2004 AASFE Conference: New Orleans
Lagniappe; lagnappe [lan-YAP; LAN-yap]
Used Primarily in Southern Louisiana and Southeast Texas, the word
lagniappe refers to an "unexpected something extra." It could be an
additional doughnut (as in a "baker's dozen,") a free "one for the
road" drink, an unanticipated tip for someone who provides a special
service or possibly a complimentary dessert for a regular customer.
(Copyright Barron's Educational Services Inc.)
New Orleans is a city graced with many "unexpected extras," making
it the perfect place for the 58th annual American Association of Sunday
and Feature Editors convention, Sept. 29 through Oct. 2.
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The smart women unveiled flip flops from their purses while the rest
teetered the 10 blocks from the Hilton New Orleans Riverside through
the French Quarter’s cobblestone streets to Arnaud’s, where an opening
night party and Hall of Fame induction kicked off AASFE’s 58th annual
conference. Drawn by promises of a bountiful feast – a food orgy only
possible in New Orleans – the 100-plus throng of mostly feature editors
snaked up flights of stairs and through hallways flanked by celebrity
photos, stopping only to catch a whiff of sautéed baby soft-shelled
crabs.
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For attendees at AASFE's 58th annual conference in New Orleans, the
Deep South might summon images of Dixie gents sipping bourbon or prim
debutantes awash in pink. Julia Reed, author of "Queen of the Turtle
Derby and Other Southern Phenomena" (Random House/2004) and a New
Orleans resident, came to the conference to say these impressions
aren't entirely accurate: the South is as much about violence over
Thanksgiving dinner as it is about cotillion balls.
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Leonard Pitts Jr., winner of this year's Pulitzer Prize in commentary,
had a succinct but powerful message for journalists at AASFE's 58th
annual conference on Friday: Lose the labels and listen to what real
people have to say. At the Hilton Riverside, the syndicated columnist
for the Miami Herald disputed the idea that America is marked by an
ideological chasm separating the blue and red states. Tags such as
"conservative" and "liberal" are useless to anyone aiming to present a
principled argument, Pitts said.
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Everyone does it. Some more than others. We eat. Boy, do we eat.
Americans _ even children _ are in an obesity crisis. It's an epidemic,
health officials say. So why do so many newspaper editors regard food
sections as fluff? It's time for them to recognize the food beat for
what it is: News.
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Features writer Lane DeGregory is always in search of that next great
story. She's a people person who likes hanging out with the fat man at
the fair -- the kind of guy who claimed he was 600 pounds when he was
actually a slimmer 425 pounds.
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A music critic accepts a free ticket to a sold-out concert. A reporter
mentions on his blog a rumor the mayor will resign. A columnist
self-plagiarizes. Some news industry scandals are magnets for
attention, as Dan Rather recently showed, but grayer and less dramatic
ethical dilemmas routinely arise in newsrooms.
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As the panel discussion “Hip, New Sections” began, it became obvious
that the elusive 18- to 24-year-old demographic may have finally met
its match. Newspapers across the country are contemplating trendy ways
to attract the younger generation, and this year, at AASFE’s 58th
annual conference, three creative editors shared their success stories.
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The devil might wear Prada, but most newspaper readers don’t. That was
the message that style experts had for features and fashion editors at
an early bird workshop on “What to Wear” during AASFE’s 58th annual
convention. So how do newspapers cover fashion with flair across race,
income and age demographics?
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You might grimace at the gimmicky Entertainment Weekly or the domestic
Budget Living magazines. But if you’re a features editor at a
newspaper, chances are those publications have an important thing going
for them that yours doesn’t: more readers.
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Public interest in cultural activities is burgeoning. At the same time,
arts coverage in the U.S. media is lagging. “We’re trying to send more
and more arts down the same pipeline,” said Andras Szanto, co-editor of
Reporting the Arts II: News Coverage of Arts and Culture in America.
“The years ahead are going to be fascinating.”
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Readers are isolated and searching for cultural touchstones, said
advice columnist Carolyn Hax. Dan Savage said the Lewinsky-Clinton
affair was a pivotal moment in journalism: The media learned that
readers can handle sex. Amy Dickinson said she’s "beating the drum for
kindness and tolerance." The three advice columnists dished for editors
and writers at two sessions during AASFE’s 58th annual convention.
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Politics are on readers’ clothing, their cars, at their tables and on
their minds. So why aren’t politics more frequently in our features
sections? In an idea-filled hour led by Washington Post features editor
and writing coach Mary Hadar, editors at “Politics and features? You
betcha!” came away with a list of story ideas -- and arguments for
getting them into print.
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New Orleans, La. — On a recent school holiday HGTV host Debbie Travis
walked into her teenage sons bedrooms and threatened beatings if they
didn't clean up. Before she knew it, they were giving away the
furniture. Their beds and wardrobe drawers littered lawns throughout
their Montreal neighborhood.
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