Hoeppner, who oversees multimedia and mobile media instruction for the Freedom Forum New Media Training and other programs, will focus on helping reporters extend the capabilities of their smart phones through multimedia, editing, note-taking, location and live-streaming apps.

“In a mobile media world, it is important for journalists to be able to adapt to heir surroundings, report faster and quickly add multimedia,” she said. “During the workshop, we will explore some of the best apps on the market to help improve storytelling with photos, videos, audio and more.”

The six-hour workshop will center on the IPhone with options for Android phones, she said. Many of the apps she will discuss can be used on IPhone and Android.

Registration for the workshop is $40 and includes lunch. Registration can be made with John Ryan, MPI executive director, jmryan@eiu.edu.

In addition to her other duties with the Diversity Institute, Hoeppner also oversees multimedia instruction for the Chips Quinn Scholars program, gthe American Indian Journalism Institute, the Diversity Institute Multimedia Scholars Program and other academic initiatives.

Hoeppner also is an adjunct professor of journalism at Belmont University, Nashville. She is also an Associated Press Photo Managers board member and a member of the Native American Journalists Association.

Hoeppner came to the Freedom Forum from The Indianapolis Star where she was the multimedia director and previously the deputy director of photography. She spent 10 years as the photo editor and a staff photographer at the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Hoeppner has a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo.

• Nearly 60 percent of Americans will have a “smart phone”by Christmas 2012 – learn how consumers are using their phones to consume news.

• 119 million tablets will be sold world wide in 2012 – find out how iPad and Android tablet users are consuming news.

• Technology is changing rapidly – hear what’s next and how journalists can capitalize.

• Apple’s iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5G are powerful tools for gathering, transmitting and publishing news – learn what apps journalists need to start their mobile toolkit.

• Mobile technology lets you report faster and add multimedia – walk through some of the best multimedia apps on the market and improve your storytelling with photos, video, audio blogs and more.

• Apps make the smart phone – learn what utility apps can help you be a better reporter.

• Getting your report online, in app or on the air quickly is what mobile is all about – learn what apps will help you publish faster.

Horvit, who also teaches investigative journalism as an associate professor at the University of Missouri, will lead sessions on “Web for Watchdogs,” Key Documents You Can’t Live Without,” “Open Records,” and “Quick-hit Watchdog Investigations.”

Before joining IRE, Horvit was projects editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He also has worked on projects teams at newspapers in Texas, North Carolina, Missouri and Florida.

Registration for the one-day workshop is just $40 and includes lunch. Registration can be made by emailing John Ryan, executive director of Mid-America Press Institute, at jmryan@eiu.edu or by calling 217.581.7939.

Mid-America Press Institute and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association are co-sponsoring the one-day workshop along with the IRE and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The workshop will begin with registration at 9 a.m. April 25 and conclude by 3 p.m.

Those needing to stay over can get the Journal Sentinel’s corporate rate at The Hyatt Milwaukee, 333 W, Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, Wis., 414.276.1234, by telling them you are part of the seminar at the Journal Sentinel.

Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, will lead the seminar, which is being sponsored by the Mid-America Press Institute, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The workshop will start with registration at 9 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m. Sessions on open records and key documents for investigative pieces also will be included in the seminar.

Registration for the seminar is $40 and includes a box lunch. Registration can be made with John Ryan, MPI executive director, via email: jmryan@eiu.edu or by phone, 217.581.7939.

A tentative program is attached. Those interested can also fill out the registration information on the program and fax it to Ryan at 217.581.2923.

The Hyatt Milwaukee, 333 W, Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, Wis., 414.276.1234, is the seminar hotel, if someone would need to stay over. Let Ryan know to make sure you get the Journal Sentinel corporate rate.

The program:

Thursday, April 25

9 a.m. Registration: Coffee and newspapers will be provided.

10 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

10:15 a.m. Web for Watchdog:

From better search techniques for the invisible Web, how to find documents and databases on deadline and where to find reliable Web sites for reliable stories.

11:30 a.m. Break

11:45 a.m. Key Documents You Can’t Live Without:

Move beyond anecdotes and he-said, she-said journalism with data and documents. Advice on developing a documents state of mind, navigating public records, exploring key records on a variety of beats, and becoming familiar with key national data sets to produce high-impact local stories.

12:45 a.m. Break

1 p.m. Working Lunch and Open Records:

Advice on crafting records requests, tracking them and holding local officials feet to the FOIA fire. Includes strategies for dealing with excuses and obstacles from public officials who stand in your way of getting key documents and data.

2 p.m. Break

2:15 p.m. Quick-Hit Watchdog Investigations : Strategies, story ideas, resources and tips for watchdog stories on a variety of beats.

3 p.m. Adjourn

By Samantha McDaniel
Eastern Illinois University

Some newspapers are switching from in-house copy and design desks to centralized off-site centers whose main focus is to produce any number of papers.

