A fundraiser for the San Diego Association of Black Journalists on Friday, July 30th at 7:30 p.m.

Buy your tickets today. To Purchase, visit sdabj.org/hotchocolatesoul.

We are seeking reporting interns for our summer internship, to start as soon as possible. Students will gain valuable reporting experience covering a traditionally under-covered area of L.A. We also encourage multimedia stories, and will work with students to produce video, audio and slide shows for web publication. This is an excellent resume builder for students seeking to broaden their skill set, and many of our stories are re-distributed to other outlets. The type of stories produced will include event stories and day-of-air pieces, as well as features and investigative stories depending on student interest. We cover a broad range of news categories, including business, arts, sports, education and community. Internship schedules are flexible, but a minimum of one story per week is required.

If you know a student who may be interested in joining our news team for the summer, or the fall, please encourage them to send a resume and three writing clips to Senior Editor Emily Henry at emilyhenry@southlareport.com

Additionally, we are also seeking ever-green and relevant news stories for publication, which is a great way for students to build their clips! Please encourage students to submit their work to southla@usc.edu. We will review all pieces that have a basis in the South L.A. area or cover a topic of interest to our audience.

Internships are unpaid, although a stipend may be available at the end of the summer depending on the quality of reporting.
Freelance submissions are unpaid, although feature and investigative pieces may qualify for compensation.

We look forward to working with the Students of Cal State Long Beach!

Please feel free to contact Emily Henry at emilyhenry@southlareport.com if you have any questions.

Best wishes,

The South Los Angeles Report

Scholarships will cover convention registration and three nights of lodging at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. All applicants must be a current member of NABJ and not currently registered for the convention. Priority will be given to members who have been laid off within the past year.

Please submit the following information to NABJConvention@nabj.org by Friday, June 11, 2010, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Please put, “NABJ Convention Scholarship: Your Name and NABJ Member Number” in the subject.

· A cover letter explaining hardship
· A current resume
· Contact name and phone number for last employer and/or human resource department
· Your current address, phone and email

As NABJ President, I am a proud witness to a renewed effort by members to recommit to our organization, especially during these difficult times.

Now that NABJ is in its new national headquarters at the University of Maryland, we are preparing to celebrate our 35th anniversary at this year’s NABJ Convention and Career Fair in San Diego, California, July 28 – August 1, 2010.

In order for this convention to be a success, NABJ needs you. This year’s convention theme is NABJ@35 THE POWER OF CHANGE.

As the journalism industry continues to evolve, many of our members have been resilient in adapting to those changes. This year’s convention is planned to motivate you to stay ahead of relevant shifts in the media landscape. You will improve your skills through training sessions and tracks that were designed for newbies, budding entrepreneurs, managers, mid-career and multi-media journalists. Plus, we’ll encourage you to take a closer look at your personal health through our expanded health pavilion.

This year’s invited guests include Google senior vice president David Drummond, popular television physician, Dr. Oz, and some of Hollywood’s biggest names working behind and in front of the camera. NABJ has played host to leaders here and abroad; San Diego looks to do the same with invitations to news makers, many who’ve made headlines this year.

I also would like to address some members’ uneasiness about the San Diego host hotel and its developer’s religious views on same-sex marriage.

Hotel owner Doug Manchester contributed money to Proposition 8, a measure passed in 2008 that bans same-sex marriage in California. While Mr. Manchester owns the hotel, the Hyatt Corporation is progressive and has domestic-partner policies. Click here to read about Mr. Manchester’s recent apology on this issue.

While our organization values the diversity of its members, breaking the legal agreement would cost NABJ $1.2 million. NABJ negotiated the San Diego hotel contract more than five years ago before this issue surfaced.

We are making progress in paying off a six-figure convention debt from 2009. NABJ’s leadership has been very proactive in renegotiating hotel rates and convention space to avoid attrition penalties like those imposed on us by Tampa hotels.

When you book your hotel stay, please use our host hotel, the Manchester Grand Hyatt, and let them know you are an NABJ member. This helps our organization reach its hotel room block obligation and avoid paying penalties. I’ve heard from members across the country who are excited about the convention coming to the West Coast for only the fifth time in our history. Many of them are going back to basics and sharing rooms to help NABJ meet its goal and as a way to save money.

Look for airfare specials, convention scholarship information and other convention savings on our web site, Facebook, Twitter and in e-mail blasts. Please don’t hesitate to share information you find with all of us.

I am counting on members to register before the JUNE 15th Pre-Registration DEADLINE, and contribute to support their colleagues who want to attend the convention,but don’t have the means. You know the role NABJ has played, is playing, and will play in your career and in the pursuit of excellent journalism.

While the NABJ Board of Directors is working to keep tight strings on our financial purse, we need your help to ensure this convention is a success.

Thank you for all that you do for NABJ.

Yours in service,

Kathy Y. Times
President

Please e-mail your expected dates of travel, gender, and any additional information to: nabjroomateconnect@gmail.com. Also, find us on Facebook.

NABJ Professional Convention Scholarships Coming Soon
NABJ wants all members to be able to attend the San Diego Convention regardless of their or their employers’ current financial circumstances. NABJ will be accepting applications from members for professional scholarships. Additional information coming next week.

Bridge to San Diego: Sponsor a Member in Need
NABJ would like to thank our dedicated members who have contacted NABJ headquarters and offered up registration money, airline tickets, frequent flier miles, etc. to help our members get to San Diego during this difficult financial climate.

All contributions, big and small, matter and will be accepted. For additional inquiries on how to help NABJ members get to the Convention, please e-mail- nabjbridge2diego@gmail.com

REGISTER TODAY
Pre-registration rates for NABJ members are as follows (these rates will increase after June 15, 2010 to $800 for onsite registration):

• Full Members: $330
• Associate Members: $345
• Student Members: $175

NABJ Affiliate Chapter Member Rate is a savings of $25 (this application must be faxed or mailed). For additional inquiries on how to help NABJ members get to the Convention, please e-mail- nabjbridge2diego@gmail.com

Book Your Hotel- Manchester Grand Hyatt
Book your hotel room now at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The special rate for NABJ Convention attendees is $180 per night. To guarantee your room today, call (619) 232-1234 and ask for the National Association of Black Journalists group rate. The first night’s deposit will be required to reserve your room.

For more information about the Manchester Grand Hyatt, please visit here.