October 6th, 2026 • 2026: Columbus
A Reliable Source for Journalism’s Uncertain Times
SPJ 26 attendees attended a discussion on Oct. 2 about a “unique time” in journalism history at the keynote address “A Reliable Source: CNN’s Brian Stelter Makes Sense of Our Media Moment.” Stelter, chief media analyst for CNN Worldwide, offered his perspective on the current media landscape with Eric Deggans, the Knight Professor of Journalism and Media Ethics at Washington and Lee University in Va.
October 4th, 2026 • 2026: Columbus
Americans Support a Free Press… Kind of, Says a Pew Study
More than 70 percent of Americans value the idea of a free press, says a report from the Pew Research Center. However, support shifts in practice, as concerns about national security and false information are involved, said Kirsten Eddy, a senior researcher at Pew, at the SPJ 2026 panel, “Americans’ Views on Press Freedom, 250 Years After the Nation’s Founding.”
October 4th, 2026 • 2026: Columbus
Can Constructive Journalism Win Back Local Audiences?
Let’s say five years from now, local audiences trust journalism more than ever. In one word, what made the difference? Deborah Douglas, clinical associate professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and director of Medill Solutions Journalism Hub, started the SPJ 2026 panel “The Latest on Solutions and Constructive Journalism” by polling the room with this question.
October 3rd, 2026 • 2026: Columbus
It’s Never too Late: How to Transition from Print to Broadcast Journalism Mid-Career
Journalists may feel that their choice of print or broadcast reporting is the be-all, end-all of their career, and they can never change. However, speakers Maki Becker of WKBW-TV in Buffalo, N.Y., and James Pilcher of WKRC-TV in Cincinnati showed journalists otherwise in an SPJ 2026 panel “Making the Jump: Transitioning to Broadcast News Mid-Career.”