CONVENTION 2005 - PANEL DISCUSSIONS
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- Thursday, June 169 am - 4 pm at Columbia
Super workshops (3-5 hours each)
2 pm - 4 pm: Resume & tape critique
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm: SAJA Members General Meeting
6:30 pm - onward: Opening reception
- Friday, June 17Registration
9 am: Networking Breakfast at Lerner Hall, Columbia
9:30 am: Opening Keynote by three-time Pulitzer Prize winner THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN of The New York Times
11:30 am - 6 pm: Workshops, Panels (1.5 hours)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Lunch
2 pm - 5:30 pm: Job Fair
6 pm - 8:30 pm: Reception & SAJA Hall of Fame
- Saturday, June 188 am - 8:45 am: Networking breakfast at Lerner Hall, Columbia
9 am - 10:30 am: Plenary/Headliner
10:45 am - 6 pm: Workshops, Panels
Noon - 5:30 pm: Job Fair
6:30 pm - Onward: Gala Dinner
- Sunday, June 19 11 am - 2 pm: Networking brunch featuring headliner/keynote
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Columbia University Lerner Hall
115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)
- Opening Reception
Thursday, 6:30 pm onward
Drinks, light food, networking; cash bar.
sponsorship available!
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Columbia University Lerner Hall 115th St & Broadway (Manhattan)
- Registration
Badge and bag pickup
Networking room open
- BREAKFAST :: Network, network, network!
Friday, 8:15 am - 9 am
Coffee, tea & pastries will be served during breakfast
- BREAK :: Network, network, network!
Friday, 11:15 am -11:30 am
Network, plan your day
- PANEL South Asian Trade Winds and Economic Shifts
Friday, 11:30 am -1 pm
The rapid growth of India and China pose not only outsourcing challenges but also significant economic opportunities and shifts in worldwide trade, currency, investment and immigration patterns. This panel will focus on the extent and quality of coverage of these issues, from a range of perspectives, including media and journalism, business and investor interests, public policy and government. The panel will probe into the coverage of China vs. India, India vs. the rest of South Asia and examine whether the coverage is sufficiently in depth to be useful to the general public, investors, business and government.
Speakers will include seasoned journalists from Business Week and The Wall Street Journal, an influential investment manager and a representative of the Government of India.
For journalists of all levels and for non-journalists
Marcus Brauchli, global editor, The Wall Street Journal; David Rocks, Asia Editor of BusinessWeek; Ram Kolluri, president, GlobalValue Fund
Manager John Laxmi, SAJA Treasurer
- PANEL Beyond Stereotypes: South Asian Immigrant Children in America
Presented by the Casey Journalism Center on Children and FamilieFriday, 11:30 am -1 pm
What happens when the children of recent South Asian immigrants are thrown into American schools and swept into its culture? Historically, children and teens are better able than their parents to adapt and thrive in a new country. They often become the "interpreters" of the new culture, and are sometimes the family's public voice, particularly if the parents have language barriers. But often, those children are torn between parental expectations and their own growing independence. That can create pressures within families, as the children become more "Americanized" and pull away from parents' traditions and expectations. How do those pressures play out in the health, education and social lives of these immigrant children and teenagers?
For journalists of all levels and for non-journalists.
Speakers This panel will feature academic experts, journalists and South Asian teens.
Manager Vikas Bajaj, Convention Chair
- LUNCH on your own or network, network, network!
Friday, 1 pm - 2 pm
Grab a quick lunch in the neighborhood.
- PANEL Climbing the Magazine Ladder of Success
Friday, 2:15-3:30 pm
Presented by the American Society of Magazine Editors
The panel will provide strategic information about: How to obtain freelance assignments that can lead to a full-time job; if you're not in the inner circle, how do you gain entry?; how to translate, leverage your experience to move up the ladder; the characteristics of a "good" editor; how to network with people in journalism in order to lead you to a successful magazine track.
Speakers Nisid Hajari, managing editor Newsweek International; more panelists TBA
Manager Monica Mehta, U.C. Berkeley
- PANEL Nonfiction Book Writing
Speakers will talk about how one can make the transition from reporter to writer. They’ll also discuss how to develop a book premise off of a story or beat.
Speakers: TBA
Manager: Nirav Desai, The Subcontinental
- PANEL Parachuting into Disaster
Friday, 2:15-3:30 pm
In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, many American media organizations turned to reporters of South Asian origin for help. Hear four print and broadcast reporters who were dispatched to Asia discuss their individual experiences. They will talk about how they dealt with both the superlative and mundane challenges posed by the assignment, their editors and the horrific circumstances.
Speakers
Pia Sarkar, reporter, San Francisco Chronicle;
Mehul Srivastava, Dayton Daily News;
Dr. Mona Khanna, reporter, KTVT-TV, Dallas
Moderator and manager Suleman Din, The (Newark) Star-Ledger
- BREAK :: Network, network, network!
