Musings of an Inappropriate Woman

Are you passionate about journalism and social media? Win a pass to Media140, 5-6 November 2009

Early November is shaping up to be a bit of a social media fest here in Sydney. Online Divas are hosting their inaugural M I S S B L O G conference on the 7th, and I’m hosting an all-day workshop on freelance writing and blogging at the Vibewire Enterprise Hub the same day (more on that another time).

The event I’m most excited about though is Media140, the latest in a series of over the past couple of years that have dealt with the thorny - but exciting - question of what lies ahead for future of journalism. Named after the 140-character limit imposed by Twitter and the old-school SMS, it’s part of an international collaboration - think London, New York, Bangalore, Dubai and Rome - that sets out to answer the question: “What is the future of journalism in the social media age?”

The Sydney conference features an all-star cast including Mark Scott, Leigh Sales, Laurel Papworth, Jonathan Green, Caroline Overington, Mia Freedman, and many, many more (see the full list here). They’ll be talking about everything from ethics, to Iran, to political reporting, to whether when it comes to social media journalists do it better (or worse).

Sound good? It gets better. I’ve got a two-day pass, valued at $250, to give away to one reader. Just leave a comment below before 8pm EST on Monday 21 September, answering the following question: “What’s the best journalistic use of social media you’ve seen, and why?” Responses will be judged by me and Ande Gregson, the founder of Media140.

Good luck, and I hope to see you there!