CMA (College Media Advisors) Conference- NYC

This past weekend I was in NYC at a CMA (College Media Advisors) conference. Throughout the weekend I attended several interesting sessions that helped fuel the fire that is my passion for journalism and continue my path towards a career in the field.



Here's a look back at the sessions I attended:

"Profiles: Hammer the Scenes"
Eric Anderson
ESPN Magazine

This was my favorite session of the weekend. I found his technique in getting the subject to feel comfortable and in asking vague questions. He talked about using the monkeybar approach and letting the subject give you the next bar so you can swing to it. I learned about the importance of watching for body language and being careful not to assume anything.

"Improving Flash Photos"
Ken Kobre
San Francisco State University

Although I do not consider myself a photographer I hope to someday be one. I enjoyed this session because Ken Kobre is the author of my current Visual Journalism textbook "Photo Journalism". I learned that 98% of blurry photos come from handshake and that is one of two kinds of movement- camera shake and subject movement. I also learned not to use direct flash. In order to light a subject best one should bounce the flash. Flash is best when bounced off a ceiling because the light spreads out and increases the size of the light source. However, there are 3 cases where this may not work. 1. High ceiling. 2. No ceiling (outside). 3. Colored ceiling (esp. black).

"How to Get a Job and Keep a Job"
Malcolm Gibson
University of Kansas

Gibson stressed the importance of networking and investing in yourself to increase your resume. When he spoke about cover letter and resumes he talked about putting something in there that sets you apart. He talked about how he looks for students that have a broad world view.
He also discussed the importance of developing strong interviewing skills and how you should know as much about your interviewer as they know about you.

"Going Independent"
John Di Carlo
Temple University

This session was about learning to build and maintain an independent Web Site to meet the needs of your newsroom.