The lectures were a mix of academic theory and practical advice on journalistic writing and finding (and keeping) a job in the changing media landscape. An economist named Mario Villareal gave several very interesting talks about how to apply economic principles to our reporting work. I finally know what marginal benefits and incentives are. (Yes, I took econ in college. Those of you who took those classes with me will know why I don't remember a single thing.)
A professor named Ben Berger talked about the history of philosophy regarding freedom and the role of government. He also talked about the way media can help maintain freedom. We also heard from 4 different journalists who spoke on topics like writing for magazines, online media, freelancing, and covering DC. There were 4 lectures a day plus a discussion hour each evening.
The conference was put on by a “libertarian” organization and, wow, libertarians are a diverse bunch. My fellow members of the conservative Christian side of the socio-political spectrum were well represented, but I also met muslims, atheists, gay atheists, gay Jewish atheists etc. You never knew what you’d run into next.
The man charged with staving off the ever-present threat of bedlam was my dad.
I think he did a very good job. ( and I am not just saying that. I watched him with a very critical eye.) We got an afternoon off from lectures and most people were going into Philadelphia to party. Before they left, Dad announced, “I just want to be sure you all know that the last train back to Bryn Mawr leaves at midnight. And I’m turning off my cellphone. So before you go out, please take down the number of a reliable cab service and a bail bondsman.” The next morning he thoughtfully placed a large bottle of aspirin by the classroom door.
I decided not to tell anyone at the conference that he was my father. I conveniently “lost” my name tag the first day so nobody knew my last name. I was worried that people might not feel as free around me if they thought I was part of the “establishment.” (Though, I am not sure if hiding my paternity did much to further that end. Whether I like it or not, I always have a bit of an “establishment” aura about me.)
Every evening (except for the one night we had off) there was a “social” – basically, a chance to drink beer and discuss what we’d heard that day. It’s a testimony to how much I was enjoying the conference that I drank beer – a lot of it, actually. I stuck with Amstel Light to minimize calories. We had some fascinating discussions about the free movement of people vs. borders, the basis of morality, property rights, and, of course, Euro Cup 2008
I was sad to leave, but I'm glad that I now have more time to sit back and reflect on what I've learned. I acquired a large stack of books which I'm excited to read. I hope the ideas I encounter will make their way into my blog. And you can be sure I'll be returning to this conference next year.
