Sked for Chi-town

John Hatcher and I spent the weekend in Louisville putting some of the finishing touches on COMJIG's Chicago sked (yeah, I know, tough gig but somebody had to do it, right?) We think that we have an interesting lineup of scholarly panels so make sure to pack your thinkin' cap for next August.

Just a reminder that this will be the 100th aniversary for AEJMC back in its founding city so things are a bit different this time around. We're on a Thursday to Sunday sked instead of the traditional Wednesday-Saturday rotation. But anyone in the Windy City on Wednesday, Aug. 8, won't be disappointed or left looking for something to do (are there things to do in that toddling town?) that day because COMJIG is part of a group presenting a pre-conference session from 1 to 5 p.m. titled "Legal Issues for J-Schools as News Producers: Challenges & Opportunities."

The conference formally opens on Thursday, Aug. 9, and we have two afternoon panels:
1.) A PF&R panel with our buds from CCJIG at 3:15 titled "African Media, the Arab Spring & Democratization: The 'un-seen' and 'un-mentioned' Social Side of the News Revolution."
2.) That's immediately followed with another PF&R session at 5 (so walk quickly between the rooms) with a co-sponsored session with the good folks from GLBT on "The Tragedy of Today's GLBT Journalism."

Friday, Aug. 10, is a busy day. Unfortunately, however, the sked gods hiccuped when we were going about our biz because there is a dark cloud coverng our silver lining. We have four sessions but two of them conflict. Blame it on the Bossa Nova, blame it on the sheer madness of the chip auction (any excuse in a storm is a good excuse I always say), but we'll just have to endure. First, the good news:
1.) Our scholar-to-scholar session is from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
2.) We're cosponsoring a 3:15 p.m. research session with our ol' reliables from CCJIG on "Mobile Me, Mobile We: Building and Bridging Communities With Media."
3. & 4.) Here's where things get sticky and we'll have to make the best of it. We have a conflict from 5 to 6:30 p.m. We're co-sponosring a PF&R session with SPIG on "Social Media & the Ethnic Press in Chicago" AND involved in a high-density research session with CTECH at the same time. And there's another problem. We'll really have to help the research chair find, cultivate and nurture some quality research papers. So start spreading the news. (Yeah, I know, I know, it's Chicago and I'm quoting "New York, New York," but Frankie sang about both towns so I think I have a loophole here.

Although New York (and maybe Chicago) are cities that never sleep, maybe you should get some sleep because Saturday, Aug. 11, will be a busy day.
1.) It can start as late as 12:15 with the traditional J-Lab lunch with friends from the Council of affiliates and CCJIG, but then it gets busy as the afternoon and evening wear on.
2.) At 3:30 p.m. we're working with Media Management on a merger of essentially two panels: "Starting Startups in the Business of Journalism" and "Changing the News: Exploring a Connective Journalism."
3.) Our biz meeting is at 7 p.m. on-site and our executive meeting will follow somewhere on- or off-site.

Our formal presentations end Saturday, but remember that the conference continues through Sunday, Aug. 12.

On a personal note, I've told anyone who will listen, friends and foes alike, that last year in Albuquerque I plunked two chips into teh container in teh middle of the room. This year, two prople tied my mark, though they didn't break it. I swear the container was much, much, much wider this year. When the first person swished in his two chips a woman sitting near me leaned over and asked, "Didn't you get two chips in last year?" Ahhhh, fame endures though the good that men do is oft interred with their bones but they remember the chips you sink.

See you in August!