EOU collaborates with EO Media Group to host Rural Journalism Conference

April 13, 2023

EOU collaborates with EO Media Group to host Rural Journalism Conference

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University (EOU) will be holding a Rural Journalism conference in partnership with Eastern Oregon Media Group on Friday, April 21.

The conference will include panel discussions along with in-person and virtual discussions from distinguished journalists from various Eastern Oregon news outlets. Students, the public, and journalists will have the perfect opportunity to learn, collaborate and network while in attendance. 

The conference will take place on Friday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at EOU’s Gilbert Event Center. This event is free for students and registered journalists. Individuals can register here. 

“Journalists are needed now more than ever, especially in rural communities and areas like Eastern Oregon,” said Regional Editorial Director of EO Media Group Andrew Cutler. “This conference, we hope, will provide the journalists serving in those areas and those who aspire to be journalists, some more tools to put in their toolbox.” 

Presentations will cover a variety of topics including covering agriculture and natural resources by Joe Beach, the importance of analytics by Susan Forrester Rana, the nuts and bolts of building out a digital publication by The Daily Yonder, new approaches to people forward stories by Tom Hallman, federal law and journalist rights by Nick Budnick, visual journalism by Ben Lonergan and Tim Mustoe, covering diversity in rural Oregon by Myers Reece, cops and courts by Kelsie McDaniel and audience engagement by EOU’s Director of Marketing Justin Montgomery.

Additionally, there will be two panel discussions on the unique challenges to reporting in rural areas and the best practices for digital journalism.