International Symposium on Journalism
A program of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin
The International Symposium on Journalism (ISOJ) will take place from Sept. 17-18, 2026, in person at the University of Texas at Austin campus and online, with innovative tools to facilitate the participation of virtual attendees. Editors, producers, executives and academics from around the world presented during our keynote sessions, panels and social networking events.
New speakers will be added to this list in the coming days.
Elizabeth is the founder and CEO of Civic News Company, the publisher of nonprofit newsrooms Chalkbeat, Votebeat and Healthbeat. With 15 local newsrooms across the United States regarded as must-reads by their communities and a team of award-winning journalists and media executives, Civic News Company is a leading model to address the crisis in local news… Read more
Sarah Adler Hartman is the chief executive officer of The Texas Tribune. She stepped into the role of the Tribune’s third CEO in December 2025, continuing the organization’s legacy of visionary leadership. A native Texan and longtime Tribune fan, Sarah brings a deep commitment to strengthening civic trust at a moment when communities across the state face increasingly complex challenges… Read more
Laura Aguirre is the co-founder and strategic director of Alharaca, a feminist digital media outlet from El Salvador. A sociologist and journalist based in Berlin, she works at the intersection of feminist perspectives, media innovation, sustainability and transnational journalism. In her current role, she leads Alharaca’s long-term strategy, focusing on organizational growth, narrative experimentation and cross-regional impact… Read more
Ashley Alvarado is the president and CEO of Texas Public Radio (TPR). A champion of community-centered media, she has dedicated her two-decade journalism career to advancing the practice of engaged journalism. Before leading TPR, Ashley held leadership and editorial roles at LAist (Southern California Public Radio)… Read more
Rosental Calmon Alves is the founder and director of the International Symposium on Journalism (ISOJ), which he launched in 1999. What began as a small symposium on online journalism has evolved into one of the world’s leading conferences on journalism innovation and the digital transformation of news… Read more
Madeleine Bair is the founder and co-executive director of El Tímpano, an award-winning civic media organization that has been described by peers as an “outstanding innovation model” for its work to produce journalism with and for the Bay Area’s Latino and Mayan immigrant communities… Read more
Melissa Bell joined Chicago Public Media, home to WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times, as CEO in September 2024. Melissa is the co-founder of Vox, which is a leader in explainer journalism, and the former publisher of Vox Media, which includes such publications as Eater, The Verge and SB Nation… Read more
Catarina Carvalho is a Portuguese journalist and media entrepreneur who founded Mensagem de Lisboa, a community-driven media outlet that acts as a hub of stories for the city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Having served as publisher and editor in traditional media, she moved to a more exciting world of media innovation… Read more
Jody serves as executive director of City Bureau, a civic media lab that designs people-powered journalism practices and supports their local adoption and adaptation across the country. She first joined the organization in 2022 as Documenters deputy director and was the primary architect of its national growth strategy… Read more
Lynette Clemetson is director of Wallace House Center for Journalists at the University of Michigan, home of the Knight-Wallace Fellowships for Journalists and the Livingston Awards. She previously worked as senior director of strategy and content initiatives at NPR; domestic correspondent for The New York Times… Read more
Taj Corinaldi is the vice president of Product for Yahoo News where he leads product development with a focus on content discovery, personalization and engagement across Yahoo’s homepage and news ecosystem… Read more
Florent Daudens is CEO and co-founder of Mizal AI. He is a recognized voice on how AI is reshaping media, with expertise spanning technology, content, and leadership. Previously, he led AI and media innovation at Hugging Face, where he also fostered a global journalist community around open source… Read more
Adam Ganucheau serves as Deep South Today’s first Executive Editor and Chief Content Officer, a regional leadership role overseeing the organization’s editorial and content strategy across its growing network of nonprofit newsrooms. He supports the newsgathering efforts of Deep South Today’s three existing outlets — Mississippi Today, Verite News, and The Current… Read more
Bhagyashree Garekar is an award-winning journalist currently serving as the US Bureau Chief for The Straits Times, Singapore’s national newspaper. She covers major political, economic and social developments while travelling widely to capture the fascinating transformation of the world’s most powerful nation for her series American Evolution… Read more
Micah Gelman is a media executive with 25+ years in online video, cable, and broadcast television. He currently serves as CEO and co-founder of Local News International, which is both the production and marketing company for independent journalist Dave Jorgenson, and a media strategies group… Read more
Jeremy Gilbert is a professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School and the Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy. His work and teaching focus on content and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence. He oversees the Knight Lab and explores the intersection of technology and media… Read more
Richard Gingras chairs the board of Village Media and is a co-founder and board member of the global Center for News, Technology and Innovation. He recently retired from Google after 15 years serving as the company’s global vice president for news, overseeing various product efforts as well as the Google News Initiative… Read more
Lauren Gustus is CEO and executive editor of The Salt Lake Tribune, which was the first major metro news organization to become a nonprofit. It achieved sustainability in 2021 under Lauren’s leadership. The Tribune shares its daily reporting with journalism partners across the state through the Utah News Collaborative… Read more
