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UPDATED: Luxe and learn at UT
Posted By katie allison granju
Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to hear Rob Curley speak as part of the Web Journalism Conversation conference being hosted by UT’s journalism program. It was hosted at the skybox club at Gate 26 up inside Neyland Stadium. I’d never been to the skybox before, and let me tell you - that place is SWANK. I don’t mean swank like a really nice restaurant or club - and I’ve been to some very nice places in my life - I mean a whole different level of swank. Let me put it to you this way: I now understand for the first time exactly what a $1 million donation to the UT Athletics Department will get you.
The view of the field was, as would be expected, astonishing. But the other view- through the ginormous picture windows on the other side of the huge clubhouse - was the best surprise. It’s the loveliest view of downtown Knoxville imaginable. And as it was a misty, beautiful evening, the view was even more amazing.
The crowd was large and friendly. Dr. Jim Stovall, who heads up UT’s electronic media efforts in the College of Communications, did a terrific job bringing together Knoxville journalists, bloggers and academics. Among the folks at the event were:
Randy and Michele Neal
Betty Bean
Rikki Hall
Jack Lail
Lauren Spuhler
Bob Benz
Knight Stivender
Robert Morgan
Patrick Beeson
The blogger behind White’s Creek Journal (I was thrilled to get to meet him and wish we’d had time to chat, as I’m a big fan of his blogging)
Jon Hickman (Knoxville’s hottest guy blogger)
And I’m sure there are others I either didn’t run into, or am forgetting.
Anyway, after a nice supper, Rob Curley began his presentation. Rob is rather (in)famous in the world of online journalism for his newspaper work in Lawrence, Kansas, Naples (at a Scripps property), and now at the Washington Post. He’s known as one of the leading thinkers in this evolving field. I was really looking forward to hearing him speak.
And he certainly didn’t disappoint.
He spoke for more than two hours, working off his laptop, projected onto a screen behind him. Over the two hours, he showed us dozens and dozens of specific examples of online journalism initiatives he believes represent the best and most innovative stuff he’s been involved in.
I loved some of it, hated a little bit of it, and was utterly blown away by all of it.
(I’ll be continuing this post - which will be quite lengthy - throughout the day, so check back if you are interested in hearing more about the evening, the very interesting crowd, and the fascinating things
Rob Curley had to say.)
Apr 4th, 2008