Friday, 3:30 pm -3:45 pm
- PANEL Thinking Big: Making the Best of a Bureau Beat
Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
The great thing about journalism is that even if you're new to the job, in a tiny newsroom or in the suburban bureau of your newspaper, you can still tell meaningful stories. This panel features reporters who have done just that, winning accolades in their newsrooms, winning awards and -- most importantly -- doing the work of watching out for the public interest, fostering thoughtful debates on public issues and writing lively narratives that engage readers.
For journalists of all levels
Speakers Jon Rockoff, Baltimore Sun; Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press; Ryan Kim, San Francisco Chronicle; Sandhya Somashekhar, former reporter at the Fremont (Calif.) Argus
Moderator Julie Patel, San Jose Mercury News
Manager Julie Patel
- PANEL How to Be a Change Agent in Your Newsroom
Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
Presented by the American Society of Newspaper Editors
A panel of top editors explains how to influence news coverage whether you are a beginning reporter or assistant mid-level editor.
Speakers
Genetta M. Adams, assistant managing editor/features, Newsday;
Henry Freeman, editor and vice president/news, The Journal News, Westchester, NY;
Jim Willse, editor, The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ
Moderator Peter Bhatia, executive editor, The Oregonian
Manager Sudeep Reddy, The Dallas Morning News
- PANEL SAJA Award Winners Talk About their Work
Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
Winners and runners-up in SAJA’s annual awards will discuss their work and how they went about getting the interviews and photos that set their work apart.
Speakers Award winners TBA
Manager
Sandeep Junnarkar, business reporter and
Seshu Badrinath, ESPN
- More panels to be announced
Friday, 4 pm - 5:30 pm
- Friday Reception
Lerner Hall, Columbia University, 115th St & Broadway 6 pm - 9 pm
Drinks, light food, networking; cash bar
Free for convention attendees;
$20 for all others; pay at the door
Need Help? | Convention Overview | Buy Tickets | Sponsorship
Lerner Hall, Columbia University, 115th St & Broadway
- Registration
Saturday, 8 am - 5 pm
Badge and bag pickup
Networking room open
- Breakfast :: Network, network, network!
Saturday, 8 am - 8:45 am
Coffee, tea & pastries will be served during breakfast
- PLENARY A SAJA Conversation
Saturday, 9 am - 10:30 am
Come listen to two of the most successful South Asian journalists in American media discuss their careers, their journey and the state of the media. Plenty of Q&A.
For journalists and non-journalists
Raju Narisetti, editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe and
Snigdha Prakash, reporter for NPR's Morning Edition
Manager Sreenath Sreenivasan
- Break :: Network, network, network!
Saturday, 10:30 am -10:45 am
- PANEL Fiction Writing
Saturday, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Five US-based South Asian fiction writers will talk about the writing process, finding agents, selling and marketing their books.
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers
Abha Dawesar, Babyji;
Pooja Makhijani, Mama's Saris;
Mary Anne Mohanraj, Bodies in Motion;
Meera Nair, Video;
Sanjay Sanghoee, Merger.
Moderator and manager Aseem Chhabra
- PANEL Finding the Faith Angle Amidst Tragedy
Presented by the Religion Newswriters AssociationSaturday, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Religion was a major story angle in the December tsunami but reporting it was not easy. What are resources for covering religion on the fly, how do journalists cover non-Western faiths fairly and what are some ways to be sensitive to faith when reporting tragedies.
Speaker Jeff Diamant, reporter, Newark Star-Ledger.
Moderator Kim Lawton, managing editor and correspondent, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly;
Manager Vikas Bajaj
- PANEL Making It As a Freelancer
Saturday, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Tips and advice from top freelancers about how to get ahead. Topics covered include: Do's and Don'ts, networking, freelance unions, legal aspects, freelancing on the side, how to enter new markets, how to break into bigger and better magazines
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers
Marci Alboher, career/workplace issues reporter;
Sandeep Junnarkar, business reporter;
Julia M. Klein, cultural reporter/critic
Moderator and manager Nina Mehta, finance reporter
- Lunch on your own :: Network, network, network!
Saturday, 11:45 am - 1:15 pm
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! You are invited to taste what The New York Times called "the best street food in NY"... By special arrangement, "Trinidad-Pakistan United Nation Food," a cart serving South Asian food in midtown will be available outside the convention building. You are in for a real treat. Or you can eat at one of the neighborhood restaurants.
- PANEL Making the Best of a Trade Pub Job
Saturday, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
It’s not uncommon for journalists to switch between general circulation publications and the trade press. This panel features top trade journalists, the kind that the mainstream press call upon as experts, as well as those who have parlayed their experience at specialty publications to cross over into the general media. Uncover the advantages and disadvantages of working as a trade reporter, and how to get a job at a specialty publication. And for those working at a trade publication, get tips on how to cross over into the mainstream press.
