Are journalists conferencing too much about journalism?

During these tough times in the news industry, are conferences, panel discussions and lectures the best use of media resources? In a column for The New Haven Advocate, Craig Fehrman looks at a couple of recent conferences in the U.S. and notes that it is “worth considering whether these events are important steps toward a solution or an inefficiency the industry can’t afford.”

Fehrman looks at large November conferences at Yale Law School and Harvard University. Both covered the topic “the future of journalism.”

He notes:

“One of the Yale speakers is local media stalwart Paul Bass, who edits the New Haven Independent and will take part in a panel on ‘Preserving Local Journalism.’ In 2005, Bass founded the Independent
with an $80,000 annual budget, and it seems safe to say the combined
budgets of the Yale and Harvard conferences could have supported a
similar venture for six months or so.”

Here in Canada, we’ve also had our fair share of journalism conferences. J-Source covered two major events in October: “What’s Next for News?” at Ryerson University and the “2009 Joseph Howe Symposium: The Future of News” in Halifax.

Are journalists conferencing too much about journalism?

(Thanks to Romanesko)