News World 2002 to incorporate technology showcase

The eighth annual News World conference, to be held in Dublin's Burlington Hotel from November 19-21, is to also include the organisation's News Technology conference.
Kerry Stevenson, head of the MMM consultancy, who are handling sales and marketing for News World, said: "By merging the two events News World is able to offer technology suppliers, technical experts and senior journalists a unique opportunity to meet each other and debate the issues that affect them all."
Major news organisations, manufacturers and service suppliers, including Leitch, Omnibus, Pinnacle Systems, APTN, Reuters, CBS News and Dremedia have already signed up for News World.
News World's executive producer Tim Orchard and editorial director Patrick Stoddart are developing a draft programme for the new look Dublin conference, to be published shortly. The conference's overarching theme is to be the relationship between government and media, and the effect that has on the democratic process around the world. Other sessions will include a review of the increasing danger to news crews on frontline duty and the challenge of rising costs and falling budgets. The conference will also reveal the findings of a major 12-month survey into contrasting coverage of the unfolding drama of September 11 and its aftermath.
News World is working closely with the internationally respected Rory Peck Trust to highlight the Trust's work in safeguarding the interests of freelance journalists and their families, and News World 2002 will also see the launch of a major new education initiative to bring journalism students and lecturers to Dublin for a series of journalism masterclasses given by some of the world's top broadcast news practitioners.
Stoddart said: "We're very excited by the course News World is taking this year. The education initiative is something we have wanted to do for years, and we're delighted that Rob Brown, of Salford University media department, has agreed to act as our consultant to make sure it hits the mark.
"We are also launching a documentary showcase programme to allow current affairs producers from all over the world to screen their work. We want to break down some of the meaningless barriers between news and current affairs, and to some extent between broadcast and print journalism, and the conference will reflect how they work off the same agenda - or in some instances to completely different and opposing ones.
"This will be the most challenging News World conference ever, and we already know that broadcasters, journalists, politicians and manufacturers are relishing the prospect of what will be some fiery debates."
(GB)