SPJ Region 4 Conference Schedule
Cleveland State University/Levin College
April 4-5, 2025
Friday, April 4
2 p.m. | Registration opens
3-4 p.m. | Google Tools Workshop with Samantha Sunne at Cleveland State University/Levin
College
5:00-7:30 p.m. | Opening Reception at Ideastream Public
Media; Student / Pro Networking Event. Refreshments provided by Ideastream
Public Media
5:00-7:30 p.m. | Visit to Cleveland State University’s
Film Studio at CSU; open to all
Saturday, April 5 at Cleveland State University/Levin
College
7:30 a.m. | Registration opens
8:30-9:15 a.m. | Continental Breakfast and Conference Kick-Off
9:15-9:30 a.m. | Welcome & Opening Remarks
- Cheryl
D'Mello, President of Cleveland Pro Chapter of the Society of
Professional Journalists
- Ginny
McCabe, SPJ Region 4 coordinator and President of Cincinnati Pro
Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists
- Emily
Block, National President of the Society of Professional Journalists
All Day | Resume Doctors | Marty Fischhoff and
Walter Middlebrook
9:30-10:15 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions 1
· Panel:
The Good and the Ugly About AI in the Newsroom | John Jircik and Maurice Emelu
· Emergence
of the New Media | Mark Puente (Marshall Project) and Chris Mosby (The
Land)
· Engaged
journalism and covering gun violence | Ideastream
10:30-11:15 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions 2
· Henry
Gomez | Senior National Political Reporter at NBC News
· Student-Led
Reporting | Michigan State students Jack Armstrong and Chloe Trofatter, who
have been working on investigative journalism through the nonprofit Eye On
Michigan
· Increasing
Online Visibility | Angela Gartner, editor of Northeast Ohio Parent magazine
and education journalist at Cleveland State University
11:30-12:15 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions 3
·
Freelancing Opportunities/Pitching Story
Ideas | Angela Gartner, editor of Northeast Ohio Parent magazine
with Bob Sandrick, freelance writer, Dilon Stewart, Cleveland Magazine, Dave
Campbell, and Ginny McCabe freelance writer
·
Front Page to Book Jacket Cover: Tips to Utilize
Journalism Skills to Write Fiction and Non-Fiction Books | Cliff Anthony
with Marc Bona, Deanna Adams and Pete Chakarian
·
Tips to Overcome Newsroom Jitters | Journalist
Walter Middlebrook, foster professor of practice at Penn State's Bellisario
Media Center and Patti Newberry, The Cincinnati Enquirer
12:30-2 p.m. | Lunch Keynote Featuring Terry Pluto, Sportswriter
and Columnist at Cleveland.com, and author of more than 30 books
2:15-3 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions 4
· How
to Use Journalism Skills in Life | Kaye Spector, Director of Content
Marketing at Geisinger and Ben Holbert III, Mayor of the Village of Woodmere,
Ohio with Tom Moore, moderator
· Podcasting
| Veteran Podcaster ML Elrick, Soul of Detroit, podcaster Sarah Leach,
founder of Ottawa News Network in West Michigan
· Meteorology as News |
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Mark of Excellence Awards
Celebration
*Note: final schedule is subject to change. Sessions will
be held at Cleveland State University/Levin College unless otherwise noted.
Special thanks to our sponsors!
