SFJ conference 2017 in Kansas City adds college track
Contact Barbara Allen
barbara.allen@okstate.edu
405-744-8369 or 405-385-1345
Students will get one-on-one feedback from hiring editors and that nation’s top writers; registration is just $125 per student.Kansas City, Missouri — For the first time, the Society of Features Journalism is adding a college journalism track to its annual conference.In an effort to help students nearing graduation and to network with the future journalists of America, this track will include one-on-one sessions between students and professional writers and editors to provide students with direct feedback on clips, portfolios, resumes and job-seeking/interview skills.“We are excited to be able to offer this in Kansas City,” said Kathy Lu, assistant managing editor for features at The Kansas City Star and SFJ board president. “We’re always looking for ways to build our relationship with journalism students. With the conference being so centrally located this year, it’s a great opportunity to draw from nearby campuses.”The conference is Sept. 27-30 in Kansas City, with the college track taking place Friday, Sept. 29 to Saturday, Sept. 30.Registration for college students is just $125, and includes a ticket to the Kansas City Royals game Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium.Hotels rooms at the conference hotel, the Westin Crown Center, are available for about $160 per night (rate available through Aug. 27).While Friday will feature fellowship, fun and education, including a session by Lynden Steele, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo editor of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Saturday will feature individual sessions among students and professionals. Students should plan on bringing several copies of their resumes and clips for on-the-spot markups, and laptops or tablets to show off their portfolios and other digital work.“We hope this new offering will be beneficial to the students and to newsrooms in the years to come,” Lu said.For questions or more information, please contact Barbara Allen, Oklahoma State University director of student media, at 405-385-1345 or barbara.allen@okstate.edu. The Society for Features Journalism promotes the craft of writing and innovation in lifestyle, arts and entertainment journalism. For more information on SFJ, visit featuresjournalism.org.