What journalists say about FACS seminars and faculty:

 

Knows subject, communicates clearly, engages audience. Covered truly gigantic subject in a short period of time, with as much detail and as little distortion as possible. – Jim Broadway, State School News Service, Springfield, Illinois

   

Quick, but effective. A great course for a reporter faced frequently with boatloads of data and numbers. – Chris Coates, Suburban Journals, Collinsville, Illinois

 

Made a dense topic easy to follow and engaging. Spending time reviewing a sample budget was very helpful. – Emily Melchner, WCBU, Peoria, Illinois

 

Provided great resources that can be used after the seminar. – Jennifer Dooley, WUIS, Springfield, Illinois

 

Really helpful in helping us get behind the real story of rising oil prices – Moni Basu, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

Informative and very timely – Mike Morris, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

Always insightful, and humorous to boot. Fascinating. – Larry Ringler, Tribune Chronicle, Warren, Ohio

 

Very timely topic, and successful overview of the issues. – Kevin Roseborough, Fox 2 Detroit

 

Great forecasts on a global basis. Stuff we haven’t had before! – Mac Gordon, AutomotiveDigest.com, Farmington Hills, Michigan

 

As a new reporter to the automotive beat, I really appreciate it! – Jere Downs, Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal

 

Great statistics – clear presentation and analysis. – Julia Bauer, The Grand Rapids (MI) Press

 

Very high value presentation. – Robert Gardner, Motor Sports Center.com, Walnut Creek, California

 

 

The Shrinking American Middle Class:

Who Has Fallen Out and Why?

Two tele-seminars for journalists, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21

Register

The airwaves are alive with political rant about middle-class Americans, the challenges they face, and a growing gap between rich and poor.  Yet the demographic data tell some intriguing stories about who is in the middle class, who is poor, how they got there, and their chances of remaining – irrespective of who wins the November elections.

FACS will present two 90-minute tele-seminars examining class disparities on Tuesday, Oct. 14, and Tuesday, Oct. 21. The seminars conclude a series inspired by “The Measure of America,” a recently published compendium of data on how Americans live, earn and struggle. The statistics document pockets of middle-class strength or vulnerability in many American communities. 

Presenters in the tele-seminars will introduce journalists to a wealth of resources that trace incomes, wealth, education, and the other factors needed to join – and stay in – the great American middle class, as well as the growth of persistently poor groups throughout the country.

The focus will be local and regional as well as nationwide.

“Covering the Middle Class Squeeze” (Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific) brings together Kristen Lewis, co-author of “The Measure of America,” and Kathy Kristof, financial columnist and former president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW).  They will explore how families navigate the slippery economic slopes, the determinants of success or failure, and why the game has changed.

“Permanently Poor in the Land of Opportunity?” (Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. Eastern/ 11 a.m. Pacific) will feature Lewis’s colleague Sarah Burd-Sharps along with Kristof to dissect the facts about poor families, and being poor in different regions of America.  Where has the upward mobility gone? Why are the racial gaps growing?

Participation is free for working journalists, but advance registration is required. Registrants will receive a confirmation e-mail with information on how to participate.
 
Catch up on "The Measure of America" tele-seminar series

Through the month of October, FACS is presenting a series of six tele-seminars based on the new book, "The Measure of America." This recently published compendium of data on how Americans live tackles the specifics of quality of life in every part of the United States – and finds many places lacking in what it takes to flourish.

The first two tele-seminars in September focused on health care issues, followed by two in October on education. Next up: tele-seminars on economic issues.

If you missed any tele-seminars, you can download the audio and the faculty presentations. These seminars include the following:
 
Downloadable FACS tele-seminars

If you missed a FACS tele-seminar for journalists, you can still download the audio and faculty PowerPoint as a pdf. Here are some of our recent offerings now available: