ANA Convention featured Cronkite School professors

Tim McGuire, the Frank Russell Chair in the Business of Journalism at the Cronkite School, was the keynote speaker for the Arizona Newspapers Association annual meeting and fall convention.

Other Cronkite faculty led sessions and participated in panel discussions on topics ranging from computer-assisted reporting to managing a newsroom.

The convention brought together hundreds of editors and publishers from around the state each year for a professional development program and to recognize outstanding journalism work. The focus of this year’s convention, held Sept. 20-22, was “Today’s New Media.”

McGuire, former editor and senior vice president of the Minneapolis Star Tribune who now teaches at the Cronkite School, opened the conference on Sept. 22 with a speech on the financial climate for newspapers and how smaller newspapers are faring better than most. The title of his talk was “Whales & Little Fish: A Deep Water Phenomenon.”

Other Cronkite speakers included:

• Steve Elliott, a former top editor for The Associated Press who directs the Cronkite News Service, leading a group of students each semester who report on public policy issues in Arizona. Elliott conducted a session for editors on how to get the most out of inexperienced reporters.

• Steve Doig, professor and Knight Chair in Journalism and a nationally recognized expert in computer-assisted reporting. Doig led a workshop on using technology to improve news reporting.

• Kristin Gilger, assistant dean of the Cronkite School and a former editor at The Arizona Republic. Gilger led a session on “How to Manage Your Boss.”

• Assistant Professor Carol Schwalbe, a former editor at National Geographic who teaches magazine writing and online media. Schwalbe was part of a panel discussion on video reporting, blogging and using the Web in reporting.