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New England News Forum to Sponsor ‘Sharing the News’ Workshop on Saturday, June 28 at UMass Lowell

June 18, 2008

Contact:Bill Densmore
413/577-4370

AMHERST, Mass. – The New England News Forum, based at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will co-sponsor a workshop on how to support the new generation of news consumers and creators on Saturday, June 28 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

“Sharing the News: Fresh Approaches to Reaching Students and Training Citizens” will bring together regional journalism educators, state education administrators, citizen journalists and bloggers. The one-day workshop will feature an expert panel discussion on curriculum and technology initiatives for empowering news consumers and journalists alike.

“The Internet is spawning a whole new class of news junkies,” says Bill Densmore, director of the New England News Forum. “Our experts will describe how to help those serious citizens understand what they’re reading, hearing and viewing—and how to contribute to the news themselves.” The panel will include:

• Howard Schneider, former editor of Newsday, the Long Island daily newspaper, and founding dean of the Stony Brook University journalism school. Schneider will discuss how the New England News Forum and both new and old media can be part of a process to develop a national news literacy curriculum.

• Douglas McGill, awarding-winning former foreign correspondent for the New York Times and business-writer for Bloomberg News. McGill will conduct a half-day version of his Largemouth Citizen Journalism Workshop in which he teaches citizens and professionals online news skills.

• Wayne Sutton, community content manager for MyNC.com, a hyper-local news Web site produced by WNCN, Channel 17 (NBC) in Raleigh, N.C. Sutton monitors user-generated content for the site. He also interviews local, online community leaders who are producing content on the Web via blogs, podcasts and videos.

The workshop will conclude with a round table discussion on the role of the New England News Forum in advancing news literacy and fostering cooperation among various media groups in the region. An optional box lunch is offered.

“Sharing the News” is sponsored by the New England News Forum, the New England chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Boston-based law firm of Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye, LLP. The event is open to the public for a small registration fee and pre-registration is requested. Stipends are available for those who cannot afford the workshop fee.

To register, go to www.newenglandnews.org.

For more information, or to suggest additions to the day’s program, contact the New England News Forum at mail@newenglandnews.org or 413/577-4370.

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