Getting social at #CAJ16

OTTAWA, April 5, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists' annual conference is a social highlight of our calendar – though for 2016, we're inviting delegates to get social.

As the use of social media continues to intertwine itself with the practice of journalism, #CAJ16 will present a number of opportunities to get up close and personal with some of the best practitioners of the tools used to ply this space.

Twitter Canada's Steve Ladurantaye will return to the CAJ stage – but this year he's taking on a different mission. His session on Twitter will kick off the day on May 28, the second full day of #CAJ16 sessions at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel. Delegates will be invited to start their day with a cuppa in one hand and, perhaps, a mobile device in the other as Ladurantaye goes from repeating why journalists should be using Twitter to how they can take their presence to the next level.

Our social-media content isn't limited to Twitter though – on May 27, AJ+'s Shadi Rahimi will lead a hands-on workshop focused on mobile video. With the devices in delegates' pockets, Rahimi will show how Periscope can become an important part of how any journalist covers and instantly broadcasts events.

A session scheduled for May 28 will feature three Alberta-based journalists who on any good day are able to slay the multi-platform beast that is daily news. The Edmonton Journal's Paula Simons, Elise Stolte and Maclean's Jason Markusoff will share practical tips on how they feed social media, take visuals and type text for their newsrooms' online platforms and print editions.

"These three sessions are an example of how #CAJ16 brings relevant professional development and discussion to delegates they can bring back to their own workplaces," CAJ president Nick Taylor-Vaisey said.

Fees for #CAJ16 start at $249 plus HST for CAJ members for the full weekend, including a ticket to the conference banquet and gala. Rates for unemployed journalists and CAJ student member start at $75. These rates will rise on May 20.

Registration is currently open for this two-day conference, scheduled to run from Friday, May 27, to Saturday, May 28, at the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel in Edmonton, Alta. The hotel is also offering a conference rate, starting at $110 a night plus taxes and fees.

Additional pieces of the #CAJ conference program are still being finalized and will be posted as they are confirmed.

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing over 600 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide public-interest advocacy and high-quality professional development for its members.

www.caj.ca/caj16 | www.facebook.com/CdnAssocJournalists | www.twitter.com/CAJ

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists

Nick Taylor-Vaisey, CAJ president, 647-968-2393, [email protected]; Hugo Rodrigues, #CAJ16 conference chair, [email protected]; Dale Bass, CAJ events committee chair, [email protected]; Registration questions can be sent to: [email protected]