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Can reporters break news, and make money, online?

OJR opens registration for its second annual online journalism conference, to be held March 30, 2007 in Los Angeles.
By Robert Niles
Posted: 2007-02-08
OJR will hold its second annual online journalism conference on March 30, 2007. The theme this year is "An Introduction to Entrepreneurial Journalism Online," and will once again feature interactive audience discussions led by top online journalism professionals. I'd like to invite you to join us at the University of Southern California campus next month for what promises to be an outstanding day.

Are you a newsroom veteran wondering how to start your own online news website?

Are you a website publisher struggling to make your site a source of a full-time income?

Are you an "old media" news executive charged with making your newsroom's website more competitive?

I'm confident that any one of those individuals will find OJR 2007 an invaluable experience. (Plus, if you are not from Southern California, it's a great excuse to visit L.A. after a nasty winter!)

We'll talk about the skills and techniques that will help you develop a top-quality news website that attracts readers and advertisers. You won't spend the day just listening to lectures. OJR 2007 is an interactive conference, where attendees participate in an engaging discussion of top issues.

Online news pros will lead attendees in discussions on:

  • Using social networking techniques to build your audience and improve your coverage;
  • Growing your website from hobby to business;
  • Selling your website, without selling out.

    The conference will conclude with a "master class" where discussion leaders and attendees will critique selected audience members' websites. This is your chance to have top industry leaders tell you what you can to do to make your site a critical and business success.

    This year's speakers and discussion leaders will include Rafat Ali, the founder and editor of PaidContent, and Janine C. Warner, an accomplished author, newspaper.com executive and online entrepreneur.

    The conference fee is just $75, which includes not only the conference activities, but we'll throw in parking, lunch and a continental breakfast, too.

    Registration is now open for the event, but due to the interactive nature of the conference, space is very limited so, please, register early.

    Last year's conference drew rave reviews from participants, with 95 percent of those surveyed responding they'd be "very likely" to attend the event again in the future. Personally, it was the most fun I've ever had at an industry conference, and I've been to plenty of them.

    The conference will take place on the USC campus, located just south of downtown Los Angeles and a few minutes' drive from LAX. There are several top hotels in downtown L.A. and convenient DASH shuttle service from downtown to the USC campus. And if you do choose to drive to event, as I said, the conference fee includes parking on the USC campus.

    On behalf of OJR and our supporters at USC Annenberg, I hope you will join us here next month.

    Conference information and online registration

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    Comments:

    From Stuart Mackenzie on February 11, 2007 at 7:31 PM

    Is there something odd about a publication on online journalism holding an annual conference the same way that our cave-dwelling ancestors probably held conferences?
    How about embracing the technology were are all grappling with by getting the whole thing online and allowing some of us overseas journos to participate without adding to global warming by flying to California?

    From Robert Niles on February 13, 2007 at 2:59 PM

    Well, that's what the website is for... ;-)

    We've got a new discussion board on the site for anyone who wants to talk about an issue. And we've got a discussion area under each article, and a couple new articles each week.

    Last year we decided it would be nice to throw in an offline meeting for interested folks as well. Now, during and after the conference you'll see plenty of coverage here on the site, as well as continuing discussions on the discussion board.

    One of the stages of development of many websites is reaching the point where readers of the site want to get together offline, to meet each other in person. (Look at DailyKos' YearlyKos as a spectacular example.) For online publishers, many of whom work alone and miss a newsroom environment, such a gathering is especially enticing.

    That's why we're offering it. It's not replacing anything on OJR. It's supplementing it.

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