Does the ideal newsroom exist? It does once every four years in a selected city in the United States.
It includes hungry reporters and photographers, video editors, producers and camera people for print, web, radio and TV from all over the nation. You name it, we’ve got it. The UNITY News, that is our name, convergence and diversity is our game.
If you’re like me, you’re a little sad that the UNITY convention is coming to a close. On the bright side, you still have Saturday to make the most of your trip.
The moment I arrived at my hotel I craved a slice of piping hot Chicago-style pizza. Coming from Columbus, Ohio I can satisfy my love of the classic Uno’s, by way of the frozen food aisle. Not autentico!
Ask a few people around town to describe the 228 neighborhoods in Chicago and two distinctions systematically arise: the north side and the south side of Chicago. While 3 million people live within the “Windy City,” it’s uncommon for a person living in the south side to encounter north-sider.
Grammy Award-winning songstress Patti Austin recently took time out of her busy schedule to discuss why she’s supporting NABJ and other UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.’s alliance organizations during its upcoming benefit concert on Saturday.
There are a few names you might not expect to see when you turn the corner at the career expo, such as Amtrak, World Wrestling Entertainment and Wal-Mart.
Chicago is a place that knows its pierogies. With a sizable Polish population that rivals Warsaw, walking through Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood you’ll hear Polish spoken by locals enjoying borsht, galumpkis and sausages.
Can young journalists financially afford to take unpaid internships to get a few steps farther along their career path?
The James M. Cox Foundation will award $50,000 in scholarships to support minority journalism students, Cox Enterprises Inc. announced Thursday.
Freelancing can be a lucrative and stable source of income – if you know the tricks of the trade. The workshop called, “Stepchild No more: Becoming a Successful Freelancer," reveals those tricks and much more.
Senegal president Abdoulaye Wade said he does not presume that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, if elected president, would be a better ally for his country than Sen. John McCain. “I don’t push people behind color…I don’t believe Barack Obama will be at the service of Africa,” Wade said in an interview with The UNITY News and the Chicago Sun-Times. “They’re all Americans, anyways. I’m not making any postulates. He has to prove it.”
Networking and potential career opportunities aren’t the only plus side of the career fair. Now recruiters are revamping the standard pen-and-notebook giveaway to offer visitors a bit more fun. We take a look at the top five schwag items that made this online reporter jump for joy.
It’s not often reporters see their stories printed on the back of a T-shirt.
But for Howard Witt, the southwest bureau chief of the Chicago Tribune, this was his reality when protesters during a civil rights protest wore "Free the Jena Six" T-shirts featuring his story printed on the back.
Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade told a dozen American journalists today that “there are too many papers in Senegal, too many journalists.”
“Immigration coverage is not the same as covering immigrants,” said Steve Holmes, deputy national editor for domestic policy at the Washington Post. “You don’t have to tell the story of immigrants but economic stories about immigrants.”
Being the new kid on the block can be hard. Here are some tips that will get UNITY newcomers through the action-packed convention.
On to our next challenge: the famous Chicago delis. As the second City, Chicago has been just as recognized for its mile high deli sandwiches as it is for the mustached natives who prepare them.
Reporters Kevin Du and Dioni L. Wise chronicled a day hanging out at U.S. Cellular Field with the White Sox. They were with a class that included Justice B. Hill, MLB.com editor, and Jose Miguel Romero, sports reporter for The Seattle Times, and ESPN.com columnist J.A. Adande.
I wasn’t prepared for the impact "The Wire" actor Wendell Pierce would have on me as a journalist.
Complimentary shuttle service is provided between McCormick Place West and the hotels listed below. Shuttle departs convention center on the hour and half-hour.
In this regular feature, UNITY News Online mentor Chantal de la Rionda takes to the streets to uncover which famous Chicago eateries have earned their reputations, and which ones should be put to rest. The first in the series is Portillo’s Hotdogs.

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Student media project reporters are out getting the latest updates on UNITY 2008.
The room looks familiar. I've been here before.
Skilled technicians and hard-working journalists have turned a McCormick Convention Center into a newsroom with white-clothed tables weighed with dozens of computers and the hopes of students who want to do what I do, what my colleagues do, for a living: report the news.
McDonald products makes their way to the news realm
As far as the number of participants who are concerned with security, UNITY "isn’t a big deal," says assistant director of McCormick Place, Fred Simon. Past events, which included such famous names as Sen. Barack Obama and former presidents, have had much more attendees at McCormick than what’s expected at UNITY.
The New York Times reported on a blogger whose site generates enough traffic to pull in a six-figure salary. Not too shabby.
A long time ago -- in this industry that doesn’t actually mean a long time -- there existed a position called the news ombudsman. Foregoing all of its Swedish history, the ombudsman (sometimes also referred to the readers' representative or public editor) is a third-party individual who “handles complaints and attempts to find mutually satisfactory solutions,” according to the Organization of News Ombudsmen (ONO) website.
So, they’ve got the peoples’ back.
A newspaper subscriber strikes back. A (Raleigh) News & Observer subscriber is suing the North Carolina-based newspaper for cutting staff and content in the paper.
Well-known journalists, including CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien, will attend UNITY to participate in panels and other events. The UNITY schedule of events details when and where you can catch up with these newsmen and women.
Here a few pictures from the Student Orientation and Student Welcome Reception on Sunday. It was a great opportunity for students to get to know their mentors, as well as networking with professionals.
If you're looking for some good - and cheap - eats around the convention center, Chef Luciano is waiting with his "Gypsy cuisine."
Rules aren't always fun, but are sometimes necessary. We've kept these codes of conduct short and sweet, so that the readership will know what kinds of comments will and will not be tolerated on this blog.
After much uncertainty about his plans, Presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama confirmed he will speak to the UNITY membership on Sunday – the last day of the convention.
Maynard Institute’s Richard Prince reports that Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain are scheduled at other events on Thursday, July 24, the same day as the UNITY presidential candidate forum to which they were invited.
Career fairs can be nerve-racking for job seekers. Well, famed Detroit Free Press recruiter Joe Grimm gives you tips on how to make a good impression.
It’s hard to believe that anything will be happening outside of the UNITY Convention, but a city as cosmopolitan as Chicago continues to offer several diversions during the week of UNITY.
Newspapers around the country have laid off staff by the dozens and haven't replaced those positions, opting to institute a hiring freeze instead. Some potential convention registrants wonder if any news directors will look to hire prospects at UNITY.