Dan Rather
"The Future of the News: Can It Still Tell Truth to Power?"

Global consolidation of media, dramatic news staff layoffs, diminishing ad revenues and editorial holes, 24/7 online news delivery—these trends are having profound effects on news reporting. Can reporters still freely report the truth? Is there still a market for investigative journalism? Has news reporting become simply entertainment? Dan Rather believes American journalism has reached a crisis point and has outspoken, sometimes discomforting recommendations for stopping its slide into mediocrity.

Dan Rather served for 24 years at the desk of "CBS Evening News," making him at the time of his retirement in 2005 the longest serving anchor on a nightly network newscast in American history. In 1963, he covered the Kennedy assassination; later, he served as a White House Correspondent, and then become a reporter and host for
"48 Hours" and "60 Minutes I." His journalistic career has been both illustrious—he’s written seven books and received virtually every award in broadcast journalism—and controversial, marked by bold challenges to high-ranking U.S. politicians and his network bosses.

Dan Abrams
"The Future of Media Relations: Engaging Journalists as Media Strategy Advisors"

Most PR professionals stand on the outside of the media and hurl pitches over the walls, hoping a journalist will run the story. But what if it were different? What if PR pros were actually collaborating with the media? Dan Abrams believes the time has come to return to our roots—nurturing close professional relationships with influential journalists and engaging their expertise to create powerful narratives. Say goodbye to mass-emailed press releases and non-stop "tele-pitching." Say goodbye to the adversarial relationship between PR and the press. Say hello to a new model for smart, powerful media relations.

Dan Abrams is Chief Legal Analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. He also held the top managerial position at MSNBC—presiding over a period of unprecedented growth in ratings and profits. He has long been one of NBC’s best-known on-air personalities and popular host of MSNBC nightly news programs. As a reporter, Dan covered the highest- profile legal cases of the past two decades for NBC. He launched Abrams Research in November 2008.

"Demystifying the New York Times"

Saul Hansell, New York Times Blog & Technology Editor

Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times Assistant Business & Finance Editor

Tara Parker Pope, New York Times Health Reporter & Blogger

For most corporate communications professionals, placement of a story in The New York Times is like winning
the lottery. It feels as though success has as much to do with luck as with the story’s merit. No wonder: New York Times journalists have the reputation for being unreachable, unknowable and inscrutable. The truth is, they believe PR can help them. Now three of the Times' most influential journalists pull back the curtain and talk
frankly about how to approach them, meet with them, help them, and place stories with them about your
company, products and spokespeople.

Session moderated by Peter Himler, Principal/Founder, Flatiron Communications LLC.

"Making the Business Case for PR in Tight Economic Times"

Annie Howell, SVP of Communications & Public Affairs, Discovery Channel’s Planet Green

Cos Mallozzi, Chairman & CEO, Gibbs & Soell

Kelly Vanasse, Global Communications Director, Global Grooming, Gillette

Gary Stockman, CEO, Porter Novelli

How will the corporate communications function fare during the current economic downturn—especially when
marketing budgets are being trimmed? What can PR agencies tell their clients, and what can communications departments tell the C-suite? How can we prove the value of PR compared with other marketing disciplines? What role should we play in new social and other digital media? Above all, what can we do to protect our influence in corporate strategy and the communications mix? Four top communications executives—two from the agency side, two from corporate communications—reveal how their companies are rising to the challenge.