Leading Journalists Conduct Workshop at Tulane University

Communication professors and award-winning journalists from media outlets whose coverage focuses on, or includes, ethnic issues will conduct a two-day workshop Jan. 23-24 at Tulane University. The Ethnic Media Watchdog Workshop, which is designed for both professional journalists and students, will provide training on topics of particular relevance to ethnic populations including the 2010 census, criminal justice, the economy, education, health care, immigration and local government. Hands-on spreadsheet software training will also be offered.

The workshop is hosted by Tulane"s Communication Department and presented by Investigative Reporters and Editors, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting.

Workshop instructors will include Edwin Buggage, editor-in-chief of New Orleans Data News Weekly; Stephanie Czekalinski, editorial coordinator for The Columbus Dispatch — Fronteras; Manny Garcia, executive editor of El Nuevo Herald and former metro editor of The Miami Herald; Doug Haddix, training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors; Brant Houston, Knight Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Vicki Mayer, associate professor and chair of the Communication Department at Tulane University; Brenda Melara, editor of El Tiempo New Orleans; Gordon Russell, city editor for The Times-Picayune and Lee Zurik, news anchor and chief investigative reporter for Fox 8 News, New Orleans.

Registration is $25 for professional journalists and $10 for students. Fees include a one-year Investigative Reporters and Editors membership. To register visit http://www.ire.org/training/ethnicmediaws/nola10.php On-line registration closes at 5 p.m., Jan. 15. After this, pending space availability, registrants may print out a copy of the pdf registration form and bring it to on-site registration the opening day of the workshop.

The workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., Saturday Jan. 23 and from 9 to 12:30 pm. Sunday, Jan. 24. Saturday"s sessions will take place on the second floor of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life. Sunday"s sessions will take place in Howard Tilton Library, Room 309.