Approximately 1,300 aspiring journalists from 77 high schools around Colorado — plus about 100 of their advisors — will descend on the CSU campus Thursday, Oct. 20, for the Colorado Student Media Association’s annual “J Day.”

The event, being held in the Lory Student Center from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., features dozens of sessions on journalism-related topics, including ethics, diversity and social media.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the best program we’ve ever put together,” says Jack Kennedy, executive director of the CSMA and an instructor in CSU’s Department of Journalism and Media Communication. “It’s one of the biggest state conferences in the country, and we are happy to be hosting it at CSU again.”

Highlights include sessions with Dennis Ryerson, a former editor at the Indianapolis Star; panel discussions on political campaign coverage, social media and ethics with three Colorado journalists; a student panel from Fairview High School in Boulder; and a photojournalism session with Gabriel Christus of the Aurora Sentinel.

The day opens in the LSC Grand Ballroom with introductory remarks from CSMA President Adam Dawkins as well as CSMA’s adviser of the year and administrator of the year. Kennedy said J Day will feature a record number of exhibitors this year, including five yearbook publishing companies, School Newspapers Online and several other colleges and universities that have journalism programs. J Day concludes with a ceremony for the CSMA’s All-Colorado awards and other honors presented by the association.

The theme for J Day this year is “Fearless.”

“The idea of ‘Fearless’ grew out of a discussion about the presidential election and the general angst and fear of others that we are seeing today,” Kennedy said. “The idea is to combat that with some of the positive things that are going on.”

For more information about J Day, visit http://col.st/Adar6.

The Department of Journalism and Media Communication is in CSU’s College of Liberal Arts.