Early Warning on Media Events in Southwest Missouri

The Ozarks Press Association and the Southwest Missouri Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists have some great programs planned for this coming academic year. There will be more information coming soon but for now, mark these events on your calendar:

Society of Professional Journalists first quarterly meeting of the year begins at 11 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 13 at Clara Thompson Hall on the campus of Drury University, Springfield, Mo. Members will get to hear Betty Nguyen, who joined CNN in April 2004 and anchors Saturday Morning and Sunday Morning. Her presentation is entitled, “Humanitarian Work Will Change Your Life.” Afterward, SPJ members and area journalists who are in attendance can eat lunch at Lucy’s Chinese Food on Central Street and then attend a class presentation and Q&A with Nguyen at 1:30 p.m. on campus. If you plan to attend the speech, our lunch meeting or the class presentation please RSVP with me (at 862-9284 or via e-mail burtond@missouri.edu).

Planning is underway for SPJ Chapter events at Evangel and at Missouri State University. The event at MSU is going to focus on citizen journalism and will feature a nationally known authority on the subject. More details will be coming soon.

The Ozarks Press Association Annual Conference will be held March 20 -21, 2008 at the Keeter Center, College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo. Partnering with OPA on this conference will be the Missouri Press Association, University of Missouri Extension, the Missouri School of Journalism and the Southwest Missouri PRO Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. One confirmed speaker is John Schneller, Missouri School of Journalism assistant professor and Columbia Missourian metro editor, who will present "Flirting With the Digital Frontier." Our program details are currently being worked out.