Covering college in the crosshairs

With U.S. colleges and universities facing intense new political and financial pressures, the impact extends far beyond the elite campuses that capture so much attention. Featuring journalists with deep expertise in higher education, this session explores forces upending academia – and how to cover the stakes for places and people that are often overlooked.

Moderator: Sara Hebel, Open Campus Media
Sneha Dey, The Texas Tribune
Jon Marcus, The Hechinger Report
Bianca Quilantan, Politico education reporter

9 am Thursday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

How to grow your media career early

Designed to provide actionable strategies and insights for aspiring media professionals looking to jumpstart their careers. From building a strong personal brand to mastering essential skills and networking effectively, we’ll equip you with the tools to succeed in the fast-paced media industry. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, this will help you lay a solid foundation for long-term success in the media world.

Alyvia Taylor, KTTC Gray Media lifestyle reporter & producer

10 am Thursday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Media literacy – all-hands on deck

Journalists and journalism educators offer many different approaches to develop and implement media literacy programs. Examples include workshops to train student and early career journalists on how to educate the public about their work; a speakers’ bureau for media literacy; or a joint training course for police and press on each other’s roles, rights and responsibilities. Learn about all of them.

Katja Ridderbusch, SPJ Georgia president
Celia Wexler, SPJ DC president
Joy Mayer, Trusting News director

1 pm Thursday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

The other capital beat: journalism across 50 states

With all eyes on Washington, who’s watching the states? Meet States Newsroom, the largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. We cover the local issues and national trends that impact people’s lives, completely free to read and republish. Learn why and how we’re shining a light on all 50 state capitals.

McKenzie Romero, Utah News Dispatch editor
Sonny Albarado, Arkansas Advocate editor
Jane Norman, States Newsroom DC bureau chief

2 pm Thursday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Ungagging your sources

Who’s allowed to talk to the press? According to the First Amendment, the answer should be almost anyone. Sadly, this is one of the biggest issues facing journalists today. Learn what SPJ discovered in its “Gagged America” project, and what you can do to interview government employees at your local and state level.

Carolyn Carlson, former SPJ president
Frank LoMonte, CNN legal counsel
Kathryn Foxhall, Washington health reporter

3 pm Thursday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Flipping the script: How covering effective government responses can lead to impact and accountability

We’re used to reporting on what goes wrong, but what about what went right? Covering effective government responses to community issues has led to increased accountability, meaningful change, and audience trust at 14 small-to-medium-sized newsrooms across the country. We’ll explain how with real-life examples from both print and broadcast outlets.

Sara Catania, Solutions Journalism Network president
Jaisal Noor, Solutions Journalism Network Democracy Program manager

3 pm Thursday, Oct 16, in Renwick (3B)

Journalism ethics for tomorrow’s media professionals

Do future news journalists view ethics differently than future Ad/PR professionals? The winners of SPJ’s inaugural College Research Grant for Journalism Ethics present their findings. Learn about their research and share your perspectives on the evolution of media ethics and AI guidelines.

Dave Bostwick, University of Arkansas
Bobbie Foster, University of Arkansas
Gina Holland Shelton, Northwest Arkansas SPJ president
Susannah Swearingen, University of Arkansas

4 pm Thursday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Don’t get hacked: digital security for journalists

Protecting yourself from an ever-growing list of cyber incidents might seem daunting. But you can make easy changes to safeguard your work and keep yourself and your sources safe. We’ll review the first steps of digital security for journalists. We’ll start with the basics of protecting your online accounts, then dive into protecting the devices you talk to your sources on, to keep them malware-free. Bring your questions and concerns, and we’ll try to help.

David Huerta, Freedom of the Press Foundation, senior digital security trainer

9 am Friday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Press freedom as a news beat

Press freedom is an ongoing concern of all journalists, but it often gets covered as a sidebar to other stories. Rarely do we see the First Amendment as the anchor for the story. Three experienced journalists will provide hard examples of how to tell stories that educate your readers/viewers/listeners about the important role free and independent journalism plays in maintaining a democratic and inclusive society.

Kirstin McCudden, US Press Freedom Tracker managing editor
Jessica Jerreat, Voice of America press freedom editor
Angele Latham, The Tennessean First Amendment reporter

10 am Friday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Time for action: How journalism can reclaim its professional status

Journalists must do more to counter the prolonged attacks on the professional news industry before it’s too late. The public no longer makes the distinction between standards-based journalism and the “media,” which is virtually anyone, any place and anything with a platform. We have to show them.

Meredith Jordan, Port Townsend Leader editor

1 pm Friday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

You did the story, now you need the audience

So many journalists excel at great storytelling and investigative pieces. But we are not always so great at getting the audience we want for the articles we write. How do we increase our reach, get the attention of the “news resistance,” get young audiences to pay attention, and create versions of our stories that can go far and wide? We offer 8 tips on going where the eyeballs are, plus the philosophical underpinnings that suggest journalists have a moral imperative to take their powerful work where audiences are – rather than waiting for audiences to come to them.

Kyle Spencer, Pro-Democracy Information Lab/Reporting Right founder

2 pm Friday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

Media: A cornerstone of global democracy

For more than 80 years, the United States has exported its ideals of the First Amendment through supporting or supplying independent journalism in countries where a free press is in short supply. Under the current administration, this powerful tool of soft power has been dismantled, with the ending of USAID and silencing of Voice of America (VOA). We’ll examine how funding international journalism supports national security priorities, the impact and reach of these programs, and what is filling the void left by USAID and VOA.

Liam Scott, The Press Freedom Report author
Patsy Widakuswara, former Voice of America White House bureau chief
Steve Herman, Jordan Center for Journalism Advocacy and Innovation executive director

3 pm Friday, Oct 16, in Latrobe (3B)

SPJ chapters meeting

Join fellow SPJ chapter leaders to exchange ideas on programming, fundraising, membership growth, and more. Connect with SPJ staff for updates on the new member database and explore the full range of resources available from SPJ HQ to support your chapter’s success.

4 pm Friday, October 17, Latrobe (3B)