Special strand: Civil unrest, social change in Minnesota
The Minneapolis local convention committee has put together a special strand of sessions designed to provide professional insight into navigating sensitive, high-stakes breaking news, with a focus on student-led reporting.
Covering immigration enforcement and protests on live TV
This session offers a facilitated panel of local journalists who will provide professional insight, examining the complex challenges for news organizations providing live television coverage of volatile events, focusing on immigration enforcement and protests. Live broadcasts demand real-time decisions on safety, privacy and editorial balance. The discussion will explore how the immediacy of live coverage can shape the narrative, potentially sensationalize events, and affect the security of journalists and subjects. There will be a few minutes at the end for Q&A.
Facilitated by Wendy Paulson, Minnesota Broadcasters Association; Panelists TBA
10 a.m. Friday
Covering the federal surge into Minnesota
This session will cover what the federal surge into Minnesota has looked like on the ground. How did reporters handle the lack of information from the federal government? How did reporters and photojournalists stay safe? What is the role of local journalists when your community is in the national spotlight?
Jon Collins and Ben Hovland, Minnesota Public Radio News, Minneapolis, Minnesota
11 a.m. Friday
Legal and ethical challenges of Operation Metro Surge reporting
This session offers a facilitated panel of local journalists who will provide professional insight into navigating legal and ethical challenges when covering high-stakes, breaking news events like Operation Metro Surge. The conversation will dissect the complexities surrounding the First Amendment rights of journalists, particularly when covering law enforcement operations. Panelists will share professional insights on how to balance the imperative to inform the public with the legal risks inherent in documenting these events. There will be a few minutes at the end for Q&A.
Facilitated by Jane Kirtley, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota; Panelists include Anna Kaul, Ballard Spahr, and Andrew Mannix, ProPublica
1 p.m. Friday
ICE, Annunciation: The role of Minnesota student journalism
Students know students best; what does a national media outlet know about Minnesotans’ experiences? Recently, Minnesota has made headlines, from increased immigration enforcement to the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting. This session explores how student journalists localize national and state news by centering the impact of these events on students’ and community members’ daily lives. Learn why student-led reporting on conflict remains essential despite major national outlet presence, safety concerns and discouragement.
Thomas Chen, Amanda Hsu, Sonia Kharbanda and Elizabeth Tuttle, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lynn-Clara Tun, Edina (Minnesota) High School
9 a.m. Saturday
Community journalism when ICE is in the community
Local journalists are positioned to leverage existing community trust to thoroughly document people’s experiences during critical moments. This facilitated panel discussion will feature Twin Cities-based journalists with a history of reporting within and for their communities, and will discuss their reporting of Operation Metro Surge. The panelists will discuss the journalist’s role versus that of non-journalistic observers documenting events. There will be a few minutes at the end for Q&A.
Facilitated by Gayle Golden, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota; Panelists include Brian Arola, MinnPost, Jon Collins, Minnesota Public Radio News, and Shubhanjana Das, Sahan Journal
10 a.m. Saturday
The role of photojournalists when everyone is recording
This session offers a facilitated panel of local journalists who will explore the evolving role of photojournalists in an era saturated with user-generated content, focusing on the visual reporting of “Operation Metro Surge.” As nearly everyone possesses a recording device, the panel will examine how traditional photojournalism’s values — such as verification, ethical framing and professional access — are challenged and redefined, as told by some of Minnesota’s talented photojournalists. There will be a few minutes at the end for Q&A.
Facilitated by Regina McCombs, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota; Panelists include Ben Hovland, Minnesota Public Radio News, Dylan Jacobson, KSTP-TV, Lewis Karpel, WCCO-TV
11 a.m. Saturday