T.J. THOMSON Visual Editor and Journalist
Mission statement:
I
nformed by classical art education and coupled with the attention to detail, accuracy, and balance that journalism demands, Cenevox速 LLC brings you powerfully simple, precise, and dynamic media. The world is a messy place, filled with a myriad of lights, colors, textures, and shapes. Whether through imaging, visual editing, or design, we cut through clutter and draw on only the elements that elevate your message. We highlight these and bring them to the surface so your message, not the distractions, are what your audience notices. We do all this with uncompromising professionalism and respect.
Learn about T.J. Thomson and the Cenevox速 Brand
T.J. Thomson founded CENEVOX® LLC in early 2013 as his flagship brand to represent his imaging interests and unify his professional presentation to his growing audience. An award-winning photojournalist, designer, and writer, Thomson captured the 2013 Student Photographer of the Year title, awarded by The Great Plains Journalism Awards Committee in Tulsa, Okla. Branded as “One of the most prestigious journalism awards in mid-America, the Great Plains drew almost 800 entries from an eight-state region,” according to Ashley Parris, contest committee chair. His work has been featured in top international wire services and news agencies, including the Associated Press, The Washington Post, and the Huffington Post. He earned a master’s degree in photojournalism with a thesis that explored how subject reactivity influences visual journalism and is currently a doctoral researcher at the Missouri School of Journalism, where he studies visual communication and the psychology of media production.
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Contact@Cenevox.com
(303) 809-5575
Imaging PORTFOLIO Peep our pixels. We won’t judge.
Katie Smith carries the U.S. flag before the 2014 Wild West Shoot-Out during the Boone County Fair on July 25, 2014, at the Central Missouri Events Center. META: ISO 4000 24mm f /22 1/1600
Kelsey Bruce walks under a U.S. flag near Flat Branch Park during Columbia’s Independence Day festivities in 2014. META: ISO 4000 24mm f /22 1/1250
William Creason looks out one of the windows on the second floor of Boone Landing. “I don’t go out anymore,” he said. “We have everything we need here.” META: ISO 2000 300mm f /5.6 1/125
MacKenzie Oestman warms up her horse before the Missouri High School Rodeo’s open barrel competition on June 11, 2014. META: ISO 800 105mm f /5.6 1/320
Cooks Stan Lewis and Mattie Burkholder take their morning break in a wooden shack outside Mizzou’s Kappa Delta house on Aug. 7, 2014. META: ISO 8000 67mm f /5 1/100
Russ Archibeque, of Greeley, right, talks with friends in downtown Golden, Colo., while standing next to his 1970 Hemi Challenger convertible. META: ISO 500 70mm f /7.1 1/320
Wil Lawrence said the tattoos on his right arm were his demons that help remind him about his former life and drug addiction. Looking at them helps him stay clean, he said. META: ISO 1000 221mm f /10 1/1250
Patrons at Roxy ’s bar and club in Columbia, Mo., partied into the night on Independence Day eve, 2014. META: ISO 25600 24mm f /5.6 1/60
Marietta Monroe, in her dual role as conductor and pianist, directs the St. Paul AME choir in preparation for its annual Women’s Day celebration. META: ISO 12800 300mm f /5.6 1/100
The Missouri Tigers football team warmed up at Memorial Stadium’s Faurot Field on Aug. 9, 2014. META: ISO 16000 400mm f /9 1/640
Linda Mitchell, 56, has lived for two years at Oak Towers in Columbia, Mo. “I have to work for my cigarettes, just like anybody else,� Mitchell said. META: ISO 800 105mm f /7.1 1/500
Crafting visual narratives.
