San Jacinto College Central to host Journalism Day

PASADENA, Texas – The San Jacinto College Central journalism department will host Journalism Day for area high school and college journalism students on March 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free event, which is open to the public, will be held in the Slocomb Auditorium on the Central campus, located at 8060 Spencer Hwy. in Pasadena.

The keynote speaker will be Dan Moldea, a best-selling author and investigative journalist who has reported on organized crime and political corruption since 1974. He is the author of books about the rise and fall of Jimmy Hoffa, the contract killing of an Ohio businessman, the Mafia’s penetration of Hollywood and its influence on professional football, as well as works about the murder of Senator Robert Kennedy, the O.J. Simpson case, and the suicide of White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster.

Moldea has lectured about “The Mafia in America” at colleges and universities throughout the country and has appeared on many television programs including “Nightline,” “Good Morning America,” and “Crossfire.” He was also featured in the 2004 film “The Hunting of the President.” He is a former president of Washington Independent Writers.

Also appearing at Journalism Day will be Aviva Kliniger of Dreaming Tree Films, who will talk about the film industry. Dreaming Tree Films introduces teenagers to filmmaking training outside of the typical high school curriculum.

During Journalism Day, awards will be presented to area high school students for writing, photography and advertising material that was published in school newspapers. Editors of area community newspapers will also present a panel discussion entitled “Crisis Reporting: Hurricane Ike.”

“I invited editors from local papers to present the panel discussion because of the challenges of continuing to inform their audiences during this disaster,” commented Royce Walker

, San Jacinto College Central’s journalism department chair. Local newspaper representatives who will attend include Adam Yanelli, editor of the La Porte Bayshore Sun, and T.J. Aulds, mainland editor of the Galveston County Daily News.

San Jacinto College offers journalism and news photography courses at the Central campus as communications course offerings. Students gain valuable hands-on experience by working for “The San Jacinto Times,” the College’s student newspaper, which features news from San Jacinto College’s North, South and Central campuses.

San Jacinto College serves more than 24,500 students in over 140 degrees and certificates in university transfer and technical programs. The College also serves the community through workforce training. Students come with various goals and aspirations and we are committed to their success. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150 or visit www.sanjac.edu.