Bjerga Speaking on Today's Media, Sevareid in Midwest

NPC President Alan Bjerga is out of his office and traveling across the Midwest this week, celebrating journalism's past and commenting on its future. The Minnesota native is speaking at both of his alma maters.

He will discuss covering Washington during the Obama administration at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis Sept. 28. The event, co-sponsored by the university's journalism school and its Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, will be webcast live at www.press.org at 5 p.m. Bjerga received a master's degree in journalism from the university in 1998.

On Sept. 29, Bjerga will speak at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., on the challenges of Washington reporting. Bjerga's undergraduate degree is from Concordia, a private college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from which he graduated in 1995.

He will meet with journalism students and guest-lecture at both schools.

On Sept. 30, Bjerga will speak at a symposium honoring legendary CBS News commentator and long-time Club member Eric Sevareid in Bismarck, N.D., Sevareid's home state. His remarks will be webcast at www.press.org at noon.

The symposium features a keynote address by Severeid's CBS News colleague, Blob Schieffer, and discussion led by former CBS anchor Dan Rather and Nick Clooney, a journalist and the father of actor George Clooney. Bjerga will discuss the relevance of Severeid's model of commentary and journalism values to present-day younger journalists.

"The opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by journalists today as a representative of the National Press Club is a true honor and challenge," said Bjerga.

Bjerga has been on the road for the past week, talking to staffers at the Kansas City Star and spending time with friends and family in Minnesota and Kansas.