Editing philosophy:
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s a visual editor, my challenge is to sift through hundreds of often disparate media to piece together the most evocative, contextually complete, and informative narrative. I think of editing as a three-legged bar stool. Each leg has to function and support the weight of the others or the edit comes crashing down. Without attention to selection, arrangement and production, the edit’s quality is impacted, as is the creator’s work and the audience who consumes it. The arrangement ensures that the carefully selected details are ordered in a logical manner, whether in a linear edit, such as in an online gallery, or a non-linear one, such as when laid out on the printed page. Production encompasses both editing and presentation. Often our cameras can’t match what a scene looked like to our eyes, so the job of an editor is to work with the creator to ensure the image on the editing desk matches as closely as possible what the photographer observed from behind the lens. From the presentation standpoint, I ensure that captions are complete and accurate, that a
Front-page editing & design: OPPOSITE LEFT: The front page of the June 7-8, 2015, edition of the Columbia Missourian. I brainstormed with staff photojournalist Adam Vogler about this shoot and urged him to take a long lens—we decided on a 300mm—so that we could make this shot. We worked with the reporter before he left to determine which room the family was in and he scoped out the area to select a suitable vantage point. Once I edited the images, I pitched this story as the centerpiece and convinced the print desk to give it ample play. OPPOSITE MIDDLE: The front page of the Nov. 14-15, 2014, edition of the Columbia Missourian. We used Loren Reid’s 109th birthday celebration as a jumping-off point for our coverage of his life and work. Reporter Annie Rees and I combed through thousands of Loren Reid’s letters, journals, and personal documents that he donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri. These informed our understanding of the man and what was important to him. We used our findings when we visited him three times over three months in 2014. OPPOSITE RIGHT: The front page of the March 27-28, 2015, edition of the Columbia Missourian. I worked with the sports desk to find an appropriate image for the Sophie Cunningham tease and also worked closely with the 1A designer, Brendan Wray, about which photos would work best for the front. We whittled down the selection to four images, and I suggested the vertical as the dominant, paired with three detail shots on the side. I then toned each image and prepared it for web and print production.
The sports section front of the Aug. 31Sept. 1 edition of the Columbia Missourian Tim’s tight, clean shot of tailback Russell Hansbrough led the sports section front. It’s a simple, easy read that grabs attention and entices the reader to linger.
Page 3B of the Oct. 19-20, 2014, edition of the Columbia Missourian. This was the first time that I had seen the Missourian’s designers try a full-page bleed on a page other than the front page or a section front.
Sports editing & design
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uring my tenure at the Missourian, I oversaw the sports photography staff and its coverage of NCAA Division I sports in the Southeastern Conference. A typical home football game meant I’d arrive at the stadium three hours early to secure a spot in the media workroom and then begin toning and editing feature photos and shots of warm ups. Each quarter, I’d blaze through thousands of images, select the best 3-5 shots, caption these and then transmit them back to the newsroom for copy editing and publication —all within 15 minutes.
The Missourian’s sports section front on Sept. 7-8, 2014.
Inside-page editing & design: OPPOSITE LEFT: Page 6A of the June 21-22, 2015, edition of the Columbia Missourian. One of our staff photojournalists, Yuting Jiang, had finished all her assignments for the day and was looking for a feature hunt idea, so I suggested the upcoming Ramadan celebration. She visited the Islamic Center of Central Missouri at 5:30 a.m. on the second day of Ramadan for its sunrise prayer, returned later that day for the noon prayer, and then wrote a text piece about two Muslim teenagers. I designed the layout and then sent it to the print desk for finalization. OPPOSITE MIDDLE: Page 4A of the June 23, 2015, edition of the Columbia Missourian. On a whim, staff photojournalist Stephanie Sidoti came back to the office with a set of images from the 63 Diner, an iconic restaurant in north Columbia. We quickly picked up on the repeated use of red throughout the building and its decorations, so we decided to focus this story through these crimson hues. After editing and toning the images, I then designed a layout and sent it to the print desk for finalization. OPPOSITE RIGHT: Page 3A of the June 24, 2015, edition of the Columbia Missourian. A Missouri Department of Conservation retiree called gave our managing editor a call after viewing a photo spread on the wet and rainy summer we’ve had this year. He loved the photos and thought his property would make a nice feature, too. I called him, coordinated a time for one of our photographers, Cody Lohse, to visit, and edited the subsequent outtakes with colleague Kylee Gregg. I then designed a layout and sent it to the print desk for finalization.
