FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/5/2014

Contact:
Scott Leadingham, SPJ Director of Education, 317-927-8000 ext. 211, sleadingham@spj.org
Taylor Carlier, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 205, tcarlier@spj.org

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kara Swisher, co-CEO of Revere Digital and co-founder of technology news and analysis site Re/Code, spoke at Excellence in Journalism 2014 Friday about her perspective of where technology and journalism are moving, and how journalists should follow.

The Society of Professional Journalists and the Radio Television Digital News Association co-hosted the Excellence in Journalism conference from Sept. 4-6 in Nashville, Tenn., offering training, networking and recruiting opportunities for journalists, educators and news organizations.

At EIJ14, Swisher took the stage to share her story of a female journalist and business owner navigating a segment of the industry that has much less gender (and other) diversity than it should. She spoke about sexist issues facing tech and journalism today, such as apps being made by all men, when the majority of users are women.

“There is no denying that what is going on in the tech world and journalism is so male-based,” Swisher said.

According to Swisher “it is really important that these issues in newsrooms and technology aren’t just a women’s issue, they are an everybody issue.”

She went on to examine other topics, such as why journalists are resisting change in technology and newsroom structure. Specifically, she spoke about how some news outlets are continually trying to get young readers, but want to keep their same medium – print. Swisher believes journalists are struggling with stepping out completely into the digital realm.

“(Journalists) are risk adverse … Most people in current news organizations resist the inevitable.”

She wrapped up her talk by answering questions from an audience full of journalists.

Swisher co-produced and co-hosted The Wall Street Journal’s “D: All Things Digital,” with Mossberg. It was the major high-tech conference with interviewees such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and many other leading players in the tech and media industries. The gathering was considered one of the leading conferences focused on the convergence of tech and media industries.

She received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and her graduate degree at Columbia University’s School of Journalism.

More of her accomplishments include authoring “Aol.com: How Steve Case Beat Bill Gates, Nailed the Netheads and Made Millions in the War for the Web,” which was published in 1998. The sequel, “There Must Be a Pony in Here Somewhere: The AOL Time Warner Debacle and the Quest for a Digital Future,” was published in 2003.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information on SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

RTDNA is the world's largest professional organization exclusively serving the electronic news profession, consisting of more than 3,000 news directors, news associates, educators and students. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, the association is dedicated to setting standards for newsgathering and reporting. Learn more about RTDNA at www.rtdna.org.

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