INN Days 2024 Attendee Guide
Attendee Guide
Everything you need to make INN Days run smoothly.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to make your time at INN Days 2024 run smoothly.
We’ve got an exciting schedule planned. Recordings of our plenary sessions will be made available within a few weeks after the event on inn.org.
Time | Breaks & Meals |
---|---|
4:00 pm | Welcome ReceptionMix and mingle with fellow conference attendees at this casual welcome reception. Enjoy tasty finger foods, sip drinks, and enjoy the beauty of Mission Bay. |
Time | Breaks & Meals | Connecting the field | Defending democracy | Expanding our reach | Funding the work | Transforming the workspace |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7:25 am | Sound Bath & Yoga with JustworksEase into your morning with a combination of all-levels yoga and a tranquil sound meditation led by Riffs Yoga Studio. Registration is required. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early! Presented by: Justworks | |||||
7:30 am | Networking Breakfast | |||||
9:15 am | Welcome to INN Days
Karen Rundlet
Executive Director & CEO, Institute for Nonprofit News
| |||||
9:30 am | Supply & Demand: What Does It Take for Journalism to Thrive?There are many reasons to worry about the future of journalism, yet there is also a strong conviction to ensure independent news providers thrive. Industry stakeholders experience and perceive this tension in various ways. Hear them unpack these challenges and explore opportunities to address them.
Karen Rundlet
Executive Director & CEO, Institute for Nonprofit News
Chris Peña
Consultant
Lorie Hearn
CEO, Editor & Founder, inewsource
Jim Brady
VP, Journalism, Knight Foundation
| |||||
10:50 am | Election Readiness: Converting Audiences into SupportersThe demand for reliable news and information spikes during election season, making it an ideal moment for independent news providers to shine. How can your organization make the most of this time? Gather best practices on how to optimize your website, products and campaigns to attract and inspire new supporters.
Abbey Gingras
Senior Director of Consulting Services, News Revenue Hub
Mary Walter-Brown
Founder & CEO, News Revenue Hub
Nicole Rocchio
Global Product Insights Lead, Google
| Publishing News? Then Yes, You Need a LawyerRunning a nonprofit news organization carries both editorial and operational risks. INN members share how resources like ProJourn and Lawyers for Reporters have helped them navigate legal challenges and confidently run their operations.
Dana Amihere
Executive Director, AfroLA
Geoffrey King
Executive Editor, Open Vallejo
Flavie Fuentes
Pro Bono Director, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Gabe Rottman
Director of the Technology and Press Freedom Project, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Alexander Papachristou
Director, Lawyers for Reporters
Presented by: Knight Foundation | Amplify Your Impact: Leverage Canva for Multiplatform StorytellingAmplify Your Impact: Leverage Canva for Multiplatform Storytelling As part of its mission to ‘be a force for good’, Canva offers its premium product free to all non-profits, forever. Seize this chance to learn how to create compelling, multiplatform stories that resonates with your audience. This workshop provides essential tools for engaging your community and inspiring your supporters across various platforms. What to expect: Actionable Solutions: Get inspired and discover tactics you can implement immediately to expand your reach and transform your storytelling across different platforms. Industry Insights: Learn from other non-profit organizations using Canva to overcome challenges and achieve success in multiplatform storytelling. Enhanced Collaboration: Discover effortless ways to improve team collaboration for more cohesive and effective storytelling. AI Tools Exploration: Utilize Canva’s AI features, like Translate and Magic Switch, to streamline your workflows and save time. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your multiplatform storytelling and amplify your impact with Canva!
Diana Abeleven
Global Journalism and Media Lead, Canva
Presented by: Canva | Metrics That Matter: Fighting for Economic JusticeImpact metrics are useful when talking to your community or to funders, but it can be difficult to identify measures that authentically reflect your mission. MLK50: Justice Through Journalism will share its approach to addressing this challenge.
Lupita Parra
Development Director, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
Alicia Bell
Director, Racial Equity in Journalism Fund
Maple Walker Lloyd
Senior Director of Development, Block Club Chicago
| A Playbook on Developing Your Succession PlanSustainability is about more than fundraising. It also includes creating a way for founders to transition while ensuring the organization’s future success. INN members join Amy L. Kovac-Ashley, author of the Executive Leadership Transition Guide, to share the essentials of creating a succession plan.
