign correspondents' work is just as quickly distributed to and digested by their sources and subjects in distant lands as it is by the readership back home. How do the writers confront the challenge of making their dispatches accessible to their domestic audience without simplifying away nuance and details that are far more real in the places they are reporting from?
  Speakers: Ken Dilanian, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jackie Spinner,The Washington Post, Quil Lawrence, BBC
  Moderator: Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post
  Manager: Gaiutra Bahadur, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  PANEL Spotlight on the South Asian Economy
  The economy in South Asia has been earning more and more headlines in
  the Western media - what are they getting right, and what stories
  might they be missing?
  Speakers: Raju Narisetti, editor of new business daily for Hindustan Times Media Group (former deputy managing editor, The Wall Street Journal; Amy Waldman, writer, Atlantic Monthly and former India bureau chief, The New York Times; Vikram Akula, founder, SKS Microfinance (one of Time's "100 people who shape our world"); Anupreeta Das, freelancer (has written about India's economy for Christian Science Monitor and others)
  Moderator & manager: S. Mitra Kalita, The Washington Post & author, Suburban Sahibs
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  PANEL Wading Through Visa Issues
  If your biggest barrier to your dream journalism job has been your immigration status, this session is for you. Find out here how to break down that barrier.
  Speakers: Tammy Lee, Law Offices of Richard Goldstein; Jui Chakravorty, Reuters
  Moderator and manager: Gopal Ratnam, Defense News
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Long-form writing
  Tell a tale with the tips and techniques shared here on how to write
  compelling magazine-style stories.
  Instructor: Amitava Kumar, author, magazine writer, blogger and Vassar professor
  Manager: Vandana Sinha, Washington Business Journal
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP How to write your first resume and cover letter
  The journalism gatekeepers who judge resumes and cover letters talk
  about how to write the best ones that get noticed for the right
  reasons. This session is specifically designed for Student members,
  though others are welcome to sit in.
  Instructors: TBA
  Manager: Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Broadcast News Writing Workshop
  Instructor: Mervin Block, America's leading broadcast writing coach
  Manager: Hari Sreenivasan, ABC News
• Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  SALON Peter Bhatia, The Oregonian
  Ask the questions that have always been on your mind of one of journalism's senior-most South Asians (bio)
  Manager: Vandana Sinha, Washington Business Journal
• 12:30-2 p.m. - LUNCH (Dosa Cart & Trini-Pak Halal Cart - by popular demand, both are back this year!)
• 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Bring your dosa and meet SAJA Board
• 12:30 -- 2 pm
  LUNCH: Meeting for Muslim Journalists and Friends
  Room: East Lounge
  
