Stunning data visualizations, and practical hands-on software training along with dozens of story ideas for any news organization will make IRE’s 2011 Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference a must-attend for data-driven journalists.

Prepare for the Census, learn the latest tools for handling data and gain insight into how journalists who got advance access to the Wikileaks data trove sifted for stories. Whether you’re a CAR beginner or advanced computer programmer, this year’s CAR conference Feb. 24-27 in Raleigh, N.C., will teach the skills you need to advance your career, with our widest range of speakers yet. More info here…

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has chosen the Mediterranean island of Malta to host the 2011 World Newspaper Advertising Conference, where publishers and advertising directors from around the world will gather on the 24th and 25th of February.

With newspaper companies emerging from a severe advertising downturn, the annual event will focus on ideas and strategies for increasing revenues in the near term. The conference will bring together some of the world’s most innovative newspaper advertising executives and will provide market insight and strategies for print advertising, cross-media advertising and for increasing advertising department efficiency. In addition to strategies and case studies from publishers, the conference will feature presentations from agencies and advertisers on what they expect media to deliver in today’s advertising market.

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore, India, Spain, France and Sweden, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. The organisation was created by the merger of the World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the research and service organisation for the news publishing industry.

Learn more about WAN-IFRA at www.wan-ifra.org…

Get a Closer Look at the Product Awarded the 2011 CES Best Innovation in Personal Electronics
It’s happening tomorrow: Thursday, January 6, 2011, 11:30am – 12:30pm PST 2:30pm – 3:30pm EST
Register here!

The FT’s flagship Digital Media & Broadcasting Conference returns on 2-3 March 2011 at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, London. This flagship industry event will once again gather the key decision makers, strategists and visionaries from the worlds of music, broadcasting, advertising, publishing, social media and gaming to discuss where growth in digital lies and which strategies will help media businesses become leading players on the global stage. Attend and be part of the conversation shaping the future for digital media and broadcasting.
The 2010 event was a sell-out with 300+ attendees from around the world – and with tickets for the 2011 event currently selling even faster, you are strongly advised to REGISTER NOW in order to secure your place…

What better excuse to venture off to Italy, then to attend the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy from April 13-17th. Al Gore gave the keynote at the recent 2010 event, and more details can be found here about the 2011 event! Important note:
It’s FREE to attend!

Ron Haviv

Ron Haviv is a world-renowned and award winning photojournalist, who’s iconic images have illustrated conflicts and human-rights issues for over 20 years.

Recently, he and several other photographers from the VII agency in New York, NY, traveled around the world to produce a series called Starved For Attention, which sheds light on the underlying causes of the global malnutrition crisis. More information can be seen here about the galleries here which launches today in New York City.

We asked Ron some questions about his background, and what we can expect to see at the gallery…

How and when did you first get into photography?

I was a journalism student at University and during my last year decided I would rather tell stories with images. I took an introductory photography course and taught myself the rest.

One of your first foreign photo-assignments involved covering the Panama elections back in 1989, and you ended up capturing a very disturbing image of the bloodied & beaten Vice Presidential candidate shortly thereafter. This photo made the cover of Time, Newsweek, and was published all over the country. Did you realize the initial impact your photograph would have? It was only shortly after that the US decided to finally intervene and over-throw Noriega.

When the photograph was published, I had no true understanding of the role that photojournalism could play in the world of communication. It was only when months later that the President of the US spoke about the images as one of the reasons that the US invaded Panama did the impact truly mean something beyond myself.

Ron Haviv's legendary photo of VP candidate Guillermo Ford in 1989, as seen on the cover of Time Magazine that same year. (photo by Ron Haviv)

I went to Slovenia, the first republic to secede, after reading a small piece in the newspaper about nationalism and a possible war. I spent more then 5 years between 1991 and 2001 covering the dissolution of the country with its various wars. Sometime during the Bosnian war it was apparent to me that I was going to see it through, and that my thoughts on the conflict would best be shown in a book and multimedia piece.

The upcoming Starved For Attention exhibit in New York (in June) will cover your recent work from Bangladesh. Can you describe your time in the country & what you saw there?

Bangladesh is a country of extreme beauty and hardship. From a feeling of immense overcrowding in the capital to the island of Bhola I witnessed a country struggling to do best for itself while fighting against nature and endemic poverty.

On the island of Bhola I spent time documenting a new approach to fighting health issues, especially malnutrition. By incorporating local level intervention with education, it is hoped that malnutrition, which is thought of us as normal, can be severely reduced.

With the constant bombardment of imagery and information on the web, is photojournalism losing it’s impact or is it gaining a wider audience?

I think that the responsibility is upon us as the audience to appreciate and understand the images that we are being shown. With the advent of the internet information is easily accessible by many more people. If we look to trusted sources we can all become better educated global citizens.

Does the general public under-estimate the power of photography in your opinion?

I think that the underestimation of the power of photography often comes from the heads of media rather then the public. When imagery touches people they respond.

What is your next assignment/project you’re currently working on?

VII is currently working on a project with the United Nations.

Thanks Ron for answering our questions!

Ron’s photography will be shown as part of the Starved For Attention Gallery this month in New York City.
Here’s the details:

Launch & Panel Discussion
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The TimesCenter
242 West 41st Street, New York
Exhibit Opening & Reception 6 pm – 9 pm
Panel Discussion 7:00 pm

Also in Brooklyn, NY:

Gallery Exhibition
June 4 – July 2, 2010
VII Gallery
Daily from 10 – 6
28 Jay Street, DUMBO – Brooklyn
(2 blocks north of York Street station on F train)

For more upcoming Starved For Attention exhibitions around the world, see more info at:
StarvedForAttention.org
and help spread the word about this groundbreaking project!

VII photojournalists traveled to malnutrition “hotspots” around the world to produce a series of multimedia documentaries to shed light on the underlying causes of the global malnutrition crisis and innovative approaches to combat this disease. Read more here

A revolution is afoot in news media, brimming with new excitement, yet testing our resilience. With the 28th Annual NAHJ Multimedia Convention & Career Expo, “NAHJ en Denver: El Grito Across the Rockies”, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists answers the call for change and will help hundreds meet the challenge.

Media company cuts, belt-tightening management, transitional technologies—a new reality. Instead of holding our collective breath, NAHJ keeps moving forward. We are gente willing to risk coming together and being community. We are in a position to redefine ourselves and stand tall from the highest summit in Colorado…Arriba NAHJ! More info here

The 16th Writers & Editors / One-on-One will be held
July 16-18, 2010, at the Palmer House Hilton.

The premiere freelance writers’ conference, Writers & Editors / One-on-One brings together 60 experienced freelance writers with eight national publication and new media editors for a weekend of dialogue, deep dish and pitch sessions. Surveys consistently show it’s a profitable weekend. In the first nine months after the 2009 conference — despite a down economy — editors made nearly $65,000 in assignments to our attendees.
More info here