ISOJ Online 2021

APRIL 26 – 30, 2021

For the second time in its 22-year history, the International Symposium on Online Journalism was online only in 2021, held during the week of April 26 to 30. Instead of two full days, as we had with the in-person conference in Austin for two decades, in 2020, we scheduled ISOJ Online throughout chunks of time, from Monday to Friday. In 2021, we repeated the same successful formula. We broke records in 2020, when we reached thousands of people in 134 countries. In 2021, we broke new records again, as more than 7,300 people from 154 countries and territories registered to attend the conference. Again, we reached thousands of journalists, media executives and scholars around the world, with live streaming. We continue to expand our reach through the recordings of all sessions that are available on YouTube, in the original sound track in English or in the simultaneous interpretation to Spanish.

Check out ISOJ 2021 amazing Program  and learn more about the Speakers.  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe to the ISOJ Newsletter

  • Executive Editor, The Washington Post

    Marty Baron

    Executive Editor, The Washington Post

  • Cofounder and Executive Editor, Capital B

    Akoto Ofori-Atta

    Cofounder and Executive Editor, Capital B

  • Founder and CEO, Punchbowl News

    Anna Palmer

    Founder and CEO, Punchbowl News

  • Founder, Punchbowl

    Jake Sherman

    Founder, Punchbowl

  • Chairman and Publisher, The New York Times

    A.G. Sulzberger

    Chairman and Publisher, The New York Times

  • Editor-in Chief, The Guardian

    Katharine Viner

    Editor-in Chief, The Guardian

  • Cofounder, CEO, and Editor-in Chief, Capital B

    Lauren Williams

    Cofounder, CEO, and Editor-in Chief, Capital B

  • reporter and coordinator of European & Asian partners, ICIJ (Italy)

    Scilla Alecci

    reporter and coordinator of European & Asian partners, ICIJ (Italy)

  • Director of Community Engagement, Southern California Public Radio

    Ashley Alvarado

    Director of Community Engagement, Southern California Public Radio

  • ISOJ Founder and Chair, Professor at the School of Journalism, UT Austin Founder and director, Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

    Rosental Alves

    ISOJ Founder and Chair, Professor at the School of Journalism, UT Austin
    Founder and director, Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

  • Karen Attiah

    Global Opinions Editor, The Washington Post

  • American Journalism Project, CEO

    Sarabeth Berman

    American Journalism Project, CEO

  • Jay Bernhardt, Ph.D.

    Dean, the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin

  • Assistant Director, Audience

    Bobby Blanchard

    Assistant Director for Audience, The Texas Tribune

  • Mint Boonyapanachoti

    Creative Technologist, The New York Times

  • Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times

    Sewell Chan

    Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times

  • Director of Audience & Engagement, Vox

    Nisha Chittal

    Director of Audience & Engagement, Vox

  • Sue Cross

    Executive Director and CEO, Institute of Nonprofit News

  • Research Director, Shorenstein Center on Media Politics and Public Policy

    Joan Donovan

    Research Director, Shorenstein Center on Media Politics and Public Policy

  • Cultural Heritage Lead, Sketchfab.com

    Thomas Flynn

    Cultural Heritage Lead, Sketchfab.com

  • Editor-In-Chief, San Francisco Chronicle

    Emilio Garcia-Ruiz

    Editor-In-Chief, San Francisco Chronicle

  • Emilee Gilpin

    Managing Editor, Indiginews (Canada)

  • Ferial Haffajee

    Associate Editor, Daily Maverick

  • Kate Harloe

    Journalist and Strategist at NewsQ

  • Robert Hernandez

    Professor of Professional Practice, University of Southern California

  • Lisa Heyamoto

    Senior Program Manager, LION Publishers

  • Retha Hill

    Executive Director of the New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, Arizona State University

  • Amber Hinsley

    Professor, Texas State University

  • Cierra Hinton

    Executive Director-Publisher, Scalawag

  • News Lab Director, City Bureau

    Darryl Holliday

    News Lab Director and Co-Founder , City Bureau

  • Harlo Holmes

    Director of Digital Security, Freedom of the Press Foundation

  • Director, CONNECTAS

    Carlos Eduardo Huertas

    Director, CONNECTAS

  • President and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

    Alberto Ibargüen

    President and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

  • CEO, Daraj

    Alia Ibrahim

    CEO, Daraj

  • Mukhtar Ibrahim

    Founder, Sahan Journal

  • Mitra Kalita

    Co-Founder of URL Media, Founder and Publisher of Epicenter NYC

  • Opinion Editor, The New York Times

    Katie Kingsbury

    Opinion Editor, The New York Times

  • Ben Kreimer

    Independent Storytelling Technologist

  • Sara Lomax-Reese

    President and CEO, WURD Radio

  • Patricia Lopez

    Journalist and Editorial Writer at The Star Tribune

  • Heidi J. Larson, PhD

    Director, The Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (U.K.)

