Registration is open for the VPC 2018 Spring Conference. This year’s conference will feature speakers on a wide range of topics relevant to communications professionals, including:

Fake News and Real Journalism with Tom Mullen, Director of Public Affairs Journalism at the University of Richmond

Tom Mullen will discuss the fake news phenomenon, and how it impacts newsrooms and public opinion. He’ll also talk about how future journalists are trained and share perspectives on how PR professionals can maintain truth in news.

He began his career in journalism by walking into the newsroom at the Kingsport Times-News when he was 19 and refusing to leave for good until he was compelled to graduate from college. He has worked as a reporter, copy editor, assignment editor and photographer at daily and weekly newspapers in Tennessee and Virginia. He now teaches full-time at the University of Richmond.

 

Facebook Live: Opportunities Beyond Point and Shoot with Anne Dreyfuss, public relations specialist at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Keith Kaufelt, social media specialist for VCU Health.

When Facebook launched its live streaming feature, communications professionals were handed a new tool to capture authentic moments in real time for their audience. The VCU Health communications team pioneered utilizing Facebook Live and have developed platform-specific communication channels that make the most of the live streaming platform. Anne and Keith will share the best practices they developed in their journey from passive user to live content producer.

As a public relations specialist at Virginia Commonwealth University, Anne Dreyfuss manages communications for the academic medical center’s five health sciences schools. Her pitching and media relations efforts have resulted in positive coverage for VCU from national outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, People magazine, and the Discovery Channel. She previously served as a writer and editor at a regional magazine before transitioning to public relations.

As the social media specialist for VCU Health, Keith Kaufelt oversees social media strategy for the academic medical center. His efforts have resulted in improved content quality and the introduction of growing platforms for the health system, including Facebook Live. He brings a wealth of experience to VCU Health, having worked previously with the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond and Chil Creative in Atlanta.

 

Seeing Ethics Through 7 Lenses with Linda Fisher Thornton, CEO of Leading in Context

Communicators know that ethical mistakes are highly visible, and issues are increasingly complex. Seeing ethics from only one perspective (“ethics is character” or “ethics is following laws and regulations”) misses the richness of the full picture. Linda Fisher Thornton, author of 7 Lenses, will share 7 perspectives for “seeing” ethical responsibility that provide a multidimensional view, matching the complexity of our work and our world.

An experienced leadership development consultant and author, Linda has a passion for ethical leadership. Her book, 7 Lenses, introduces a 7-Lens model for thinking through ethical complexity.  Thornton consults and speaks across industries and teaches as adjunct associate professor for the University of Richmond SPCS. She is one of the Inc. Top 100 Leadership Speakers for 2018. For more information, visit Thornton’s website and blog at LeadinginContext.com.

We look forward to hearing from these speakers! Register now.