Pages 4-5A in the Nov. 14-15, 2014, edition of the Columbia Missourian. A 109-year-old has a massive amount of history. In my role as photo editor, I worked closely with the reporter, Annie Rees, to sift through thousands of his personal documents that he donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri. I photographed many of these for the print and online packages, and we also coordinated with Reid’s son, Tony, to procure family photos to augment the ones we had already compiled. In all, I worked on two video interviews, three visits to Reid’s home, and two trips to the historical society.
Double-truck editing & design:
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t the Missourian, these bad boys clock in at a formidable 24x21.5 inches. With the exception of photo pages for Missouri football, they are generally reserved for major photo/text/graphics projects that have been planned for months. Pages 4-5B in the Sept. 21-22, 2014, edition of the Columbia Missourian. In the designer’s initial concept, the image ran a full 12 columns across the width of the entire spread, cutting off the end zone. This slice of the image showed a pivotal moment: how a Hoosier leaped and rolled over a dogpile of bodies to land in the end zone and score the game-winning touchdown. I successfully lobbied to have this strip included, which resulted in the designer downsizing the image to 10 columns. Some more breathing room was introduced and the added context elevated the spread from decent to dazzling.
Design PORTFOLIO Putting pixels to work since 2008.
Marketing design: QuickFire Networks, which specializes in “proprietary technology that dramatically reduces the bandwidth needed to view video online without degrading video quality,� hired me to provide consultancy and graphic design services from January 2013 to January 2015, when Facebook bought out the company. During my time with the organization, I produced signage for domestic and international trade shows, marketing posters, and provided design consultancy services.
Multi-page design: Nothing tests organization and design methodology quite like a multi-page document. Projects like this require clear and simple navigation, a cohesively designed font and color palette, and the ability to efficiently and beautifully communicate a message. RIGHT: The Religion Newswriters Foundation’s executive director hired me in 2015 to produce visuals, including a 40-page program, for its annual association conference. I also produced sponsor signage, navigation posters, and other graphic design needs for the conference and its staff. BELOW: A booklet I designed for RNF that provided tips for media professionals who cover religion.
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MISSION AND VISION Religion Newswriters Association is a 501(C)(6) nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote excellence in media coverage and in the public discourse about religion. RNA envisions religion reporting and commentary informed by civility, accuracy, fairness and insight.
IDEAS
All journalists are welcome to join RNA. To sign up, please visit the RNA website at www.RNA.org.
TO MAKE YOUR
R eli g i o n RELIGION NEWSWRITERS ASSOCIATION
J o u r n30aNeffliAnnex s m• University b ett er of Missouri +1 (573) 882-9257 • Columbia, MO 65211, U.S.A.
IDEAS
TO MAKE YOUR RELIGION JOURNALISM BETTER For more than 65 years, the Religion Newswriters Association has helped journalists covering religion by creating a support network for reporters, tools and trainings. Other Religion Newswriters’ resources include ReligionLink, conference scholarships, an online stylebook and training events, among others. These 100 Ideas to Make Your Religion Journalism Better provide succinct advice on best practices, sources and resources. Here are common issues for journalists, cautionary advice and starting points for story ideas.
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BEST PRACTICES
SOURCES & RESOURCES
ETHICAL ISSUES
CAUTIONARY ADVICE
STORY IDEAS
HATE SPEECH
Sources & Resources
Sources & Resources
STATISTICS
DOCUMENTS
Reliable and accurate statistics about world religions are rare, but PewResearch.org is the single best source for current data on religion. 46:
47: Some
view numbers as equal to power. Recognize this.
48: Some religions do not keep accurate membership records,
as membership is not a requirement to attend services. 49: Some advocacy groups promote their own polls, so be cautious and check for bias. 50: Always be clear how a religious group defines a “member,” or who is counted (by worship attendance, baptism, paid membership or donation level). 51: When
major statistics conflict, a good way to cover your bases is to give a range of numbers and explain the reasons.
53: Few public documents for religious institutions exist, as places of worship are not required to disclose financial information to the public. 54: Sign up for newsletters and other publications of local religious organizations, nonprofits, charities and houses of worship, because often annual budgets are reported. 55: Most religious denominations publish annual directories. Request a copy of any you contact regularly. 56: Bible dictionaries and commentaries come in handy when trying to understand scriptural contexts. 57: The best defense to prove the veracity of your story is to document, take screen captures, record and use any other means necessary to show where you gathered your information.
