Trailblazing journalist and author Dorothy Butler Gilliam had a memorable and tweetable quote during the Fran Lewine Memorial Interview at this year’s CAMP in Williamsburg, Va.: “Let your phone be smart, you be wise.” As I begin my term as president of JAWS, I’m seeking to draw on wisdom — mine and yours, too — as I give careful thought to the work ahead and where we can go as a unified force.

Today we announce a new jaws.org. This site is redesigned with you in mind. We want to create a place of belonging for women in journalism. A haven – and a hub for information. You’ll immediately notice warmer colors, more photos, better navigation and a cleaner design for an inviting user experience.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), the Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) met with ViacomCBS Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion Marva Smalls on February 13, 2020.

Traveling by plane, trains and automobiles to conferences across the country can be exhausting. I know. As I write this column, I am in the midst of my second conference in Austin, Texas. And while I am tired, I’m also exhilarated.

I’m excited Williamsburg is the site of this year’s CAMP. Having grown up a few miles away in Newport News, I can’t count the number of times Williamsburg figured into both my leisure and learning. It’s still a place I miss and I try and visit whenever I’m in the area. What’s important to understand is that the truth of the settlement is still being uncovered.

The CAMP Committee is hard at work making CAMP 2019 an active and reflective weekend where women journalists can gather to make connections, gain skills and spark new projects. Cited by The New York Times as one of the 52 Places to Go in 2019, Williamsburg provides the opportune backdrop for this year’s conference theme: “Facing Our Past, Defining Our Future.”

Journalism and Women Symposium is proud to announce the keynote speakers for its 2019 Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP), which will be held in Williamsburg, Virginia, from Sept. 20-22. The line-up includes groundbreaking women in journalism whose lives and work embody the theme of CAMP, “Facing Our Past, Defining Our Future.”

The Journalism & Women Symposium is grateful to Yumi Wilson for her service as president of the Board of Directors during a challenging year and a half of growth and change. Under JAWS bylaws, Vice President Lindsey Anderson will become interim president, continuing to work closely with President-Elect Mira Lowe, who will begin her two-year term as president at the annual conference in September.

More than three years ago, I was asked by the Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS) leadership to run for president-elect. And I’m not going to lie – I was nervous. I was nervous because I wasn’t sure I was up for the task. After all, JAWS has 600+ members who are strong, outspoken and very accomplished. I worried that I didn’t have the chops to be their leader.

Are you a woman journalist looking for support, skills training and the next step in your career? Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS) welcomes you to apply to our fellowship program. We bring fellows to our Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) each year for three days of training, networking and professional development.

The Journalism & Women Symposium Board of Directors is anguished to learn of the recent layoffs of nearly 1,000 media professionals across the globe, including at Gannett publications, BuzzFeed and Verizon-owned sites. These journalists played critical roles in our democracy, speaking truth to power and informing citizens, and our world is a little worse off without them.

We are excited to announce that the 2019 Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) will take place on Sept. 20-22 in Williamsburg, Va. Cited by The New York Times as one of the 52 Places to Go in 2019, Williamsburg provides the opportune backdrop for this year’s conference theme: “Facing Our Past, Defining Our Future.”

Read and download the 2018 Annual Report here. The report contains snapshots of JAWS' efforts and outreach throughout the year, a timeline of major milestones, highlights from recent keynote speeches and financial information.

The Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS) is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, supportive and safe environment for all, regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, nationality, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, religion, socioeconomic status or political beliefs.

I’m proud to report that Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) has taken several major steps to address racist and offensive statements made during last year’s Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) in Oregon. Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Mary J. Wardell, our diversity and inclusion consultant who was just hired in December, our board has penned a new Code of Conduct that spells out how members should treat one another — and what might happen if these rules of engagement are broken.

The Journalism & Women Symposium stands in solidarity with award-winning journalist Brittany Noble Jones and other women journalists, particularly Black women, whose employers have discriminated against them because of their gender and race.

In these last 30+ years, this network has grown to nearly 700 members, offering around-the-year webinars, regional events and an annual conference that attracts top-notch speakers, cutting-edge workshops and some of the biggest news leaders in the country.

The Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS) is pleased to announce it has received a $50,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. These funds will assist the organization’s hiring of a full-time Executive Director, in tandem with the Democracy Fund grant awarded earlier this year, and provide support to regional groups around the country.

Do you want to brush up on the lessons you learned at CAMP 2018, or check out info from a session you missed? Thanks to our 2018 fellows who prepared tip sheets and interviewed our keynote speakers, presenters who shared resources and attendees live-tweeted, we have a collection of tip sheets, videos and other media here.

About 44 percent of Americans have listened to podcasts. That number is growing every year. In fact, most podcast listenership comes from women.