In recent years, the tail end of summer has brought another milestone for me: South by Southwest registration and panel season. I’m participating in the latter for the first time since 2013, and would love your help in upvoting a pair of proposals I’m a part of. Check out the details, and cast your votes (with accompanying notes!) at SXSW Panel Picker! You don’t have to be going to the festival to vote, but your voice as someone interested in these issues will make a difference to those tallying and deciding!
[Looking for other proposals? I did a roundup of ten other proposed sessions and panels that deserve “a vote and a note”!]
Read on or click on the session images for more about how I’m hoping to bring my particular brand of weird to Austin!
NSFW? Your “Professional” netWORKed Community
f/ Josie Ahlquist, Liz Gross, and Laura Pasquini
In 15 years, we’ve gone from “Bowling Alone” to being hyper-connected online both personally and professionally. Online communities form for personal enrichment, professional networking, and social learning. How do they help or hurt individuals, organizations, and industry? What challenges and barriers arise for community organizers? When it comes to the workplace, what happens when our online and offline life converge? Implications for both individuals and employers will be discussed.
This session will aim to answer the questions:
- Why do networked communities matter for professional practice and industry?
- What are the benefits and challenges in these professional networked communities?
- How do we (employers, employees, or industry) deal with these digital communities or networked professionals in the workplace?
Memes + Monologues: Lessons in Laughter for News
f/ Alonzo Bodden (Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me…), Keli Dailey (News Hangover), + Jason Meier (Emerson College)
Can news outlets and journalists apply the strategies of comedians to their work, even if they’re “not funny”? With standup, late night, memes and hashtags, comedians are navigating a tense reality with skill, tackling issues head on. And we think they can teach a thing or two about how to hit “publish” on that controversial piece or have that talk with a cranky uncle. Join us for frank talk on their strategies for speaking truth to power, challenging ideas, and navigating inevitable backlash.
This session will aim to answer the questions:
- What about that nature of comedy makes it such an effective tool for discourse on tough topics?
- How can news outlets and journalists apply the strategies of comedians to their writing and discourse, even if they’re “not funny”?
- How can knowledge of how comedians think, write, or comment on culture help news outlets and journalists address cries of “too far” or “how dare you”?
PanelPicker voting starts on Monday, August 7th and runs through Friday, August 25th. You can vote for each panel once by creating an account with SXSW. And be sure to leave a note detailing what you like about the proposals!
Will you also be in Austin? Know of other panels I should hear about? Let me know!
Amma Marfo 