  Muslim American Journalists Association (MAJA) members and friends are invited to a casual meeting of the minds. We will meet in the East Lounge to welcome those interested in learning more about the organization. We will also talk about MAJA's progress in the past year and discuss future planning. And for food, a halal cart will be serving up delicious chicken, lamb and vegetarian food conveniently between Lerner Hall and the Journalism School.
  Coordinator: Shabina Khatri, founder
• 2-6 p.m. - JOB FAIR
  Confirmed recruiters include: CNN, ABC News, MTV Desi, The New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Florida Sun-Sentinel and many, many more.
  ALSO: Rolling Critique Sessions
  Have your resume, cover letters and broadcast tapes critiqued by recruiters, professors and fellow journalists.
  E-mail, Sudeep Reddy at sreddy@dallasnews.com to sign up.
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  PANEL Breaking Into Journalism presented by the Asian American Journalists Association, New York chapter
  Want to know the secrets of successful journalists? Then join this multi-medium panel of experts for insider information, honest advice, and candid real world stories. From television to magazines, radio to newspapers -- this group will surely enlighten the aspiring journalist in all of you.
  Speakers: Barbara Chen, producer, ABC; Prashant Gopal, reporter, The Record; Jennifer Abbasi, assistant editor, Parenting
  Manager: Cindy del Rosario Tapan, deputy editor, Martha Stewart Living Radio and AAJA-NY president
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  PANEL How I Got the Story (Print)
  SAJA's own 2006 award winners share the story behind their stories.
  Speakers: TBA
  Manager and Moderator: Sandeep Junnarkar, CUNY
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Deadline Writing
  Instructors: Rajiv Chandrasekaran, deputy managing editor for continuous news, The Washington Post;
  Shaheen Pasha, reporter, CNN/Money; Michael Reid, deputy managing editor of Dow Jones Newswires
  Manager: Suleman Din, reporter, The Star-Ledger
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  Workshop Design and Graphics presented by the Society for News Design
  Get tips from experts on how to make your publication more visually appealing.
  Speakers: TBA
  Manager: Diana La Vigne, Indian Life & Style Magazine
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Covering Middle Eastern minorities in the United States presented by the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association
  The workshop will identify the diverse populations of Arabs and Middle Easterners to journalists and help clarify the often nuanced differences between people who sometimes share the same languages and religions. From Coptic Christian Egyptians, to Shia Muslim Iranians,
  the program will seek to offer advise and strategies on how to learn about, approach and cover these communities. Journalists should look forward to receiving source lists on suggested leaders and spokespersons and story ideas. We will also critique and highlight previously published work on these groups that have unwillingly been thrust into the spotlight since 9/11.
  Note: this session will be off-the-record, so that the speakers can feel free to talk about their experiences.
  Instructors: Tamer El-Ghobashy, New York Daily News; and Andrea Elliott, The New York Times
  Manager: Tamer El-Ghobashy, New York Daily News
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  WORKSHOP Figuring Out Blogs & Whatever's Next
  The best blogs FOR and BY journalists and how you can make sense of all the other new technologies changing our business. This workshop has been taught to hundreds of journalists and other professionals across the US. See description.
  Journalists and others welcome to attend.
  Instructor and manager: Sreenath Sreenivasan, dean of students, Columbia University School of Journalism
• Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.
  SALON Ketan Gandhi, Home News Tribune
  Listen to words of advice from the first South Asian publisher of an
  American daily newspaper.
  Manager: Deepti Hajela, Associated Press
• Saturday, 4 to 5:30 pm
  PANEL Covering Iran: Echoes Of Iraq? Presented by the Arab and Middle
  Eastern Journalists Association
  As the temperature rises in the stand-off between the US and Iran we
  examine how the media has presented the country, the regime and the
  nuclear issue. Our distinguished panel will discuss the practicalities
  of reporting from Iran, navigating the various agendas of officialdom
  on both sides, exiled opponents and US-based think tanks.
  Speakers: Guy Dinmore is US diplomatic correspondent with the Financial Times;
  Ervand Abrahamian, professor of history and an Iran scholar at the
  City University of New York; Michael Massing, the media critic and
  adjunct professor, Columbia University; John Danizewski, international editor,
  The Associated Press.
  Moderator and manager: Walid el-Gabry, president of the Arab and
  Middle Eastern Journalists Association
• Saturday, 4 to 5:30 p.m.
  PANEL Getting Your Book Published
  Turn those far-off aspirations of publishing your dream novel or
  nonfiction work into reality with tips from these authors and agents.
  Speakers: Marina Budhos, author of "Ask Me No Questions;" Kiran Desai, author of "The Inheritance of Loss" and "Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard;" Neeru Nanda, author of "If: A Collection of Short Stories;" Nausheen Pasha-Zaidi, author of "Colour of Mehndi"
  Manager and Moderator: Aseem Chhabra, freelance writer
• Saturday, 4 to 5:30 pm
  WORKSHOP Investigations Off the Beat presented by Investigative Reporters and Editors
  This computer-assisted reporting expert points to how to find
  databases and records that translate routine beat reporting into A1 investigative projects.
  Instructors: TBA
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, The New York Times
• Saturday, 4 to 5:30 pm
  WORKSHOP Covering Desi New York Through the Census Numbers
  Learn how to dig deep into U.S. Census data in order to uncover untold stories about your city and community, and to strengthen ongoing reporting. Professor Beveridge will teach census research methods, using data on New York City and its 8 million residents. Specific attention will be paid to the demographics of South Asians in New York - how many there are, how much they earn, how many of them speak English, and much more.
  Instructors: Andrew Beveridge, Queens College and census expert
  Manager: Arun Venugopal, WNYC Radio
• Saturday, 4 to 5:30 pm
  WORKSHOP The Road to Fellowships
  Find out from successful fellows how to add a reporting fellowship to
  your resume.
  Speakers: Sumathi Reddy, The Baltimore Sun and IRP Fellow; Callie Crossley, Nieman Fellowships, Harvard University
  Manager: Vandana Sinha, Washington Business Journal
• Saturday, 4 to 5:30 pm
  SALON Sumi Das, correspondent, CNN
  Meet a CNN reporter and learn the secrets of being a TV reporter
  Manager: Vikas Bajaj, The New York Times
• 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Reception/Awards Dinner
  
  Reception from 6:30-7 pm, followed by gala dinner, awards and more.
  Attire: Dressy, but no tuxedoes required. BONUS: Raffle drawing for anyone in any kind of ethnic clothes!
• 11:00 p.m. Afterparty

  Sunday, july 16 - register now! NEW LOCATION: Mallika Restaurant, 43th St between 2nd & 3rd Aves
  Two blocks from Grand Central Station and the UN
  (Manhattan)

  11:30-2 pm: Networking brunch featuring South Asian comics
  Extensive buffet lunch with north and south Indian dishes
  
  Tickets have to be purchased on-site:
  Convention attendees: $15
  Students: $10
  All others: $20
• QUESTIONS TO CONVENTION CHAIR Vikas Bajaj, sajaconvention2006@gmail.com