52: Religious categories can be controversial. For instance, Mormons consider themselves Christian, but some Christians call them a cult. Be careful when lumping different traditions together.
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RELIGION NEWSWRITERS ASSOCIATION
100 IDEAS TO MAKE YOUR RELIGION JOURNALISM BETTER
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Papal tour site visits and lunch
12:30 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.
Box lunch and panel: Everything You Haven’t Asked Yet About Covering the Papal Visit (Box lunch sponsor: “90 Minutes in Heaven”)
2 p.m.
Conference ends
Lunch and panel: What to Expect from Francis: An Insider’s View Panel: Pope Francis and the Meaning of Family Panel: Ethnicity, Family and the Changing Face of the U.S. Catholic Church
4:45 — 6:30 p.m.
Panel: Bishops’ Panel on Pope Francis and His Visit
Dujardin was born in New York City and grew up Queens.
7:30 — 9 p.m.
Dinner (Sponsor: Faith Counts)
66th Annual RNA Conference | 5
F ULL SCH E D ULE
W. BRAD WILCOX
Associate Professor, University of Virginia Panel: Ethnicity, Family and the Changing Face of the U.S. Catholic Church wbwilcox@gmail.com | 434-760-0466 | @WilcoxNMP
JENNIFER WISEMAN
Director, AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion Panel: What Does it Mean to be Human? Implications of the Search for Life Beyond Earth jwiseman@aaas.org | 202-326-6618
Managing Editor, Patheos Muslim Panel: Muslim Matters: What American Muslims Are Talking About dali@patheos.com | 804-239-6469 | @DilshadDAli
HELEN ALVARÉ
Law Professor, George Mason University Panel: Pope Francis and the Meaning of Family halvare@gmu.edu | 703-993-9845
THURSDAY, AUG. 27, 2015: Forefront Science for Religion Reporters 10 — 10:30 a.m.
Welcome and introductions
10:30 — 11:45 a.m.
Panel: How Does Science Work? A Brief Introduction to the History, Philosophy, and Practice of Science Building the foundation for discussions on how forefront science offers new insights into what it means to be human, science historian Melinda Baldwin will outline how science works — peer review, funding, ethical oversight, methodology — while science writer Rachel Gross will review the unique qualities necessary for strong science reporting. Together, they provide insights into the world of science that will broaden attendees’ perspectives for the panels that follow. ■ Melinda Baldwin, lecturer, Harvard University ■ Rachel E. Gross, editorial assistant, Slate Magazine
Noon — 1:15 p.m.
Lunch & speaker — What Does It Mean to Be Human? Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Artificial intelligence and robotics are at the forefront of computer science research and can be leveraged for a host of real-world applications. These advances raise significant questions about human nature and the ethics of creating artificial beings endowed with human-like features and intelligence. Drawing on his own innovative research into evolving intelligence and the scientific virtues, Robert T. Pennock will explore the possibilities of this very present future. ■ Robert T. Pennock, professor, Michigan State University
66th Annual RNA Conference | 13
CARL A. ANDERSON
Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus Panel: Pope Francis and the Meaning of Family carl.anderson@kofc.org | 203-800-4949
DANIEL ARASA
Professor, Pontifical University Santa Croce Panel: What to Expect from Francis: An Insider’s View arasa@pusc.it | +39 340-109-8925 | @ArasaDaniel
BERNARDITO C. AUZA
Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio Panel: Bishops Panel on Pope Francis and His Visit office@holyseemission.org | 212-753-3401
■ Columbia Magazine and Pontifical University of Santa Croce for sponsoring and planning Friday’s programming, “‘The Church Up Close’ in the U.S.” ■ Conference Committee Chairpersons Ansley Roan and Peter Smith, who spent countless hours planning this year’s conference programming and numerous event details, along with their committee members: Sarah Pulliam Bailey, Elizabeth Evans, Tim Funk, David Gibson, Cecile Holmes, Matthew Miller, Patricia Rice, Bob Smietana, John Smith, Liz Tenety and Jeff Thomas. ■ Contest Chair Jeff Diamant, who helped ensure the contests were managed and judged fairly, and for serving as the awards banquet presenter. ■ Brian Peat and his team for providing exceptional, professional audio and visual tech work at RNA conferences (for more than a decade!).
