Another sign of the economic times: The Radio Television News Directors Association and the Society of Professional Journalists plan to have a joint annual convention, beginning in 2011. RTNDA’s joint scheduling with the Spring NAB Show will end after next year.
“This is an outstanding partnership for SPJ and we look forward to working with RTNDA on a great convention for members of both organizations and all journalists. Our goal is to put on the best professional development programs in the country while maintaining the traditions of both organizations,” said SPJ President Dave Aeikens.
“As our members are working with new partnerships across all media platforms, this is the time to cast off the old silos found in journalism conventions and bring working journalists of all kinds together, coordinating efforts and resources to reach the entire journalism community – broadcasters, print, and online. One convention would not only be efficient but also provide a platform for training, networking and collaboration on a greater scale,” said Stacey Woelfel, Chairman of RTNDA. “Our hope is that even more journalism organizations will see the value of the concept and decide to join us,” she added.
No date or city has yet been set for the 2011 convention. It is clear, though, that the SPJ/RTNDA joint confab will not be held in conjunction with the Spring NAB show, since the two journalism groups plan to meet in the Fall.
