Events

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and HLN’s Jane Velez-Mitchell will co-host the NLGJA’s 17th annual New York Benefit next month. The event, to be held Thursday, March 29, draws more than 300 journalists and media professionals each year for the organization’s largest fundraiser. CNN is also the Headline sponsor for the night. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion‘s Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook’s Morin Oluwole, and bitly’s Tim Devane. Register now.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will induct five journalists into its Hall of Fame tomorrow, including Gwen Ifill moderator and managing editor of PBS’ “Washington Week” and senior correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour.” The ceremony will be held tomorrow at the Newseum.  NABJ has inducted more than 45 journalists into its Hall of Fame over the last 19 years ago. Other inductees this year include TV executive Johnathan Rodgers, who began his career as a journalist for Sports Illustrated before moving to NBC, CBS, Discovery and, lastly, TV One. Also being inducted, Pat Harvey an anchor at KCBS and KCAL in Los Angeles.

HuffPo’s Michael Calderone has the guest list from Tuesday’s State of the Union luncheon, which has become an annual gathering of journalists ahead of the president’s address. Shepard Smith, who anchored FOX coverage, was there.

Smith wasn’t alone enjoying lunch. The broadcast networks’ evening news anchors — ABC’s Diane Sawyer, NBC’s Brian Williams and CBS’ Scott Pelley — were at the White House, too, along with Fox News anchor Bret Baier, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and NPR’s Melissa Block.

Soon-to-be ABC talk show host Katie Couric, along with her EP Jeff Zucker are making the rounds at NATPE this week. We spotted Couric by the pool being interviewed by “Access Hollywood,” as well as at a party thrown by Charlie Sheen.

Variety‘s Sam Thielman spoke to Couric and Zucker:

While Couric is part of the ABC News team in addition to her duties on “Katie,” she said the new talkshow is far and away her biggest priority. “I think once this show starts, this will obviously take precedent,” she told Variety. “I’m happy to contribute when I can and sometimes repurpose things — maybe interviews that I’m doing on my show — and promote them on other ABC properties, but that’s still being worked out, because I think it’s really going to take my full time and attention.”

TVNewser spoke to someone familiar with the program at the conference, who expanded on what exactly her show would look like.

“Ellen’s a terrific entertainer, Phil is a great therapist, Oz does a great medical show. [Katie's] hope is to be able to encompass all of those topics,” they said. “She’s able to go from serious to silly, and she has a journalist’s background.”

A big thank you to everyone who came out to our TVNewser & TVSpy party this week at Tonic in Times Square! If you couldn’t make it, here’s a sampling of what you missed:

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CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager gave the keynote at the opening of the RTDNA “Excellence in Journalism” conference last night.

“There isn’t enough investigative reporting in the world today,” Fager said in an interview before his speech (video after the jump). “I think a lot of people shy away from it because it’s expensive and it’s difficult and it takes a lot of time.”

RTDNA is partnering with the Society of Professional Journalists for the 2011 confab. Until last year, RTDNA partnered with the NAB, holding their annual gathering in Las Vegas in the Spring.

RTDNA chairman Kevin Benz tells TVNewsCheck, partnering with SPJ will provide for a conference “that is absolutely and totally journalism-based. We believe that we will be putting on the most important journalism discussion in the country.”

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A big thank you to everyone who came out for our TVNewser and TVSpy party last night at Tonic in Times Square. We had a great turnout and a great time. If you couldn’t make it, here’s a little taste of what you missed:

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Attention, New York City: we’re having a party!

Please join the TVNewser and TVSpy editors for a late summer party at Tonic next Tuesday evening.

Here are the details:

TVNewser & TVSpy Party

Tuesday, September 20

Tonic Bar & Restaurant

727 Seventh Avenue (at 48th St.)

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

If you’ve ever been to one of our parties before, you know that sharing a few drinks with us is a great way to connect with other TV news professionals. And, since we picked a bar centrally located to most of New York’s TV networks and stations, you really have no excuse. So RSVP here (or I’ll get yelled at, Alex tells me) and we’ll see you next Tuesday.

A date with CNN’s Don Lemon doesn’t come cheap.

Internet entrepreneur David Hauslaib bid $1,050 for the privilege Saturday at the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association auction, held on the final night of its 2011 national convention in Philadelphia.

Lemon, who came out publicly in May while promoting his new memoir, ‘Transparent,’ was a keynote speaker earlier in the day.

“When the auctioneer yelled, ‘Sold!,’ I said, ‘You can’t say ‘sold’ to a black man!,’” jokes Lemon, 45, CNN’s prime-time weekend anchor.

The auction “was a bit embarrassing, but flattering,” he adds. “Everyone knows I have a partner [CNN producer Ben Tinker, 26], but I’m happy to do it for the organization.” (Full disclosure: I am a long-time member of NLGJA and was inducted to its Hall of Fame in 2008.)

Hauslaib also has a partner. After meeting for the first time at the auction, Hauslaib and Lemon became fast friends. They dined in Philadelphia’s ‘gayborhood’ with Lemon’s bud LZ Granderson of ESPN, also in town for the convention.

“The dinner didn’t count as a date,” Lemon says, chuckling. “We talked about whether we should

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CNN special correspondent Soledad O’Brien and her husband Brad Raymond launched their Foundation at a star-studded event Friday night in Bridgehampton, New York.

Since Hurricane Katrina — which O’Brien covered extensively for CNN — the couple has quietly helped underprivileged young women with the resources to attend school. The foundation will now enable them to provide more scholarships to the victims of the storm, and beyond.

In attendance, Star Jones and her new beau; Russell Simmons with actress Melissa George; and gospel singer Kirk Franklin and jazz star Ron Carter. In all, $250,000 was raised.

Event chairs Cicely Tyson and Pharrell Williams and host committee members such as CNN’s Alina Cho (pictured) and Jason Binn were also on hand, enjoying the “New Orleans in the Hamptons” themed event.