Making Media Connections

Nonprofits. News. New Media.

2008 Making Media Connections Conference

Wednesday • June 11 & Thursday • June 12
Columbia College Chicago Film Row Cinema.
1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor Chicago, Illinois

Join community leaders, nonprofit communicators and board members, mainstream and independent journalists, publishers, media experts and the general public to discuss getting our communities’ important stories told.

Come ready to sharpen your media relations and communications skills at workshops and panel discussions lead by the nation’s top media relations experts. You’ll meet journalists interested in your stories and network with peers.

This Year’s Keynote Speakers

BETH KANTER
Beth Kanter is a trainer, blogger, and consultant to nonprofits and individuals in effective use of social media. Her expertise is how to use new web tools (blogging, tagging, wikis, photo sharing, video blogging, screencasting, social networking sites, and virtual worlds, etc) to support nonprofit. She has worked on projects that include: training, curriculum development, research, and evaluation. She has worked on projects that include: training, curriculum development, research, and evaluation. She is an experienced coach to “digital immigrants” in the personal mastery of these tools. She is a professional blogger and writes about the use of social media tools in the nonprofit sector for social change.

RENEE FERGUSON
Award-winning investigative reporter Renee Ferguson brings more than 30 years of reporting experience to the NBC5 News. She has covered major stories locally, nationally and internationally with insight and expertise. She is currently on sabbatical.Ferguson has received some of the nation’s most prestigious journalism awards, including: the duPont Award, given by Columbia University in New York; the Goldsmith Award, given by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard; the Gracie Award, given by American Women in Radio and TV in New York; and, most recently, the Associated Press Award for Best Investigative Reporting. She has received seven Chicago Emmys, reporting awards from The National Association of Black Journalists and its local Chicago chapter, and the Studs Terkel Lifetime Achievement Award.