MEDIA RESEASE COURTESY OF: Walkley Foundation

What’s the story? Find out at the Walkley Media conference.

For some time now we’ve been hearing about the crisis in the media and publishing industries. But the Walkleys says this is old news – it’s time to move on.

With a new conference called “What’s the Story? Powerful narrative and other tales from the future” the Walkley Foundation and the Media Alliance will host a gathering of leading thinkers, journalists, authors and other media creators to look at what comes next and the kinds of tools and skills needed to continue to tell great stories in the changing media landscape.

This is a unique event with narrative and the desire to craft great stories linking journalists, authors, industry leaders, freelancers, digital media creators, film-makers and creators of all kinds in discussion on how to survive and thrive in a new and uncertain—but exciting—digital era.

The program runs over four days, from August 9-12 at the NSW Teachers’ Federation in Surry Hills, starting on August 9 with intensive training sessions and some flagship discussions about the 24hr news cycle, and a keynote from Peter Fray, the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald. Tuesday August 10 and Wednesday August 11 are packed with panels and masterclasses on the future of journalism and the power of narrative.

The conference will draw on the experience and imagination of key media thinkers and strategists to look at what the future holds for the media industry. Leading US journalists John Nichols (The Nation) and Jay Rosen (NYU) will be joined by Australian media leaders Mark Scott, Campbell Reid, and Karim Temsamani to discuss their vision of the future of journalism and the speed at which we are moving towards it.

A headline panel on political narratives will feature Laurie Oakes, Annabel Crabb, Kerry O’Brien, and Malcolm Turnbull as they reflect on how the turbo-charged news cycle has changed the way we report and understand politics.

Other speakers include Anna Broinowski, David Marr, James Bradley, Mark Dapin, Malcolm Knox, Alice Pung, international guests including Bob Dotson, from NBC’s Today, Knight News Challenge winner Harry Dugmore, from Rhodes University, BBC School of Journalism social media trainer Claire Wardle and Heather Allen from Al Jazeera.

This diverse and talented group of people will share the ways they make their stories sing and sell, as well as suggesting how best to maintain and enhance traditional standards, while carving a viable marketplace in this turbulent era.

The conference will also include a day dedicated to freelance journalists, with discussions and workshops tailored specifically for freelancers with varying levels of experience, and a public affairs program with special guests, including the celebrated economics writer and editor Ross Gittins, Tim Gartrell, CEO Generation One, Peter Khalil, of Hawker Britton and many more.

For more information and the latest program, visit our the Walkley Conference website.