

Find your Voice and Hold up a Mirror to your Audience, Professional Storyteller Says
Renowned storyteller Dolores Hydock shared secrets of her craft and connected her work to that of other professional communicators during AMP’s monthly meeting at Homewood Public Library June 14. “There are all kinds of stories and so many different ways to tell them,” Hydock said. “Everyone’s got to find their own voice.” It’s amazing that 26 letters can be used to create pictures in people’s heads, she continued, and that’s the job of all storytellers-–from marketers to jou


First Female Editor of Alabama's Third-Largest Newspaper Says Challenge Is Staying Relevant
Jennifer Davis Rash, who is slated to become the first female editor of The Alabama Baptist, the third largest newspaper in the state, told Alabama Media Professionals her challenge will be keeping the publication relevant. During AMP’s monthly meeting on May 10, Rash said she’s standing on the shoulders of the many editors who have come before her since The Alabama Baptist was founded in 1843 and, although she looks different, her task is the same. “I’m sure what was relevan


How to Freelance for Community/Lifestyle Publications
Collaboration with freelance writers produces great content for community magazines, said Madoline Markham, editor of three Birmingham-area publications, during a presentation at Alabama Media Professionals’ monthly meeting Feb. 8. Freelancers can help community / lifestyle publications meet a goal of covering all neighborhoods, demographics and interest groups, continued Markham, who edits Homewood Life, Mountain Brook Magazine and Vestavia Hills Magazine, all three of which


Alabama Impresses National Communications Professionals at NFPW Conference in Birmingham
More than 100 people from 29 states poured into Birmingham September 7-9 for the 2017 National Federation of Press Women Communications Conference and 80th Anniversary Celebration hosted by Alabama Media Professionals, which was appropriately labeled "Stars Fell on Alabama," a reference to the media and writing stars our state has produced and those who visited our state for the conference. An Opportunity to Learn History, Writing and Other Communications Skills
Attendees la


Three Steps to Effectively Engage Minority Communities
Minorities are not adequately represented in the U.S. media workforce or in media coverage, and journalists can take steps to rectify this disparity, said Edward Bowser, content creator at Birmingham’s Big Communications, during a presentation at Alabama Media Professionals’ Oct. 12 meeting.
The percentage of minority journalists for daily newspapers and online publications is 17 percent and 23 percent, respectively, while the overall minority population is around 38 percen


NFPW Conference Hosted in Birmingham
NFPW Communications Conference Hosted by AMP in Birmingham, Alabama In November 1833, stars fell on Alabama during a spectacular meteor shower. In 1934, that meteor shower inspired a classic jazz song recorded by the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and many more. September 7-9, 2017, Alabama Media Professionals was host to another shower of stars descending on Alabama. This time, it’s media stars: members of the National Federation of Press Women (NF