Doug Gass, the content/delivery manager for GateHouse Media Design, and Ben Cunningham, the news design manager for Lee Enterprises, said these centers communicate with the papers they serve to provide a quality product.

Gass and Cunningham spoke at the Mid-America Press Institute leadership workshop about the good and bad about consolidated production centers.

Gass said GateHouse employees will read the stories and design the pages as best as they can to the what the newspaper wants, but will not always be able to comply exactly.

“The newsroom usually has an idea of how things should be played so we try to work with that,” Gass said.

He said if there is an issue and the design is not working or a headline does not fit, designers will communicate with a designated contact at the papers to get information they need.

At Lee Enterprises the focus is more on design than copy-editing, Cunningham said.
Like at GateHouse, the designers work with the paper’s staff when they have a problem with the design.

By focusing only on design, the papers can be designed faster and design quality increased, Cunningham said.

One problem with these consolidated centers is the distance from the town or even state where the paper is located.

Gass said because they are so far away, copy editors will not be as familiar with names and local events, so it is easier to miss errors.

He said they try to keep people on one or two papers consistently so they can become more familiar with these names.

“All states have their own ways of doing things,” Gass said. “If you are not sure what something means call the editor.”

Cunningham said another problem is consistency with page design.
If a new designer is working on the paper every day, there is more of a chance that the style of the paper will change.
At Lee Enterprises, Cunningham said they attempt to teach people about the designs of different papers.

“We have team leaders assigned to a certain product from the beginning,” he said. “When any designers are assigned to it, the team leader will try to give them training.”

He said they also document the process of designing for different papers the designers can access when they are unsure of something.

Gass said they have similar procedures. They archive newspapers that the designers can consult if they are unsure of a style.

A benefit of these off-site production centers is that they can still produce if there is an emergency at the newsroom.

If a newsroom losses power, the company can still access their files and produce the papers. Also, if one center has a problem, the work can be shifted to another center or, in some cases, it can be sent back to the newsroom for design.

Gass said the most important thing is to have communication with the papers.

“We have some newsrooms who are very in touch with everything we do and others that tell us to make them look good,” Gass said.

Lauren Siegert, online director for the Southern Illinoisan, discusses promoting content on Facebook during the MPI leadership workshop Saturday, Feb. 16 in St. Louis. Photo by Bryan Murley

MPI’s annual board meeting also will take place during the two-day conference.

Registration for the conference is $50 for the first staff member and $40 for each additional staff member. Registration covers continental breakfast both days and lunch on Saturday, Feb. 16. MPI has a room rate of $115 for a single and double, $125 for a triple and $135 for quad occupancy. Reservations must be made by Jan. 25 at 314-231.5007.

Bob Rose of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sherry Skufca of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette and Mike Turley of Gatehouse Media are chairing the seminar. A detailed program will be sent out by the end of the week.

To register, contact MPI Executive Director John Ryan at jmryan@eiu.edu or call 217.581.7939.

Margaret Holt and Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune will lead one-hour sessions on Ethics and Standards and Social Media, respectively.

Jordan Powell of the IPA and media law expert Don Craven will lead sessions on the latest twists and turns in the state’s Freedom of Information Act, open meetings law and other media law developments.

To register, email John Ryan, MPI executive director, at jmryan@eiu.edu.

Questions? Please contact John Ryan or Barry Locher. (blocher@illinoispress.org, 217-241-1300)

The parking lot is located directly across the street from the Press Pavilion facility.

Val Hoeppner, director of education at the Diversity Institute, will lead the one-day workshop, which will help reporters extend the capabilities of their smartphones through multimedia, editing, note-taking and live streaming apps, among other things.

Journalists wanting to attend the workshop can sign up until Friday, Oct. 19 with John Ryan, MPI executive director, by emailing him at jmryan@eiu.edu. Cost of the workshop is $25 and includes lunch.

The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24. Those who need to stay over should also let Ryan know. The Star has arranged for attendees to get the newspaper’s corporate rate of $89 at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, 2345 McGee St.

Val Hoeppner

Val Hoeppner, director of education at the Diversity Institute, will lead Mid-America Press Institute’s next workshop on “Smartphones – Smart Journalism” Oct. 24 at the Kansas City Star.

Hoeppner, who oversees multimedia and mobile media instruction for the Freedom Forum New Media Training and other programs, will focus on helping reporters extend the capabilities of their smartphones through multimedia, editing, note-taking, location and live-streaming apps.

“In a mobile media world, it is important for journalists to be able to adapt to heir surroundings, report faster and quickly add multimedia,” she said. “During the workshop, we will explore some of the best apps on the market to help improve storytelling with photos, videos, audio and more.”

The six-hour workshop will center on the IPhone with options for Android phones, she said. Many of the apps she will discuss can be used on IPhone and Android.

