May 21 conference on NJ media innovation

By on May 14, 2013 in Uncategorized

Those keeping tabs on the media experiment also known as the New Jersey News Commons may be interested in this day-long journalism conference: “New Jersey: A Laboratory in Media Innovation’’ at Montclair State on May 21.

The event, which is free, takes place in University Hall, room 1040, from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., and will end with a tour of the Center for Cooperative Media. Organizers plan to “unveil results of new research, share the past year’s highlights of collaboration and innovation among news organizations, and continue a conversation about the challenges and opportunities for New Jersey’s media landscape,” according to the invitation issued by New Jersey News Commons director Debbie Galant.

The conference is hosted by the four foundations underwriting the News Commons: the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the Wyncote Foundation and the James L. Knight Foundation.

People who want to attend should RSVP to khofmann@grdodge.org. by Wednesday, May 15. …

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Let’s talk about inner city schools

By on May 14, 2013 in Uncategorized

How to make a difference in the fate of urban areas like Newark? “The Rule,” the latest documentary by Newark filmmakers Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno and Jerome Bongiorno takes a close look at the story behind the success of the Benedictine monks at Newark Abbey and their all boy’s high school school, St. Benedict’s Prep in order to  make the case that the St. Benedict’s model  should be replicated in urban areas around the country.  Sure to spark a conversation about urban education and what it takes to break the cycle of poverty, the film argues that much of St. Benedict’s success lies in its ability to go the extra mile by offering on-site counseling and things such as a residence program for students who lack a stable home environment.

The Bongiornos are hosting a sneak preview of ”The Rule” at 6 p.m. May 29 in the St. Benedict’s Prep Conlin Auditorim, 520 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Newark. The event is free, but reservations are required. A discussion with the filmmakers and various scholars who were consulted in the making of the film will follow.

No strangers to provocative urban issues, the Bongiornos –a husband and wife team — are the creators of the 2007 award-winning documentary, “Revolution ’67,’’  which detailed the causes and aftermath of the Newark riots of 1967.…

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Layoffs at Daily News

By on May 10, 2013 in Uncategorized

More bloodletting in jouro world — this time at the New York Daily News.  According to the online news site Capital, the move is part of a plan to beef up the paper’s digital products. Here’s the story.
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Journalism and Jersey at the Montclair Film Festival

By on April 25, 2013 in Uncategorized

The second annual Montclair Film Festival gets underway Monday, April 29 featuring more than 80 films and special events throughout the city. Almost doubling the number of entries, this year’s festival presents an eclectic mix of cinematic styles and genres in addition to new categories including “Music on Film” and “Culinary Cinema.”

Here are a few notable picks with an emphasis on Journalism and New Jersey to cap off the week:

  • “Docs-in-Progress,” a trilogy of documentaries yet to be released by acclaimed New Jersey filmmakers Dawn Porter (Spies in Mississippi); Julie Winokur (Bring It to the Table); and NJSPJ members Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno and Jerome Bongiorno (The Rule).  Moderated by Nancy Abraham of HBO Documentary Films, the panel is at the Montclair Public Library on Saturday, May 4, 4:00 p.m.. (Free)
  • Jared Flesher, chairman of NJSPJ Documentary Committee will present his film titled Sourlands. The documentary addresses the hardships faced by farmers in the Sourland Forest of central New Jersey.  The screening is at the Belleview Theater 2 on Saturday, May 4, 4:30 p.m. ($12.50)
  • “New York Times’s Op-Docs,” features a special presentation of recent short opinion documentaries with Series Producer Jason Spingarn-Koff and Editorial Page Editor Andrew Rosenthal.  The event is at the Bellevue Theater 1 Saturday, May 4, 4:45 p.m. ($12.50)
  • Photo-Journal-Isms, is a short film (“New Jersey Shorts” category) about veteran photographer Ed Kashi whose assignments have placed him in remote and often dangerous parts. Kashi depicts an ever-shifting sense of “home” via lush images and intimate journal entries dedicated to his wife (documentary filmmaker Julie Winokur). The screening is at the Clairidge Cinema 1 on Saturday, May 4, 9:15 p.m. ($12.50)
  • “In Conversation,” pairs New York Times columnist and author David Carr (Night of the Gun) and Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, and The Rise and Fall of Elliot Spitzer). They’ll discuss investigative reporting and the guts to getting the story.  Both are residents of New Jersey.  The event is at the Montclair Art Museum on Sunday, May 5, 2:00 p.m. ($12.50)

The Montclair Film Festival runs Monday, April 29 through Sunday, May 5.  For a complete list of events and to purchase tickets, go to montclairfilmfest.org.…

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Best of college journalism

By on April 18, 2013 in Uncategorized

One of the highlights our SPJ regional conference last weekend was the announcement of the Mark of Excellence Awards, which recognizes the best of college journalism in the northeast (Region 1). In case you missed it, here is the list of winners. First place regional winners advance to national competition; national winners will be recognized at the national conference in Southern California (Aug. 24-26). For more information about the other regional winners, click here.…

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