SITE: John Seigenthaler Center • 1207 18th Avenue South • Nashville, Tennessee 37212 • 615/727-1306

HOTEL: Embassy Suites Vanderbilt • 1811 Broadway, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 • 615/320-8899

Thursday, May 1, 2008

6:30 p.m.

Reception Commodore Room A, Embassy Suites Hotel

7:15 p.m.

Dinner Commodore Room B, Embassy Suites Hotel

7:30 p.m.

Welcome to Seminar
Doug Lyons, seminar director and senior editorial writer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale

8:00 p.m.

The seminar and the state of opinion writing—An overview

Speaker: Tommy Denton, retired editorial page editor, past NCEW and NCEW Foundation president, Seminar faculty member for 11 years

Friday May 2, 2008

Complimentary continental or cooked-to-order breakfast at Embassy Suites Hotel

8:00 a.m.

Embassy Suites Hotel shuttle leaves on first of two trips to John Seigenthaler Center (615/727-1306)

8:30 a.m.

Welcome Conference Room

Jack Marsh, vice president/diversity programs, Freedom Forum

8:45 a.m.

Gene Policinski, executive director, First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University

9:15 a.m.

The essence of opinion writing

Chuck Stokes, editorial/public affairs director, WXYZ Channel 7, Detroit, past NCEW and NCEW Foundation president

9:45 a.m.

Framing the argument

Speaker: Ricardo Pimentel, syndicated columnist and editorial page editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

10:15 a.m.

Reaching consensus

Speaker: Alvin Bessent, editorial writer, Newsday

10:45 a.m.

Break

11:00 a.m.

Simulated editorial board meetings in small groups

Leaders: Alvin Bessent, editorial writer, Newsday

Tommy Denton, retired editorial page editor, past NCEW and NCEW Foundation president
Fannie Flono, associate editor and columnist, The Charlotte Observer
Rick Horowitz, writing coach/syndicated columnist, based in Milwaukee
Ricardo Pimentel, nationally syndicated columnist and editorial page editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Chuck Stokes, editorial/public affairs director, WXYZ Channel 7, Detroit, past NCEW and NCEW
Foundation president

12 Noon

Lunch Diversity Institute Student Lounge

12:30 p.m.

Writing session Newsroom

3:00 p.m.

Group photo

3:30 p.m.

Shuttle picks up participants for return to Embassy Suites Hotel

Afternoon and evening free: dinner on your own

Saturday, May 3, 2008

8:00 a.m.

Embassy Suites Hotel shuttle leaves on first of two trips to John Seigenthaler Center

8:30 a.m.

Small group critique sessions with leaders

9:15 a.m.

Column writing and other contact sports

Speaker: Rick Horowitz, writing coach and syndicated columnist based in Milwaukee

10:45 a.m.

Break

11:00 a.m.

Simulated editorial board meetings in small groups with leaders

11:45 a.m.

Lunch Diversity Institute Student Lounge

12:15 p.m.

Writing session Newsroom

2:15 p.m.

Break

2:30 p.m.

Presidential politics: Do our opinions matter? Lecture Hall

Moderator: Fannie Flono, associate editor and columnist, The Charlotte Observer
Panelists: Dwight Lewis, columnist and editorial board member, The Tennessean in Nashville

Ruben Navarrette Jr., editorial writer and editorial board member, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and nationally syndicated columnist with Washington Post Writers Group

Alberta Phillips, associate editor, Austin American-Statesman in Texas, and 2000 graduate of Minority Writers Seminar

Tonyaa Weathersbee, metro columnist, The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Florida, and 1997 graduate of Minority Writers Seminar

3:45 p.m.

Embassy Suites Hotel shuttle picks up participants for return to Embassy Suites Hotel

6:30 p.m.

Embassy Suites Hotel shuttle leaves for first of two trips

7:00 p.m.

Reception and dinner Nick & Rudy’s, 201 21st Avenue South

8:15 p.m.

Speaker: Ruben Navarrette Jr., editorial writer and editorial board member, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and nationally syndicated columnist with Washington Post Writers Group

9:30 p.m.

Shuttle picks up participants for return to Embassy Suites Hotel

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Complimentary continental or cooked-to-order breakfast at Embassy Suites Hotel

8:30 a.m.

Group critique session with leaders Titan Room, Embassy Suites Hotel

10:00 a.m.

Evaluation of seminar

11:00 a.m.

Dismissal