Oct. 29, 2008 – In the race to keep up with advancing technology, journalists have a challenging pace to maintain. The 24-hour news cycle, blogging, podcasting, Twitter, web-based newspapers-all are reshaping the face and future of journalism.

To explore the matter, the National Press Club (NPC) is teaming up with the department of communication at the University of Utah and the department of journalism and communication at Utah State University to look at the future of the news media and how to protect its core values.

The National Press Club Centennial Forum will take place Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in room B of the Salt Lake City Library, 210 East 400 South. The event is free and open to the public.

The forum on “The First Amendment, Freedom of the Press and the Future of Journalism” features leading professionals shaping the news business, including: Nancy Conway, editor of The Salt Lake Tribune; Con Psarras, news director at KSL, the NBC affiliate in Utah; Rod Decker, a recognized television reporter for Channel 2, the CBS affiliate in Utah; Ted Pease, former journalism department chair at Utah State University; Gil Klein, a former president of the NPC and director of the Centennial Project at the NPC in this, its 100th year. Klein was a Washington-based national correspondent for Media General News Service.

The forum is part of a nationwide conversation the NPC is holding during its 100th anniversary to look at the future of the news business and what news consumers should be demanding. This is one of 35 forums the club is hosting this fall in locations across the country.

The event will open with a preview of the press club’s centennial documentary, “A Century of Headlines,” which follows the history of American journalism through the lens of one of its leading institutions. All who attend the forum will receive a copy of the documentary.

The NPC Centennial Forums program is sponsored by Aviva USA. In addition, the company is funding the production and distribution of 12,000 DVD copies of the “Century of Headlines” documentary and supplemental education materials.

“Our partnership with the National Press Club is based on shared values and a belief that the First Amendment, freedom of speech and professional journalism are fundamental to democracy, personal freedom and free enterprise,” says Tom Godlasky, chief executive officer of Aviva North America.

Information about coming forums and highlights of past events can be found on the NPC’s web site, http://www.press.org/.