Richard Young
Executive Director, CivicLex
Mukhtar Ibrahim
CEO, Sahan Journal
Amy Kovac-Ashley
Executive Director, Tiny News Collective
| |
11:45 am | Networking Lunch
| |||||
12:15 pm | How a Promise Tracker Helped Angelenos Understand the Big Picture on HomelessnessLAist launched a data project to monitor a newly elected mayor’s campaign promises on addressing homelessness. Learn how the team developed this approach to accountability reporting and how it can serve as a model to cover other complex issues.
Ariel Zirulnick
Director of News Experimentation, LAist
Brianna Lee
Engagement Producer, Civics and Democracy, LAist
Nick Gerda
Senior Reporter, Unhoused Communities, LAist
| Practical Applications for AI in the NewsroomDiscover AI tools that newsrooms can start using now to streamline digital publishing, deepen audience engagement, track impact and more — all while adhering to the highest standards of ethical, public service journalism.
Elma González Lima Brandão
Digital Editor, KPBS
Giovanni Moujaes
Product Manager, inewsource
Evan Young
Young, Young
Andrew Haeg
Network Product Manager, Institute for Nonprofit News
| Breaking Silos, Driving Growth: Data-Driven Fundraising for Nonprofit NewsLearn how INN member Montana Free Press is collaborating with BlueLena and Newspack on an innovative fundraising stack that breaks down the silos between major giving, small-dollar giving, and audience engagement efforts to provide newsrooms with an efficient solution to cultivate support. In this session, you’ll see the power unlocked by breaking down hidden data siloes, and the potential for innovation when platforms and publishers partner for growth.
John Adams
Founder, Executive Director, Montana Free Press
Megan Vaughn
BlueLena
Ned Berke
Chief Strategy Officer, BlueLena
Kinsey Wilson
Founder & Head, Newspack
Presented by: BlueLena | Roundtables: Leading with Equity & Inclusion in Investigative ReportingInvestigative reporting can shed light on inequities in society. So how can newsrooms ensure their work engages and reaches those most affected by those injustices? Take part in roundtable discussions to share your approach and learn from other news leaders.
Eric Peterson
Executive Director, The Utah Investigative Journalism Project
Jennifer Bowman
Assistant Editor, inewsource
Courtney Lewis
Chief of Growth Programs, Institute for Nonprofit News
Sara Shahriari
Director of Leadership & Talent Development, Institute for Nonprofit News
| ||
1:35 pm | Saving Lives and Finding Joy in Local News DesertsLeading a local newsroom can be fulfilling yet isolating, especially for startups focused on reaching underserved communities. Join a conversation with leaders from different backgrounds and communities to share the experiences of navigating the ups and downs of this work.
Kate Maxwell
Founder, Publisher, The Mendocino Voice
Maritza Félix
Founder and Director, Conecta Arizona
Brittany Harley
Founder, Five Wards Media, Newark Stories
| Election News You Can Use: Helping Voters Make Sense of DemocracyDemocracy needs informed voters, and horse-race political coverage won’t cut it. INN members will join Jennifer Brandel of Democracy SOS to share examples and resources for producing useful election coverage and enhancing voters’ understanding of democracy.
Howard Manly
Race & Equity Editor, The Conversation U.S.
Jessie Higgins
Managing Editor, Charlottesville Tomorrow
Denise Florez
Editor, CALÓ News
Denise-Marie Ordway
Managing Editor, The Journalist’s Resource at Harvard Kennedy School
Jennifer Brandel
CEO, Hearken, Democracy SOS
| Breaking News is Bound to Happen. What’s Your Audience and Fundraising Plan?The importance of nonprofit journalism is often amplified during a crisis. But how do you tactfully and respectfully share that message with your audience? Learn how VTDigger and Honolulu Civil Beat generated support for their missions in a moment of breaking news.
Courtney Teague
Director of Audience, Honolulu Civil Beat
Mariko Chang
Director of Philanthropy, Honolulu Civil Beat
Libbie Sparadeo
Director of Membership and Engagement, VTDigger
Sky Barsch
CEO, VTDigger
David Grant
Director of Partnerships, Blue Engine Collaborative
| Where’s the Line? How Nonprofit Newsrooms Can Engage in Public Policy DiscussionsNonprofit newsrooms are growing to fill in information needs, yet many lawmakers are not aware of the value they bring to their district or state. Learn how you can engage in discussions about public policies for local journalism while keeping in mind the limitations that come with a 501(c)(3) status.
