Obama, Romney and Lagarde to Speak at Newspaper Industry's Annual Conference

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama, Gov. Mitt Romney and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde have joined the impressive schedule of speakers at the nation's largest annual gathering of newspaper media leadership during the Newspaper Association of America's mediaXchange 2012 conference in Washington, D.C., April 2-5.

This event offers an unparalleled opportunity to huddle with industry leaders as they share insights and successes with new business models and new platforms. It has already attracted dozens of major national advertisers for one-on-one sessions with newspaper executives. 

Held in conjunction with meetings of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and The Associated Press, NAA mediaXchange 2012 features keynotes and panels that address the pressing issues of newspaper journalism, advertising, digital transformation and more.

President Obama and Lagarde are scheduled to appear at The Associated Press Annual Meeting on April 3, while Romney is speaking at the NAA/ASNE Luncheon on April 4. In addition to these distinguished guests, NAA also has lined up several dynamic sessions and keynotes throughout the three-day event. One featured panel promises to deliver an engaging discussion on the disruptive changes in news consumption, delivery and business models. Participants include:

• Emily Bell, former director of digital content for Guardian News & Media and current director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism;
• Betsy Morgan, former CEO of Huffington Post and current president of Glenn Beck's The Blaze;
• Josh Quittner, former editor-at-large of Time Inc. and now editorial director of Flipboard;
• David Westin, former head of ABC News and current CEO of NewsRight;
• Michael Wolff, author, columnist and founder of news curator Newser.

NAA mediaXchange 2012 is designed to provide valuable ideas and insights to help newspaper professionals continue to grow audiences and revenue for their print and digital products. With 100 confirmed speakers, sessions highlight cutting-edge media strategies, successes in product and revenue development, new ideas and innovations in newspapers, and the latest tactics and techniques being deployed in print and digital. Topics range from paid content, social media tools and mobile product development to political advertising, the "digital first" strategy and the latest research on multiplatform audiences. In addition, more than 70 industry suppliers are expected to showcase their products and resources for newspaper media.

A complete list of keynoters and other sessions is available at http://mediaxchange.naa.org/.

WHEN: April 2-5

WHERE: Marriott Wardman Park | Washington, D.C.

SOURCE Newspaper Association of America (NAA)