More than 300 LGBT and allied journalists came to Chicago Aug. 20-23 for the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association annual convention and 10th annual LGBT Media Summit. There were keynote speakers, dozens of workshops, awards and social events around the city.
[See related stories on some of the many topics of discussion:
NLJGA 2014: Diversity coverage hits and misses discussed 2014-08-24: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/NLJGA-2014-Diversity-coverage-hits-and-misses-discussed-/48748.html .
NLGJA 2014: Audio platforms discussed at LGBT media summit 2014-08-24: www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/NLGJA-2014-Audio-platforms-discussed-at-LGBT-media-summit/48747.html .
NLGJA 2014: Panel maps the future of lesbian media 2014-08-24 www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/NLGJA-2014-Panel-maps-the-future-of-lesbian-media/48746.html .
NLGJA 2014: Panel on realism in the art of the interview 2014-08-24 www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/NLGJA-2014-Panel-on-realism-in-the-art-of-the-interview-/48745.html .
NLGJA 2014: Health writers discuss HIV/AIDS reporting 2014-08-24 www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/NLGJA-2014-Health-writers-discuss-HIV-AIDS-reporting/48744.html .
]
The LGBT Media Summit Aug. 20 featured two plenaries with local and national experts. The first, Transgender Journalists and Transgender Coverage in LGBT Media, was moderated by Fiona Davis. Joining her on the panel were journalists Gretchen Rachel Blickensderfer, Christina Kahrl, Parker Molloy and Andre Perez. They discussed a wide range of issues related to transgender coverage and transgender reporters in both LGBT and mainstream media.
The second plenary, the Future of Journalism Funding: Foundation Funding, was moderated by Cheryl Corley from NPR. The audience heard from panelists Mark Hallett of McCormick Foundation, Barbara Raab of Ford Foundation, and John Bracken of Knight Foundation.
The day also included panels on African Americans in LGBT media ( Alan Bell of BLK and Gaysweek, Andrew Davis, Lenox Magee and Kirk Williamson ), lesbian media ( Trish Bendix, Sarah Toce and Tracy Baim ), sports coverage ( Christina Kahrl, Kate Fagan, Michelle Garcia and Ross Forman ), HIV/AIDS reporting ( Mark King, Kellee Terrell, Jeff Berry, Johnathon Briggs ), online reporting ( Noah Michaelson, Michael Crawford, Camille Beredjick ), data-based journalism ( Howard Goldberg ), young journalists ( Beredjick, Derrick Clifton, Kaitlyn Jakola, Zach Wichter ), and radio reporting ( Anna DeShawn, Scott Duff, Fausto Fernos and Art Sims ). Cathy Renna and Chuck Colbert moderated several of the workshops.
The first day of the main summit started with Diversity Hits and Misses: How Media Outlets Cover Diversity Within the LGBT Community, moderated by Renna. Panelists were former NFL player Wade Davis, WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas. Later that day, a panel looked at Chicago politics, and also addressed issues in Ferguson, Mo.
Friday night, there were social events including a popular women's night out at the Keith House and a party at Scarlet bar.
The Saturday program started with the Michael Triplett Speakers Series. Speakers were The Right Rev. Gene Robinson ( Episcopal ) and the Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin ( Lutheran ), and the moderator was NPR's Jason DeRose. This discussion centered on religious issues and the LGBT community. The program was designed in memory of the late NLGJA President Michael Triplett, who died in January 2013.
After more workshops, ESPN NBA editor Kevin Arnovitz interviewed out NBA player Jason Collins at a luncheon at the Palmer House host hotel. Collins graciously posed for many photos with attendees, and then he spoke on his experience as an out athlete in the National Basketball Association.
Saturday night's keynote speaker was NPR's Scott Simon, with entertainment by Chicago's Miss Foozie. Awards for various journalism categories were handed out during the conference, including for Excellence in Opinion/Editorial Writing to Windy City Times Publisher Tracy Baim for her editorial "The Content of Our Character: Trayvon Martin and Us." Baim was also among three inductees into the NLGJA LGBT Journalists national Hall of Fame. Other 2014 Hall of Fame inductees were Lisa Keen, a longtime Washington Blade editor, and Donna Cartwright, a longtime New York Times copy editor and among the first out transgender journalists in the country.
Additional awardees included Chris Geidner of BuzzFeed as journalist of the year, Lila Shapiro of The Huffington Post received the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award, and Mark King of My Fabulous Disease received the Excellence in Blogging award.
The NLGJA Board President is Jen Christensen, a former Chicago-area resident who works for CNN in Atlanta. The new NLGJA executive director is Adam Pawlus, a former Chicagoan.
NLGJA celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015, with their 23rd annual conference, to be held in San Francisco Sept. 3-6.
See Windy City Times online for extensive reporting, photos and videos from the NLGJA conference. Search for the keyword "NLGJA."
Videos by Tracy Baim and Jean Albright
The video playlist below contains multiple videos. Choose Playlist in the top left hand corner to watch videos out of order, if preferred.
......
Windy City Times: NLGJA 2014, Chicago: LGBT Youth Journalists
.....
Windy City Times: NLGJA 2014, Chicago: LGBT Sports Journalists Panel
.....
Windy City Times: NLGJA 2014, Chicago: Being Your Authentic Self on TV
.....
Windy City Times: NLGJA 2014, Chicago: Working on a Shoestring
.....