Alicia Ramirez
Founder & Publisher, The Riverside Record
Kate Griesemer
Senior Manager, Digital Fundraising and Donor Relations, The Baltimore Banner
Matthew Tinoco
Publisher & Founder, Los Angeles Public Press
Anna Brugmann
Policy Director, Rebuild Local News
| Turning News Deserts into Information GardensThe Listening Post Collective helps news organizations and other civic media groups identify the information needs of their community. Hear how newsrooms have adopted the collective’s methods and tools to create more responsive and equitable information solutions for their cities and regions.
Dana James
Founder & Publisher, Black Iowa News
Nicolás Ríos
Audience & Community Director, Documented
Anthony Victoria
Founder, The Frontline Observer
Jesse Hardman
Founder, Listening Post Collective
| |
2:40 pm | Lightning Talks: Pitch the Future of Nonprofit NewsA series of leaders with different perspectives and experiences will pitch innovative ideas that could make nonprofit news more sustainable and accessible to wider audiences. But here’s the catch: They will each have just six minutes to make their case.
Corinne Colbert
Editor-in-Chief, Athens County Independent
Morgan Malone
Executive Director, City Bureau
Kate (k.e.) Harloe
Independent Journalist, Freelance Solidarity Project
Sam Cholke
Manager, Distribution & Audience Growth, Institute for Nonprofit News
| Rural News for Rural People: Emerging Models and MomentumRural communities have been hard hit by the decline in local newspapers, but these INN members are experimenting with ways to fill the gap. Hear about the reporting methods and models they are using to put rural audiences first.
Caroline Carlson
Senior Digital Editor, The Daily Yonder
Ilana Newman
Cortez Reporting Fellow, Daily Yonder
Roz Brown
Reporter/Producer, Public News Service
Alana Rocha
Editor, Rural News Network, Institute for Nonprofit News
| Say What You Mean: Using Language to Bridge the Trust GapThe word choices in a story matter. That’s why the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology created Authentically, a machine-learning tool that helps journalists identify and adjust biased language. Join for a discussion about the relationship between language and trust.
Lawrence Bartley
Publisher, The Marshall Project Inside, The Marshall Project
Janet Coats
Managing Director, Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology
Kendall Moe
Authentically Senior Project Manager, Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology
Tracie Powell
CEO & Founder, The Pivot Fund
| Latest Revenue Trends: What the Index and Local Members Tell UsWe know from INN’s annual Index survey that total revenue for nonprofit news is increasing, and that local outlets are driving much of the sector’s growth. But what does the work to grow revenue look like behind the scenes? It’s not as easy as the trend data suggests. Hear from three local news leaders on where they’re finding revenue success and setbacks, and their plans for the future.
Emily Roseman
Research Director & Editor, Institute for Nonprofit News
Ha Ta
Research Associate, Institute for Nonprofit News
Dutchie Jessee
Development Director, Cardinal News
Ron Smith
Executive Director, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Thi Tran
Director of Development, San José Spotlight
| Get Out of the Weeds: How to (Finally) Make Your Strategy Work for YouIt is hard for nonprofit news executives to balance daily demands with the big-picture tasks essential for their organization’s long-term sustainability. INN members share tactics for stepping back to address pressing needs and achieve meaningful results.
Danielle Bergstrom
Executive Director/Managing Editor, Fresnoland
Donna Ladd
Editor & CEO, Mississippi Free Press
Stacy Feldman
Founder and Publisher, Boulder Reporting Lab
Teresa Tauchi
COO, Acting Art Director, Prison Journalism Project
Lisa Heyamoto
Associate Director of Member Education, LION Publishers
| |
3:50 pm | Press Forward: What It Means for the Future of NewsPress Forward is investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms. Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Andrew Simon will lead a conversation with funders committed to the effort, exploring their vision for the future of journalism sustainability and the role of philanthropy.
