NHSJC speaker portal

Session proposals

Members and other individuals interested in supporting the goals and programs of JEA, NSPA and scholastic journalism are invited to submit proposals for breakout sessions at the national convention. This invitation is extended to teachers/advisers, professional journalists and students in editorial leadership positions.

Proposals must be received by Jan. 15 (spring convention) or Aug. 15 (fall convention), to be considered. Thank you for submitting promptly and respecting these deadlines.

Each person submitting a proposal will be notified by email six to eight weeks before the convention of the status of that proposal.

Please note that presenting a NHSJC breakout session is an unpaid volunteer opportunity to benefit the education and professional development of student journalists and their advisers.

The number of proposals accepted will be determined by the number of rooms and available time slots. The programming committee will look for variety and coverage of topics appropriate for student journalists involved in yearbooks, newspapers, newsmagazines, literary magazines, online news and broadcasting. In addition, the committee will consider topics appropriate for advisers.

Advisers, professionals and students are invited to submit proposals on topics including, but not limited to, these curricular areas:

• Trends in journalism — Topics such as developing diversity in the newsroom, data journalism, visual storytelling, future of journalism, tools and equipment every journalist should have or know how to use, community journalism beyond the classroom
• Design — basics of design, typography, use of color, white space, front page design, double-page spread design, trends, infographics
• Editing — copy editing, style, coaching writers, online editing, fact checking in the digital age
• Marketing and Audience Engagement — business, marketing, digital publicity, sales, public relations, social media promotions, branding, funding models for news
• Law and Ethics — First Amendment, libel, court cases important to student media, copyright, plagiarism, reporter’s privilege, ethics, privacy, rights and responsibilities, establishing staff policies
• Leadership and Team Building — planning staff retreat, leadership portfolios, leadership traits and styles, diversity in staff and coverage, ice breakers, end-of-the-year activities, staff motivation
• Multimedia Broadcast — pre-production, script writing, storyboarding, lighting, videography and editing, audio, video storytelling, on-air reporting, podcasting, tools and equipment
• Newsgathering — news judgment, journalistic research, investigative reporting, interviewing basics, news gathering basics, using public documents, conducting a press conference, reporting with social media, data journalism, evaluating website credibility
• Online — defining an audience, budgeting, information design, basic HTML, online writing, social media, staff structure and workflow, advanced web skills, creating a design style guide, tools and resources, truth and social media
• Photojournalism — history and ethics, composition basics, caption writing, tips and tricks, sports photography, portrait photography, photo editing, working with reporters/editors, photography and social media, image workflow/organization, preparing a portfolio
• Staff management — staff manuals, job descriptions, organizing a staff, recruiting a staff, developing a grading system, building a parent/alumni support organization, organization for group photo or yearbook distribution days
• Writing — basics of journalistic writing, revision, using quotes, headlines, feature writing, news writing, opinion writing, sports writing

We also welcome session proposals tailored specifically for advisers about classroom and publication management, as well as sessions aimed at students about college and career preparedness.

Programming information

• The session proposal process is designed for equitable and expeditious reviewing of proposals. Please note and follow the listed proposal deadlines above.
• As professional, nonprofit associations, JEA and NSPA are unable to reimburse program participants for travel and lodging expenses. Presenting a NHSJC session is an unpaid volunteer opportunity to benefit the education and professional development of student journalists and their advisers. Advisers, if you are interested in learning how to qualify for discounted or complimentary registration, visit this page for more info.
• Students in leadership positions are encouraged to submit proposals. It is recommended that not more than three students present any one session. There are no student fee waivers for speaking. The adviser should be at the session to assist if necessary. Student presenters are asked to work with their faculty adviser to guarantee quality instruction. We encourage advisers to share sessions with their student instructors and/or attend the students' session.
• Acceptance or rejection of a proposal will be issued six to eight weeks before the convention, generally in September (fall) and February (spring). Proposers should ideally have approval from administrators to attend the convention before submitting a proposal. However, please do submit on time even if you are still waiting on approval. Just keep us notified if you aren't able to attend after all.
• Proposals whose essential purpose is to advertise or disseminate information about books, materials or services for sales will not be accepted. Exhibit space and advertising in the program will be available for sale.
• No proposal will be disqualified from consideration because it requires audio-visual equipment, but with a limited budget for equipment rental, session proposers should indicate the need for AV equipment only if it is essential. Not all convention spaces have internet access, so this too must be requested on the proposal form.
• The program proposal form provides a space for description of the session. Proposers are urged to provide clear, brief and specific descriptions that follow AP style.
• Membership in JEA or NSPA is not required for convention program participation; however, in cases of equally good proposals on similar topics, proposals submitted by members may be favored.

Email questions about session proposals to Amber James.