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For the last few years PRSA Boston and Social Media Club Boston have teamed up to discuss the future of journalism. January 21st is the next such event:

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Emerging Enterprise Center at Foley Hoag
Bay Colony Corporate Center
1000 Winter Street, Suite 4000, North Entrance
Waltham, MA 02451

No one has a crystal ball, but the perfect storm pummeling news organizations — red ink, dwindling audiences and competition from new media — is producing at least one clear outcome. The combination is fundamentally altering the news-gathering process.

Editorial decisions on what to stories cover, what priority to assign them and, pointedly, for what audience they’re directed are governed as much by today’s media environment as journalism’s traditional ground rules. For PR people, the biggest challenge when presenting information to the press can be decoding which news judgments come into play.

PRSA Boston has assembled an incomparable group of media professionals to describe the forces now at work in newsrooms. Panelists will explain how their editorial responsibilities are evolving and, more importantly, venture predictions on which news-gathering practices will — and won’t — change in the future.

Participating in this discussion and Q/A session are six exceptional individuals, representing an array of news organizations and a diverse range of journalistic credentials:

  • David Beard, editor, Boston.com. The Boston Globe continues to reinvent itself, as Dave (who’s headed its award-winning Web presence since 2006) can attest. Once a clear second-fiddle to the paper’s print editions, the site now tightly integrates its coverage and multimedia content with the Globe’s main operation.
  • Dennis Fisher, editor, Threatpost.com. Following a decade with the technology trade press, Dennis was charged with developing an editorially independent source of computer security news. Established by Kaspersky Labs, the site exemplifies a type of “branded journalism” appearing ever more frequently on the Web.
  • Steve Garfield, “citizen reporter.” As a writer, author and lecturer, Steve was one of the first people to capitalize on the audience-reach afforded by video blogging. He’s captured a wide and loyal following for the topical and engaging news reports he streams from virtually any location — including this event!
  • Andrew Meldrum, senior editor, GlobalPost.com. GlobalPost addresses the coverage gap created as more U.S. media cost-cut overseas news-gathering assets. Relying on correspondents’ deep on-scene experience (like Andrew’s nearly 30 years of reporting from Africa) GlobalPost serves as an international news provider to both print and broadcast press.
  • Pete Spotts, science editor, the Christian Science Monitor. In covering everything from comets and computers to climate change, Pete has witnessed this national news organization transform itself from a daily print publication into an organization functioning primarily now through its Web site.
  • Lou Urenek, chair, Boston University Department of Journalism. Lou’s career spans editorial roles at traditional print publications to (currently) a weekly blog for the New York Times. As a Neiman Fellow, he specialized in studying newspaper economics, and follows their present financial challenges with special interest.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and question these journalists. This rare, behind-the-scenes newsroom look will provide crucial background to inform your media relations, focus your press outreach and guide pitch decisions. Space is limited, so don’t delay in signing up.

REGISTER NOW.