Below is a list of session titles, descriptions and speakers scheduled to participate in the ACP National College Journalism Convention in Phoenix Feb. 25-28. This is a tentative list. More speakers are still being added. This post will be updated when they are confirmed. A final schedule will be published about a week prior to the convention.

JUST ADDED! Don’t let Tiger Woods Change Your Ethics
The ethical landscape is under attack because of the media behavior on stories like Tiger Woods and his infidelity. The publications that survive will be the credible ones. Join this interactive session to discuss this proposition.
Tim McGuire, Frank Russell Chair for the Business of Journalism

JUST ADDED! From Consumers to Creators
Media consumers have become producers, and they should be part of everyone’s journalism. This would look at media trends especially the changes toward citizen journalism and active participation.
Dan Gillmor, Director, Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, Kauffman Professor of Digital Media Entrepreneurship

JUST ADDED! The Journalist as Entrepreneur
Tomorrow’s journalist has to be an entrepreneur more than an employee and an innovator as much as an investigator. Learn about the new skills and mindsets needed to thrive in the digital media age.
CJ Cornell, Professor of Digital Media & Entrepreneurship

JUST ADDED! The Story Behind the Star: Tips for Writing Compelling Profiles of Athletes
Too many profiles of athletes lapse into formulaic and clichéd writing that drains the life out of a story.  National-award winning sportswriter Marty Dobrow provides valuable advice on how to make your profiles rise above the ordinary. He will discuss reporting strategies that will allow you to tap into the riveting human drama that readers crave.
Marty Dobrow, Springfield College

JUST ADDED! How to Succeed in Business Journalism Without Really Trying
The economic convulsions nationally underscore the importance of business and financial journalism. It also can be a great career. Learn from veteran journalist Warren Watson, the executive director of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, based here in Phoenix, about how to break into business journalism. Warning: There will be a quiz on the economy. But it promises to be fun and you can even win win money or a door prize or two. We may have to clear the money thing with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner!
Warren Watson, Society of American Business Editors and Writers

JUST ADDED! Vendor Session: Network Advantage
College Publisher users benefit from the power of the network – College Media Network. Learn how CollegeMediaNetwork.com and other MTV Networks properties drive traffic to your site. You’ll also catch best practices for optimizing your site, stories and videos for these exclusive partner benefits.
David Studinsky, College Media Network

The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Campus Records
This session will provide examples of useful government documents that can be used for stories that make a difference on campus, and then go through strategies for getting reluctant officials to cough up the records. Freedom of information expert and former college newspaper adviser David Cuillier is co-author of the book “The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records.” He researches and teaches journalists the psychology of access and persuasive techniques that can help records requesters get what they need on deadline without going to court.
David Cuillier, chairman of the Society of Professional Journalists Freedom of Information Committee and assistant professor, School of Journalism, University of Arizona

What Do Hiring Editors Expect
In this competitive job market, every journalist is looking for a leg up. Find out from a former top newsroom leader who has recruited and hired hundreds of journalists what you need to set yourself apart.
Linda Austin, Executive Director, Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism

Database investigative reporting on campus
This session will show how college reporters can use public records requests and simple software like Excel to do investigative reporting about campus issues.
Steve Doig, Cronkite School of Journalism (ASU), former Miami Herald

Rob Curley Q&A
After Saturday’s keynote address, get your questions answered directly in this high-energy Q&A session with one of the country’s top names in interactive online media.
Rob Curley, Las Vegas Sun

How to Build an Audio Slideshow from the Ground Up
Learn how to shoot the photos and record the audio that will create compelling audio slideshows. Also, learn the multimedia storytelling techniques behind great slideshows.
Mark S. Luckie, Journalist/Blogger, 10,000 Words

Producing Multimedia on a Budget
Creating outstanding multimedia projects doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Find out more about the free and inexpensive tools you can use to build quality online stories.
Mark S. Luckie, Journalist/Blogger, 10,000 Words

How to take your blog to the next level
So you have a blog. Take it to the next level with tips and tricks that can transform you from a novice writer to a power blogger
Mark S. Luckie, Journalist/Blogger, 10,000 Words

Visualizing the news
Forget pie and bar charts. Learn how to create data visualizations and infographics that communicate news stories using graphics and images
Mark S. Luckie, Journalist/Blogger, 10,000 Words

Investigative Journalism in an Internet Age
While newsrooms are shrinking, opportunities abound for young journalists who can produce quality investigative journalism. Such skills will make you marketable in this digital and competitive age, either as a freelance backpack journalist, a blogger or a newsroom staffer. In this seminar you will learn valuable tips for investigative reporting, from online records searches and FOIA requests to photography and blogging.

