Journalists of the Future: Skills Learned Today Will Be Important Tomorrow
"The skills that you learn in journalism school or when you start out on a newspaper will remain to be very valuable even as we go into the Internet and whatever new technologies will come along, " says Robert Loerzel, diversions editor of Pioneer Press. Loerzel is our keynote speaker at IWPA's annual member and high school school student's awards banquet beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the Chicago Athletic Association.
Loerzel graduated with a bachelor's degree in print journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His first job was news reporter with the Chicago Suburban Times (now owned by Pioneer Press). Loerzel has also served as news editor and now writes arts and entertainment for Pioneer Press Newspapers, where he has worked since 1989. He has won several Lisagor Awards from the Chicago Headline Club, including one for this work on the Brown's Chicken Murders.
"Alchemy of Bones" grew from an 1897 criminal case in which Loerzel amassed 3,000 pages of notes. University of Illinois Press will publish his historical true-crime book in the fall. Loerzel also served as a judge for IWPA's high school journalism contest this yearl
11:00 a.m. registration and viewing of winning entries for the member and high school journalism contest; 11:45 a.m. lunch; 12:30 p.m. speaker and discussion; 1:15-2:30 p.m. awards presentation.
Parking is available at the Grant Park Underground. The El stop is right outside the door. Call the IWPA hotline at 312/458-9151 to make your reservation. Nonmembers welcome. Cost (includes lunch): IWPA members, their invited guests and full-time students $30; nonmembers $45. Payment (cash or check) may be made at the door.