[1]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Some of the nation’s top evangelical Christian journalists, photojournalists and broadcasters have been assembled to lead workshops and seminars at the inaugural Baptist Press National Student Journalism Conference set for Sept. 27-29 in Nashville, according to Will Hall, vice president for news services of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee.
Representatives from The Washington Post, World Magazine, Christianity Today Online, Fox News Network, ABC, CBS, NBC, International Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources, Baptist Press, the North American Mission Board, and other journalism agencies will conduct hands-on workshops designed to give college journalism students practical and thought-provoking ideas from a Christian worldview.
“By all accounts, our team features a top-notch collection of journalists who love the Lord,” Hall said. “This could be a life-changing weekend for our student journalists.”
Workshops will be available in print journalism, broadcast journalism, Internet journalism, photography, layout and design, and magazine writing.
“This conference will be a great opportunity for Baptist student journalists to network with Christian journalists working in both religious and secular media,” Hall said. “We want to let our Baptist students know that you can be a Christian and be a successful journalist, too.
The conference features:
[2]— Fred Barnes. Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard and host of the “Beltway Boys” on the Fox News Network. From 1985-95 he served as senior editor and White House correspondent for the New Republic. He covered the Supreme Court and the White House for the Washington Star before moving to the Baltimore Sun in 1979.
Barnes has appeared on “Nightline,” “Meet the Press,” “Face the Nation” and the “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.”
— Tom Kennedy. Kennedy is managing editor of multimedia at Washingtonpost.com Newsweek Interactive. The former director of photography for National Geographic Society, Kennedy oversees the creation and editing of all photography and multimedia on the Washington Post’s website.
Kennedy also has served as deputy graphic director for The Philadelphia Inquirer, director of photography at The Gainesville Sun and staff photographer at The Orlando Sentinel Star during his 20-plus-year career.
— Don Boykin. Boykin is the executive sports editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Boykin manages a daily sports staff of 60 writers. He is an active member of New Hope Baptist Church and a strong supporter of Southern Baptist missions.
— Colleen Rudy. Rudy is a veteran news reporter for KFMB, the CBS affiliate in San Diego, Calif. Rudy also has worked at 760 KFMB-AM, covering breaking news as a reporter and news anchor.
Rudy was the station’s lead reporter during the Santana High School shooting and also covered the Heaven’s Gate cult deaths.
— Cynthia Williams. Williams is weekend anchor at WSMV, the NBC affiliate in Nashville, Tenn. Williams first joined the station as community affairs director and reporter. Less than one year later, she earned a position as news anchor. She started her career in broadcast journalism as a television news photographer.
Williams recently published her first children’s book through Broadman & Holman, the publishing arm of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
— Will Norton. Norton is the dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prior to being named dean in 1990, Norton served as a copy editor for the Chicago Tribune, managing editor of Christian Life Publications, publisher of The Daily Iowan, and a partner and officer of The South Reporter, Inc.
His academic career has taken him to the University of Mississippi where he was chair of the department of journalism and the University of Iowa where he was a journalism instructor.
— Ed Plowman. Plowman is senior writer for religion and investigations at World magazine. He also serves as an adjunct professor of journalism at Regent University.
A veteran journalist, Plowman has served on staff at Christianity Today, founded the National & International Religion Report, and was director of communication for international projects with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
— Ted Olsen. Olsen is managing editor of Christianity Today Online. Olsen will lead workshops on Internet journalism.
— Steve Massey. Massey is the Idaho editor of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash.
— Kathy Dean. Dean is public relations director for the University of Mobile and a former reporter for the Mobile Register.
— Jennifer Davis Rash. Rash is news editor of The Alabama Baptist. She previously served with the International Service Corps of the International Mission Board as an editorial assistant for Caribbean Christian Publications.
— Jason Ranton. Ranton is director of publications at Baylor University and a fulltime lecturer in journalism. He teaches editing and design classes and directs a student staff of 50 students.
— Jim Veneman. Veneman is director of visual communication at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Veneman has worked as a photojournalist and directed photo operations across the country and internationally.
— Morris Abernathy. Abernathy served as director of photography at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for 12 years before coming to LifeWay Christian Resources in 1999. He has served as photo editor at the Southern Baptist Convention since 1989. Abernathy is also an instructor with the summer photojournalism workshops at Ouachita Baptist University.
— Bill Bangham. Bangham is a writer and photographer with the IMB. He is editor in chief of the IMB’s magazine, theCommission. He previously served as associate editor for MissionsUSA and editor for World Mission Journal.
— Gibbs Frazeur. Frazeur is the photography department manager and special assignment photographer for the North American Mission Board. His professional experience includes photography positions at The Evening Observer, The Athens News, The Shelbyville News, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky. His work has appeared in Parade, Sports Spectrum and in the coffee table book, Sunday in America.
— Bob Carey. Carey teaches communication at Gardner-Webb University.
— Christi Lowe. Lowe is a news reporter for WKRN, the ABC affiliate in Nashville, Tenn. Lowe previously worked as a reporter at WDEF in Chattanooga, Tenn.
— Hope Hines. Hines is the longtime sports anchor for WTVF in Nashville, Tenn.
— Karen Willoughby. Willoughby is a writer, editor and writing coach based in Vancouver, Wash. She is also a frequent contributor to Baptist Press.
— Tom Strode. Strode is the Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.
— Matthew Melton. Melton is the chair of the department of communication at Lee University.
— Dan Howell. Howell is the chief anchor for FOX 61, WDSI in Chattanooga. — Michael Laney. Laney is a journalism professor and directs the journalism internship program at Lee University.
For additional information on the conference, call (615) 782-8615.
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