Presenter: John Dickerson is a 27-year old winner of the national $10,000 Livingston Award for Young Journalists, and was also named 2007 “Journalist of the Year” by the Arizona Newspaper Association. He contributes to publications around the country, and has been a staff writer at the Phoenix New Times. Other awards include: the SPJ “Sunshine Award” for investigative reporting, Valley of the Sun chapter, 2008; Scripps Howard Distinguished Service to the First Amendment award, finalist, 2008; and about a dozen “first place” awards from the Arizona Press Club, 2004 to 2009.
John Dickerson

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma will present three sessions over four hours.
Meg Spratt and Migael Scherer, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
Dart Center I: Introduction to covering tragedy and trauma
How can you prepare for covering frightening or tragic events at your school? In the first of three linked sessions, representatives of the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma will explain how emotional trauma affects victims, audience members and journalists. This session will encourage critical thinking about reporting ethically and effectively on violence, tragedy and conflict, and provide guidelines for good self-care. Highly recommended for anyone planning to attend Dart sessions 2 on leading (for editors), or 3, advising (advisers) newsrooms covering tragedy.

Dart Center II: What newsroom leaders need to know when tragedy happens.
At this more advanced session for student editors and prospective editors, the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma will guide newsroom leaders through the decisions they may face in assigning, covering and playing stories about tragic events, both in print and online contexts.

Dart Center III:  Advisers’ workshop on trauma and tragedy
What do journalism advisers need to think about before tragedy strikes? During this 2-hour hands-on session, advisers will work together to identify needs and begin developing a curriculum module for preparing college journalists to cover trauma and tragedy. With Jim Killam, Northern Illinois University

Five Stages of a Story / Coaching Writers
A five-stage process that allows reporters and editors to work effectively together on stories. Can be applied to multimedia and large projects, as well as daily and enterprise stories.
Michael Roberts, Deputy Managing Editor for Staff Development, The Arizona Republic

Five Video Story Forms
A deeper look at five story forms that can give video sharper focus and help newsrooms use video more strategically.
Michael Roberts, Deputy Managing Editor for Staff Development, The Arizona Republic

10 Can’t-Miss Secrets to Elevate Your Digital Photography
Whether you’re a reporter with a point-and-shoot or fledgling photojournalist looking to make the most out of better equipment, we’ve got the tips to take your work to a higher level.
Rob Schumacher is an award-winning photographer and photo trainer for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Anatomy of an Open-Records Case — How I Broke the Story
A leading investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic takes you through a major story he broke by putting Open Records laws to use. It’s one thing to know your rights, it’s another to use them to find gems that break the big story.
Craig Harris is an investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

How to Use Social Media as an Effective, Everyday Tool
Now that the initial novelty of social media is wearing off, it’s proving to be a game-changer for those who know how to harness its power. We’ll help you zero in on best practices.
Chad Graham is social media editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Turning Databases into Reader Gold Mines
Once considered a deadly dull pursuit, database number-crunching has gotten sweeter as tools have grown more sophisticated. It’s now a vital part of every major news organization, and a growth industry in the digital world. How you can strike it rich in this area.
Matt Wynn is a database development editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Reporters as Private Eyes — Successful Investigative Reporting
Investigative reporting has been the backbone of journalism since its earliest days, and will continue to be the difference-maker in the digital age. With the glamour comes hard work, and we take you through the do’s and don’ts of successful investigations.
Robert Anglen is an award-winning investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Turning Economic News into Vital Information for All Readers
There once was a time that economic news was for the suit-wearing crowd. Now, we all are our own investment strategists, and the economy and personal finance are critical for anyone with a fulltime job and benefits. What are the secrets to making this critical, complex area accessible for all?
Russ Wiles writes on the economy and personal finance for The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com and Gannett’s ContentOne. His work also appears in USA Today.

