NEFAI 2018 Schedule
Journalists from a variety of media and all six New England states will gather Sept. 16-18 at Northeastern University in Boston to learn the latest investigative and database reporting techniques and public records access skills. The fellows chosen for this eighth annual New England First Amendment Institute reflect today’s diverse news media and come from daily and weekly newspapers, television and radio stations and online publications. Learn more about NEFAI 2018.
DAY ONE — The Value of Transparency
September 16
2:00 Registration [Egan Hall]
2:45 – 4:00 Keynote Address [Egan Hall]
Stephanie McCrummen | The Washington Post
Introduction: Karen Bordeleau | Emerson College, The Providence Journal (retired)
4:00 – 4:15 Break
4:15 – 6:00 Panel: Tales from the Trenches [Egan Hall]
Panelists will share their practical experience in investigative work through painstaking interviewing and use of freedom of information laws to unearth corruption and bring truth to light.
Mike Beaudet | WCVB-Boston, Northeastern University
Jennifer Bjorhus | Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Michael Kilian | Burlington Free Press
Moderator: Karen Bordeleau | Emerson College, The Providence Journal (retired)
7:30 Dinner [Off-Site – Maggiano’s Little Italy]
Dinner will be served at Maggiano’s Little Italy, 4 Columbus Avenue in Boston. A shuttle will be provided from the institute hotel to the restaurant at 7 p.m. and from the restaurant back to the hotel at 9:30 p.m.
DAY TWO — How Do We Harness FOI Laws and Public Data to Further Investigations
September 17
8:15 – 8:30 Announcements [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
8:30 – 9:30 Common Pitfalls in Accessing Documents Through FOI Requests and How to Respond [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Jenifer McKim | New England Center for Investigative Reporting
Cheryl W. Thompson | George Washington University, Contributing Investigative Reporter for The Washington Post
Tim White | WPRI-Providence
Moderator: Karen Bordeleau | Emerson College, The Providence Journal (retired)
9:30 – 9:45 Break
9:45 – 10:45 Tips for Staying Out of Legal Trouble: Common Issues in Defamation and Invasion of Privacy [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Robert A. Bertsche | Prince Lobel Tye, LLP
Gregory V. Sullivan | Malloy & Sullivan
10:45 – 11:15 Break
11:15 – 1:15 Break-Out Sessions A
The specifics of each state’s public records and open meeting laws will be discussed and hands-on cases will be reviewed in break-out sessions with knowledgeable attorneys and journalists from each state.
Connecticut [Curry Student Center – Room 340]
James H. Smith | New England First Amendment Coalition
Mary Schwind | Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
Maine [Curry Student Center – McLeod Suites]
Dieter Bradbury | Portland Press Herald
Sigmund Schutz | PretiFlaherty
Massachusetts [Curry Student Center – McLeod Suites]
Peter J. Caruso, Sr. | Caruso and Caruso, LLP
Todd Wallack | The Boston Globe
New Hampshire [Curry Student Center – Room 346]
Rick Gagliuso | Gagliuso and Gagliuso, PA
TBA
Rhode Island [Curry Student Center – McLeod Suites]
Raymond A. Marcaccio | Oliverio & Marcaccio, LLP
Amanda Milkovits | Providence Journal
Vermont [Curry Student Center – Room 346]
Michael Donoghue | Burlington Free Press (formerly)
Lia Ernst | American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont
12:15 Lunch [Served in Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
1:15 – 1:30 Break
1:30 – 2:30 Thinking Through a Story From Hunch to Headline While Using Available Databases [Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Allison Jarmanning | WBUR-Boston
2:30 – 2:45 Break
2:45 – 3:45 Former Fellows Panel [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Collin Binkley | The Associated Press
Nicole Dungca | The Boston Globe
Diana Pinzon | WPRI-Providence
Moderator: Michael Donoghue | Vermont Press Association
4:45 – 8:30 (or later) Dinner and Presentation [Off-Site – Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant]
Dinner will be served at Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant, 425 W. Broadway in South Boston. Shuttles will be provided for those who need transportation from the institute to the restaurant. A shuttle will also be provided from the restaurant to the institute hotel at 8:30 p.m. though you are welcome to stay later.
5:15 – 6:15 Featured Speaker
Terence Smith | Contributing Columnist, Capital Gazette (Annapolis, Md.)
6:15 Dinner
DAY THREE — Digging Deeply and Listening Carefully
September 18
8:15 – 8:30 Announcements [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
8:30 – 10:00 Panel: Effective Sourcing [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
When your FOI request languishes your reporting continues. Developing sources, relationships, knowing how to evaluate what you get.
Cindy Galli | ABC News
Eric Moskowitz | The Boston Globe
Emilie Munson | Hearst Connecticut
Moderator: Michael Donoghue | Vermont Press Association
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 12:15 Break-Out Sessions B
Using database technology to analyze publicly available or FOI-request-won data to understand societal, financial, and economic trends is an important tool for the seasoned reporter.
Basic Database Analysis [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Brooke Williams | Boston University
Samata Joshi | Boston University
Advanced Database Analysis [Curry Student Center – Room 346]
Matt Kauffman | Hartford Courant
12:15 – 1:45 Lunch [Curry Student Center – McLeod Suites]
12:45 Featured Speaker
David Cuillier | The University of Arizona
1:45 – 2:30 Photo/Break [TBD]
2:30 – 3:30 Break-Out Sessions C
The Confrontational Interview & Transition to Audio or Video [Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Eric Rasmussen | Boston 25 News
Writing Workshop and Narrative Flow [Curry Student Center – Room 346]
Jeff Howe | Northeastern University
3:30 – 3:45 Concluding Remarks [Curry Student Center – Senate Chambers – Room 333]
Justin Silverman | New England First Amendment Coalition