APME Indianapolis conference schedule announced

Join us for the Associated Press Media Editors 80^th annual conference in Indianapolis, Oct. 28-30, 2013.

The event will have two host hotels at two price points in the same complex, including the J.W. Marriott, $169, and the SpringHill Suites, $139. The conference will be held just across the street at the Indiana State Museum. In addition, the first night's reception and APME Foundation auction will be held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, and the second night will feature a reception at the NCAA Hall of Champions.

Our conference schedule is chock-full of great sessions to stimulate your mind, rejuvenate your drive and fill your toolkit with tools you can use right away.

More details and registration here.

Conference Schedule

Monday, Oct. 28

Welcome to Indianapolis: We’ll begin at 1 p.m. with welcomes from Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, APME President Brad Dennison and APPM President Jeff Know, then plunge into an exciting conference program:

Sports coverage and access: With billions of dollars at stake from television and licensing deals, college and professional sports leagues have become more and more aggressive about restricting access to games and actual practices. Threats to pull credentials, limits on live blogging and restrictions on the use of photo and video images are now the norm. Gerry Ahern, director of news content for the USA Today Sports Media Group will moderate a panel of experts who will discuss these policies. How has the landscape changed in the digital, multi-platform age? How have relationships between leagues and media altered in this era? What is the real story on rights and restrictions? What role does social media play?

First Amendment showdown: "Feds seize AP phone records for criminal probe.” "Appeals court orders New York Times reporter to testify.” "Fox News reporter targeted as ‘co-conspirator’.” "Obama administration known for targeting whistleblowers.” Throughout the industry, headlines like these over the past year have set journalists’ teeth on edge. Gene Policinski, executive director of the First Amendment Center, will lead a discussion of the government’s crackdown on leaks and related incursions on our First Amendment rights.

Tuesday, Oct. 29

Change management: Butch Ward, senior faculty at The Poynter Institute and a longtime friend of APME, brings his wit and wisdom to Indy with a Day 2 session on connecting content and audience with newsroom change management. Butch will examine the impact of change on media organizations and how editors can adapt and benefit from this brave, evolving world. (Butch also will be available for one-on-one coaching sessions for participants who sign up for this unique opportunity.)

Keeping print alive: Is print dead? Not according to Bill Day of Frank N. Magid Associates, a premier media research firm. He will suggest tools editors can use to extend the life of their print publications, based on research conducted by the company.

The New Ethics: Did the Boston bombings change how audiences connect with fast-evolving news stories? Or was it simply another wake-up call from a restless audience sounding the alarm on slumbering newsrooms? Day 2 features a special lunch presentation with Kelly McBride of The Poynter Institute on "The New Ethics of Journalism.” Kelly, senior faculty for Poynter, will address the challenges and realities facing journalism in the 24/7 social-media cycle. Kelly’s energy and expertise on journalism ethics make her a sought-after speaker and prominent author on a subject dear to many conference attendees.

Metering mania: Metered content is fast becoming the media standard. But do editors truly understand the evolving habits and expectations of readers? Dare we mention native advertising and what it could mean locally? Greg Swanson, partner and CEO of ITZ Publishing, will lead a discussion on metered content that’s guaranteed to provoke thought and perhaps create cranial discomfort. Greg, an Oregon-based consultant, has an extensive background on research and product development. He has an unapologetic view that many media organizations haven’t gone far enough to tap into varied digital content.

How to reset your coverage and priorities: How do you cover every town council meeting, volleyball game and festival in today's environment? You can't and you shouldn't try. This session will focus on how to re-prioritize your coverage and franchise topics and look at key readership research that can help determine a path forward newsrooms everywhere. David Arkin, vice president of content and audience for GateHouse Media, will lead a roundtable discussion of ways editors can set priorities for coverage in the 21^st century.

Wednesday, Oct. 30

The Buffett Bump: Perhaps no company has generated more chatter in the news industry this year than Berkshire Hathaway, whose legendary chairman, Warren Buffett, has declared that he will keep buying newspapers as long as their economics make sense. In the past two years, Buffett’s company has purchased more than two dozen papers, making Berkshire Hathaway the nation’s ninth-largest newspaper group. In a keynote address to APME, Buffett’s "newspaper guy,” Terry Kroeger, CEO of BH Media Group and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald, will explain the company’s strategy.

Associated Press spotlight: Kathleen Carroll, vice president and executive editor of The Associated Press, and a panel of top AP editors will share the story behind the story of some of the news service’s most inspiring coverage of the past year, and bring APME members up to date on the new AP initiatives.

And the winners are …: The conference will conclude with our traditional awards luncheon, at which we’ll honor some of the best work by Associated Press staff members and clients.