How to Create News Video Without a Live Truck
Learn how Livestream technology is used to create live webcasts for news, sports and entertainment programming for the Web. The session will demonstrate how you can use the technology to stream events with free software. Case studies include a Santa Claus webcast, daily sport columnist show, major spot news, and more.
Dave Seibert is the lead video producer for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Robert Nino, Operations Manager, KPNX Television

Information at the Speed of Light — Breaking News Online
Breaking news of any variety is the rocket fuel that powers digital journalism. How does this change news-gathering, and what are the secrets to turning this into a winning formula for your website and your career?
Aric Johnson runs the breaking online news operation for azcentral.com

Editing for All Platforms
Think copy editing is just copy editing? Accuracy is unchangeable? Digital media has changed the copy editing world dramatically. The rules are in flux, time is an issue, and the accuracy of the report is what sets news sites and newspapers apart from the blogosphere and plays a huge role in journalism’s future. How do we make it happen?
Melissa Galbraith is assistant news editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

Pano Magic — Capturing the World Around Us in 360-degree Visuals
One of the unexpected hits in multimedia visuals is the pano, or panoramic photograph, which allows a user to completely view the setting for a news story, from the sky to the ground and all around. We’ll show you how it’s done, and the secrets of making it successful.
Pat Shannahan is an award-winning photographer and resident pano expert for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

Taking Your Soundslides to the Highest Level
SoundSlides has been billed as the tool for everyman, but anyone who frequents audio slideshows online can tell you that not all SoundSlides projects are created equally. An award-winning photographer tells you how to take these projects to the highest level.
Cheryl Evans is an award-winning photographer for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

Photo Ethics — Just Because You can Doesn’t Mean You Should
Photo manipulation tools have never been more sophisticated. And trust of photography has never been lower. How can you stay interesting and ethical at the same time, and where is that line?
Emmanuel Lozano is assistant photo editor for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

Designing Page One for Maximum Impact, Maximum Enjoyment
Today’s readers want more than just the facts tied up in a tidy collage of headlines and type. Designing an effective Page One involves conversations about tone, volume, attitude and sex appeal.
Christopher George is a Page One designer for The Arizona Republic.

Covering Tragedy with Compassion
How do you navigate that fine line between aggressive reporting to get the facts you need, and compassionate journalism to avoid adding to the agony of the moment?
John D’Anna has led news coverage of major events from a variety of perspectives, from senior reporter to metro editor to editor of a community newspaper.

Qualities of a Good Newspaper Photo
What looks good in the camera isn’t always what works in print. We’ll share the secrets of making sure your paper’s pictures have maximum impact, and how to decide what would play better online.
Michael Meister is director of photography for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

Plagiarism/Fabrication and How to Prevent Them in Your Newsroom
Journalism’s biggest scandals were preceded by people in the newsrooms saying, “Wow, that’s unreal.” And it was. How do you prevent embellishments from ruining your reputation?
J. Craig Anderson is a business reporter at The Arizona Republic and a former assistant metro editor.

Managing a Multimedia Web Site
It can be like spinning a dozen plates on sticks, but when it clicks, a multimedia website is a powerful way to convey news to the worldwide masses.
Louis Villalobos is night city editor and weekend home page manager for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Organizing Your Newsroom for Better Presentation
Great visual storytelling, and even attractive daily pages, start with getting everyone on the same page, speaking the same language, and working together.
Tracy Collins is in charge of visuals for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Multimedia Road Maps
How do you decipher how to tell your stories across multiple platforms? We’ll provide the secret code you’ll need to apply the perfect multimedia story form for your users.
Tracy Collins is in charge of visuals for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

Making Your Design Relevant Across All Platforms
Are newspaper designers doomed? Heck no! Because the smart designer is a visual communicator on multiple mediums. We’ll talk about how to make a long-term career out of a pursuit that many have insisted could be dead next year.
Tracy Collins is in charge of visuals for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com.

You Must Say That Online: New Legal Issues for Bloggers
Online speech gets the highest level of First Amendment protection. But now the Federal Trade Commission is requiring bloggers to disclose conflicts of interest. Come learn about the latest free speech issues facing those who publish online.
Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, University of Minnesota

Mining Facebook, Twitter and Other Social Media: Legal and Ethical Issues
Social media can be a rich source of tips and leads for news stories.  But they also raise a variety of legal and ethical issues. We’ll consider some of them at this session.
Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, University of Minnesota

Protecting Press Freedom
When content causes controversy, threats of censorship often result.  Whether defending against newspaper theft or funding cuts, learn the tools you need to protect the independence of your publication.
Mark Goodman, Knight Chair in Scholastic Journalism, Kent State University

Can We Use That?
From celebrity photos to recorded music, the Internet provides easy access to content created by others. But borrowing that material can infringe copyright protections. Learn when using others’ works is fair, and when it’s not.
Mark Goodman, Knight Chair in Scholastic Journalism, Kent State University

Avoiding the Libel Lawsuit
When that angry phone caller says you’ve defamed him, will you be protected? Understand the simple steps you can take to minimize the risk of libel claims against you and your publication.
David J. Bodney, partner, Steptoe & Johnson

