Association of Opinion Journalists Foundation and the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University present the

2014 SEMINAR: TBA APPLY for next seminar DEADLINE: March 15, 2014

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Association of Opinion Journalists is a nonprofit professional organization that exists to improve the quality of editorial pages and broadcast editorials, and to promote high standards among opinion writers and editors. MORE

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Day 1

Reception and dinner with an address from a nationally recognized speaker

Day 2

Print and broadcast members of the Association of Opinion Journalists talk about the nuts and bolts of opinion writing as well as the institutional voice of a newspaper/station, what editorial writers do and why, and how editorial positions are formed.

Hands-on workshop offers a simulated editorial board meeting and actually writing an editorial. Participants meet in small groups with an outstanding staff of AOJ veterans as group leaders.

Day 3

Critiques of editorials by experienced opinion writers

Getting Your Words’ Worth, an interactive presentation by Rick Horowitz, a writing coach and syndicated columnist

Editorial board meeting/
writing session

Panel discussion on timely topic by minority opinion writers

Dinner with keynote address by a nationally recognized speaker

Day 4

Critique and evaluation session


 ATTENDEES ONLY
 
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18th annual seminar underway;
deadline for 2014 is March 15

March 15 is the deadline to apply for the 19th annual Minority Writers Seminar in Nashville in 2014.

Faculty

Vanessa Gallman

Editorial page editor, Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky, former Seminar director, past president of AOJ and AOJ Foundation

Andre Jackson

Editorial editor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AJC.com

Chuck Stokes

Editorial/public affairs director for WXYZ-TV/Channel 7 in Detroit, past president of AOJ and AOJ Foundation

Speakers

Dr. Sybril Bennett

Associate professor of journalism, Belmont University, two-time Emmy winning multimedia journalist

Val Hoeppner

Val Hoeppner Media and Consulting

Rick Horowitz

Founder and “Wordsmith in Chief” of Prime Prose, Emmy-winning commentator for Milwaukee Public TV, former syndicated columnist

Gene Policinski

Vice president/executive director, First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, AOJ Foundation board member

John Seigenthaler

Chair emeritus, The Tennessean, founder of First Amendment Center

"Experienced minority journalists receive intense training for writing opinion in a ‘boot-camp’ environment and hear presentations from nationally known speakers," said program director Tommy Denton, retired editorial page editor and past president of the Association of Opinion Journalists Foundation.

AOJ Foundation sponsors the highly successful seminar in partnership with the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University.

Enrollment is limited to 12 minority journalists, including those who have been writing opinion less than two years. AOJ Foundation pays for lodging and food at the Seminar and reimburses up to $200 for transportation to and from Nashville.

Denton said the program’s purpose is to give minority journalists an opportunity to explore the nuts-and-bolts of opinion writing by attending simulated editorial board meetings and writing two opinion pieces that are critiqued by veteran opinion journalists on the faculty.

Andre Jackson, editorial editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who will join the faculty this year, said of his participation in the Seminar in 2008, “I will always be grateful to the Minority Writers Seminar for helping me quickly break through the mental challenge I faced as a newcomer to opinion writing — which was the need to actually insert opinions into my work. As the AJC’s Jay Bookman told me shortly after signing on, ‘You’re exercising a muscle you’ve never had to use before.’ ’’

Click here to apply.