BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The fifth annual Media Matters Writing Conference for High School/Middle School Teachers and Students will take place on November 5^th (High School) and November 6^th (Middle School). More than 900 students and teachers from 60 schools have registered for the conference, which is being presented free of charge by The Boston Globe Foundation and the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

The conference will provide 54 workshops on a range of topics from personal journal writing to professional journalism, and will be hosted by the University of Massachusetts, Boston at its Campus Center. The workshops, led by professionals who donate their time, will cover journalism, blogs, photojournalism, persuasive speechwriting, reality TV, writer’s block, cartooning, poetry and diaries.

Seminars for teachers will include ways to use writing skills across the curriculum and how to teach the skill of making writing revisions.

“Media Matters highlights the important role writing plays across all media,” said Steve Ainsley, publisher of The Boston Globe. “We’re proud to work with the University of Massachusetts to help motivate students to improve their writing skills, or to pursue a writing career.”

Featured speakers include:

• Hank Phillipi Ryan, a reporter now with Channel 7NEWS Boston who has won more than 50 prestigious awards from news organizations all over the world, including 26 Emmys.
• Liz Walker, the host of the segment “Better Living” on WCVB-TV/DT Channel 5.
• Kim McLarin, critically acclaimed author of “Jump At The Sun,” “Taming It Down,” and “Meeting of the Waters,” and the host of WGBH’s “Basic Black.”

Workshop leaders include experienced professionals from The Boston Globe, U Mass Boston, Emerson College, Student Press Law Center, 826 Boston, WBUR, WUMB, PEN/New England, Grub Street, Young Broadcasters of America, Career Coaching 4 Kidz, and more.

The Media Matters Writing Conference is an initiative established by The Boston Globe Foundation to help develop the writing and literacy proficiency of high school and middle school students.

Registration for the 2009 conference is now closed.

About The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe is wholly owned by The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2008 revenues of $2.9 billion, which includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

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