  • Director, School of Journalism and Media, University of Texas at Austin

    Kathleen McElroy

    Director, School of Journalism and Media, University of Texas at Austin

  • Maryn McKenna

    Journalist, author and senior fellow at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Human Health

  • Reporter, Finance Uncovered (UK) & The Elephant (Kenya)

    Purity Mukami

    Reporter, Finance Uncovered (UK) & The Elephant (Kenya)

  • Executive Director, IWMF

    Elisa Lees Muñoz

    Executive Director, IWMF

  • Innbal Menashri

    Data Product Manager, Haaretz

  • Frank Mungeam

    Chief Innovation Officer, Local Media Association

  • Mary Nahorniak

    Teaching Fellow, Google News Lab

  • Macollvie J. Neel, M.B.A.

    Managing Editor, The Haitian Times; Founder & Principal, Comms Maven

  • Reporter, Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley

    Gisela Pérez de Acha

    Reporter, Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley

  • Global Director of Research, ICFJ

    Julie Posetti, PhD

    Global Director of Research, ICFJ

  • Jessica Malaty Rivera

    Science Communication Lead, The COVID Tracking Project

  • Karen Rundlet

    Director/Journalism, Knight Foundation

  • Contributor, palabra.

    Nancy San Martín

    Contributor, palabra.

  • Professor, San Diego State University

    Amy Schmitz Weiss

    Professor, San Diego State University

  • Connie Moon Sehat

    Director, News Quality Initiative; Senior Fellow — Media, Entertainment and Sport Industries, World Economic Forum

  • Mazin Sidahmed

    Co-Executive Director, Documented

  • CEO and Co-founder, The Texas Tribune

    Evan Smith

    CEO and Co-founder, The Texas Tribune

  • Lead Consultant, IWMF

    Ela Stapley

    Digital Security Advisor and Founder, Siskin Labs (U.K.)

  • Associate Director, Knight Center for Journalism

    Mallary Tenore

    Associate Director, Knight Center for Journalism

  • Director for Strategic Initiatives, The Washington Post

    Elite Truong

    Director for Strategic Initiatives, The Washington Post

  • Subramaniam (Subbu) Vincent

    Director of Journalism and Media Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

  • Executive Editor, Pulitzer Center

    Marina Walker Guevara

    Executive Editor, Pulitzer Center

  • Irving Washington

    Executive Director/CEO, ONA

  • Writer and Editor, Slow Boring

    Mathew Yglesias

    Writer and Editor, Slow Boring

  • Director of Engagement, Politico

    Annie Z. Yu

    Director of Engagement, Politico

  • Brandy Zadrozny

    Reporter, NBC News

  • Amanda Zamora

    Co-founder and publisher of The 19th

  • Assistant Professor, San Diego State University

    Lourdes M. Cueva Chacón

    Assistant Professor, San Diego State University

  • Assistant Professor, San Diego State University

    Silvia Dalben

    Media Researcher, Federal University of Minas Gerais

  • Amanda Jurno

    Brazilian researcher

  • Associate Professor, Sam Houston State University

    Marcus Funk

    Associate Professor, Sam Houston State University

  • Associate Professor, Mass Communication, SIU-Edwardsville

    Mark Poepsel

    Associate Professor, Mass Communication, SIU-Edwardsville

  • Associate Professor, School of Journalism at University of Arizona

    Jessica Retis

    Associate Professor, School of Journalism at University of Arizona

  • Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University

    Burton Speakman

    Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University

  • Ryan Wallace

    PhD Candidate, University of Texas at Austin, School of Journalism & Media

  • Bernadette Woods Placky

    Program Director, Climate Matters

 

News

Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism attracts nearly 1,500 people from Latin America, Spain and Portugal

For the first time, the 14th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism, typically held in Spanish, was also heard in Portuguese. Thousands of viewers in Latin America, Spain and Portugal tuned in for the annual event. On May 1, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas hosted the event, which is traditionally held the day …  Read More