Martina Guzmán is the founder of VERDAD, a pioneering AI tool that monitors and exposes disinformation on Spanish-language radio stations. As a media analyst, she has long explored how technology can empower journalism, amplify immigrant voices and confront misinformation at its source… Read more
Summer Harlow is the associate director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin. A former journalist, her research examines the challenges and opportunities for alternative media, independent journalism, and activism brought on by emerging technologies, particularly in Latin America and the Global South… Read more
Ryan Y. Kellett is an audience futurist, media industry consultant and co-founder of The Independent Journalism Atlas, building the infrastructure layer for journalism in the wider creator economy. He previously was an executive at Axios and The Washington Post… Read more
Liz Kelly Nelson is dedicated to helping independent journalists and media creators build sustainable careers in a rapidly evolving media landscape. With a background in newsroom leadership, digital media strategy and creator economy expertise, Liz has worked across the journalism ecosystem… Read more
Marisa Kwiatkowski is director of journalism at Knight Foundation. She oversees a portfolio of grants and endowments focused on the First Amendment, local and investigative journalism, legal support, journalist safety, training and more… Read more
Nathalie Malinarich is executive editor for Digital Development and AI at BBC News. She leads strategy at the intersection of journalism and technology, guiding innovation across editorial and production and shaping its impact across BBC News… Read more
Allison Murphy is the chief operating officer at Axios, where she oversees the company’s media business, leading strategy, marketing and communications and overall operations. Since joining in 2023, she has driven the expansion of Axios Local to reach one-third of the U.S. population, accelerated AI experimentation and advanced product innovation… Read more
Vanan Murugesan Vanan is the executive director of Sahan Journal, Minnesota’s only nonprofit newsroom dedicated to immigrants and communities of color. He didn’t come up through newsrooms — he came up through community-based organizations… Read more
Dr. Luisa Ortiz Pérez is the executive director of Vita-Activa.Org, an organization dedicated to care for journalists, human and digital rights defenders. She leads The Media Resilience Network, MDRnet.org, their Mental Health Helpline for the U.S. She is a creative strategist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, digital rights and care in media… Read more
Aaron Parnas is one of the leading Gen Z voices shaping how news is consumed today. An independent journalist, political commentator, strategist and attorney, Aaron has quickly become a key figure in the national political conversation, offering sharp insights at the intersection of law, media and policy… Read more
Sue Robinson holds the Helen Firstbrook Franklin Professor of Journalism endowed research chair at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Working in the realm of “Journalism Studies,” she explores how journalists and news organizations can build trust by rethinking traditional news production norms and routines… Read more
Tom Rosenstiel is one of nation’s the most recognized thinkers on the intersection of news, technology and politics. He is a professor of the practice and the Eleanor Merrill Scholar on the Future of News at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland and a senior fellow at NORC at the University of Chicago… Read more
Cindy Royal is professor and regents’ teacher in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University where she spearheaded the launch of the Digital Media Innovation undergraduate degree program and is the director of the Media Innovation Lab… Read more
Amy Schmitz Weiss is a professor in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University. Her research interests include spatial journalism, online journalism, media sociology, news production, multimedia journalism and international communication… Read more
Zach Seward is the editorial director of A.I. initiatives at The New York Times, where he leads a newsroom team focused on applications of machine learning for journalism. He joined The Times in 2024 after nearly a dozen years at Quartz, the global business news startup he co-founded… Read more
Patrick Svitek is a reporter covering national politics, including the critical 2026 midterm races, major political trends and the 2028 presidential contest as it takes shape. Patrick joined CNN from The Washington Post, where he was a member of its politics breaking news and campaigns teams…Read more
Benjamin Toff is an associate professor at the Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota and the director of the Minnesota Journalism Center. He is also a visiting principal researcher on the News and Information team with Pew Research Center… Read more
Since 2022, Macarena has been back in the US, again as a White House correspondent, again fixated on foreign policy, now for El País. The dateline these days is Washington DC. But it may also be Butler, Pennsylvania. Or Dearborn, Michigan. Or Austin, Texas. The bag, as in 1990, is always ready to be packed and go… Read more
Janine Warner is a journalist, author and digital media leader focused on the intersection of journalism, technology and media sustainability. As the co-founder and executive director of SembraMedia, she leads an international team dedicated to helping digital media entrepreneurs build sustainability, editorial independence and impact… Read more
Sisi Wei is the chief impact officer at CalMatters and The Markup, where she pioneers innovative strategies to equip readers, serve communities, and drive meaningful real-world change through journalism. Previously, Sisi served as editor in chief of The Markup from 2022 to 2024… Read more
Nina Weingrill is a Brazilian journalist, civic media leader and public policy scholar working at the intersection of information governance and democratic resilience. She co-founded Énois, a pioneering civic media organization advancing community-centered journalism in underserved territories… Read more