FSPA - Roundtables

Convention Roundtables

On Thursday, FSPA will feature two sets of roundtables. The top table highlights our college roundtables, with professors and students from state universities to answer your questions about college and journalism after high school. The bottom table shows our student-led discussions, with challenges and questions students have faced this year. The links will work only on Thursday, and only during the times listed. Feel free to jump in and out to get your questions answered.

College Roundtables

University	Speaker	Time + Session Link
University of North Florida	Prof. John Parmelee	10:30 - 11 a.m.
University of South Florida	Wayne Garcia/Wendy Whit	11 - 11:30 a.m.
University of Miami	Prof. Sam Terrili	11:30 - 12 pm.
Florida A&M University	TBA	12:30 - 1 p.m.
University of Central Florida	Lance Speere	1 - 1:30 p.m.
Florida Atlantic University	Ilene Prusher	1:30 - 2 p.m.
University of Florida	Prof. Ted Spiker	2 - 2:30 p.m.

Student Roundtables

Topic	Student Rep Moderator	Time + Session Link
Taking the Lead	Gabby	10:30 - 11 a.m.
Marketing your Media Brand	Lily	11 - 11:30 a.m.
Navigating the War on Media	Kelsey	11:30 - 12 p.m.
Covering Controversial Topics	Sophia	12:30 - 1 p.m.
Staying Objective	Maddy	1 - 1:30 p.m.
Knowing your Rights	Olivia	1:30 - 2 p.m.
Find the Flare	Allison	2 - 2:30 p.m.

Student Roundtable Session Descriptions

Take the lead	Come share your Outside the Box stories, challenges and solutions from this year. Or are you an up-and-coming editor for next year? Come ask your questions to the editors who have been there and done that.
Marketing your Media Brand	A social media session to discuss your strategies and questions for marketing your publication and staff. We will also talk about the best ways to promote your publication to advertisers, and to readers who aren’t on social media. A lot of it has to do with creating a memorable and reliable image for the public. Come ask your questions and share your successes.
War on Media	In our divisive political climate, journalists can have a bad reputation. We get asked on the daily if we are “fake news” media. We have to be flexible and learn to stand our ground and do our job. How do we regain and preserve reader trust? Share stories about your positive and negative interaction with the school and community. You got beef with admin? Save it for the "Know Your Rights" session below!
Covering Controversial Topics	Journalists grapple with difficult, emotional and provocative topics all of the time. These topics are important to cover. But student journalists often wonder how to best approach these subjects without getting into trouble. Bring your controversial coverage stories from this year. What did you cover? What worked? What needed a do-over? What did you avoid?
Staying objective	Passion can bleed through into stories. And it can be difficult to tell a story through multiple lenses. How do we make sure our writing, our photos, and our shots remains as objective and well-rounded as possible? Share examples where it worked and where it was difficult to cover something objectively.
Know Your Rights	Journalists are on the front line of turbulent events, which can lead to concern over safety and legal protections. What are our rights? How do we uphold the integrity of honest and ethical journalism, while also sharing the stories that need to be told? If you've had to struggle with advisers or administration to get a story published, bring your questions and stories here.
Find the Flare	Some stories can come off as being boring… So how do we reimagine story angles to make them unique and memorable? Bring examples of typical stories you spiced up a little bit and tell us how you did it. Or maybe you have a topic that you need to cover but it's B-O-R-I-N-G. Bring it to the group and get some ideas to liven it up.