Creating and Improving Special Sections
Looking for a new section to boost revenue? Current special sections become difficult to sell? Developing new special sections that fill your market and rejuvenate the old standards to keep the customer satisfied with the results will be discussed during this session. Bring your ideas and questions.
Paul Bittick, Cal Poly

Selling the Complete Package
College newspapers are still attractive to advertisers but are you getting the most out of your brand? Learn how to combine your print sales with your online product and bring in new advertisers. Discover some new ideas to offer advertisers beyond just the standard display ads
Paul Bittick, Cal Poly

12 Steps to Building a Successful Team of Skilled Journalists
What do they want? Easy Breezy Journalism Instruction that Works; information from 30 interviews of journalism majors, minors and former editors will be shared along with copies of research based effective short lessons to do in a class or newspaper staff meeting. Includes tips on recruiting, mini-lessons and AP style quizzes online, Google Docs and mentor/protégé relationships.
Mary Ann Pearson, California Baptist University

Multimedia Storytelling with Flash for the Non-Techie
Learn how creating interactive online stories with Flash can be as easy as cut-and-paste, without the usual steep learning curve of mastering Flash and ActionScript.
Ben Johnson, Southern Connecticut State University

The Secret to Higher Search Rankings and More Traffic
This session will present basic Search Engine Optimization principles in an easy-to-learn manner and explain how optimizing your website and articles can deliver a traffic surge.
Arnie Kuenn and Michael Schwartz, Vertical Measures

InDesign Tips to Improve Typography
Use the powerful tools in Adobe InDesign to attract attention and communicate your message.
Ron Johnson, Indiana University

10 Quick Improvements to Your News Design
See 10 ways you can make your news designs pop. Fast.
Ron Johnson, Indiana University

Color, Illustrations & Infographics
Learn how the simple visual choices have an effect on your page designs. See what matters when it comes to color, art and graphics.
Ron Johnson, Indiana University

How important is the First Amendment, anyway?
If journalists don’t educate your campus about the First Amendment, nobody else is going to do it. In this session, we’ll discuss why it’s important and how to do it, everything from creating fun First Amendment events on campus to educating an administrator who is refusing to provide information you need for your story.
Mark Witherspoon, Iowa State University

Overcoming the difficulties of motivating difficult people
The key to motivating anyone — especially difficult people — is to know what they need and then give that to them. Sometimes they need a pat on the back, sometimes they need an ear and sometimes they need to be set free. In this session for newsroom leaders and soon-to-be leaders, we’ll discuss how to know when to do what to whom and the whys of it all.
Mark Witherspoon, Iowa State University

Cover a beat and discover the heartbeat of your campus
Covering a beat is becoming a lost art. We’ve forgotten that it’s not about the beat’s subject matter, it’s about the people on the beat. So we should be great at covering a beat, because if there’s anything journalists do well, it’s socialize. Covering a beat is just socializing in a professional manner. Let’s talk about how much fun it is coming up with much more interesting stories.
Mark Witherspoon, Iowa State University

Panel with college web editors
Join moderator Bryan Murley for a panel discussion of the rewards and challenges of editing a college media online publication. Learn from experienced web editors how to motivate and train staff, integrate with the newsroom and adopt a Web-first mentality.
Bryan Murley, Eastern Illinois University

Adviser Roundtable
Come and talk to others about issues your facing in student media. This is a discussion group with new and veteran advisers meant to help you solve problems and share solutions.
Chris Poore, University of Kentucky

Revenue Beyond Print Ads?
College media all over the country have figured out ways to increase revenue beyond advertising, yet we’ve done too little as a group to “spread the wealth.” This session will offer a list of tips and tricks other student publications have used to make some extra cash. The format: discussion. Please come with ideas of your own to discuss. This session is a continuation of a session presented at ACP/CMA in Austin, so look for even more ideas in Phoenix.
Chris Poore, University of Kentucky

Don’t Be a Data Victim (2 hours)
Wanna crunch data by yourself instead of relying on flaks? Learn basic spreadsheet skills that will help you do just that. Class size limited to # per session; session includes data and instructions you can take home and practice yourself.
Holly Heyser, Sacramento State University

How to Survive Being an Editor Without Killing Someone
Are your staff or fellow editors driving you crazy? You are not alone! Learn tips from a veteran newspaper reporter and editor (who never killed anyone!) about how to make the best of often-difficult situations.
Holly Heyser, Sacramento State University

Student panels on:
Managing a Newspaper, Two-Year School
Managing a Daily Newspaper
Managing a Newspaper, Four-Year School
Reporting on a Private College
Investigative Stories on a College Campus
Reporting on Controversial and Senstitive Topics