Baron on Bezos ownership of the Washington Post: ‘I don’t think that we would have been a success without his involvement’

The recent accomplishments of The Washington Post are unlikely to be repeated elsewhere in the United States or worldwide, according to former executive editor Marty Baron, one of the most prominent American journalists. That’s because the paper holds a unique position after being purchased in 2013 by multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO and founder, who …  Read More

Opinion journalists show how publications and platforms can work to distinguish news from opinion

As social media blurs the lines between fact and opinion, informed take and angry rant, journalists, publishers and platforms need to take a more active role in distinguishing between news and opinion –both for the clarity of the reader and the quality of the journalism, according to panelists at the 2021 International Symposium on Online Journalism …  Read More

ISOJ 2021 Archive

Keynote speaker: A.G. Sulzberger

Chair: Alberto Ibargüen, president & CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

  • A.G. Sulzberger, chairman & publisher, The New York Times

Download Transcript

Workshop: Lessons from the Global South: How innovation has helped newsrooms around the world

  • Ludovic Blecher, head of DNI Innovation Fund, Google

  • Styli Charalambous, CEO, The Daily Maverick, South Africa

  • Innbal Menashri, data project manager, Haaretz, Israel

  • Tai Nalon, co-founder, Aos Fatos, Brazil

  • John-Allan Namu, CEO, Africa Uncensored, Kenya

  • Maria Li, chief operating officer, Tech in Asia, Singapore

Download Transcript

Panel: Collaborative journalism networks: the lone wolf investigative reporter joins regional & global packs

Chair: Marina Walker Guevara, executive editor, Pulitzer Center

  • Scilla Alecci, reporter and coordinator of European & Asian partners, ICIJ , Italy

  • Carlos Eduardo Huertas, founder & director, CONNECTAS (Latin American network) , Colombia

  • Alia Ibrahim, founder and chairman, Daraj , Lebanon

  • Purity Mukami, reporter, Finance Uncovered (UK) & The Elephant , Kenya

Watch Panel Discussion Download Transcript

Panel: Community management and audience engagement: Turning the news into a conversation

Chair: Irving Washington, executive director & CEO, Online News Association (ONA)

  • Ashley Alvarado, director of community engagement, Southern California Public Radio (KPCC + LAist)

  • Darryl Holliday, news lab director and co-founder, City Bureau

  • Nisha Chittal, director of audience and engagement, Vox Media

  • Bobby Blanchard, assistant director for audience, The Texas Tribune

  • Annie Z. Yu, director of engagement, Politico

Watch Panel Discussion Download Transcript

Keynote speaker: Katharine Viner

Chair: Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor-in-chief, San Francisco Chronicle

  • Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, The Guardian

Download Transcript

Workshop: How to develop secure communication with sources and a drop box for whistleblowers

  • Harlo Holmes, Freedom of the Press Foundation

Download Transcript

Panel: Facing the ‘infodemic:’ How journalists covering COVID-19 can fight mis/disinformation

Chair: Maryn McKenna, journalist, author and senior fellow, Emory University’s Center for the Study of Human Health

  • Joan Donovan, research director, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics & Public Policy at Harvard University

  • Heidi Larson, director, The Vaccine Confidence Project at the London

  • Jessica Malaty Rivera, science communication lead, The COVID Tracking Project

  • Brandy Zadrozny, reporter, NBC News

Watch Panel Discussion Download Transcript

#ISOJ Journal- Peer Reviewed Research Panel 1: Capturing journalism’s evolution: From algorithms to misinformation

Chair: Amy Schmitz Weiss, ISOJ Research Chair & #ISOJ Journal co-editor, San Diego State University

  • Silvia DalBen and Amanda Chevtchouk Jurno, Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), More than code: The complex network that involves journalism production in five Brazilian robot initiatives.

  • Amber Hinsley, Texas State University, Cued up: How audience demographics influence reliance on news cues, confirmation bias and confidence in identifying misinformation.

  • Burton Speakman, Kennesaw State University, and Marcus Funk, Sam Houston State University, What’s on your page, on your pa-a-a-ge: Zombie content and paywall policies in American community newspapers, 2015-2020.

Download Transcript

Keynote Session: Reinventing online political coverage

Chair: Evan Smith, CEO & co-founder, The Texas Tribune

  • Anna Palmer & Jake Sherman, co-founders, Punchbowl News

Download Transcript

Workshop: Going beyond advanced search: Google tools for journalists

  • Juan Manuel Lucero, Google News Lab (workshop en español)

  • Mary Nahorniak, Google News Initiative Teaching Fellow (workshop in English)

Download Transcript

Panel: Online violence against women journalists: How to combat this global scourge?

