Local News Network
Oct 22, 2026`
CDS Building, 665 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
17th Floor
9:00-9:30 LIGHT BREAKFAST
9:30-9:45 a.m. WELCOME
Steve Greenlee, professor of the practice of journalism and director of the BU Newsroom Initiative.
9:45-10:30 STORYTELLING EVENTS
Iris Adler and Irene Sege of Brookline.News explain how to run a successful storytelling event that engages the community and raises funding.
10:30-11:15 SOCIAL VIDEO JOURNALISM
Engaging your audience and building your brand through social video journalism. A conversation with Boston Globe video journalist Emily Sweeney and multimedia producer Maria Pemberton. Moderator: Deb Fountain, associate professor of the practice, journalism.
11:15-11:30 COFFEE BREAK
11:30-12:15 ADVERTISING ON HYPERLOCAL NEWS SITES
Many nonprofit and independent organizations don’t feature advertising on their sites. Should they? How a few local news outlets are succeeding at it. Panelists: Jack Conboy, Dorchester Reporter advertising manager; Bill Forry, editor of Dorchester Reporter; Hilary Jenison, founder and publisher of Anchor Media; Elizabeth McNamara, editor and publisher of East Greenwich News. Moderator: Sherrod Blakely, associate professor of the practice, journalism.
12:15-1:00 LUNCH AND CONVERSATION
1:00-2:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project.
2:00-2:45 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN JOURNALISM
AI can be a useful tool in hyperlocal newsrooms with limited resources. It also comes with a host of issues. What are some ways it can be used ethically in local journalism? Panelists: Charles Kravetz, cofounder of Cambridge Artificial Intelligencer; Roberto “Berto” Scalese, senior editor/digital for WBUR; Cristina Silva, managing editor for standards and operations with The Boston Globe. Moderator: Brooke Williams, professor of the practice, journalism.
2:45-3:00 WRAP-UP AND QUESTIONS
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