Speakers
David Longobardi, editor-in-chief American Banker;
Lee Sheppard, contributing editor, Tax Notes;
Tania Padgett, assistant city editor at Newsday and
Angela Shah, reporter, Dallas Morning News
Moderator and manager Vineeta Anand, Washington Bureau Chief at Pensions & Investments
- PANEL On the Verge: Tips on Breaking into the Film Industry
Saturday, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
The explosion of desi-themed films has created a nascent South Asian American film industry. Whether you are interested in breaking into the film business, or covering South Asian film, the varied experiences of the panelists will create a richly textured overview. Designed to provide a bird’s eye view of breaking into the field.
For journalists and non-journalists.
Speakers
Ayad Stehle-Akhtar, director and producer of ‘Over the Mountains’;
Rehana Mirza, producer of ‘Barriers’ and writer/director of ‘Fillum Star: The Peter Patel Story’;
Pooja Kumar, a former Miss India who starred in ‘Night of Henna,’ the first Pakistani film released in North America;
Deepa Donde, Austin-based film maker and radio journalist.
Moderator Gitesh Pandya, founder and editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com
Manager Reema Keswani, Golconda LLC; Deepa Donde
- PANEL Reporting the Tsunami: A New Model for Global Disaster Coverage?
How did the U.S. media cover the Dec. 26 tsunami and its aftermath? This was not only South Asia's biggest story so far this year -- it was an international catastrophe. How well did reporters and editors convey its global scale and impact? Covering the tsunami required a sophisticated understanding of science, public health, international aid flows and local politics. How well did journalists handle that task? This disaster, like so many others, had its iconic images. How did media outlets use them, or misuse them? This panel of senior journalists will answer these questions and challenge us to find, through the lessons of covering the tsunami, a new model for reporting on international disasters.
For journalists and non-journalists.
Speakers
Subrata De, producer, NBC Nightly News;
Howard Chua-Eoan, chief of correspondents, Time;
Shahidul Alam, director of Bangladesh's Drik.
Moderator and manager Jyoti Thottam, Time.
- Break :: Network, network, network!
2:45 pm - 3 pm
- PANEL Covering the War in Iraq
Saturday, 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Covering the war in Iraq presents a new set of challenges for journalists. The chasm between reporting and safety seems to growing bigger daily as journalists decide whether to embed themselves with the U.S. military or brave the security situation on their own. Leading reporters talk about their experiences covering Iraq, what the U.S. public is not reading about the situation there and figuring out how to cover the conflict zone.
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers:
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, former Baghdad bureau chief for The Washington Post;
Gaiutra Bahadur, staff writer, Philadelphia Inquirer;
More TBA
Moderator TBA
Manager:
S. Mitra Kalita, The Washington Post;
Renuka Rayasam, Austin-American Statesman
- PANEL The Ethnic Press in 2005
Saturday, 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Even as South Asian culture goes mainstream in the U.S., the number of niche media outlets aimed at South Asian Americans continues to grow. This panel will discuss the emergence of this next wave of desi media, with a focus on youth culture. How are blogs and other online media transforming the desi media landscape? What are newer print publications like Nirali, Anokhi Vibe and Rave Sq doing for 2nd-generation desis that traditional weeklies don't? And just how sexy does MTV Desi intend to be?
For journalists and non-journalists of all levels
Speakers
Manish Vij, co-founder of Sepia Mutiny;
Nimesh Patel, co-founder of Badmash
Moderator and manager Arun Venugopal, IndiaAbroad
- Break :: Network, network, network!
Get ready for the Gala Dinner and Awards
- Gala Dinner and Awards :: Network, network, network!
Saturday, 6:30 pm - midnight
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- Networking Brunch
Maharaja Restaurant, 230 E. 44th St (btw 2nd & 3rd Aves), two blocks from Grand Central Station and UN11 am - 2 pm
Pay at the door:
Student SAJA Members: $10
All others registered: $15
Non-Convention attendees: $20
RSVP: sajarsvp@yahoo.com (subject line = "Brunch") -
please pay at the door.
Manager Aseem Chhabra
Want to be a sponsor? A great opportunity to support SAJA
Questions, comments, suggestions for speakers?
Contact SAJA Convention Chair VIKAS BAJAJ
of The Dallas Morning News: vikasbajaj+convention@gmail.com
(feel free to CC saja@columbia.edu)
Become a member! (Discounts on registration)
Get a Job Fair booth (just $125!)
Corporate table of 10 for Gala Dinner ($1,000)
10 convention passes + listing in program
get more information: saja@columbia.edu
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