■ Russ and ML Chandler, who generously fund the Chandler Award for Excellence in Student Religion Reporting. ■ Paul and the late Myrtle Carlson, who graciously fund the Carlson Scholarship, along with additional donors. ■ Donors to the Diane Connolly Scholarship Fund, whose donations helped bring student journalists to the conference.
■ Our conference sponsors and exhibitors, who provide attendees with resources and story ideas, and who help fund meals and events. Thank you, everyone, for your help. We couldn’t have done it without you! RNA Staff: Debra L. Mason, Tiffany McCallen, Lindsey Skinner, Wendy Gustofson, Amy Schiska, Sheila Holder and Ron Ribiat
HASAN AZAD
Doctoral candidate, Columbia University Panel: Religion and Violence ha2248@columbia.edu | 646-578-4497
MELINDA BALDWIN
Lecturer, Harvard University Panel: How Does Science Work? A Brief Introduction to the History, Philosophy, and Practice of Science melinda.c.baldwin@gmail.com | 303-524-2224 | @Melinda_Baldwin
ALEJANDRO BERMÚDEZ
Executive Director, Catholic News Agency Panel: Pope Francis: Myths and Realities bermudez@aciprensa.com | 303-902-4233 | @albermudezr
LESLIE CALLAHAN
Pastor, St. Paul’s Baptist Church Panel: Church in the City: Thriving, Dying or Just Getting By? pastor@1000wallace.org | 215-763-1502
CHARLES J. CHAPUT
Archbishop of Philadelphia Panel: Bishops on Pope Francis and his Visit kgavin@archphila.org, fr.jnguyen@archphila.org | 215-587-4538
66th Annual RNA Conference | 21
EXHI BI TO RS » Loyola Press | www.loyolapress.com Andrew Yankech | 773-281-1818 | yankech@loyolapress.com » Pew Research Center | www.pewresearch.org Stefan Cornibert | 202-419-4372 | scornibert@pewresearch.org » Public Religion Research Institute | www.publicreligion.org Robert P. Jones | 202-350-4363 | rjones@publicreligion.org » Radha Madhav Dham | www.radhamadhavdham.org Rohit Sharma | 512-288-7180 | rohit@radhamadhavdham.org » The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | www.lds.org Eric Hawkins | 801-240-0298 | ehawkins@ldschurch.org » Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission | www.erlc.com Daniel Darling | 615-224-2495 | ddarling@erlc.com
■ RNA members who volunteered as moderators and speakers, allowing us to tap into the decades of experience and talent among our ranks. ■ The many donors who have kindly given gifts in support of our programs, including all contributions to our silent auction.
S PE AK E R S & MO DE R ATO R S
20 | Speakers & Moderators
ACKN OW LE D G M E N T S
DIANA RICHARDSON VELA
JOHN WAUCK
SPEA KERS & MO DERATO R S
Access the conference schedule, speaker biographies and more on our conference app at bit.ly/1LRvBvX
■ The American Association for the Advancement of Science and its DoSER program for organizing and sponsoring Thursday’s preconference program, “Forefront Science for Religion Reporters” and lunch.
Professor, Pontifical University Santa Croce Panels: Pope Francis: Myths and Realities and Bishops’ Panel on Francis and His Visit (Moderator) wauck@pusc.it | +39 334-393-5855
66th Annual RNA Conference | 11
10 | Hotel Map
DILSHAD D. ALI
We’d like to extend our warmest gratitude to:
President and CEO, Catholic Association of Latino Leaders Panel: Ethnicity, Family and the Changing Face of the U.S. Catholic Church diana.vela@call-usa.org | 213-637-7400 | @RichardsonDiana
Dessert & drinks (Sponsor: “Risen”)
FRIDAY, AUG. 28, 2015 — Loews Philadelphia Hotel
Dujardin did all this even as he and his wife of nearly 47 years, Rose Marie, raised their six children.
