Register Now for These Journalist Events in March
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.
March is packed with a variety of journalist-focused events, covering topics like freelancing, data journalism, freedom of information and more.
Dive into the calendar below to see which events are ideally suited for your work.
March 5-6: IIJ 2026 Freelance Journalism Conference
This virtual conference for independent journalists and creators will offer 12 live sessions, Q&A videos and bonus editor panels. Learn what top editors want in pitches, how to land a fellowship and connect with fellow creators. “Each workshop is by journalists, for journalists, so speakers stay on topic and offer clear takeaways and actionable advice,” the site explains.
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.
March 12: Beat Academy: Facing a Tough News Audience
This free session from Poynter will “unpack findings from the Pew-Knight Initiative about how the public is drifting away from news, how they come across it, and what they do to check what they see.” Ask questions live and come away with a better understanding of what moves the needle for news consumers.
March 15-17: Sunshine Fest
Journalists, record custodians, policy makers, historians, state FOI coalitions, librarians and others will head to Washington, D.C., for Sunshine Week, hosted by the University of Florida Brechner Freedom of Information Project, MuckRock and the National Freedom of Information Coalition. The second annual in-person conference aims to “find solutions to pressing problems in freedom of information across all disciplinary and geographic boundaries – local, state, federal and global.” The event is currently sold out, but a wait list is available.
March 18: Quick Hits and Deep Dives: Consumer Investigations Any Newsroom Can Do
This session from the Online News Association will be led by veteran Chicago consumer reporters Stephanie Zimmermannof the Chicago Sun-Times and Jason Knowles of ABC7Chicago. They’ll cover a range of consumer stories that can be replicated for various markets and share ways to set up consumer coverage even without a dedicated beat reporter.
March 20: National Press Club 2026 Career Day
If you’re a journalist or communicator navigating the challenging job market, this career event is for you. Meet with news recruiters, update your resume and portfolio site, connect with peers, and more. Whether you’re looking to move up or pivot, have recently been laid off, or are an early-career journalist, the 2026 Career Day will have something for you.
March 20-21: Pinners Conference & Expo (Utah)
Do you cover home decor, cooking, or fashion? Head to the Dixie Convention Center in St. George, Utah, for a full slate of DIY workshops, exhibits and plenty of shopping to see what’s trending in the space and try your hand at the latest crafts.
March 23-25: Digiday Publishing Summit
At this event, decision-makers from across the media and tech industries will gather to address the biggest issues in publishing. The summit will take place in Vail, Colo. Each day will focus on a separate topic: AI Visibility & Audience Strategy, Publishers & Creators and AI-Driven Revenue.
March 26: Extracting and communicating research insights
This is the second session in the “Mastering qualitative audience insights” series from the Lenfest Institute. This session will focus on “separating the signal from the noise when you’re done with the research.”
March 30-April 1: ONA26
The Online News Association’s annual event focuses on the future of digital media and will be held in Chicago. Attendees range from digital media audience and analytics professionals to news product, strategy, and business executives and entrepreneurs. “Bringing Readers Back: Real-World Tactics for Combating News Fatigue,” “5 Questions To Ask Before Your Team Starts A Podcast,” and “Understanding Audiences and Algorithms in 2026: An Overview in the Age of AI” are just a few of the many interesting sessions on the schedule.
March 30-April 1: America’s Newspapers Mega-Conference
Newspaper executives and industry partners will come together to “dig into the strategies, technologies, and market forces shaping the future of news and media.” The fast-paced conference will cover various topics like AI licensing, audience psychology, vertical video strategies, new obituary models, sports journalism and much more. The event will take place in Austin, Texas.
Coming in April
April 8-10: Niche Media Conference
More than 25 interactive sessions and 30 top speakers fill the calendar for this event, taking place in Orlando, Florida. The five tracks include sessions for publisher strategy, digital strategy, ad sales, audience and marketing growth, and editorial.
April 13-May 11: Edit to Elevate: Essentials for New Editors
This five-week course features 90-minute sessions each Monday. Industry experts will share tools for coaching inexperienced reporters and guiding reporters to develop stories that elevate their beat coverage. The course from Poynter is designed to help new editors “focus on the mission, mindset and roadmap required to make them indispensable to their newsrooms.”
April 15-18: International Journalism Festival
Perugia, Italy, will again host the International Journalism Festival, the largest annual media event in Europe. The schedule includes sessions covering AI, conflict reporting, creator journalism, press freedom, audience trust and more.
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.
