Don’t Miss These Journalist Events in February
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.
Looking to advance your reporting skills or network with peers this month? Below is a list of upcoming events for journalists and bloggers in February, covering a range of topics – including crime reporting, data protection tips for journalists, leadership skills in the newsroom and much more.
Keep reading to find an event that fits your needs.
Feb. 4: Digging into crime data to inform news coverage across beats
Crime data can factor into news stories across verticals, but reporters must know where to find reliable data and how to use it responsibly. This webinar from The Journalist’s Resource will cover how to use The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub, common mistakes when using crime data in reporting, how to find story ideas in the data and how to adapt when the quality of gun violence data changes.
Feb. 6-7: Pinners Conference (Kansas)
The 2026 Pinners Conference schedule kicks off in Overland Park, Kansas. The schedule will feature 100+ classes and workshops for DIYers and craft bloggers, including hands-on sessions for wood burning, candlemaking, resin projects, charcuterie tips, airfryer hacks and much more.
Feb. 10: Covering the Loneliness Epidemic: A Mental Health Reporting Project Webinar
This is a free, one-hour webinar from Poynter. Attendees will dive into the roots of America’s loneliness and isolation epidemic, and will come away with strategies and tactics for effectively covering individuals and communities experiencing these issues.
Feb. 10: Journalist safety in the US: Protecting data and devices
This timely roundtable discussion will feature panelists from Freedom of the Press Foundation and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. They will provide “essential tips on safeguarding your data, protecting sources, and your legal rights during searches and seizures.” The session will not be recorded for security reasons, so block the time off on your calendar.
Feb. 16: Lead with Influence (application deadline)
This is the application deadline for the popular career/leadership development program from Poynter, which will run from March 3 to April 7. Through the six-session course, attendees will learn about different leadership styles, how to give and receive feedback, how to advocate for themselves, and more.
Feb. 18: Beyond the Byline: Leveraging Events to Forge Community and Strengthen News
This session from The Online News Association will be led by Jake Hylton, Executive Director of queer news site LOOKOUT. During the hour-long webinar, “attendees will gain practical insights and inspiration for designing and executing a diverse range of events that prioritize connection and engagement, learning how to measure their success in building a more resilient and connected audience that actively supports their news organization.”
Feb. 19: Mastering qualitative audience insights with Ariel Zirulnick
This free virtual series from the Lenfest Audience Community will be led by Audience and Product Strategist Ariel Zirulnick. The series begins on Feb. 19 with “Designing actionable research,” a session that will guide attendees in setting research goals, aligning stakeholders and designing research. Later sessions will cover how to extract insights from the research, secure buy-in from all levels of the newsroom and evaluate the research’s impact.
Feb. 19: AI & Copyright Licensing – A New Frontier
Hosted by The National Press Foundation, this webinar will help journalists better understand what “AI licensing” really means, how some deals are turning into revenue-sharing systems, and how recent deals between media and AI companies could shift the conversation. Come away from the one-hour session with real-world examples, plain-language explanations and story angles to help your audience understand the AI licensing landscape.
Feb. 26: Beat Academy: The midterms, data and America’s safety net
This one-hour webinar from Poynter will cover the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill on safety net programs like SNAP and Medicaid, and help journalists track data at the county and state levels to determine the bill’s effects on their community. Webinar guests include former U.S. chief data scientist Denice Ross, Colleen Heflin, professor of Public Administration at Syracuse University, Paul Overberg, reporter for The Wall Street Journal data team, and Elvia Malagón, a health reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Coming in March
March 5-7: ACP Spring National College Media Conference
The Associated College Press (ACP) is heading to San Francisco for its Spring National College Media Conference. The event provides collegiate journalists and advisers with helpful sessions on key skills, mental health, AI and responsible reporting. Other topics include advertising, leadership, editing, yearbook planning and more. On-site media critiques will provide attendees with common-sense suggestions for improvement.
March 5-8: NICAR 2026
The 2026 data journalism conference will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana. The deadline for submitting lightning talk ideas is Feb. 8, 2026. The schedule includes sessions on AI, data visualization, data analysis, mapping, public records and more. Networking events will be available for students, international reporters, journalists of color, women journalists and LGBTQ+ reporters.
March 10: How to Have (Better) Difficult Conversations
Journalists have to have a variety of tough conversations, including sharing negative editing feedback, providing tough performance evaluations or even firing someone. This session from ONA will help reporters come to these types of conversations more confident and prepared. Learn what makes these conversations difficult, how to identify your conflict management style and the tactics that make for better conversations.
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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Rocky Parker is the Manager of Audience and Journalist Engagement at Cision PR Newswire. She's been with the company since 2010 and has worked with journalists and bloggers as well as PR and comms professionals. Outside of work, she can be found trying a new recipe, binging a new show, or cuddling with her pitbull, Hudson.
