Last Updated: April 01, 2002
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RESTON, Va. - The nation's
top editors will discuss the future - of newspapers, the war on terrorism, freedom
of information and the Middle East - when they gather for the American Society
of Newspaper Editors annual convention April 9-12 in Washington.
Among the key speakers
at the convention are Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, who will be interviewed
by Marvin Kalb, and Gov. Tom Ridge, director of the Office of Homeland Security.
In a year when overall
newsroom employment has been pared, freedom of information is under attack and
the aftershocks of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are still being felt, the
convention theme is "Newspapers at a Critical Moment."
ASNE president Tim J. McGuire,
editor of the Star Tribune, Minneapolis, will address the group on the state
of the industry on Wednesday, April 10, at 9:15 a.m.
The convention program
begins on Tuesday, April 9, at 2 p.m. with a segment about the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks. Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel will address the group about the
power of hope to overcome hate. David Handschuh will talk about photographing
the attack and becoming a victim of the story he was covering. And three top
editors from New York will talk about the challenges they faced producing a
newspaper in a city that was shut down and under attack.
In addition to Rumsfeld,
Wednesday, April 10, will feature a discussion of newsroom diversity and how
editors can retain journalists of color. The first ASNE Leadership Award will
be presented at lunch. The afternoon will feature a panel discussion about protecting
freedom of information in the digital age. ASNE will unveil a new FOI Handbook
at the convention, too. The day will conclude with an update on the latest findings
by The Readership Initiative, ASNE's partnership with the Newspaper Association
of America and Northwestern University's Media Management Center.
Thursday, April 11, begins
with Tony Ridder, CEO of Knight Ridder, and John W. Madigan, CEO of Tribune,
Co., talking with two innovative editors about the challenges and opportunities
facing the industry. Journalist/authors Anna Quindlen, Mark Bowden and Isabel
Wilkerson will discuss narrative writing. Ridge will address the group at a
luncheon.
Thursday afternoon will
feature a segment on the Enron scandal. In concurrent workshops, designer Mario
Garcia will detail the recent redesign of The Wall Street Journal and ASNE Award
winners talk about their winning stories and photos.
The morning of Friday,
April 12, will feature discussions on Islam and the Middle East and the War
on Terrorism with leading experts and scholars. Father Robert F. Drinan, human
rights activist, and Tom Friedman, author and columnist, will be moderators.
ASNE will release the latest
results of its annual newsroom diversity survey on Tuesday.
In addition to the FOI
Handbook, ASNE's committees will release three publications at the convention:
"Rethinking the Web," "Leading by Example: How Leaders Make a Difference in
Their Newsrooms and Communities," and Respecting All Cultures: A Practical Ethics
Handbook for Journalists."
During convention week,
ASNE members will elect five members to the board of directors and the board
will elect new officers.
ASNE, with more than 800
members, is the largest organization of directing editors of daily newspapers
in the Americas. The convention will be at the JW Marriott Hotel. More information
is available at www.asne.org.
ABOUT PRESS COVERAGE
OF THE ASNE CONVENTION
Press coverage of the convention
is welcome, and procedures for registering as press are available online at
http://www.asne.org/images/2002pressregistrationform.pdf.
Pre-registration will be allowed for journalists who send in the registration
form available online by April 4 at 5 p.m.; registration will also be available
on-site.
Question and answer sessions
during conference sessions and luncheons are for ASNE members only. Questions
from the media will not be permitted.
Members of the electronic
media should note that lighting will be available in the Capitol Ballroom and
for the luncheon events. Mult boxes will be provided in both locations and must
be used.
Press release schedule
Monday
ASNE to award first Leadership
Award (released April 5 with an embargo)
Tuesday
Newsroom diversity survey
results
Freedom of Information
Handbook
Wednesday
President Tim J. McGuire's
speech
Friday
ASNE Board, Leadership election
results
For the current convention
schedule (updated as events warrant), consult the ASNE Web site at http://www.asne.org.
Also on the Web site will be stories from The ASNE Reporter, the daily convention
newspaper produced by a multicultural staff of college students.
Contact Kevin Wilcox, ASNE
communications director, on or before April 2 at 703/453-1132; or during the
convention week call 202/624-1706.
