On October 5th I wrote about a Fall/Winter seminar series “Knowledge is Power” at the Pima County Tucson Women’s Commission (click here). Let me provide more specific information on the media seminar which includes me.

October 18: “How to Get Your Regional News in Print or Online” (yours truly is one of the panelists, along with editors of the Arizona Jewish Post (bi-weekly newspaper) – Executive Editor Phyllis Braun; Arizona Daily Star – Regional Editor Tiffany Kjos; and Desert Leaf (monthly magazine) – Editor Karen Nystedt.

Local newspaper and media representatives will discuss “how they select topics for stories, interviews, and publication”. Maxine Goodman, PCTWC Commissioner will facilitate this seminar.

I’m included on this panel, as an online blogger for our Tucsoncitizen.com news source, having written formerly as a “My Tucson” guest columnist for the Tucson Citizen newspaper. More about us:

TucsonCitizen.com is a compendium of blogs that serves as The Voice of Tucson, written by Tucsonans for Tucsonans. The bloggers and citizen journalists here provide news, information, opinion, commentary and perspective on the issues, interests and events that affect daily life in the Old Pueblo.

So this is my small attempt at shameless self promotion, but I have no journalism degree (only a law degree and a bachelor’s in Psychology & Anthropology). I have worked one year at the Tucson Citizen newspaper (guest columnist), and now almost three and half years blogging online at Tucsoncitizen.com (1118 posts to date) as a “citizen journalist”. I was also a Commissioner (twice) on the Pima County Tucson Women’s Commission back in the 1990′s.

The seminar is at the Women’s Commission, 240 N. Court Ave. (SE corner of Council St.), 7 to 8 p.m. on October 18. Deadline to sign up online or by mail is October 16. Hope you can attend to learn media/news insights from 3 journalists/editors and me.

However you define your “community” today, consider thinking about what you are grateful for on this Thanksgiving 2009. Fellow blogger Debra Thornley “Jump Write In” last week urged readers to write a Memoir of gratitude.

Every Thanksgiving I ask whomever I am enjoying a meal with, to reflect upon just ONE thing they are grateful for.

I am expressing my gratitude for being alive and healthy, as two female friends suddenly lost their middle-aged sisters-in-law this year, one to a fatal heart attack, the other to breast cancer which had spread. Another friend of mine Bill is battling lung cancer and I send him my best wishes and prayers today as well.

Good holiday wishes also to fellow Tucson Citizen bloggers and editors Mark Evans and Ryn Gargulinski, and to our loyal readers, supporters, and advertisers.

We have been online now as “The Voice of Tucson” (at www.tucsoncitizen.com) for over 6 months! That’s really something to be grateful for.