Program

The 27th International Symposium on Journalism

 

Speakers
Registration

ISOJ is organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.

Knight Center logo

SPONSORS

ISOJ 2026 Sponsors

MEDIA AND ORGANIZATION PARTNERS

ISOJ Media and Organization Partners

All times are U.S. Central, CDT (UTC -5). Click here to see the time in your location. This schedule is subject to change. Come back to this page for updates. Unless noted otherwise, all sessions are in the Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom in the Texas Union, located at 2308 Whitis Ave in Austin, Texas.

Haga clic aquí para leer el programa en español.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17, 2026: Journalism, Democracy and Community Trust

Venue: Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom at the University of Texas at Austin (Texas Union)

7:30–8:30 a.m.—REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST
8:30–9:00 a.m.—OPENING INSPIRATION

  • Rosental Calmon Alves, founder and director, ISOJ/Knight Center
  • Tom Rosenstiel, Eleanor Merrill Scholar on the Future of Journalism and professor of the practice, University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
9:00–9:45 a.m.—KEYNOTE

9:45–10:45 a.m.—PANEL
Future of public/non-profit media

10:45–10:50 a.m.—SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
10:50–11:10 a.m.—COFFEE BREAK
11:10 a.m.–12:10 p.m.—LIGHTNING PRESENTATIONS + DISCUSSION
Rebuilding trust: Community-centered journalism in an age of misinformation, crisis and uncertainty

12:10–12:40 p.m.—SPOTLIGHT TALKS
Innovating to build community: Live journalism, games and more

12:40–2:00 p.m.—LUNCH BREAK
2:00–3:00 p.m.—LIGHTNING PRESENTATIONS + DISCUSSION
Independent and creator journalists and the new information economy

3:00–4:00 p.m.—PANEL
Reporting the U.S. midterms: Domestic and international eyes on democracy

4:00–4:30 p.m.—COFFEE BREAK
4:30–5:15 p.m.—FIRESIDE CHAT
What does it take for journalism to be trusted in a democracy? Lessons from community and local journalism

5:15–5:30 p.m.—SKILL SHARING
Listening as leadership for resilient newsrooms

5:30–7:00 p.m.—THE MOODY PARTY
A welcome reception offered by the Moody College of Communication in the Texas Union. RSVP is required.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 2026: AI, Innovation and the Future of News

Venue: Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom at the University of Texas at Austin (Texas Union)

8:00–8:50 a.m.—RESEARCH BREAKFAST WORKSHOP (Quadrangle Room)
(Pre-registration required. Register here.)
AI in journalism education and academic research

  • Moderators: Amy Schmitz Weiss, professor, San Diego State University; and Cindy Royal, professor and regents’ teacher, Texas State University
9:00–9:45 a.m.—KEYNOTE

  • Keynote speaker: Jonathan Greenberger, global editor in chief, POLITICO
  • Moderator: Upasna Gautam, head of Product & AI Studio, American Journalism Project; board chairwoman, News Product Alliance
9:45–10:45 a.m.—PANEL
Reaching young audiences

  • Moderator: Jeremy Gilbert, professor and Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy, Medill, Northwestern University
  • Ryan Kellett, co-founder, The Independent Journalism Atlas
  • Sisi Wei, chief impact officer, CalMatters & The Markup
  • Adriana Lacy, founder and CEO, Field Nine Group, Influencer Journalism
10:45–11:15 a.m.—COFFEE BREAK
11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m.—PANEL
Exiled but Not Silenced: Technology and the Global Surge of Displaced Journalists
12:00–12:30 p.m.—INSIGHTS AND DISCUSSION
Measuring and managing AI traffic: What does it mean for the future of journalism?
12:30–2:00 p.m.—LUNCH BREAK
12:30–2:00 p.m.—LUNCH WORKSHOP (Sinclair Room)
(Optional, pre-registration required. Register here.)
AI tools for newsrooms

  • Mago Torres, GNI trainer for North America, Google News Initiative
2:00–3:00 p.m.—PANEL
The next disruption: How agentic AI will reshape news consumption

3:00–3:30 p.m.—RAPID RESEARCH ROUNDUP

  • Sue Robinson, Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor of Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Benjamin Toff, associate professor and director, Minnesota Journalism Center, University of Minnesota
  • Gina Masullo, associate professor, Center for Media Engagement and School of Journalism and Media, University of Texas at Austin
3:30–4:00 p.m.—COFFEE BREAK
4:00–4:15 p.m.—PRESENTATION
Global trends in digital news sustainability in the age of AI

4:15–5:00 p.m.—FIRESIDE CHAT
Who shapes the future of news? A conversation about AI, platforms and journalism’s next chapter

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19, 2026: 19th Iberoamerican Colloquium for Digital Journalism

This event is conducted entirely in Spanish, without interpretation. To attend, register here.