Tim Murphy
Program Officer, McKnight Foundation
David Rousseau
Executive Director, Journalism and Information Technology & Publisher, KFF Health News, KFF
Dale Anglin
Director, Press Forward
Andrew Simon
Editor-in-Chief, Chronicle of Philanthropy
|
Time | Breaks & Meals | Connecting the field | Defending democracy | Expanding our reach | Funding the work | Transforming the workspace |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7:15 am | Morning Run & WalkJoin a scenic morning walk or run in Mission Bay before the conference kicks off. The run will cover a 5K route at a 9:30 min per mile pace and is organized by INN member Giovanni Moujaes at inewsource. The walk will be around 3 miles over the course of an hour is organized by INN’s Jordan Smith. Registration is required. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early! | |||||
7:25 am | Sound Bath & Yoga with JustworksEase into your morning with a combination of all-levels yoga and a tranquil sound meditation led by Riffs Yoga Studio. Registration is required. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early! Presented by: Justworks | |||||
9:15 am | We Merged Newsrooms. Here’s What Happened.Merging newsrooms is one option for getting organizations on a sustainable path. Nonprofit news executives who have done this in recent years will share their experiences, what they would do differently, and how the integration process is going so far.
Jennifer Kho
Executive Editor, Chicago Sun-Times
Monika Bauerlein
CEO, The Center for Investigative Reporting
Ashley Woods Branch
Executive Director, Fund for Equity in Local News
| The Promise and Payoff Collaborations to Cover HealthWhat can newsrooms do to produce nuanced health coverage? Work together. Explore different ways outlets are collaborating to cover community health, health care and health equity. Learn from their successes and failures, and discover actionable steps to produce inclusive health coverage.
Jaya Padmanabhan
Collaborative Editor, USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism
Michelle Levander
Founding Director/Editor-in-Chief, USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism
Andrea Igliozzi
Multimedia Journalist, Univision 19
Andrew DeVigal
Director, UO-SOJC’s Agora Journalism Center
Randall Yip
President, Asian American Media Inc
| Using Field Canvassers to Connect with Communities of ColorThis hands-on workshop will unpack Borderless Magazine’s award-winning experiment using field canvassers to increase brand awareness, grow newsletter subscribers and gather story ideas. Hear about the lessons learned, and leave with a toolkit for launching a similar program in your community.
Diane Bou Khalil
Community Engagement Reporter, Borderless Magazine
Mauricio Peña
Editorial Director, Borderless Magazine
| How to Partner with Community Foundations and Their DonorsCommunity foundations have deep knowledge about their region and philanthropists concerned about local needs. Hear first-hand from program officers on how newsrooms can leverage these organizations to strengthen and support their work.
Allison Taylor Levine
CEO, Local Journalism Initiative, Spotlight Delaware
Laura Seaman
Chief Executive Officer, League of California Community Foundations
Paulette Brown-Hinds
Board Member & Journalism Fund Founder, Inland Empire Community Foundation
Neil Chase
CEO, CalMatters
| Inside, Outside: Building a DEI Infrastructure for Your OrganizationBuilding connection and trust with communities of color requires sustained, intentional efforts. PublicSource shares what it learned and implemented from partnering with Resolve Philly and the American Press Institute to better serve communities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Alyia Paulding
Director of Membership & Development, PublicSource
Derrick Cain
Director of Community Engagement, Resolve Philly
AmyJo Brown
Consulting Editor, War Streets Media
| |
10:20 am | Breaking the Mold: Transforming How the Story Gets ToldAs nonprofit news and public service journalism evolve, newsrooms are adapting their approaches, considering factors like mental health and identity that influence the reporting process. Heart firsthand what it’s like inside newsrooms confronting these issues and the impact that has had on their work.
Dean Baquet
Executive Editor, Local Investigations Fellowship, The New York Times
Tara Francis Chan Francis Chan
Managing Editor, The Appeal
Chabeli Carrazana
Economy Reporter, The 19th
| |||||
11:40 am | Networking Lunch: Meet your INN Member PodGrab a boxed lunch and meet with people working at outlets similar to yours. INN’s Pods program groups member news organizations with similar revenue, staffing, and geographic reach. Connect to discuss your recent wins, challenges, and insights. Keep an eye on your inbox for instructions on locating your INN Pod. | |||||
1:35 pm | 15 Years Later, We Can’t Miss the Bright Spots
Michelle Srbinovich
VP, Growth Investments, American Journalism Project
Brandon Quester
Executive Director & Editor, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
Gillian White
Chief Revenue Officer, Capital B
Sharene Azimi
Communications Director, Institute for Nonprofit News
| |||||
2:30 pm | Ice Cream SocialStick around to say your goodbyes over a scoop of ice cream. Hosted by local INN member organizations inewsource, and Voice of San Diego. |
This year, we’re offering office hours with a network of coaches during INN Days. Book a time to connect with our experienced coaches in person.