Chair: Elisa Lees Muñoz, executive-director, IWMF

  • Ferial Haffajee, associate editor, Daily Maverick, South Africa

  • Gisela Pérez de Acha, reporter at the investigative reporting program, UC Berkeley

  • Julie Posetti , global director of research, ICFJ

  • Ela Stapley, digital security advisor and founder, Siskin Labs , U.K.

Watch Panel Discussion Download Transcript

Immersive journalism: How photogrammetry, VR and AR are adding new dimensions to storytelling

Chair: Robert Hernandez, professor of professional practice, University of Southern California

  • Mint Boonyapanachoti, creative technologist, The New York Times

  • Thomas Flynn, cultural heritage lead, Sketchfab , U.K.

  • Retha Hill , professor of practice & director of the New Media Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, Arizona State University

  • Ben Kreimer, independent journalism technologist

  • Elite Truong, director of strategic initiatives, The Washington Post

Download Transcript

Keynote Session: Reimagining news for Black Americans: Paving a path toward equity in journalism

Chair: Amanda Zamora, co founder & publisher, The 19th*

  • Lauren Williams & Akoto Ofori-Atta, co-founders, Capital B

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Workshop: Covering climate change: Best practices for how to localize a planet-sized story

  • Amal Ahmed, reporter, Texas Observer

  • Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer, Local Media Association

  • Donovan Quintero, reporter, Navajo Times

  • Mark Schleifstein, reporter, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Times

  • Bernadette Woods Placky, program director, Climate Matters

Download Transcript

Panel: It’s not the old op-ed page anymore: The growth of opinion in online journalism

Chair: Katie Kingsbury, opinion editor, The New York Times

  • Karen Attiah, global opinions editor, The Washington Post

  • Sewell Chan, editorial page editor, The Los Angeles Times

  • Matthew Yglesias , writer and editor, Slow Boring

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Panel: Cracking the code for the new local news through networking and collaboration

Chair: Karen Rundlet, director of journalism program, Knight Foundation

  • Sarabeth Berman, CEO, American Journalism Project (AJP)

  • Sue Cross, executive director and CEO, Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)

  • Emilee Gilpin, managing editor, Indiginews , Canada

  • Lisa Heyamoto, GNI Startups Lab Senior Program Manager, LION Publishers

  • Mukhtar Ibrahim, founder, SAHAN Journal

  • Mazin Sidahmed, co-executive director, Documented

Watch Panel Discussion Download Transcript

Keynote Session: Marty Baron

Chair: Kathleen McElroy, director of the School of Journalism and Media, UT Austin

  • Marty Baron, former executive editor, The Washington Post

Download Transcript

Workshop: How to work towards a news ecosystem that cleanly separates news from opinion

  • Subramaniam (Subbu) Vincent, director of journalism and media ethics program, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University

  • Patricia Lopez, journalist and editorial writer, The Star Tribune

  • Kate Harloe, NewsQ

  • Connie Moon Sehat, News Quality Initiative

Download Transcript

Panel: Race and equity in the news: Reporting in service of communities and with the URL (uplift, respect and love) lens

Chair: Sara Lomax-Reese, co-founder, URL Media, president & CEO, WURD Radio

  • Cierra Hinton, executive-director & publisher, Scalawag

  • Mitra Kalita, co-founder, URL Media

  • Macollvie J. Neel, managing editor, The Hatian Times

  • Nancy San Martin, freelance journalist, contributor at palabra. NAHJ

Watch Panel Discussion Download Transcript

#ISOJ Journal – Peer Reviewed Research Panel 2: Challenging the status quo: New pathways to understanding news audiences today

Chair: Amy Schmitz Weiss, ISOJ Research Chair & #ISOJ Journal co-editor, San Diego State University

  • Mark Poepsel, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Thematic analysis of journalism engagement in practice.

  • Jessica Retis, University of Arizona, and Lourdes M. Cueva Chacón, San Diego State University, Mapping digital-native U.S. Latinx news: Beyond geographical boundaries, language barriers, and hyper-fragmentation of audiences.

  • Ryan Wallace, UT Austin, The language of online news: How science and health reporting in English impacts Latinx Audiences.

Download Transcript