MIAMI, Jan. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Some of the nation's best known, award-winning Latino journalists as well as the current and former presidents of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) are among the speakers that will headline the bilingual Hispanic Journalists Showcase of Hispanicize 2015.
The Hispanic Journalists Showcase of Hispanicize 2015 consists of a multi-faceted, multi-day platform that includes in-depth social media training for reporters, a day devoted to exploring issues that impact Latinos in media and the second annual Media Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Hispanic Journalists. This year's Hispanic Journalists Showcase is being curated by chair Hugo Balta, immediate past president of the NAHJ and Senior Director, Multicultural Content at ESPN.
"This special showcase addresses the most pressing topics, trends and trainings Latino journalists need to succeed in today's quickly changing digital and multicultural world," said Balta. "We're confident the sessions we've created for journalists will engage and empower them in a very meaningful way."
Building on a legacy of speakers that in the past has included Soledad O'Brien, Maria Elena Salinas and Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez, among others, this year's 2015 Hispanic Journalists Showcase will also feature current NAHJ President Mekahlo Medina as well as several past winners of the Pulitzer Prize. Medina will be at Hispanicize 2015 to formally present the results of the 2nd annual State of Hispanic Journalists Survey, a national research project that NAHJ conducted together with California State University, Fullerton, Hispanicize Wire and Florida International University.
(Hispanicize 2015, the annual Latino trends event, will take place March 16-20 in downtown Miami's InterContinental Hotel; register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/hispanicize-2015-march-16-20th-tickets-12902990191).
400 Free, Full-Access Passes for Journalists
In partnership with the NAHJ, Hispanicize 2015 will also be providing 400 free, full access passes for journalists to attend the event. The free passes are only for working journalists and may be requested by filling out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1oltoISxmt2TFWefdQ_UrNyy3DcoqkopX2GX2E39Pohw/viewform?c=0&w=1.
A Who's Who of Hispanic Journalists
This year's roster of journalism showcase speakers includes news anchors, top reporters, commentators, researchers and leaders. In addition to Balta and Medina, the 2015 Hispanic Journalists Showcase includes: Fernando Del Rincon, News Anchor of CNN en Español's Conclusiones; Rick Jervis, National Correspondent, USA Today; Nina Terrero, Correspondent, Entertainment Weekly; Adrian Carrasquillo, Latino Coverage Editor, Buzzfeed; Nick Valencia, Correspondent, CNN; Jorge Rivas, National Correspondent; Francisco Cortes, Vice President, Fox News Latino; Gilbert Bailón, Editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Inez Gonzalez, Director, Latino Communications Initiative at California State University, Fullerton; Mercedes Soler, News Anchor of CNN en español's Notimujer; Elaine de Valle, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and publisher of Political Cortadito; serial entrepreneur, author and former columnist Kathy Cano-Murillo of Crafty Chica; Mariela Encarnación, Co-host of CNN en Español's Showbiz; author Lorraine Ladish, principal of VivaFifty; Bill Gato, CEO of Hispanicize Wire; and Astrid Rivera, publisher of Latin Blah, among others that will be named.
Media Entrepreneurship Boot Camp for Hispanic Journalists
Recognizing that journalists are facing industry-wide layoffs and furloughs, Hispanicize 2015 this year is hosting its second annual Media Entrepreneurship for Hispanic Journalists Boot Camp Day on Thursday, March 19.
In addition to the Hispanic Journalists Showcase, media will also be given full access to attend general training sessions about such topics as WordPress, video production, Facebook, trends in social media and much more. In a departure from years past and in recognition of Miami's strong core of Spanish-speaking journalists, the showcase will also feature a number of key sessions in Spanish.
(View the Hispanicize 2015 Preview Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDdgmC4FSlQ)
Hispanic Journalist Showcase Highlights and Sessions
Below is day-by-day schedule of the Hispanic Journalist Showcase of the event. Note that this schedule is subject to change. (To view the constantly updated schedule, download the Hispanicize 2015 event app on iTunes, Android, BlackBerry)
Monday, March 16
-- (En español) Social Media Training for Spanish-language Journalists
Tuesday, March 17
-- Unveiling of the 2nd Annual State of Hispanic Journalists Survey Results
-- (En español) Facebook Para Periodistas Workshop
-- (En español) Twitter Para Periodistas
Wednesday, March 18
-- Who Delivers The Message Is As Important As The Message Being Delivered (NAHJ session)
-- Race Matters In News Coverage (NAHJ session)
-- Investigative Journalism in the Digital Age (NAHJ session)
-- (En español) WordPress Best Practices for Your Blog or Web site
Thursday, March 19
-- Media Entrepreneur Stories: Meet Former Hispanic Journalists Who Are Succeeding
-- Finding and Building Your New Media Brand
-- Do You Have What it Takes to be a Media Entrepreneur? The Tough Questions Every Journalist Must Ask Themselves
-- The Next News Startup
-- (En español) Investigative Journalism in the Digital Age
Friday, March 20
-- Mastering the Social Media Newsroom: Senior Editors Share How Their Tips and Tricks to Managing News and Reporting through Various Social Media Platforms
-- (En español) SEO for Journalists
-- (En español) Mastering the Social Media Newsroom: Senior Editors Share How Their Tips and Tricks to Managing News and Reporting through Various Social Media Platforms
-- (En español) Do You Have What it Takes to be a Media Entrepreneur? The Tough Questions Every Journalist Must Ask Themselves
Credentials for Media Covering the Event
In addition to the 400 passes Hispanicize 2015 is making available through its partnership with the NAHJ, journalists who wish to actually cover the event may request media credentials. To request those credential please email Hispanicize.rsvp@newlink-group.com. Media business executives do not qualify for the special journalist rates.
Sponsorship and Registration Information
As of today, announced sponsors include: Procter & Gamble, 3M, Best Western, Disney World Resorts, WordPress.com, CNN en español, Visit Philly, BodenPR, Connexión Research, República, Fox News Latino, Alma, RL Public Relations, Hispanic Market Advisors and many more consumer products, food, fashion and lifestyle, toy and travel brands who will shortly be disclosed.
Sponsorship information is available by contacting sponsorship@hispanicizeevent.com or calling 203.364.4779. To reserve a hotel room visit https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=12729415
About Hispanicize 2015
Now in its sixth year, Hispanicize 2015 Week (www.HispanicizeEvent.com) (#Hispz15) is the iconic, largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in journalism, blogging, marketing, entertainment and tech entrepreneurship.
Co-chaired by Facebook's U.S. Hispanic Head of Sales Christian Martinez and award-winning actor Luis Guzmán, Hispanicize 2015 is a production of the Hispanicize companies that include the Latina Mom Bloggers network, Being Latino, Hispanicize Wire and the Hispanic PR Blog, Hispanicize 2015 is expected to gather more than 2,100 of the nation's most influential Latino professionals from the industries of blogging, journalism, music, marketing, film and business over five days. The event will take place in downtown Miami March 16-20, 2015.
The Hispanicize event is a launch pad for creative endeavors, new products, technologies, marketing campaigns, films, books and more targeting Latinos in the U.S. and/or Puerto Rico.
Hispanicize 2015 is a partnership of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA), Hispanicize and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).