Author of Saving Community Journalism and UNC colleague to give workshop in S.F. Aug. 5

Penelope Muse Abernathy

After 30 years as a reporter, editor and newspaper executive, and now as the Knight Chair in Journalism and Digital Media Economics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Penny Abernathy specializes in preserving quality journalism by helping the news business succeed in the digital environment. She and her colleague, Knight Chair in Digital Advertising and Marketing JoAnn Sciarrino, will share their knowledge in San Francisco on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 5, before the convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

The four-hour workshop is aimed at journalism educators but is all about developing leadership in local news organizations, and the main title is the same as that of her book, Saving Community Journalism, so industry professionals are welcome. Topics include “How is the news business different from a decade ago, and what is the key to creating a sustainable business model?” and “What are some simple tools that will help news organizations get reliable real-time information so they can make better decisions?”  

The workshop will run from 8 a.m. to noon at the Marriott Marquis, 780 Mission St., and is limited to 40 participants. The fee is only $30. To sign up, go to https://aejmc2.wufoo.com/forms/2015-conference-workshopluncheons/. Choose the workshop sponsored by the Community Journalism Interest Group of AEJMC. For further information, contact Penny Abernathy at pennyma@email.unc.edu.