8:30 a.m. Light Breakfast

8:45 a.m. Opening Remarks

8:50 a.m. The Changing Electoral Landscape
Understanding both the technical and cultural factors shaping this election. From swing states to new electoral calendars, ballot changes, updated delegate rules, and voter registration concerns, as well as other essential basics for anyone covering the race.
Featuring: John Dickerson, CBS News; Asma Khalid, NPR; Jon Ralston, The Nevada Independent; and Jeff Zeleny, CNN

9:40 a.m. An Inclusive Approach to Election Reporting
How journalists can reach new audiences and include a diversity of voices in all their campaign coverage. Tips on ways to elicit genuine voter perspectives in a polarized environment and keep personal biases or preconceived notions in check.  
Featuring: Tim Alberta, The Atlantic; Astead Herndon, New York Times; David Siders, POLITICO; and Alexa Ura, Texas Tribune

10:25 a.m. Break

10:35 a.m. Covering Candidates Who Don’t Want to be Covered 

How to cover candidates or campaigns that vilify and target the press, or bait journalists into becoming part of the story.  Some candidates have intensified their strategies to control the narrative, by barring press access, refusing interviews or inciting crowds to target journalists. Learn how to keep yourself safe and get the story when doors are closed. 
Featuring: McKay Coppins, The Atlantic; Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic; Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald; and David Chalian, CNN

11:25 a.m. Content Verification: Hacks to Avoid Getting Duped in the Era of AI

Determining if content found online is real and how to avoid disinformation traps.
Featuring: Elyse Samuels, The Washington Post

12:00 p.m. Lunch

12:50 p.m. How to Track Campaign Financing

A hands-on workshop to learn how to follow campaign money and uncover the funding sources behind a candidate. These skills are increasingly important in light of recent policy changes that make it easier to consolidate donations via political action committees or otherwise conceal campaign cash. 
Featuring: Sarah Bryner, OpenSecrets and Anna Massoglia, OpenSecrets

1:35 p.m. Avoiding (or Learning From) Rookie Mistakes

The campaign trail can be grueling. Hear from veteran reporters – and the practitioners who have worked with them – on how to avoid mistakes, stay healthy and sane, and maintain momentum in the fast-paced world of presidential election campaigns.
Featuring: Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times; Kaitlan Collins, CNN; Lis Smith, political strategist; Priscilla Thompson, NBC News

2:20 p.m. Break

2:30 p.m. Election Laws and Safeguards: Lessons Learned from 2020

It has become increasingly important to build source relationships with election officials such as secretaries of state, election clerks and boards of supervisors, among others. It’s also imperative to have an understanding of the laws governing elections at both the national and local level. 
Featuring: Michael Kang, Northwestern University; Marc Elias, Elias Law Group; and Ben Ginsberg, Election Official Legal Defense Network

3:15 p.m. Protecting Voters, Election Integrity and Confidence: A Tale from a Battleground State
Featuring: John Harwood, political journalist and Board Chair of the Nieman Foundation; and Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State of Georgia

3:55 p.m. Break

4:05 p.m. The Changing Dynamics of Polling

Polls, a longtime staple of campaign coverage, are coming under increased scrutiny as multiple factors are eroding the reliability of results. A look at how best to evaluate the quality and usefulness of polls and qualitative research, including focus groups, in order to gain deeper insight into voters.
Featuring: Matt Viser, The Washington Post; Tom Bonier, Target Smart; Brenda Gianiny, Axis Research; and Tresa Undem, PerryUndem

4:55 p.m. How Campaigns Mobilize Their Bases
Featuring: Steve Hayes, The Dispatch; Kat Atwater, Community Tech Alliance; Jonathan Black, Data Trust; Emily Norman, Democratic Data Exchange; and Patrick Ruffini, Echelon Insights

5:40 p.m. Closing Remarks

6:00 p.m. Networking Mixer