Last Updated: April 06, 2000
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ASNE on the move
Convention details looking positive
By Karla Garrett Harshaw
The 2000 ASNE Convention will get off to a rousing start when the U.S.
Marine Corps Band opens the event Tuesday afternoon, April 11, at the J.W.
Marriott Hotel in Washington. Known for its pageantry and punch, the band
will begin the afternoon proceedings in which ASNE President N. Christian
Anderson III will give opening remarks leading into a discussion about
newspapers in the new millennium.
Prominent industry leaders will participate in a panel discussion about
the challenges ahead. They include Arthur Sulzberger Jr., of The New York
Times, Bill Burleigh of E.W. Scripps Co. and Gary Pruitt of The McClatchy
Co. All are CEOs of newspaper companies that have diversified media interests.
The discussion will be moderated by Charles Ogletree, Harvard Law School
professor. Various news executives and industry analysts will present their
views on a video that has been produced by ASNE and The Freedom Forum to
introduce the segment.
President Bill Clinton has agreed to address the convention on Thursday;
America Online CEO Steve Case will be the luncheon speaker on Friday; Gen.
Colin Powell will speak at the convention Wednesday afternoon; and Andres
Pastrana, president of Colombia, will be Wednesday’s luncheon speaker.
Frontrunners in the presidential election are being invited to make presentations
at the convention, too.
We will plunge into major industry issues each morning with blocks devoted
to credibility, diversity and readership. Editors, staff and community
members from test-sites that have participated in ASNE’s Journalism Credibility
Project will share their experiences on Wednesday morning.
Announcements about substantial new ASNE diversity efforts and funding
sources will be a highlight of Thursday morning’s program. The Design and
Presentation Committee will offer a session called “What Works on Page
One?” Various speakers have been assembled to explore ways in which we
can more effectively cover the changing U.S. demographics and broaden readership
of newspapers.
The Society will pause during the convention to honor the memory of
Charles M. Schulz with a video tribute.
Cynthia Cooper, twice most valuable player in the WNBA, and professional
golfer Meg Mallon will be the headliners in a Thursday afternoon discussion
about the boom of women in sports. Finally, editors can get tips on
stories likely to come out of the U.S. census during a Wednesday session.
Tuesday will conclude with a dazzling reception at the Ronald Reagan
Building and International Trade Center sponsored by Parade magazine and
ASNE. The impressive atrium of this massive structure will be enhanced
with special lighting and other effects. On Thursday, Freedom Newspapers
will sponsor a special evening at the Newseum with intriguing exhibits
and activities.
If you haven’t registered for the convention already, don’t wait. The
convention is just about a month away.
