What's New @ PRNDI

2009 Conference wraps up in Portland

Thanks to all the PRNDI members and great speakers who made this year's annual PRNDI Conference in Portland such a great success.  The conference highlights included a conversation with NPR CEO Vivian Schiller, a keynote speech by Tom Goldman, pre-conference training with the wonderful folks from the BBC's World Have Your Say, and a couple of sessions with Poynter's Jill Geisler.  What a great way for members to re-connect, re-fresh and re-charge.  The conference closed on Saturday, June 13th with the presentation of this year's PRNDI Awards (you can see a full list of awardees at our awards page) and the presentation of the Leo C. Lee Award to Doug Mitchell - formerly of National Public Radio.  Doug was recognized for the work he's done over the years to encourage young people - and particularly young people of color - to get into public radio.  Congrats Doug!

PRNDG Live!

The Public Radio News Directors Guide (PRNDG) is a cooperative effort between PRNDI and NPR's Local News Initiative.  Available at http://www.prndg.org/ -- this is the first compendium of its kind providing a comprehensive body of advice, best practices and additional resources. 

"We hope the PRNDG serves the diverse needs of veterans and new news directors alike," said Michael Marcotte, the guide's author and the former news director of KPBS, San Diego and KPLU, Seattle-Tacoma.  Marcotte consulted with more than 80 news directors in compiling the guide. New media journalist Andrew Phelps, now editor of wbur.org, produced the PRNDG Web site. 

The guide's launch represents completion of the two-year "start-up phase" in what is envisioned as a multi-stage rollout. The coming phase includes plans to add a front-page blog, more multimedia content and site-based social-networking tools. These will increase the value of the PRNDG as a place for timely discussion of journalism issues while allowing users to add content.

The Prez Sez:

Considering the economy, nearly every conversation I have these days about PRNDI centers around two questions.  First "How is PRNDI doing financially?", and secondly, "Are you considering cancelling the conference?".  The answer to the questions are ok, and absolutely not. PRNDI carried forward a positive balance in its operations funds into 2009.  And our reserves, while battered by the stock market, are still healthy enough to help us if the need arises.  As to the conference, we are a go for Portland in June.  It's important for PRNDI members to know that our contract with the hotel would guarantee that if we were to cancel, we would lose more money in penalties than we would if we held the conference with low attendance.  More importantly, we believe the PRNDI conference is very important to the future of the organization and serving the membership.  So even if we have a drastic reduction in attendance, it will still serve our organizations goals.

All that said, the PRNDI board is approaching 2009 with the same level of financial austerity that many of the member stations are facing.  We won't be able to do as much, but we will do a lot with the resources we have.  The board remains committed to serving the membership, and being responsible stewards of the organization's money.  I hope to see many of you in Portland this June.

Jonathan Ahl, PRNDI President