All events at the Hilton College Station and Conference Center (801 University Drive East, College Station, TX 77840), unless otherwise noted below.
Friday, March 26, 2010
3:30 p.m. – College student information session with Texas APME editors. Hilton Hotel and conference Center.
6 p.m. – Cars depart the hotel for a buffalo chili reception at Donnis Baggett’s Lucky B Bison Ranch, Bryan.
Saturday, March 27
7:45-8:45 a.m. – Continental breakfast, Mockingbird Room
8:30 a.m. – Registration opens
9-10 a.m. – Innovations and best practices: How to cultivate a culture that embraces change and manages to effectively implement multiple visions within your newsroom. Keynote by Kelly Dyer Fry, vice president of the news and information center, The Oklahoman, followed by a presentation of top innovations from Texas and elsewhere. Discussion leader: Dave Berry, editor, Tyler Morning Telegraph.
10-10:15 a.m. – Break
10:15-11 a.m. – The (Surprisingly Bright) Future of Local Media. Mike Orren speaks about how new technologies and business models, both mobile and traditional, can mean that the current Dark Age in media will give way to a Renaissance. Orren has been working as a media entrepreneur focused on new and emerging technologies since the early 1990s.
11:15 a.m.-Noon – Free Flow of Information. After years of hard work and perseverance, confidential sources have the added protection of state law thanks to the Free Flow of Information Act. Attorney Laura Prather, president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, and state Rep. Todd Hunter, a Corpus Christi attorney, will provide an inside look at how this victory was won — and how it was nearly lost. Discussion leader: Diana Fuentes, editor, The Laredo Morning Times.
Noon – Awards luncheon, Ballrooms I-II. Awards presented in most
individual categories of the Texas APME-Headliners competition.
Afternoon – Free Time. See your convention packet for options.
5-6:30 p.m. – Free tours for Texas APME convention-goers at the Bush presidential library.
6:30 p.m. – Silent auction and reception begin, George Bush Presidential Conference Center.
7:30 p.m.– Jack Douglas Dinner. Star awards, college newspaper awards, Jack Douglas Award presentation, Buster Haas scholarship auction.
Sunday, March 28
7:45-8:45 a.m. – Continental breakfast, Mockingbird Room.
9-9:30 a.m. – AP Report. New developments in the industry effort to protect content. Chief of Bureau Dale Leach and Assistant Chief of Bureau Barry Bedlan. Brazos Amphitheater.
9:30-10:30 a.m. – Social media and marketing in the newsroom: How to push your brand to widen your audience: Panel discussion with C.J. Castillo, interactivity editor, Victoria Advocate; Kristi Kingston, internet news editor, statesman.com; and Greg Mefford, Galveston County Daily News. Moderated by Debbie Hiott, managing editor, Austin American-Statesman.
10:45 a.m.-Noon – Strange Bedfellows? Last year, Fort Worth and Dallas started sharing reporting resources. During football and basketball seasons, seven cities in Texas and Oklahoma shared Big 12 coverage. The Scripps Texas papers consolidated a copy/design desk. Hearst newspapers in San Antonio and Houston started sharing features sections. What worked? What didn’t? Panel discussion with Celeste Williams, managing editor/sports & features, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Jen Meehan, editorial director, Scripps Texas Newspapers; George Haj, deputy managing editor/news, Houston Chronicle. Moderator: Shane Fitzgerald, editor, Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
Noon – Final awards presentations: Star of Star Awards by the Headliners Foundation, Newspaper Awards, AP staff awards and Newspaper of the Year. Brazos Amphitheater.