ICFJ and University of Guadalajara, Mexico 
Hold Journalism Conference on Digital Convergence

Washington, D.C. – The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) in Mexico are bringing together leaders in journalism and digital media from around the world for the university's Third International Conference of Journalists, "Digital Media: New Ways to Do Journalism," November 30 to December 2.

As Internet use grows rapidly in Latin America, the conference seeks to address the critical need to instill among journalists a "digital mindset" and an understanding of how new technologies can multiply the ways in which citizens can access news and information. The conference will address vital aspects of digital media including viable business models, credibility issues, newsroom integration and censorship, among other topics.

The conference furthers ICFJ's commitment to helping journalists around the world take advantage of trends in digital media and learn how to generate quality news across multiple platforms.
       
Among the leading panelists:

• Wael Abbas, Egyptian blogger, 2007 Knight International Journalism Award recipient
• Emilio Aliaga, Editorial and New Media Director, Televisa Digital (Mexico)
• Ana Arana, investigative reporter and current Knight International Journalism Fellow in Mexico City
• David Beard, Boston Globe, Editor of boston.com 
• Beth Belton, Asst. Business Editor, The Associated Press
• Neil Budde, Vice President and Editor in Chief of Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports, and Yahoo! Finance
• Renata Cabrales, Editor, elpais.com.co, Colombia
• Craig Duff, New York Times and former Knight International Journalism Fellow
• Stephen Franklin, Chicago Tribune and former Knight International Journalism Fellow
• Eugenio Godard Zapata, Guadalajara General Director, IBM (Mexico)
• Doug Harbrecht, New Media Editorial Director, Kiplingers.com
• Eduardo Hauser, Founder and CEO, DailyMe, a next-generation electronic publishing company
• Tom Kennedy, Managing Editor, Multimedia, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
• Ricardo Medina, Manager of Academic Development, Microsoft
• Doug Mitchell, Next Generation National Public Radio/Podcasting, former Knight International Journalism Fellow
• José Luis Orihuela, Communications Professor, University of Navarra, and author of the blog eCuaderno.com (Spain)
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"By innovatively embracing new technologies while working to improve journalism standards, we believe that quality digital media connects citizens with the information that can improve their lives," ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan said. "This conference will help hundreds of journalists in Latin America gain a greater appreciation for digital media and find new ways for media convergence."
       
The conference is part of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, the largest in the Spanish-speaking world, attracting journalists and professionals from across the region.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), a non-profit, professional organization, promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition. Since 1984, ICFJ has worked directly with more than 40,000 journalists from 176 countries. Aiming to raise the standards of journalism, ICFJ offers hands-on training workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to reporters and media managers around the globe. For more information, visit www.icfj.org.
       
The University of Guadalajara (UdeG), a public university based in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was originally founded in 1792 making it the second oldest university in Mexico. The University of Guadalajara is also the second largest and one of the most respected institutions of higher learning in Mexico, with 14 different campuses across the State of Jalisco and more than 190,000 students.