I can officially say that I have visited California, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Just last week I got the chance to attend the AAN Publishers Conference in Palm Springs. AAN Publishers is a diverse group of over 120 local news organizations across the U.S. and Canada, including Watermark Out News.
This year’s convention was hosted by a member paper called Coachella Valley Independent. This conference gave me the chance to attend quality workshops and network with many people around the country.
For two days there was in-person networking and celebration, as the conference also recognizes pieces of work from various categories.
The convention is designed to be both inspirational and to be helpful. I got to hear from some of the brightest minds in journalism while also highlighting the work we do at Watermark Out News.
From the various workshops that I attended, I got to learn about data journalism, video content and brainstorm story ideas. Other sessions included speaking with a lawyer about First Amendment rights as journalists, learning how AI is being used in the field and what technology can do for our advantage.
I was lucky enough to listen to experienced journalists about their areas of expertise. One of the biggest takeaways was the discussion of how important it is to use your voice to write stories that matter. As journalists, we write stories because we are passionate about our craft.
I met so many people who were passionate about the work that they do for their alternative newspapers. Many were based in the West Coast, but it was nice to see some that were scattered throughout the Central U.S. and the East Coast. Many of the papers were small staffed, just like Watermark. It goes to show the impact local journalism has and how a small but mighty staff can accomplish greatness.
I was so excited to meet other women who are journalists as well. We bonded over our love for the career.
I had always seen journalism as a male-dominated career field, but lately it is starting to become more female dominated and that is something that makes me incredibly proud to see. I was so happy to see so many women who ranged from young adults to those that had more experience in the field.
It felt so great to speak to others and ask questions about their experience. Everybody creates their own path into journalism but eventually we find our footing.
A workshop that I enjoyed was a cover design workshop, where we went over different covers that were submitted, ours included. I got to hear from different editors about why they chose to go the route they did with their covers. We got to discuss stories and how they affected what the cover looked like. This workshop also gave me many ideas for future use and there were so many creative covers to see.
Listening to others speak during the sessions was really helpful as it showed me different perspectives. I was able to learn something from everyone I spoke to and it showed me how much community there is in this career field. Everybody is so eager to learn.
Journalism can be very isolating, so it’s very encouraging to meet people who are likeminded and enjoy writing and reporting. I learned some people’s favorite stories that they’ve written and some stories that held the most impact for them.
It’s so important that we should have that time together to share our stories and to share what drives us to work in journalism.
In this issue, we look at the St. Petersburg mayoral race and what three campaigns will bring to LGBTQ+ rights. We speak with Mayor Ken Welch, Brandi Gabbard, a current member of St. Petersburg City Council and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist.
In Tampa Bay news, St Pete Pride cancels Shades of Pride and solicits financial support while LGBTQ+ organizations endorse Michele Rayner for state Senate. In Central Florida, Winter Park Playhouse unveils its newly renovated theater and a transgender teen girl quits an Irish dance competition following threats from Florida Republicans.
I hope you will continue to support Watermark Out News and trust us to be your LGBTQ+ news source.
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