The donor-funded NW Media Fest connected students with leaders throughout the media industry
It’s not every day you get to hear the inside story of how Oregon’s largest newspaper covers an election … while it is still happening. Or get career advice from content creators for some of the biggest video game and television franchises. Or ask questions about investigative journalism from a writer who has defined the field for a generation.
Yet, thanks to Cindy (Macho) ’81 and Neville Johnson, members of the Linfield and McMinnville communities experienced all of this and more at the inaugural NW Media Fest: Entertainment, News and Gaming, held Nov. 9 and 11, 2022.
“It was incredible to see a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, documentarian, Emmy-winning songwriter, a celebrity chef and not one but two incredibly successful female game creators,” Cindy Johnson said. “You just don’t see that kind of firepower in the same place at the same time.”
Guest speakers at the event included Steve Kurkjian, retired Boston Globe journalist and author; Therese Bottomly, executive editor and vice president of content for The Oregonian/OregonLive; celebrity chef Susan Feniger; composer and filmmaker Liz Lachman; and video game writers Liz Albl and Anne Toole.
In addition to the large public events, students engaged directly with the guest speakers in a variety of smaller settings – from casual meals to tabletop conversations and workshops.
The Johnsons, entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles, used their connections within the industry to bring luminaries to McMinnville to connect directly with Linfield students.
“I spoke to an anthropology major who intends to write video games, and this event allowed him to ask questions directly to people at the top of their game in the field he wants to go into,” said Kevin Curry ’92, assistant professor and event organizer. “Because of Linfield’s size, he didn’t just raise his hand during a presentation — he got to chat with them afterward, and they invited him to reach out and stay in touch.”
In addition to the Johnsons, Wednesday’s journalism portion of the event was sponsored by the Bladine family, publishers of the News-Register. Support also came from Clackamas Federal Credit Union (CFCU), which will soon open its first branch in McMinnville.
The Johnsons hope this is the first of many NW Media Fests.
“We’re going to put Linfield on the map as the university in Oregon that welcomes this kind of creativity,” Johnson concluded.