Explore the venue map or use this 360-degree tool to navigate the conference layout. For additional accessibility information, visit the hotel website and you may also contact gatherings@inn.org to share if there are other ways we can assist your stay.
Access Wi-Fi while attending the conference.
Conference Venue
INN Days 2024 takes place June 11-12, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, 1441 Quivira Rd, San Diego, CA 92109.
Visit the hotel website or call at (619) 224-1234 for additional information, including parking and available amenities for guests.
Conference Hotel Room Blocks
Room blocks reserved for INN Days are now fully booked.
View the list of organizations that will be represented at INN Days 2024.
For additional information about who attends INN Days, please contact gatherings@inn.org.
Yes, you have until May 27, 2024, to transfer your conference registration to another individual. Please follow these instructions to edit your ticket order information.
You may request a refund up until May 27, 2024. Please follow these instructions to request a refund. Our team will review your request and be in touch.
In order for both of you to receive the Team ticket price, we ask that you request a refund for your original Individual ticket and re-register as a Team.
Contact our team at gatherings@inn.org, and we can provide you with instructions on how to add a new team member. Please include your existing order number in your message.
Yes, there are a limited number of discounted registration tickets available for $155 to support individuals who are interested in attending. Please contact gatherings@inn.org with your request.
No, unfortunately, there is no virtual registration option available for INN Days 2024 at this time.
INN Days will start at 8 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 11, and will conclude by 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday, June 12. We suggest arriving by 4 p.m. PT on Monday, June 10 for a chance to settle in and network with fellow conference attendees.
We’re still working to finalize this year’s schedule. We will publish a schedule at-a-glance in March and a detailed session schedule by May 15.
The list of conference-goers will be made available to registered attendees by June 3, 2024. Registered attendees will receive an email from INN with a link to view this list.
Yes, there will be a limited number of room blocks available at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay for conference-goers. Visit the Travel section of our hub for more information.
The Hotel has a daily Resort Services Program fee, which INN has negotiated a discounted resort fee from $39 to $20 per room, per night. It is not optional. The hotel’s resort program provides the following services and amenities to enhance the guest experience: premium guest room Wi-Fi, two in-room bottled waters (refreshed daily), kayak or paddleboard rental through Mission Bay Sportscenter, business center access, incoming & outgoing faxes, private fitness center access, beach amenities (chairs and water toys), recreational activities (assorted board games, foosball, ping pong & bean bag toss), discounted attraction tickets, pool and waterslide access, daily wellness activity, nightly in-room movie. We encourage guests to take full advantage of these hotel amenities during their stay.
To support as many newsrooms as possible, awards will be up to $750 per INN member organization.
Each member organization may submit one, single application on behalf of all staff attending. The survey will ask how many individuals from your organization plan to attend, and INN staff will take that into consideration.
Member travel stipends will only be awarded to the INN member organization, not directly to individuals. If your organization is fiscally sponsored, the award will be made to your fiscal organization, if selected.
If you submit your application by the April 1 deadline, you will be notified of your award status by April 19, and funds will be disbursed by May 17.
Travel funds can be used to cover transportation, accommodations, or any other costs that would support your team’s ability to travel.
INN members represent a rapidly growing field of nonprofit newsrooms filling news deserts and reaching communities all over the country. They are trusted information centers in their communities, helmed by journalists and business leaders rethinking what journalism can be. And they’re all coming together at INN Days.
We have sponsor packages ranging from $2,500 to $50,000, which include sponsor tables, hosting “brown bag lunch” sessions with attendees, or even designing your own sponsored session as a Champion sponsor. For sponsors that want even more flexibility, we also have standalone options to sponsor travel stipends for INN members, individual conference sessions (after INN approval), or “Joy sponsorships” to sponsor things like an ice cream social, a taco truck or puppy yoga! Want some combination of the two? We can also customize a sponsor package for you to get the most out of your sponsor experience.
Whether you’re looking to demo your product in front of the best and brightest in nonprofit news or you just really care about this field and want to help create a moment of joy as a conference Joy sponsor — we’d love your support! Reach out to Soraya at soraya@inn.org for more information.
Follow along with the conversation on social media by using #INNDays24 and tagging INN!
The coordination of INN Days is managed by a team of people. You can reach us at gatherings@inn.org with any questions or ideas you may have. You can also sign up for INN’s INNovation newsletter for more updates and announcements.