NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—The pursuit of excellence in Christian journalism was the theme that drew 147 students, faculty and staff to the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tenn., for the eighth annual Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference, Oct. 9-11. Christian journalists Rudy Kalis, Jim Veneman and Kathy Chapman Sharp delivered addresses on the theme, “Pursue Excellence,” and workshops focused on topics such as news writing, photography, blogging and career advancement. Crystal Donahue, a student from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, said the conference was a “huge encouragement booster.” “Sometimes it’s a little hard to go out onto the field,” she said of journalism. “You get disappointed, you get discouraged and you get shot down. But then when you’re here, you’re around professionals who are successful and passing down useful information.” Ryan Puhr, a student from Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla., said having professional journalists review his work was a particularly helpful aspect of the weekend. “The portfolio reviews were really helpful,” he said. “We got a lot of great feedback on our newspaper.” The conference also featured worship led by Christian recording artists Austins Bridge and a dialogue for faculty members on how student journalists can address adversity on their campuses. Awards for writing, photography, yearbook, Internet journalism and broadcast journalism were handed out to students in the Excellence in Journalism competition, including the President’s Award, an overall individual honor based on a candidate’s leadership in a school’s journalism program, scholarship across all studies, portfolio of work and a free-form essay about career aspirations and how faith figures in future journalistic plans. Read More
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--When Christian journalists offer intelligent insights about the stories they cover, they increase the likelihood people will want to hear what they have to say about Jesus, David Brody said Oct. 11 at the Excellence in Journalism Banquet in Nashville, Tenn.
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Tensions, attacks continue in India NEW DELHI, India (BP)--After police in India’s state of Orissa confirmed Oct. 6 that a key Hindu nationalist was killed by Maoists, a Hindu extremist group allegedly circulated forged documents in an attempt to implicate a local church in the Aug. 23 murder.
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'Fireproof' still hot in third weekend NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Fireproof" had another solid showing in its third weekend, finishing in the top 5 on a per-theater average and passing the $16 million mark for total gross, according to studio estimates.
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First Person
Joe McKeever FIRST-PERSON: An opportunity in hard times
NEW ORLEANS (BP)--An absolutely fool-proof way to stress yourself out is by staying glued to the television newscasts about the economy. "Wall Street dropped another 700 points today!" "Here is our panel of experts to tell you why the news is just going to get worse!" "Big Plants, Inc., is laying off another 4,000 employees!"
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