JOHN THAVIS
Journalist and author Panel: How to Cover a Papal Trip in Three Easy Steps jthavis@hotmail.com | 507-779-6189, | @johnthavis
Dinner (Sponsor: Knights of Columbus)
8 — 9 p.m.
Panel: Pope Francis: Myths and Realities
12 | At-a-Glance Schedule
SPEA KERS & MO DERATO RS
Prefunction
10 a.m. — 2 p.m.
Men
Breakfast (Sponsor: “90 Minutes in Heaven”)
Pre-conference ends
6:30 — 7:45 p.m.
3 — 4:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUG. 30, 2015 Loews Philadelphia Hotel, site visits, Archdiocese of Philadelphia 8:30 — 9:30 a.m.
Women
Awards banquet
Panel: What Does it Mean to be Human? Implications of the Search for Life Beyond Earth
4:30 p.m.
1:15 — 2:45 p.m.
Millennium Hall
7:15 — 9:30 p.m.
A1
A2
Silent auction
B
Active member meeting
6 — 7 p.m.
Prefunction
Panel: How to Cover a Papal Trip in Three Easy Steps
4:30 — 5:30 p.m.
C
Panel: Church in the City: Thriving, Dying or Just Getting By?
3:05 — 4:20 p.m.
Commonwealth Hall
1:45 — 3 p.m.
D
Lunch and survey release (Sponsor: Pew Research Center)
Panel: What Does it Mean to be Human? Implications of Genetic Engineering
3 — 4:15 p.m.
Breakfast and panel: World Meeting of Families and the Papal visit
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Panel: Religion and Violence
12:20 — 1:30 p.m.
Lunch and panel: What Does It Mean to Be Human? Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
1:30 — 2:45 p.m.
11:45 a.m. — 1 p.m.
B
Panel: Muslim Matters: What American Muslims are Talking About
11 a.m. — 12:15 p.m.
Panel: How Does Science Work? A Brief Introduction to the History, Philosophy and Practice of Science
Noon — 1:15 p.m.
Conference registration
Regency Ballroom
9:30 — 10:45 a.m.
Elevators C2
Breakfast & speaker (Sponsor: Ethics & Religious Liberties Commission)
Coat Check
Pre-conference welcome and introductions
10:30 — 11:45 a.m.
10 — 11:30 a.m.
AT-A -G LA N CE SCH E D ULE
Conference registration
Saturday’s Active Member Meeting will take place on the fourth floor in Congress Hall.
Conference registration
10 — 10:30 a.m.
8 — 9:45 a.m.
“Richard served as RNA president and on the board at a time when the organization was still volunteer-run, and when you joined the board, it was typically for eight or more years,” said RNA Executive Director Debra Mason. “Imagine trying to run an organization pre-Internet, when the officers changed every two years and all correspondence was done via the U.S. Post Office. Richard was a gracious and kind presence as he led RNA during an era of increased growth and scrutiny on the beat.”
SATURDAY, AUG. 29, 2015 Loews Philadelphia Hotel
8 — 9:15 a.m.
Exhibitors and meals can be found in Millennium Hall.
All day
All day
4 | Lifetime Achievement Award
All day
Registration will be held in the Prefunction area, and general sessions will convene in Commonwealth Hall.
Dujardin also served in numerous roles at RNA, including two years as Corridore president in the mid-1990s.
Prefunction
How long has Dujardin been on the beat? Early on, he recalls standing on a roof overlooking St. Peter’s Square in 1978, awaiting the start of the installation of Pope John Paul II, “and thinking that I would want to be there as well for the installation of the next pope whenever that was.”
“Religion writing, as most of us in the field know, is a satisfying experience,” said Dujardin, who retired from the Journal in 2013. “It allows us to ask important questions that most other reporters usually ignore, allowing us to ask people about their faith lives and to see what really makes them tick. As it is, a lot of motivation behind the good things people do springs from their faith and from the way they perceive God.” C1
Dujardin, who won numerous awards from RNA and other organizations now has to make room on his wall for another: the William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional longterm commitment and service to RNA and to the field of religion newswriting.
