Conference Schedule

Open house at The Harvard Crimson

14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. | map

Reception at The American Academy of Arts & Sciences

200 Beacon St., Somerville, Mass. | map

Welcome remarks

Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, with Joshua Steiner and Alan Murray, friends of the Georges family

Keynote conversation

Journalism’s Past, Present and Future: A conversation with three generations of Harvard Crimson journalists

Moderator:

• Ann Marie Lipinski, curator, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

Speakers:

• Nicholas Lemann, dean emeritus of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University and former president of The Harvard Crimson (class of 1976)
• Abby Phillip, anchor of  “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip” and former news executive editor at The Harvard Crimson (class of 2010)
• Elias Schisgall, current Harvard College student and associate managing editor of The Harvard Crimson (class of 2025)

Breakfast and networking

Welcome remarks and panel introduction Miles J. Herszenhorn, managing editor, The Harvard Crimson

Making the Case for Journalism: Forging a Career in the Midst of Industry Upheaval

Speakers:

• Niki Griswold, City Hall reporter, The Boston Globe
• Graciela Mochkofsky, dean of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York and a 2009 Nieman Fellow
• Charles Sennott, founder and editor-in-chief of the nonprofit news organization The GroundTruth Project and its Report for America and Report for the World initiatives and a 2006 Nieman Fellow

Moderator:

• Betsy O’Donovan, associate professor of journalism at Western Washington University and a 2013 Nieman Fellow

Breakout Training Session I (choose one)

1. Every Beat is Investigative: Tips for digging deep, even on deadline

   Learn how to view the world through an investigative lens — developing sources, examining power structures, analyzing lobbying and public records, crafting public record requests and more.

   2024 Nieman Fellows Andrew Ryan, investigative reporter for The Boston Globe, and Johanna Wild, investigative tech team founder and open-source researcher at Bellingcat in Amsterdam

2. The Magic of Audio Journalism

   What does it take to tell a story with sound? Learn about recording and editing interviews, writing for the ear and how to tell engrossing true stories using the human voice — for radio, podcasts and more.

   2024 Nieman Fellows Julia Barton, VP and executive editor at Pushkin Industries, Cristela Guerra, senior arts and culture reporter at WBUR, and Ilya Marritz, most recently a reporter for ProPublica and NPR

3. Intro to Artificial Intelligence (AI): Tools for Journalism

   AI tools are poised to have an enormous impact on journalism. Learn about emerging AI technologies and tools that you can use in your newsrooms for things like transcription, data analysis and document research, as well as the ethical and legal considerations surrounding their use.

   2024 Nieman Fellows Julian Benbow, sports reporter at The Boston Globe, and Jaemark Tordecilla, most recently head of digital media at GMA News in the Philippines

Breakout Session for Advisers:

Providing student journalists with resources for success

Frank LoMonte, newsroom legal counsel, CNN, and Betsy O’Donovan, associate professor of journalism at Western Washington University

Networking lunch

Breakout Training Session II (choose one)

1. The Art of the Interview

   Interviewing is a fundamental tool of journalism, but getting the most out of an interview requires skill and practice to master. Learn from experienced accountability journalists who are masters of the craft on how to ask questions that elicit compelling answers, even in the most difficult circumstances.

   2024 Nieman Fellows Manasseh Azure Awuni, founding editor-in-chief of The Fourth Estate in Ghana, Denise Schrier Cetta, producer and writer at “60 Minutes,” and Andrea Patiño Contreras, a Boston-based video journalist and editor from Bogotá, Colombia

2. Press Rights Primer

   It’s a challenging time to be a student journalist, from covering contentious issues to coming under fire from all sides: administrators, students, alumni and outside forces. That’s why it’s essential to understand not only your basic legal rights as a reporter, but the laws that protect student-run media outlets and the parameters of free speech. Learn about the legal statutes that protect your right to cover the news and gain access to vital information.

   Frank LoMonte, newsroom legal counsel, CNN

3. Audience Engagement Tools and Strategies

   Learn to craft content that fosters interaction, builds a following, and strengthens your news organization’s ability to connect more effectively with the campus community using audience engagement tools such as social media, newsletters and emerging platforms like TikTok, video and text messaging.

   Adriana Lacy, audience engagement editor, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

Break

Student Lightning Round: Hear from Your Peers

Short presentations from student news organizations about stories they’ve covered, special projects they’ve done, or newsroom challenges they’ve faced over the past year.

Moderator:

• Adriana Lacy, audience engagement editor, the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

Final thoughts/comments and survey