by Joe Siegel

News is Out, the LGBTQ media collaborative formed in 2023, made a showing at the annual NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists convention in Los Angeles in early September.

“We were so thrilled to be able to present a panel about News is Out at this year’s NLGJA,” said Dana Piccoli, the collaborative’s managing director “The response from the audience was incredible and knowing that fellow journalists and people in the media industry are excited about what we’re doing was inspiring and energizing. Several people stuck around after to learn more and share how they would like to collaborate with us.”

Piccoli was joined by Tammye Nash, managing editor of the Dallas Voice; Michael Yamashita, publisher of the Bay Area Reporter; and Sondra Morris, owner and editor in chief of Tagg magazine.

“We spoke about what News is Out is and what we do, because we know we’re still a relatively new organization to many people,” Piccoli continued. “We shared how we work together as a collaborative, the challenges we’ve run into, our key achievements and how we’re working to try and make a more sustainable future for all queer media. One attendee even compared News is Out to the early days of the Associated Press, due in part to our collaborative nature and sharing of important articles, information and best practices.”

Piccoli also had good things to say about the convention in general. 

“Attending this year’s … in Hollywood was inspiring and energizing. The upcoming election loomed large, with journalists exploring how it could affect LGBTQ+ rights and the future of our community. There was a mix of hope and caution, alongside a reminder that many in our community are already facing daily challenges due to laws being passed in states like Texas, Missouri and Idaho. I was pleased to see entertainment and lifestyle journalism get the spotlight it deserves, with several sessions and even a plenary devoted to it. AI was another hot topic, sparking thought-provoking conversations about its potential impact on our work and industry.”

Another highlight for Piccoli was having News is Out fellows in attendance. “These early career journalists continue to impress us with their curiosity and tenacity” she said.

Fellow Henry Carnell agreed. “The best part of NLGJA was that it made me feel hopeful and not alone. Sometimes it can be very hard being a young trans and queer journalist. Being surrounded by so many incredible LGBTQIA storytellers was empowering!”

Next year’s convention will be held in Atlanta. The organization is seeking session and speaker proposals and invites members to join the convention planning committee. For more information, go to https://www.nlgja.org/.

SIDEBAR
Volume 26
Issue 7