WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Aug 26, 2011) - The Online News Association's 2011 conference will feature The New York Times' Jennifer Preston and NPR's Andy Carvin in a keynote discussion with two journalists who both cover and are actively participating in the Mideast uprisings.
Joining the conversation will be Issandr El Amrani, a Cairo-based writer and consultant who has been called one of the smartest bloggers in the region, and Rehab El-Bakry, a journalist and editor with more than 10 years of experience in the Middle East.
The 2011 Online News Association Conference and Awards Banquet, Sept. 22-24, is expected to attract more than 1,000 online journalists from around the world to the Marriott Copley Place in Boston for three days of training, panels and workshops on emerging trends and technology, as well as a Career Summit & Job Fair.
As the Arab Spring turns into the Arab Fall, the keynote panel will explore what it's like to be on the front lines of the revolutions and protests that transfixed the world and inspired a wave of action. Mixed into the discussion will be a clear-eyed look at the groundbreaking role social media played on both sides in Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
El Amrani's reporting and commentary on the Middle East and North Africa has appeared in The Economist, London Review of Books, Financial Times, The National, The Guardian, Time and other publications. He also publishes one of the longest-running blogs in the region, www.arabist.net.
A graduate of the School of Journalism of the University of King's College in Canada, El-Bakry holds a Master's Degree in Political Science with a focus in authoritarian systems and transnational Islamist movements. She formerly held the title of deputy editor-in-chief of Egypt Today magazine in Cairo; International Media Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry; and editor in chief of Business Today Egypt.
Carvin is senior strategist at NPR. An online community organizer for the last 16 years, Andy leads NPR's social media efforts, focusing on how online communities can improve the quality and diversity of NPR's journalism. This year, his focus has been on the Arab Spring, for which he has been curating news in real time on Twitter, as well as working with his Twitter followers to conduct online investigations. He was recently awarded a Knight-Batten Award for his Arab Spring reporting efforts.
Preston is a reporter for The New York Times, covering the intersection of social media, politics, government, business and real life. She took on the new beat after working as the newsroom's first social media editor. As part of her role, she helped her fellow journalists use social media for reporting, real-time publishing and building community. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and author of the book "Queen Bess."
About ONA
The Online News Association is the world's largest association of online journalists. ONA's mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. The membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, bloggers, technologists, photographers, academics, students and others who produce and distribute news for digital delivery systems. ONA also hosts the annual Online News Association annual conference and administers the Online Journalism Awards.
Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Jane McDonnell
Executive Director
Online News Association