Registration for the workshop is $25 and includes lunch. Registration can be made with John Ryan, MPI executive director, jmryan@eiu.edu. The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to her other duties with the Diversity Institute, Hoeppner also oversees multimedia instruction for the Chips Quinn Scholars program, the American Indian Journalism Institute, the Diversity Institute Multimedia Scholars Program and other academic initiatives.

Hoeppner also is an adjunct professor of journalism at Belmont University, Nashville. She is also an Associated Press Photo Managers board member and a member of the Native American Journalists Association.

Hoeppner came to the Freedom Forum from The Indianapolis Star where she was the multimedia director and previously the deputy director of photography. She spent 10 years as the photo editor and a staff photographer at the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Hoeppner has a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo.

• Nearly 60 percent of Americans will have a “smart phone”by Christmas 2012 – learn how consumers are usingtheir phones to consume news.

• 119 million tablets will be sold world wide in 2012 – find out how iPad and

Android tablet users are consuming news.

• Technology is changing rapidly – hear what’s next and how journalists can capitalize.

• Apple’s iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5G are powerful tools for gathering, transmitting and publishing news – learn what apps journalists need to start their mobile toolkit.

• Mobile technology lets you report faster and add multimedia – walk through some of the best multimedia apps on the market and improve your storytelling with photos, video, audio blogs and more.

• Apps make the smart phone – learn what utility apps

can help you be a better reporter.

• Getting your report online, in app or on the air quickly is what mobile is all about – learn what apps will help

you publish faster.

Scott Angus

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan’s selection as Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s running mate made history in Wisconsin and set his hometown newspaper in overdrive to cover the event and deal with the international media.

Scott Angus, editor of the Janesville (Wis.) Gazette, said the news of Ryan’s selection broke late Aug. 10, and the paper was just able to get the story in the next day’s edition.

“It broke on Friday night and on Saturday we had a lot of work to do,” said Angus during the keynote address Thursday, Sept. 27, at “The #s, @s and ABCs of Today’s State and Local Government Reporting” at Madison, Wis. The two-day conference was co-sponsored by the Mid-America Press Institute and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

After a 16-hour day, the Gazette staff put together front-page coverage of Ryan’s selection and a 12-page special section on the candidate. “We got the only interview with Paul Ryan that day.”

Ryan became the first politician from Wisconsin to run for vice president, which put the pressure on the Gazette to cover the historic event “right.”

While the Gazette had planned for the possibility of Ryan becoming the vice presidential candidate, Angus never planned for the onslaught of international media scrambling for information and background on Ryan, who was not in Janesville when the announcement was made.

“The national and international media went crazy,” Angus said. “All of them wanted interviews with us, wanted to know about Ryan.”

Angus spent much of the weekend being interviewed by everyone from CBS to the BBC.

Being the editor of Ryan’s hometown newspaper, Angus knows Ryan and his background well. He said he has been at dinner parties with Ryan and his wife, Jana, and at a Halloween party at which Ryan was dressed as the TV character Eddie Munster. But Angus said Ryan is not a close friend. Angus said he purposely does not make friends with newsmakers.

Angus described Ryan as a very “down to earth” person who has a very outgoing and engaging in 1-on-1 conversations. He is often seen in town and is home from Washington on weekends.

”I did see the potential early in Paul but didn’t see him being a vice presidential candidate,” Angus said. He said Ryan is smart and always has ideas.

Politically, Angus said, Ryan is a polarizing figure. He is as popular as the district’s past long-time congressman, Democrat Les Aspen. But, he pointed out, there are many Janesville residents that don’t like him.

After the Republican national convention, Angus said he was again besieged with questions from the media about Ryan’s acceptance speech. During the speech, Ryan made five factual errors, including saying President Obama broke his promise to keep the GM plant at Janesville open. Actually the plant was closed before Obama took office.

Angus said he again had to field media calls because the newspaper had thoroughly covered the GM plant and its closing.

“One thing I’m frustrated with is politicians playing fast and loose with the truth and that bothers me a lot,” Angus said. He said he wrote a column about it. “My point is he didn’t have to do that. He could have made the point that Obama’s policies won’t be good for Janesville in the future.”

Angus said he also is concerned with how divided the country is politically — either left or right.

On the media, Angus said:

– Recent staff cutbacks at newspapers are probably permanent and staffs will have to pick and choose what they can and should cover.

– Covering city and local government is the most important coverage newspapers do.

– Objectivity is a tenet local media must not abandon no matter what critics say.

– Journalists must remain politically neutral in their personal lifes.

Angus also encouraged journalists to:

– Stay passionate about what they do;

– Believe their work is important;

– Don’t give up their objectivity and neutrality;

– Stand up to the critics and say bullshit when you have to;

– Make good choices.