Speakers for the 2012 Midwest Journalism Conference
You Want Me To Do WHAT???—8:30 a.m.—Friday, March 30
Scott Libin is Vice President of Content Solutions for Internet Broadcasting. He’s a 25 year broadcast and digital journalism veteran who has served as a television news director at a number of stations including WCCO and KSTP in Minneapolis. He also spent seven years as a resident faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in Florida.
SPJ Mark of Excellence Luncheon – Friday, March 30 – 11:45am
Bao Vang- While most people are sleeping, Bao Vang is hard at work covering the latest overnight news for Northeast Wisconsin on Action 2 News This Morning. Bao joined the station in fall 2011 after spending five years as a morning anchor and evening reporter at WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wis.
Vang is a native of St. Paul, and graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2006 with degrees in broadcast journalism and Spanish. During college, she completed two internships and worked as the Saturday morning news writer at KARE-11-TV. In 2011, Vang received an RTDNA/UNITY Award for her commitment to covering the cultural diversity of Central Wisconsin and its strong Hmong population. She also received the Wisconsin “Friend of Education” award and the ATHENA Young Professional Award in 2010.
Your Own Best Editor – Friday, March 30 – 2:45pm
Bill Wareham – Bill Wareham has held a variety of positions since joining Minnesota Public Radio in 1982, including news director, deputy news director and a senior editor in the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom. He covered the state Capitol and politics for Minnesota Public Radio and The Associated Press. When he wasn’t reporting on politics, he could often be heard reporting on sports (including the World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, Final Four and U.S. Open golf tournament) and pop music. He graduated from St. Olaf College, where he majored in political science. Wareham grew up in Minneapolis and lives in St. Paul.
Minnesota AP Banquet – Friday, March 30 – 7pm
Norm Ornstein – One of the nation’s top political scholars brings his keen eye back home to Minnesota to dissect the never-ending presidential campaign and American politics in general. Norm Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, writes a weekly column for Roll Call and serves as an elections analyst for CBS News. He’s written or co-written many books, including “The Broken Branch: How Congress is Failing America and How to Get it Back on Track,” and participated in a working group of scholars that helped shape the campaign finance reform law that became known as McCain-Feingold.
Google 101 (for journalists!) – 8:30 a.m.—Saturday, March 31
Jake Parrillo is Google’s Midwest Manager for Global Communications and Public Affairs. He has managed communications, public policy and community affairs for Google across the Midwest since 2007. Jake has given his “Google 101 for Journalists” presentation to groups including Minnesota SPJ, Madison SPJ and at SPJ National conventions in Las Vegas and New Orleans. Prior to Google, Jake was at FeedBurner (Acquired by Google) and formerly worked for the Office of the Minority Leader in Illinois.
RTDNA Luncheon – Saturday, March 31 – 11:45am
Mike Cavender – Emmy Award-winning news veteran Mike Cavender was named Executive Director of the RTDNA/F after more than 20 years in virtually every board capacity, including Chairman, of this international electronic news professional association and its educational foundation. Cavender has deep experience in broadcast and online news, having served as Vice President of News at several major and large market CBS affiliates, including Atlanta, Washington, DC, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Nashville. Prior to his management career, he was an anchor, reporter and documentary producer at stations in Texas and Illinois. His career also includes news consulting work abroad and serving as a start-up consultant to the Associated Press on several statewide video networks.
