Memphis Blog Panel

Business Wire, who have already hosted the BloggerCon in Nashville last year, will be hosting a blog panel here in Memphis, this Thursday beginning at 7:30AM in the Clubroom at the Pink Palace on Central. Peggy Phillip, news director for WMC TV5 and I will be on the panel. My role will be to speak on "citizen journalists" in the New Media.

From the press release:

What does it mean to my career? Here is how you can find out:

What: Information on the latest detour on the information
superhighway--the wild world of weblogs, commonly known as "blogs."
Join us for an insightful forum that will provide an introduction to
the cyber soapboxes and web diaries that are driving media and provoking
many PR pros to scratch their heads. Don't think blogs matter? Ask Dan
Rather.

When: Thursday, March 10

7:30 - 8 a.m.: networking

8 - 9 a.m.: breakfast

Panel discussion begins at 9 a.m.

Where: Clubroom at the Pink Palace
3050 Central Ave
Memphis, TN 38111

Cross Street: Between Lafayette St and Tilton St

Who: Peggy Phillip, News Director, WMC
Mike Hollihan, Citizen Journalist, Half-Bakered

Moderator: Micky Pace, Regional Manager, Nashville Office, Business
Wire

RSVP by Thursday, March 3 to Denise Higgins Business Wire via telephone
at 615-661-6123 or

800-989-9889 or via e-mail at Denise.Higgins@businesswire.com

I know the RSVP date is past, but if you want to attend I'm hopeful they'll still let you come. When I first got the invite, I mentioned a couple of other bloggers they might want, but I don't guess they were able to attend.

Wish me luck. I've done some public speaking before, but I still get nervous, especially when I'm expected to be knowledgeable. I'm going to try to mix local, state and national topics: the Memphis blog scene and our relation to the "old media" in town; Tennessee political blogging's arrival in 2004 and '05; and the effects of blogs on the national media and in the last Presidential campaign.

Who knows? With any luck I might attract a sponsor or two....