The awardwinning Southern DIGEST at Southern University Baton Rouge is preparing toco-host the seventh annual HBCU National Newspaper Conference and job fairFebruary 3-5.
”The conference goal is to increase thenumber of minority journalist in this field,” said SU Student Media Director,Derrick Hackett. “There are a lot of qualified journalist and this is a way toaddress and support black college newspapers.”
For threedays journalism students will have the opportunity to attend more than 40 sessionsdiscussing news coverage, leadership, sports writing, photography, layout anddesign, copy editing and careers.
“It servesas a two fold, one to introduce the students to the industry and two to helpaddress the problems the black college newspapers are having,” Hackett said.
The 2004conference in Montgomery, hosted by Alabama State included more than 200attendees from HBCUs all around the United States.
This is thefirst time Southern University will host the convention.
“It is agreat opportunity for the university to showcase itself and the SU studentmedia,” Hackett said.
The firstconference was spearheaded by Morgan State University in Baltimore in 1997.
In 2003Jackson State hosted it in Jackson, Miss. and they are firm supporters of theconference.
“We willalways be there to support and promote it no matter what school it goes to,”said Sylvia Watley, advisor to the Blue and White Flash at Jackson StateUniversity.
It is nowpartnered with the Black College Communication Association that works toimprove communications programs at HBCUs.
Chairpersonof BCCA Valerie White, says this is an excellent way for students to grow asjournalists.
“They getto see experts in the journalism field and we have nationally known people andlet them select role-models at the nations top media organizations.”
