From March 13-15, 2024, CSPA will welcome student journalists and their advisers from around the country to our 100th Annual Spring Convention, taking place on the Columbia campus in New York City. Registration is open online.

Delegates may choose from more than 220 sessions that stretch across multiple categories and interests, from how to cover the upcoming elections to DEIA in the newsroom. Some Convention highlights are below. We invite you to visit the full searchable session list on our event website for more.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m.
5 Fun Ways to Build Better News Habits
Speaker: Ellen Austin, Former Teacher and Journalism Adviser; Founder of Birch Avenue Creative

Trying to find ways to get your students and staff to pay more attention to daily news headlines? Get creative with these fun strategies to build news habits, including ways to gamify the process. From news journals to “news tag,” these are proven paths to better news awareness.

11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
More than Both Sides: Redefining Objectivity
Speaker: Logan Aimone, Teacher and Adviser, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Objectivity has been the gold standard in journalism. But whose objectivity? The traditional definition of “objective” must evolve beyond detached stenography and performative balance—journalists must be truth tellers. Learn how increasing standards of fairness and transparency can improve credibility and trust.

11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
Using Smart Product Design to Deliver News
Speaker: Dan Revitte, Director, Product Design, CNN

Almost all digital news organizations have a product design department. What is product design? What do product designers do? What do product designers need to know? This session will explore those questions and discover how product design shapes and delivers stories across multiple platforms.

11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
Refill Your Fuel Tank
Speaker: Wanda Vanish, Faculty Adviser, Mountain Echo, and the Horseshoe yearbook

Advisers Roundtable: Join yearbook and newspaper advisers to discuss those topics you wish you could talk about with other teachers at your school. Consider grading methods, advising multiple publications, motivating your staff, and editor organization.

1:30 p.m.–2:15 p.m.
Investigating the Kremlin’s Information Warfare
Speaker: Jessikka Aro, award-winning journalist, communications expert, and author

Jessikka Aro will describe the Kremlin's use of disinformation and fake news as a political weapon against Western societies. Main channels, techniques, and methods of modern Russian information warfare will be addressed, as well as various examples of the Kremlin’s information attacks impacting Western audiences. She will also discuss the risks of reporting about Russia’s information warfare.

2:30 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
Reignite Your Dormant Creativity
Speaker: Karl Gude, former journalist, former journalism instructor, Michigan State University

When you were a toddler, you were likely a confident, fearless explorer of your universe fueled by wonder and an insatiable curiosity. You routinely thought of creative ideas for solving challenges and invented unique games, stories, and art. Sadly, as you and countless other kids grew, too many of you lost these youthful abilities as you were burned by the harsh, unwritten rules of society. To be safe, you gradually buried your uniqueness and conformed to the herd mentality. Your ideas became mediocre and predictable. However, it is possible to reignite your inner creative child. In his talk, Karl will explain some societal forces that tamed your wild creativity and explore five things you can do to unleash it.

2:30 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
Censorship of Chosen Names and Preferred Pronouns 
Speaker: Jonathan Gaston-Falk, staff attorney, Student Press Law Center

Have you been told that you can only publish legal names? Are you restricted from using preferred pronouns? Join the Student Press Law Center to understand the legal landscape and what you can do to ensure your student media accurately reflects the reality of student life.

2:30 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
Community Journalism
Speaker: Tom Hayes, Faculty Adviser, Ben Davis High School; former journalist

Learn how one high school program has extended its journalism offerings by adding a community newspaper to its curriculum and offering more community programs within its township.

3:30 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
A Little Bit of History, Through My Eyes
Speaker: David Berkwitz, Freelance Photographer

Berkwitz gives a birds-eye view of some of his work as a photojournalist, from political uprisings and politics to a little bit of rock and roll. He’ll discuss the importance of doing what you love and not expecting to get paid a lot for it, but loving almost every minute of it.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

9:00 a.m.–9:45 a.m.
The ‘New’ News Environment
Speakers: 
Arlyn Gajilan, Digital News Director, Reuters; 
Jennifer Bensko Ha, former journalist, Director, Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Running a digital newsroom is a complex operation, with advantages and pitfalls. While information comes fast and hard and is readily available, the job of a digital news editor today goes far beyond even what the same role was even a few years ago. Misinformation, the rise of AI, and the emergence of social platforms as news platforms is a daily challenge. In this session, CSPA Director Jennifer Bensko Ha will discuss the new news environment with Reuters’ Digital News Director Arlyn Gajilan, what we can expect in media coverage of the upcoming elections, and predictions for what lies ahead for digital news.

10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m.
DEIA in the Newsroom
Speakers: 
Marcus, Mabry, Senior Vice President of Digital Editorial and Programming for CNN Digital Worldwide; 
Shirley Carswell, Executive Director, Dow Jones News Fund; 
Louisa Avery, Adviser, The Standard, The American School in London
Moderator: 
Errold D. Jones, SPS Associate Director of DEIA 

This panel of professionals will discuss the barriers to diversity in both professional and student newsrooms and how these obstacles may be overcome. They will also provide tactics for both advisers and students to build a more inclusive newsroom and expand their editorial coverage to achieve a wider and fresher range of perspectives in their content.

