Public Media 2009: Atlanta

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2009
CONFERENCE
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Keynote Speakers

 Listen to Rob's Keynote Address

Rob is Director of New Media for The World Company and the leader of World Online, the Internet division of the Lawrence Journal-World. In his role as Director of New Media, he leads the company's converged operations for the combined news gathering staffs of the Lawrence Journal-World, 6News television station and World Online.

He came to the Lawrence-based media company after a two-year stint as the Director of New Media at The Topeka Capital-Journal.

He previously was the Manager of Content Development for Morris Digital Works, and had been with Morris Communications since 1996.

Curley's team has developed the national newspaper website of the year as named by either the Newspaper Association of America or Editor & Publisher magazine every year since 1998. In 2001, the NAA named Curley as the newspaper industry's "Internet Pioneer of the Year," making him the youngest person to ever win the award.

In May of 2003, Editor & Publisher magazine and Mediaweek magazine named three sites built under Curley's direction as the top media sites on the Internet. The Lawrence Journal-World won four international EPpy awards at the ceremonies, more than any other media company. Highlights of the four awards included LJWorld.com being named best overall online newspaper site, KUsports.com being named best sports site and Lawrence.com being named best online entertainment service.

In February of 2002, E&P named The Capital-Journal's site as the best online newspaper in the country, as well as the best specialized news site in the nation. In July of 2002 Curley's Topeka team won four national Digital Edge awards from the NAA, and became the first newspaper in the association's history to be a finalist in every category it was eligible to enter.

In January of 2003, Curley's team repeated the feat, this time as the Lawrence Journal-World was the only newspaper in the country to be a national finalist in every category at the NAA's online awards, with the operation's KUsports.com site eventually being named best sports site in the nation. In 2004, the NAA named Lawrence.com the best entertainment site in the nation.

In 2003 and 2004, the online division of the Journal-World again gained international attention as the Lawrence.com Web site became a weekly alternative paper produced completely by the company's Internet staff. The publication is called Lawrence.com Deadwood Edition.

Curley is a frequent speaker at many universities and Internet-based conventions around the world, and looks a little like Barry Manilow. He adores his wife (Betsy) and kids (Jazmin and Johnny), and is a die-hard Jayhawks and Royals fan, who also loves to listen to live music. And no matter how nerdy you think he might be, he's nerdier than that.