Mark Your Calendar: September Events for Journalists and Bloggers

Welcome to Blogger Events, a monthly column of upcoming blogger and journalist events that we think you should know about. Plan even further ahead and bookmark our page with upcoming events for the entire year.

Have some free time on your calendar? The next few weeks offer various opportunities for journalists to learn new skills, network and hear about the latest trends in the industry. Check out the upcoming events below and see which ones appeal to you. They’ll cover topics like editing, legal support for journalists, AI for local media, how to interview LGBTQ+ youth and much more.

September Events

Multiple Dates: What Journalism Can Teach You About Effective Communication

This four-part course from The Associated Press will provide actionable tools, tips and feedback to boost the effectiveness of your writing. In addition to the four sessions, you can add on a premium critique of your professional or personal writing from an AP editor. The main sessions will include:

• Sept. 9: How effective writing has changed the world.
• Sept. 11: Principles of journalism and writing and how they relate to you.
• Sept. 16: Reporting/research, writing and editing to make you a better communicator.
• Sept. 18: Crafting a story and packaging it for readers.

Sept. 5-8: 2024 NLGJA

This year’s Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists National Convention will take place in Los Angeles. Breakout sessions include “A better path to fair coverage of LGBTQ+ communities,” “Risk Assessment and Planning for LGBTQ+ journalists,” “Tips on Interviewing LGBTQ+ Youth” and “Guiding the Next Generation of Journalists.”

Sept. 5-7: Independent News Sustainability Summit

This summit from LION Publishers will “gather independent news publishers, industry experts, and supporters of independent news to share expert knowledge, hard-won lessons, and actionable advice on running a news business while being in community with people who care deeply about strengthening the local news ecosystem.”

Sept. 6: Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color (application deadline)

The application deadline for this four-day intensive course from Poynter is Sept. 6 – the actual sessions will take place Nov. 12-15 at Poynter’s campus in St. Petersburg, Florida. Come away with stronger skills in presenting and supporting your arguments, reporting with fairness and accuracy, generating strong ideas for opinion pieces and more.

Sept. 12: Women in Journalism resilience masterclass with Rosie Nixon

Journalist turned life coach Rosie Nixon will guide attendees during this quick 30-minute session and help them identify transferable skills, understand their values and navigate a career path change.

Sept. 13-15: JAWS Conference & Mentoring Program (CAMP)

Over 200 women journalists will head to New Orleans for CAMP, hosted by the Journalism & Women Symposium. The goal is to “bring together women journalists from different specialties, beats, demographics and geographies to share with, learn from and empower each other.” The schedule will include presentations, workshops, social events and free time for relationship-building and exploring the city.

Sept. 18-21: ONA24

The Online News Association’s annual event focuses on the future of digital media and will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. Attendees range from digital media audience and analytics professionals to news product, strategy, and business executives and entrepreneurs.

Sept. 19: Q&A Session with Reporters Shield

The Global Investigative Journalism Network will host this conversation with Clothilde Redfern and Jodi Blankenship, executive director and project manager of Reporters Shield, a legal support program and defense fund for investigative sites and newsrooms. Register to ask questions about the program, membership model, and the services it provides.

Sept. 20-21: Pinners Conference Texas

This one is for all the DIY bloggers out there. Head to Fort Worth, Texas, for the latest Pinners Conference. Choose from more than 100 creative and educational classes on crafts like fall decor, crochet, soapmaking, cookie decorating and much more.

Sept. 23-25: LMA Fest

The Local Media Association’s (LMA) annual event will take place in Chicago. Sessions will cover the Press Forward initiative, local media advertising, reader engagement strategies, AI for local media and more.

Sept. 25: Inside the Pulitzer Prizes – What is it like to choose journalism’s best?

This will be an intimate, 90-minute conversation with Poynter President Neil Brown and several winners of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. They’ll discuss the awards’ adaptation to the changing media landscape and share notable stories and controversies the board has handled before an engaging Q&A session with the audience.

Sept. 25-27: ACES VCON24

The third annual virtual conference for The American Copy Editors Society (ACES) will help editors “identify, hone, and advance their editing skills, career goals, and personal aspirations.” In addition to the 35 sessions, meetups, contests and session chats will provide opportunities to connect with colleagues from the comfort of your home or office. Sessions will fall under one of four core topics: Core editing skills, Words and language, Business of editing, and Panels.

Sept. 26-27: NNAF Annual Convention and Trade Show

The National Newspaper Association Foundation will host its 138th annual event in Omaha, Nebraska. It will “address pressing business objectives of community newspaper owners, publishers and senior staff with educational sessions and peer sharing activities.”

Coming in October…

Oct. 1-22: Level Up: AI for Journalists

This weekly training from Poynter will “help journalists understand critical aspects of the swiftly evolving artificial intelligence landscape, including how it’s developing, building a framework for ethics and standards, how newsrooms are using it and how to fact-check AI.” Each week will feature two hours of master-class-level instruction that will allow attendees to cover high-level topics and gain hands-on experience with a new AI tool.

Did we miss an event? Email the team and let us know so we can add it to our full list of upcoming events for journalists and bloggers.

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