Religion Newswriters offers its first ever "Webinar" online training series. The seminars begin in March with a general overview of Islam. These sessions are free to journalists. For more details and registration procedures for each seminar, click the links below.

These seminars are made possible by a generous grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

	DATE:	March 12, 2008
	TIME:	2–3:15 PM EDT
	COST:	FREE (first 100 registrants)
	REGISTRATION:	Online or call 800-651-7916
	LOCATION:	Online

WEBINAR RESOURCES—NEW!
• Download the audio from this webinar (.mp3 file, 69.1 MB).
• Download the powerpoint slides from this webinar (.pdf file, 540kb).

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
From schools and workplaces to government and entertainment, Muslims are influencing life in America as their numbers grow. Whether you report on the war, politics, religion or a metro area, this seminar will help you develop sources, generate story ideas, add context to stories, and report with insight and balance. You’ll learn:

• When religion is—and isn’t—part of the story.
• Major issues facing the diverse Muslim community and what you need to know about the world’s second-largest religion.
• How to choose words carefully and why some terms and statistics are disputed.
• How to report on sensitive issues such as prejudice and terrorism with thoughtfulness and accuracy. 

PRESENTERS
Farid Senzai is a fellow and director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, which researches the Muslim community in the United States. He is also an assistant professor of political science at Santa Clara University. Senzai has been a research associate at the Brookings Institution, where he studied U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, and a research analyst at the Council of Foreign Relations, where he worked on the Muslim Politics project. He has served as coordinator for Oxford Analytica, an international consulting firm, and the World Bank. Senzai received his M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University and is completing his Ph.D. in political science at Oxford University.
 
Andrea Useem is a journalist who specializes in writing about Islam. She writes the religionwriter.com blog and has written for Religion News Service, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and other media outlets. She also is communications editor for IFOCCOS, a new-media think tank and futures lab. A resident of Reston, Va., she has a master of theological studies degree from Harvard Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree in religion from Dartmouth College.
 
Diane Connolly is editor of ReligionLink, Religion Newswriters’ online resource on religion, public policy and culture. Before ReligionLink was founded six years ago, she was editor or The Dallas Morning News’ award-winning religion section.

What’s a webinar?

It’s a real-time seminar that you experience through your computer. You hear live audio and watch a slideshow presentation. This webinar includes time for Q&A, so you’ll be able to post questions to the presenters. Contact: Tiffany McCallen, McCallen@RNA.org

This program made possible by a generous grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

Covering Islam & Politics

	DATE:	April 22, 2008
	TIME:	2–3:15 PM EDT
	COST:	FREE (first 100 registrants)
	REGISTRATION:	Online or call 800-651-7916
	LOCATION:	Online

WEBINAR RESOURCES—NEW!
• Download the audio from this webinar (.mp3 file, 68.4 MB).
• Download the powerpoint slides from this webinar (.pdf file, 1 MB).

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Muslims’ engagement with government and politics is becoming more prominent in the United States and abroad on issues ranging from immigration and terrorism to charities and civil rights. This seminar will equip you to report on the growing role of Muslims’ interactions with government and politics both here and abroad. Since 9/11, understanding Islam has become essential for every beat, but particularly for reporters covering government, politics, military and international affairs. You’ll get advice and resources that will help you quickly add context and insight to every story.

PRESENTERS
• Mona Eltahawy is an award-winning New York-based journalist and commentator and an international lecturer on Arab and Muslim issues. Her essays appear regularly in both the Arab and U.S. media.

• Juan E. Campo is an associate professor of religious studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara who specializes in the comparative study of Islam, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.

• Moderator: Andrea Useem is a journalist who specializes in writing about Islam. She writes the ReligionWriter.com blog and also writes for a variety of media outlets.

What’s a webinar? It’s a real-time seminar that you experience through your phone and computer. You’ll hear live audio by phone and watch a slideshow presentation on your computer. This webinar includes time for q&a, so you’ll be able to post questions to the presenters.

How to sign up:

Internet Explorer 6.0 users: register online now.
Everyone else, please call: 800-651-7916.Once you have entered your registration details, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. Instructions on how to join the webinar will be sent in a follow-up e-mail approximately three days before the call.Contact: Tiffany McCallen, McCallen@RNA.org

This program made possible by a generous grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

The Role of Religion in Conflict Prevention & Peacemaking

	DATE:	TBD
	COST:	FREE
	REGISTRATION:	TBD
	LOCATION:	Online

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Coming soon

PRESENTERS
Coming soon

What’s a webinar? It’s a real-time seminar that you experience through your computer. You hear live audio and watch a slideshow presentation. This webinar includes time for Q&A, so you’ll be able to post questions to the presenters. Contact: Debra Mason, MasonDL@RNA.org

This program made possible by a generous grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation.

Freedom of Religion in the Military

	DATE:	TBD
	COST:	FREE
	REGISTRATION:	TBD
	LOCATION:	Online

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Coming soon

PRESENTERS
Coming soon

What’s a webinar? It’s a real-time seminar that you experience through your computer. You hear live audio and watch a slideshow presentation. This webinar includes time for Q&A, so you’ll be able to post questions to the presenters. Contact: Debra Mason, MasonDL@RNA.org

This program made possible by a generous grant from the McCormick Tribune Foundation.