“Whenever” would take place after one of the longest papacies in history, but Dujardin was there in 2005 to cover the installation of Benedict XVI. And in 2013, Dujardin was in Rome yet again, covering the installation of Pope Francis.
Second Floor Mezzanine
66 Annual RNA Conference Philadelphia, PA Aug. 27–30, 2015 th
In a career that lasted another 36 years, Dujardin traveled widely to cover Pope John Paul II, interviewed a future pope and a past U.S. president, covered Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell and the Dalai Lama, and reported RICHARD DUJARDIN countless stories about the ordinary clergy members, congregations and lay people in the smallest — but arguably feistiest — state in the Union.
THURSDAY, AUG. 27, 2015 — Loews Philadelphia Hotel
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Dujardin took the job, never regretted it, and the story ideas just kept coming as he covered the heavily Catholic, but also highly diverse, religious population of Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts.
AT- A- GL ANCE SCHED U L E
HOTEL MAP SECOND FLOOR
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“I was about to say ‘no’ when the outgoing reporter assured me I would never run out of things to write about, that in fact there were so many things going on in the world of religion that my list of stories would only grow,” he recalls.
Religion writing . . . allows us to ask important questions that most other reporters usually ignore, allowing us to ask people about their faith lives and to see what really makes them tick. First Floor Mezzanine
hen Richard Dujardin was offered the religion writer job at The Providence Journal in 1977, where he’d started working more than a decade earlier, he hesitated. Wouldn’t he soon run out of story ideas?
Second Floor
LIFE TIM E ACHIE VE M E N T
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“When we speak of equality, of women and men, of blacks and whites, of all the world’s people, we are talking about humanism.” —Gloria Steinem, 2012 Humanist of the Year
2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 22-25 Silver Spring, Md.
Join us during this presidential election year for a time of training, networking and professional growth.
“A humanist is nontheistic in his or her value set, and focused on humanity and human beings as the source of values ... that’s essentially what I am.” —-Barney Frank, 2014 Humanist of the Year
“We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.” —Richard Dawkins, 1996 Humanist of the Year
28 | Speakers & Moderators
66th Annual RNA Conference | 29
38 | Exhibitors
Millions of Americans are good without a god. Since 1941, the American Humanist Association has been the leading voice for humanists, atheists and nonbelievers in the United States.
Visit our table in the Exhibit Area to learn more. Contact: Merrill Miller Communications Associate American Humanist Association 1777 T Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org 800-837-3792 ext. 105
www.americanhumanist.org Follow us on Twitter: @americnhumanist #humanism #atheism
Grant proposal formatting & design: In 2015, executive staff from Religion News Service, an independent wire service based in Washington, D.C., and Religion Newswriters Foundation, met with officers at the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. to request more than $2.5 million in grant funding. RNF hired me to format and design the grant proposal and budget narratives that it submitted to Lilly. A few months later, Lilly announced that it would award RNF its full request.
An infographic I designed for my client’s 2015 Lilly Endowment grant outlines Religion News Service’s business model.
What they’re SAYING Browse unsolicited feedback from clients and colleagues.
“Outstanding in productivity, professionalism and perseverance. What a pleasure!” Elizabeth Brixey, Associate Professor, Missouri School of Journalism
“Each image is breathtaking and eloquently designed.” Mackenzie Koffenberger, Event Coordinator, Highline
“I’m continually amazed at your diverse skills.” Brian Kratzer, Assistant Professor, Missouri School of Journalism
“Great images! Your angles, perspective and framing of the shots show your talent for this type of work.” Daniel Pliska, Executive Chef, CEC, AAC
“Great photos and content.”
Connie White, Deputy Metro Editor, The Omaha World-Herald
“Your professionalism is stellar.”
Jackie Bell, Associate Professor, Missouri School of Journalism
PHOTOGRAPHY, EDITING, AND DESIGN PORTFOLIO Produced in 2015
T.J. THOMSON is an award-winning photojournalist, designer, and writer. He researches visual media production and pyschology in Columbia, Mo., while pursuing a doctoral degree at the Missouri School of Journalism. WEBSITE:
www.cenevox.com
EMAIL :
contact@cenevox.com
PHONE:
303-809-5575