Local and National Journalists to Share Insights for 'J-Days'

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Shakar Vedantam, Chris Mortensen

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Shankar Vedantam, reporter and author of The Hidden Brain, and ESPN correspondent Chris Mortensen are featured speakers for the 2010 edition of Journalism Days, the week-long event organized by the Walter J. Lemke department of journalism at the University of Arkansas. Journalism Days runs from Monday, April 5, through Friday, April 9.

Vedantam is a science reporter for the Washington Post who wrote the “Department of Human Behavior” column for three years, mainly focusing on psychology and psychological research. He will deliver the annual Roy Reed Lecture at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Admission is free and the lecture is open to the public.

“The Roy Reed Lecture honors an outstanding journalist and former faculty member here at the university by bringing another first-rate journalist to campus to talk to our students and the community,” said Patsy Watkins, chair of the journalism department. “Shankar Vedantam’s book is about the unconscious biases that affect everyone’s decision-making and he offers insights that are particularly important for journalists to understand. Since he is a working journalist he can help them see the hidden assumptions that can affect their judgment as reporters.

“That is really the overall goal of all the events in Journalism Days: to let our students learn from the real life experiences of working professionals, some of them recent graduates of this department,” she said.

More than a dozen sessions have been scheduled for students to get inside information on the news and public relations professions. Sessions range from “What can a graduate degree in journalism do for you?” to “A journalism degree and the corporate job” and a “Career panel” discussion group. Students will also have a chance to attend a variety of workshops with working professionals. Chris Barr, a senior editor at Yahoo, will discuss “Writing style for the web”; broadcast journalists from Fayetteville, Little Rock and Jonesboro will talk about “How to thrive and survive as a TV reporter and anchor”; photo editor Katina Revels, who works in the Associated Press’s new Multimedia/News department, will introduce students to the growing field of “Multimedia Journalism”; and Carol Adornetto, director of production for AETN and two AETN producers will offer tips on “Producing Public TV programs in Arkansas.”

Chris Mortensen is scheduled to offer students a look inside the world of ESPN on Friday, April 9, to wrap up the week’s events – unless he is called away to cover an unforeseen development in the NFL draft. Of course if he does have to cancel, that itself will be an insight into the demands of working in sports journalism.