Whether you be a newspaper reporter, a broadcast anchor, a freelance photographer, a yearbook editor or an online producer, you must capture the here and now.
And the 2010 JEA/NSPA National Spring Journalism Convention in Portland is here to help you. From the MAX rail system, that uses current to link your hotel to the convention center, to the Willamette River, whose currents run right through town, to the workshops sessions that will help you and your editors become current in your practice, the spring convention will be all about what’s current. In design, in photography, in Web and in broadcast. Located just blocks from the currents of the Willamette River, the Oregon Convention Center will be a place for students to meet, greet and exchange ideas.

Ringed by natural beauty — Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge and the Willamette Valley wine country — Portland prides itself on protecting its environs. Portland also offers “green appeal” of the monetary variety. Since Oregon has no sales tax, Portland’s designer boutiques and department stores are a shopper’s dream. The “Fareless Square” encourages the use of public transportation — all light rail, bus and streetcar travel within the downtown core is free. Take some time to browse Powell’s Books, the world’s largest independent book store. Dine on organic food from local farmers. Enjoy the breathtaking beauty that is America’s “greenest” city.

The breakout sessions feature current professionals and students sharing their experiences. Break with a Pro will help students learn about how the local media professionals are affected by the current media challenges. Swap shops give editors the chance to share (and trade!) current trends in their publications or electronic media. And the keynote sessions give all a chance to go away with new ideas to keep their publications current, vibrant and fresh.

So come to Portland to mix and come to Portland to mingle, but definitely come to Portland to stay Current.