Internet Addiction Discussed Nov. 29

If you think your kids spend a lot of time with a phone in their hands, you're not alone. While staying connected has obvious benefits, too much of it can be bad for both their mental and physical health.

"Your Health At Risk: Internet Addiction in the Digital Age" brings together leading experts from the worlds of health and education to discuss how to safeguard against the hazards of an 'always-on' culture. It's one of 12 panel discussions featured at the Fair Media Council's annual event, "The News Conference: Real & Powerful," happening on Thursday, Nov. 29, 8 am - 4 pm at The Garden City Hotel.

Headlining the daylong conference is breakfast speaker Patrick Dolan, owner and CEO of Newsday, to discuss the future of Long Island news, and John Carreyrou, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal, who uncovered the fraud behind the Theranos blood-testing company. Carreyrou will speak at the luncheon.

Named to the 2018 Real and Powerful faculty are more than 50 news reporters, editors, news directors and communication professionals who are among the best in the business. They will present on a variety of topics, ranging from understanding news today and becoming a media-savvy news consumer to topics to help individuals and organizations get into the news, build important relationships with the media, and have their voices heard.

"This event is unlike any in the country, and an incredibly special day for Long Island, which is home to the Fair Media Council," said Jaci Clement, FMC CEO & Executive Director. "We bill this as 'A day of open dialogue with local, regional and national news media and the people it serves: You,' and the importance for such an event continues to grow, as our society is now beginning to fully embrace and understand the need for a media-savvy public."

Tickets are on sale now, and exhibit tables and sponsorships are still available. Any organization seeking to raise its profile, showcase its wares in front of the news media or backs the mission of the Fair Media Council in advocating for quality news and creating a media savvy society is a candidate to attend, exhibit or sponsor this event. FMC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Panels and speakers for the day include:
Session 1A. Why You Need News That's Real & Powerful: Establishing Trust in a Republic Fed Up with 'the Media' – After a nationwide "Not the Enemy" campaign, the news media doubles down to establish trust and credibility in the digital age. What's at stake is not only the survival of the media industry but that of an informed electorate and a strong foundation for democracy to flourish. It all starts with the media in your backyard.
Panelists:

• Carolyn Levin, Media Attorney & Professor, Long Island University & Member, Advisory Board, Fair Media Council
• Marcy McGinnis, Former Senior Vice President, News Coverage, CBS News
• Steve Rubel, Chief Content Strategist, Edelman & Member, Advisory Board, Fair Media Council

Moderator: Bruce Lambert, Reporter, The New York Times (retired) & Member, Advisory Board, Fair Media Council

Session 2A. Behind the Coverage: Power, Money & Politics – With the midterms in the rear view mirror, here's a look at what's next for an America mired down in politics in lieu of governing, with the added bonus of a White House providing never-before-seen challenges to media coverage and the public's right to know.
Panelists:

• Ben Max, Executive Editor, Gotham Gazette, & Host, Max & Murphy, WBAI
• Ben Mevorach, News & Programming Director, 1010WINS
• Pat Milton, Senior News Producer, CBS News

Moderator:

• Joe Calderone, Senior Vice President, Communications & Development, South Nassau Communities Hospital & Member, Board of Directors, Fair Media Council

Session 3A. Behind the Coverage: Race, Religion & Politics – Hot-button issues. A divisive nation. Here's a look at how the state of the media industry impacts what it chooses to cover, and how to cover, issues vital to the fabric of American society.
Panelists:

• Hugo Balta, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists
• Jay Dow, Correspondent, PIX 11 & Host, "Talk It Out With Jay Dow," Facebook Live
• Bob Keeler, Editorial Writer, Newsday & Member, Advisory Board, Fair Media Council
• Jon Friedman, Media Writer, Time, Esquire & more

Moderator: Michael Dawidziak, Founder & President, Strategic Planning Systems, Inc.

Session 1B. Roundtable Discussion: Real News, Right Now – A session devoted to demystifying media based on current events. Gain an understanding at how what's in today's news got there, the stories and decisions behind the scenes that turned stories into headlines, what's upfront and why other news didn't see the light of day.
Panelists:

• NJ Burkett, Reporter, WABC-TV
• Carol D'Auria, Reporter, 1010WINS
• David Freedlander, Contributor, New York Magazine, Politico Magazine, Daily Beast
• Amy Waldman, News Director, PIX 11

Moderator:

• Katherine Heaviside, President, Epoch 5 Public Relations

Session 2B. Establishing Relationships – Becoming a trusted source with the news media takes time, effort and commitment. Find out what the media wants from you, starting from the moment you introduce yourself to when it's time to try selling them a story.
Panelists:

• Aisha Al-Muslim, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
• Cecilia Dowd, Reporter, FiOS1 News
• Jodi Goldberg, Reporter, FOX5/WNYW
• Jamie Herzlich, Freelance Writer for Newsday
• Larry Jaffee, Lecturer, Journalism & New Media Studies, St. Joseph's College; Adjunct Professor, New York Institute of Technology; freelance journalist

Moderator: David North, Journalist & Broadcaster, Member, Board of Trustees, Press Club of Long Island

Session 3B. At Risk: Your Health & Wellness in the Digital Age – Technology ensures you're connected 24/7 but internet addiction is real and it's proving detrimental to mental and physical health. And it's about to get worse, as we take things to the next level with emerging forms of media – artificial intelligence, augmented reality and mixed reality – causing conflict between your brain (what you know) and your senses (what you feel). Here's what you need to know to protect the health and well being for you and your kids, at home, school and work.
Panelists:

