Monday, January 15, 2007

Political

Independent Writers of Chicago: “On the Political Beat”

Political journalist, editor and author James L. Merriner, gives the low-down on low down Illinois politics, sharing successful “how-to” secrets of his own on political reporting. Tuesday, January 9th, Chicago Athletic Club’s 7th Floor Lakeshore Room, 12 S. Michigan Ave. Program 6 p.m. Networking 5 p.m. Nonmembers, $15; IWOC members free. For more information, call 847-855-6670 or visit www.iwoc.org .

Chicago, IL, January 09, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- Veteran Political Journalist Gives Independent Writers of Chicago (IWOC) the Low-Down on Illinois Politics.And in Illinois, politics can get pretty low down. If anyone has observed it, gained perspective on it, and chronicled it from the inside out, it’s political journalist, editor and author, James L. Merriner. On Tuesday, January 9th, he’ll be coming to IWOC and telling all about his over 25 years in covering Illinois politics and its bedfellow, public corruption, in his presentation “On the Political Beat.”Political reporting is fascinating, according to Merriner, but requires special skills to perform.

Having served as political editor and columnist for the Chicago Sun-times and Atlanta Constitution, he has certainly honed those skills well. Techniques for getting scoops and obtaining information (how do you get a reluctant witness to scandal to spill the beans?) will be on Merriner’s agenda. He’ll even cite many juicy examples. Merriner will also discuss a number of books he’s authored on Illinois politics, including the one in progress, “The Man Who Emptied Death Row: George Ryan and the Politics of Crime.”

Expect rare insights on the now-infamous Governor, as well as on the art of researching and writing this book.The IWOC meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 9th at the Chicago Athletic Club’s 7th Floor Lakeshore Room, 12 S. Michigan Ave. Networking begins at 5 p.m. The main program is at 6 p.m. Admission is free to IWOC professional members; $5 to associate members, and $15 to nonmembers. Following the meeting, attendees are invited to go to a nearby restaurant for a buy-your-own dinner to further discuss Roundtable topics or to continue networking.

For more information, call 847-855-6670 or visit www.iwoc.org.IWOC is a nonprofit professional association of freelance writers who work primarily throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. IWOC members serve large corporations, small businesses, and not-for-profit organizations; together they represent a broad range of writing talents and specialties.Contact: Laura Stigler (773-248-0158)