Free teleconference on freelancing 11/16/2009

Information obtained from Richard Prince’s three-times-a-week online column, Journal-isms:
Freelance writer Katherine Reynolds Lewis, former money/work reporter in Newhouse News Service’s Washington Bureau, has organized a free teleconference on “How to Succeed As a Freelancer or Consultant.” Co-sponsored by the Washington chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association and CurrentMom.com, the teleconference runs from 2-3:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday. To register, visit http://workfreelance.eventbrite.com/

According to AAJA, the speakers include

Speakers include:
* Joe Grimm, creator of JobsPage.com, Poynter columnist and visiting journalist at Michigan State University
* Stephenie Overman, freelance writer and DC Society of Professional Journalists’ freelance coordinator
* Katherine Reynolds Lewis, freelance writer for outlets such as About.com, MSN Money and Parade, and founder of CurrentMom.com, a site for entrepreneurs
* Victoria Lim, media trainer, freelance journalist, consultant and convergence expert
* Arnesa Howell, freelance writer for magazines including People and Money.

Topics to be covered:
* Starting a freelance career on the sidelines of your day job
* Balancing fun or prestigious assignments with bread-and-butter work that pays the mortgage
* Is this the golden age of freelancing? Or a good time to flee to the safety of a solid employer?
* Pitching and cultivating relationships with editors or other clients
* How to think like an entrepreneur, not an employee

Journos Using Facebook 11/10/2009

The Poynter Institute  will host a Webinar Thursday to help journalists effectively use Facebook to reach new audiences, enhance their storytelling and engage online readers.

The event, offered via Poynter’s NewsU, begins at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 12.

Ellyn Angelotti, interactivity editor of Poynter Online and adjunct faculty at Poynter, will demonstrate how news organizations are using Facebook. Participants will explore best practices and techniques for building an online presence.

The one-hour Webinar costs $24.95. For more information and to register, go to www.newsu.org/FacebookWebinar09.

Black Research Center May Close 11/09/2009

Staffing and budget cuts may force the closure of Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, which is housed in Founder’s Library at Howard University.

“The loss of 60 percent of its resources and the abolishment of some critical positions due to the Voluntary Separation Incentive Retirement Program (VSIRP) resulted in many problems,” interim director Thomas C. Battle told the daily student newspaper, the Hilltop.

It is one of the world’s largest repositories of documents and other information about individuals, institutions and issues important to people of African descent throughout the world including the papers of medical pioneer Dr. Charles Drew, Congressional Black Caucus  records and copies of Afro-American  newspapers, one of the nation’s largest black newspapers.

Its collections include more than 175,000 bound volumes; thousands of journals, periodicals, and newspapers; and 100,000 prints, photographs, maps, and other graphic items.

“This should be a greater outcry. This is the premier place to research black history and culture,” Battle told the Hilltop.

Webcast Devoted to Helping Journalists Use Facebook 09/21/2009

On Sept. 18, the Columbia Journalism School  presented a webcast/call-in show about ways journalists could use Facebook to get story ideas, connect with sources and draw more attention to their writing.  Columbia media professor Sree Sreenivasan  moderated the event, which featured speakers such as Ben Parr, co-editor of Mashable.com and Barry Schnitt, director of communications, privacy and policy for Facebook.

•  To listen to the archived “Advanced Facebook for Journalists.”  
•  For information on previous webcasts offered by the journalism school