18 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism, & Media
/Mon, Oct 5 - AI Lies, Packets Don’t! Using Network Data To Stop AI Attacks
What: In this session cyber defenders will learn how they can tap into familiar network tools to fight back against even the most sophisticated AI attacks.
Who: Laura Wilber, Sr Analyst, Office of the CTO, Enea; Will Baxter, Head of Product, Team Cymru.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechTarget
Mon, Oct 5 - Before You Adopt AI: Five Questions Every Nonprofit Should Answer First
What: This session explores a practical approach to thinking about AI readiness and offers a roadmap for beginning mission-aligned conversations that support responsible adoption.
Who: Molly Terbovich-Ridenhour, AMR, in partnership with Consultants for Good.
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Nonprofit Learning Lab
Mon, Oct 5 - A paper tiger for the press: Why ‘independent’ editorial boards can’t protect journalism
What: We'll discuss the Paramount News Editorial Independence Board, what lessons can be learned from similar past boards, and whether the government's role in creating the Paramount board and possibly enforcing its activities violates the First Amendment.
Who: Mariel Garza, co-founder and executive editor at Golden State and former editorials editor at the LA Times; Bill Grueskin, professor of professional practice at Columbia University School of Journalism and former deputy managing editor at The Wall Street Journal; Margaret Sullivan, Guardian columnist and former public editor of The New York Times and media columnist for The Washington Post; Dick Tofel, principal of Gallatin Advisory and former president of ProPublica; Moderated by Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at FPF.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Freedom of the Press Foundation
Tue, Oct 6 - Smartphone filming for journalists: Tell stronger stories with the kit you already have
What: We will share simple, effective techniques to help you capture clear sound, frame interviews professionally, and avoid common mistakes that can undermine otherwise strong journalism. The focus is on quick wins and real-world tips you can apply immediately, without needing expensive kit or complicated software.
Who: Samantha Smith, Managing Director of Ocean City Media and spent 25 years at the BBC working across news and current affairs as a producer and editor; Chris Quevatre, Creative Director at Ocean City Media and a former BBC journalist, presenter and video producer. He is an experienced self-shooting director.
When: 7:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: members £10, nonmembers £25
Sponsor: Women in Journalism
Tue, Oct 6 - Cover the Upcoming Elections with More Confidence
What: Get free resources and know-how to enhance your coverage of the 2026 midterm election. This webinar, designed especially for rural and smaller media, will give you everything you need to report on upcoming state, county and local contests.
Who: Bill Gates, director, Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory at Arizona State University’s School of Public Affairs, Phoenix; Patty Hansen, former Coconino County recorder, Flagstaff; Joseph Jaafari, founder and editor-in-chief, LOOKOUT magazine, Phoenix; Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, reporter, Arizona Mirror, Phoenix; Becky Pallack, co-founder, Arizona Luminaria, Tucson; Camryn Sanchez, senior field correspondent, KJZZ-FM, Phoenix.
When: 9:30 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists
Tue, Oct 6 - How AI Is Rewriting the Rules for Nonprofit Websites and What You Should Do About It
What: This session is designed to help nonprofits understand the new rules of the web and build a digital presence that works in an AI-driven world.
Who: Julian Gerace, Jr. Director of Data Solutions, Tapp Network; Chelsea Ganc, Senior Account Manager, Tapp Network.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
Wed, Oct 7 / Thu, Oct 8 – Mental Health in Journalism Summit 2026 (Pre-Summit program)
What: Pre-Summit program (4 experiential workshops and region-based networking sessions).
Who: Natalia Tamburini, PCC ICF Certified Coach, Operations Coordinator at The Self-Investigation.
When: 8 am, Eastern
Where: YouTube
Cost: Pre-Summit program Free
Sponsor: The Self-Investigation
Wed, Oct 7 – Covering Data Centers
What: The one-hour session will feature two journalists who are doing deep investigative reporting on data centers with support from the Fund.
Who: Lauren Ober, whose reporting for Reveal examined local response to plans for a huge data center in Northern Virginia; Edward Donnelly, who has uncovered corporations’ covert lobbying efforts to change regulations so they can build data centers in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Fund for Investigative Journalism
Wed, Oct 7 – AI for Editing
What: A hands-on workshop exploring a practical process for using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to strengthen drafts without giving up your editorial judgment or voice. WE will walk through how to prompt AI for different kinds of editing support, from identifying unclear passages and tightening copy to reviewing structure, tone, and consistency.
