Early-bird rates for 21st ISOJ end March 15; Register now


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The in-person component of the 21st ISOJ has been canceled. 

Journalists, media executives, scholars and news enthusiasts from around the world are invited to register for the 21st International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ).

Since 1999, this annual conference has focused on the impact of the digital revolution on journalism, combining perspectives from professionals and academics. It is organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas’ Moody College of Communication School of Journalism

This year’s ISOJ will take place in the auditorium of the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin campus from April 24 to 25, 2020. As in previous years, there will be a few pre- and post-ISOJ events, such as workshops, hackathon and a conference in Spanish, the Iberian Colloquium on Digital Journalism.

“ISOJ 2020 will cover some of the most relevant topics for journalism nowadays, looking to the future, into solutions and upcoming trends in the new media ecosystem that are emerging from the digital revolution,” said professor Rosental Alves, Knight Chair in Journalism, UNESCO Chair in Communication, and founder of ISOJ.

“The program is still being finalized yet and will be announced soon, but a short version is available and we can cite a few topics: the success stories of two global newspapers, The Guardian and The New York Times; solutions for the local news crisis and reports from the frontlines of the coverage of the 2020 election in the U.S.; the fight against disinformation and misinformation, with an emphasis on fact-checking and ways to debunk cheapfake and deepfake videos… and much more, Alves said.

All keynotes have been announced. Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, will open ISOJ on Friday, April 24 and will be followed by Emily Ramshaw, co-founder and CEO of the 19th later, later in the day. Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., chairman of The New York Times Company, will open the second day of ISOJ, Saturday, April 25 and the audience will hear from Catherine Kim, global head of digital news at NBC News and MSNBC, later that day. There will also be 10 panels, two of them dedicated to academic research.

 In 2004, ISOJ introduced a research component and in 2011, the #ISOJ journal, an official publication of peer-reviewed academic articles presented in the conference after a competitive, blind review process. This year, the #ISOJ journal again has a special theme, “Power, privilege and patriarchy in journalism: Dynamics of media control, resistance and renewal.” Alfred Hermida, associate professor and director in the School of Journalism at the University of British Columbia, is guest editor. Research papers selected to appear in the peer-reviewed journal will also present their work at ISOJ.

To encourage more international participation at the conference, simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish will be available at the conference.

In the coming weeks, we’ll publish the full speaker lineup and program on isoj.org. In the meantime, visit this page to see videos, transcripts, research and news articles from previous symposia dating back to 1999. If you’re looking for accommodations, we’ve put together a list including hotel blocks reserved for ISOJ attendees.

In the last few years, tickets for ISOJ were sold out weeks before the event. So, it is advisable to register as soon as possible to guarantee your participation. Another advantage to signing up soon is to take advantage of the early-bird discount. We are again introducing an early-bird rate for those who register before March 14 at 11:59 p.m. EST, when rates will increase.

Early-bird rate:

General registration: $150

Faculty and staff (from any university/college worldwide): $100

Students (from any university, college or high school worldwide): $50

Regular rate (beginning March 15):

General registration: $200

Faculty and staff (from any university/college worldwide): $125

Students (from any university, college or high school worldwide): $75

The registration fee includes access to all of the ISOJ sessions, breakfast at the Blanton and snacks and coffee on both days. It also includes access to a welcome party on Thursday evening April 23, and a special reception at the Blanton Museum Atrium on Friday evening, April 24, immediately after the last ISOJ session of the day.

More than 400 people from 43 countries attended last year’s ISOJ. Space is limited and the conference is sold out each year, so be sure to register soon.

Questions? Please email Mallary Tenore, Associate Director of the Knight Center.