On Saturday, Oregon’s largest newspaper played host to Digital Journalism Camp, a first of its kind conference in Portland. Digital Journalism camp was a free conference that brought together traditional news and web based media, learning from each other and encouraging innovation. Sessions included how to successfully produce hyper-local news, search engine optimization for journalists, and revenue models for modern digital journalism. Presenters included Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWeb, freelance journalist Michelle Rafter, Rachel Andersen of Anvil Media, and entrepreneur Alex Wilhelm.

Some viewed The Oregonian as a rather ironic host. Much of the event focused on new media, an area that traditional media sources have struggled to transition into. The event was originally scheduled at CubeSpace, a frequent event host before going out of business recently. Event organizers had to scramble and find a new host but found a willing partner in The Oregonian fairly quickly. Event attendees were heard expressing their pleasant surprise in The Oregonian stepping up to host this often critical group.

Most sessions were recorded and are expected to be available through the event web site at: http://journopdx.wordpress.com/. Event highlights can also be tracked through twitter using the #journopdx hashtag.