• Jamie Cohen, Assistant Professor & Program Director, School of New Media, Molloy College
• Dr. Adhi Sharma, Chief Medical Officer, South Nassau Communities Hospital
• Donald Sturz, Ph.D., Superintendent, Valley Stream School District 24 & Member, Advisory Board, Fair Media Council
• Jessy Warner-Cohen, Ph.D., MPH, Health Psychologist, Long Island Jewish Medical Center & Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Medicine, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Moderator: Jeffrey L. Reynolds, Ph.D., CEAP, SAP, President & CEO, Family & Children's Association

Session 1C. From "Best-Kept Secret" to Influencer – Building your street cred through news coverage and an online presence is essential to strengthening your brand and finding an audience, especially if you're trying to reach Millennials and even their younger siblings. Here's how to start from a position of strength.
Panelists:

• Patricia Kitchen, Reporter, Newsday
• Jeffrey S. Morosoff, Associate Professor, Journalism, Media Studies & Public Relations, Hofstra University
• Greg Galant, Cofounder & CEO, Muck Rack

Session 2C. At Risk: Your Reputation in the Digital Age – Negative media coverage happens — for many reasons. Discover how vulnerable you and your organization may be to reputation attacks that begin as one story in the news, which then finds its way into a variety of social media sites.
Panelists:

• John Colascione, CEO, LongIsland.com & Author, Mastering Your Website: Insider's Guide to Fully Understanding Your Website, Search Engine Optimization & Building Your Brand
• Jody Fisher, Vice President, Austin Williams
• Steve Haweeli, President, WordHampton Public Relations, Inc.

Moderator: Drew Scott, Anchor, News 12 Long Island (retired)

Session 3C. Case Studies: Pitching Stories to Enhance & Manage Your Reputation – Make your pitch, and let these experts help you take your pitch to the next level. Beginner mistakes can be costly and often damage your credibility to become a trusted source. The do's, the don'ts and lessons learned the hard way will be discussed. (Our advice? Walk in prepared with a pitch of 85 words or less, and press releases to give out on the spot. You'll impress, and maybe even land in the news. Our track record finds 3-5 organizations typically land in the news, simply for showing up to this panel and following the directions.)
Panelists:

• John Bonomo, Senior Director, Communications, New York City Region, Charter Communications
• Joe Calderone, Senior Vice President, Communications & Development, South Nassau Communities Hospital & Member, Board of Directors, Fair Media Council
• Adina Genn, Reporter, Long Island Business News
• Dave Gil de Rubio, Editor, Anton Media Group

Session 1D. Getting Ready to Be Heard: Understanding the Local News Landscape & News Today – An overview of the Long Island media scene and how to use it effectively. There's plenty of media out there, but it's changed far more rapidly than peoples' news habits have, and that results in an information gap in how to get your news out effectively and to the audience you want to reach. From the basics of what "news" means today and how the local landscape has changed, to tips to becoming media savvy in today's media environment, this panel discussion is necessary for getting news coverage on Long Island.
Panelists:

• Alex Costello, South Shore Editor, Patch.com
• Norm Prusslin, Professor & Director of Media Arts Minor, Stony Brook University
• Michael White, Editor & Publisher, GreaterLongIsland.com
• TBA

Moderator: Christopher Wright, Regional Managing Director & Global Leader, Protiviti & Member, Board of Directors, Fair Media Council

Session 2D. Finding Your Voice: Pitching the Media – Learn the secrets to pitching a story to the media, from the media. They'll give you tips and guidelines you can immediately put into practice while helping you establish relationships with the people on the panel.
Panelists:

• Richard Galant, Senior Editor, CNN Opinion
• James Madore, Business Writer, Newsday
• Terry Sheridan, News Director, WSHU Public Radio
• Robert Sinclair, Jr., Spokesperson, AAA Northeast

Moderator: James N. Kinney, Senior Advisor, Mazars USA LLP & Chair, Board of Directors, Fair Media Council

Session 3D. Learning to Echo: Got Some Press, Did You? – News coverage is essential to an organization's growth. It's as true today as it was before social media arrived on the scene. Here's how to leverage both to get extra mileage out of every story placement so you remain in the public eye in an efficient, streamlined manner (which is especially important for organizations with limited resources or without media relations experts on staff).
Panelists:

• Joe Dowd, Editor & Co-Publisher, Long Island Business News
• TBA
• TBA

Moderator: Rosalie Drago, Long Island Regional Director, Workforce Development Institute
The sessions are designed to accommodate all levels of experience and attract attendees from businesses and nonprofits throughout the New York metro area. The day is vital to the work of business, community and civic leaders, advocacy groups, government officials, spokespeople, investor relations, media relations and public relations professionals, among others.

The Community Champion Sponsor of Fair Media Council's The News Conference: Real & Powerful is Northwell Health. Protiviti is the breakfast sponsor. South Nassau Communities Hospital is the Nonprofit Leader. St. John's University, Hofstra University, the law firm of Murphy Bartol & O'Brien, Long Island Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank, Adelphi University, FOX5/WNYW, St. Joseph's College, Epoch 5 Public Relations, Synchronicity Communications, The Garden City Hotel and Ultimate Class Limousine are event sponsors.
Media sponsors include Anton Media Group, Long Island Business News, LongIsland.com and GreaterPatchogue.com.

To see the updated event schedule, speakers and more, click here.Tickets may be purchased online.

Preregistration is necessary. Doors open at 7.30 a.m. The event concludes by 4 p.m.

The Fair Media Council advocates for quality news and works to create a media savvy society. A 501c3 nonprofit organization unlike any in the country, FMC is headquartered on Long Island, N.Y.
For more information, call 516-224-1860, ext. 1, email info@fairmediacouncil.org or log on to www.fairmediacouncil.org.

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