10:00 a.m.–10:45 a.m.
How to Cover Crime When There’s So Much Criming
Speaker: Patrick Rogers, Senior Editor, Crime, People Magazine

You can’t escape the long arm of the law—or can you? In this session People Magazine’s Senior Editor Patrick Rogers, who oversees the crime coverage for the weekly publication, will explain the challenges he and his colleagues confront to get their stories. He’ll also discuss the editorial process, and the rationale behind story choices.

11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
How I Turned My Love of Pop Culture and Music into a Career
Speaker: Stephen Thompson, NPR Music

Stephen Thompson is a host, writer, and reviewer for NPR Music, where he “speaks into any microphone that will have him,” co-hosts the daily NPR roundtable podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, and appears as a frequent guest on All Songs Considered and NPR's daily news magazines. Thompson also co-created the NPR Music video series Tiny Desk concerts. So, how did he get there? In this session, learn more about Thompson's career path—which included a 12-year stint at The Onion and The A.V. Club—as well as his many enthusiasms, which range from reality television and the Green Bay Packers to his Instagram-worthy cats.

11:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
Going Local: Election-year Stories Your Readers Need
Speaker: Joelle Keene, Faculty Adviser, Boiling Point, Shalhevet High School

With the demise of so many local news sources, high school media have an opportunity to shine light on candidates who may not be very famous today but may have huge futures or cause regret if voters lack information about them. Thousands of offices are up for election this year: learn how to cover school board, city council, state legislative and other races whose candidates are among the most media-accessible in politics to print, podcast and video reporters.

1:30 p.m.–2:15 p.m.
A Conversation with Anna Sale, Host of the Podcast “Death, Sex & Money,” from Slate
Speakers: Anna Sale, “Death, Sex, & Money” podcast creator and host; Professor Joanne Faryon, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism

Anna Sale was a trailblazer when she created the podcast, Death, Sex and Money in 2014. Sale describes the show as an interview podcast about “the things we think about a lot, and need to talk about more.” She’s had in-depth conversations with acclaimed guests including Jane Fonda, Sonya Sotomayor, and Ellen Burstyn. Death, Sex and Money frequently makes the “Best of” lists, including in 2014 when it was an iTunes Best Podcast of the Year. Join Columbia Journalism Prof. Joanne Faryon in conversation with Sale, to talk about her podcast journey. Where did the idea for the show come from? And how is Sale able to get her guests—some of them the most well-known people of our time-—to open up in such an intimate way?

2:30 p.m.–3:15 p.m.
How to Think about Your Career When You’re at the Beginning of Your Career with LinkedIn’s Editor-In-Chief, Dan Roth
Speaker: Daniel Roth, VP, Editor-in-Chief, LinkedIn

The job market has been changing fast, but it’s nothing like it’s going to look in the next five years. Find out how to navigate the many changes you’ll face when job seeking. Roth will share LinkedIn’s data on skills, how to build your personal brand, and the importance of honing a community.
 

Friday, March 15, 2024

8:45 a.m.–9:30 a.m.
What It's Like to Be a Photo Editor at Rolling Stone
Speaker: Deputy Photo Editor, Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone Deputy Photo Editor Sacha Lecca  practically grew up behind the camera, assisting his photographer parents at fashion shows, and later working at Newsweek in its heyday as a photo editor. As a photo editor at Rolling Stone, he works alongside editors on stories ranging from politics to music. In this session, Lecca will take students through the process of what it's like to be a photo editor at the magazine, explaining the process of assigning photo shoots, editing photos, and shooting live events.

9:45 a.m.–10:30 p.m.
What is a Data Journalist?
Speaker: Ben Welsh, News Applications Editor, Reuters

In this session, Reuters News Applications Editor Ben Welsh will discuss how news teams use data journalism to provide dynamic dashboards, interactive databases and automated insights to inform readers, empower reporters, and serve the public interest. 

11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Reporting the News While Being the News
Speakers: Emmy Martin, Editor-in-Chief, and Caitlyn Yaede, Print Managing Editor, The Daily Tar Heel

The Daily Tar Heel’s Editor-in-Chief Emmy Martin and Print Managing Editor Caitlyn Yaede discuss covering the fatal shooting that took place in August 2023 on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus. The two student journalists led the newsroom through the tragic event and created the newspaper whose front page of text messages gained national attention, even eliciting a comment and a White House invitation from President Joe Biden.

11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Tackling AI Tools for the Student Newsroom
Speaker: David Cutler, Faculty Adviser, The Gator, Brimmer and May School

Join David Cutler, director of the Private School Journalism Association, for a dynamic session exploring the unique challenges and opportunities in student journalism at private and independent schools. Engage in discussions about navigating limited protections, sharing success stories, and gaining support to overcome obstacles. Advisers and students are welcome.