Who: Tom Shroder, award-winning journalist, writer, and former Washington Post Magazine editor.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Eventbrite
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Center for Cooperative Media
Thu, Oct 8 / Fri, Oct 9 - Mental Health in Journalism Summit 2026
What: The Summit program will feature two days of keynotes, panels, case studies, workshops, and lightning talks with speakers from across the global journalism ecosystem.
Who: Dozens of speakers.
When: 8 am – 12 pm, Eastern both days
Where: YouTube
Cost: $78.58
Sponsor: The Self-Investigation
Thu, Oct 8 - Defending press freedom against vexatious lawsuits
What: How can journalists and media organisations recognise, resist and respond to SLAPPs and other legal pressures designed to silence independent journalism? This webinar will bring together journalists, legal experts and media researchers to examine the growing challenge of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and other forms of legal pressure on independent journalism.
Who: Beatrix Vissy, senior legal officer and Anti-SLAPP Litigation & Advocacy Coordinator at the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union; Judge Dragomir Yordanov, who will explore developments in Bulgaria’s case law and efforts to strengthen legislation addressing SLAPPs; Saška Cvetkovska, editor-in-chief of the Investigative Reporting Lab, who will share her experience of smear campaigns, harassment and SLAPPs in North Macedonia.
When: 9:30 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: International Federation of Journalists; the European University Institute
Thu, Oct 8 - AI for Business Model Design -Â Build a Business That Actually Makes Money
What: In this webinar, you’ll use AI tools to design, test, and refine your business model so you know exactly how you make money, who pays you, and why your numbers work. Come with an idea and leave with a strong business model.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Small Business Development Center, Widener University
Thu, Oct 8 - Adaptive AI: Making News Selectable and Engaging
What: Most AI tools generate or just summarize content. This session introduces a fundamentally different approach. Adaptive AI that restructures original news into a new interactive format for diverse audiences without generating new information. Built on a new Digital Engagement Model, it adapts content to readers’ interests, available time, and environment while preserving the integrity of the original reporting.
Who: Ronald Yaros, the director of the Digital Engagement Lab and an associate professor in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Online News Association
Thu, Oct 8 - Impact in Journalism: Assessing the Present, Building the Future
What: This is the public launch of the Pulitzer Center’s research report, “Impact in Journalism: A Global Report on Current Practices, Challenges, and Emerging Trends.” You’ll hear from the coauthors and explore findings from the research report such as: How do journalists conceptualize impact, and how do they put it into practice? What barriers do newsrooms and freelancers face when working to engage people? Where can we identify opportunities to build systems and resources that make audience-centered journalism sustainable?
Who: Flora Pereira, Pulitzer Center Staff; Jazmín Acuña Grantee.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Pulitzer Center
Thu, Oct 8 - Covering the Rising Risk of Flooding
What: Poynter faculty and journalists experienced in data-driven flood coverage will show local, state and regional reporters how to identify communities at risk, find and use reliable flood data and prepare coverage before disaster strikes.
Who: Jon Greenberg, Poynter Faculty; Marccus D. Hendricks, Associate Professor and Director of the Stormwater Infrastructure Resilience and Justice (SIRJ) Lab, University of Maryland; Sarah Kaplan, Climate and science reporter, The Washington Post; Kaitlin Lange, News Director, IndyStar.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsors: Poynter & The Hennecke Family Foundation
Thu, Oct 8 - AI’s Impact on Career Readiness: Teaching ‘Human Skills’
What: Attendees will learn: How institutions are teaching teamwork, communication, and navigating difference; Which practical approaches can help assess these skills in the classroom; What strategies document those skills so they show up on transcripts and mean something to employers.
Who: Shea Vance, Reporting Fellow, The Chronicle of Higher Education.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: The Chronicle of Higher
Fri, Oct 9 - Pressing Prompts Community Conversation
What: For instructors across all disciplines who are seeking ways to integrate AI ethics into their classrooms. Unlike a static set of “best practices,” Pressing Prompts is grounded in principles of critical pedagogy and educational experimentation, encouraging instructors and students to examine how AI raises crucial questions about our academic responsibilities, knowledge, labor, judgment, and learning.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Duke University
Fri, Oct 9 - 'The Next Journalism' — A book talk
What: One of the nation’s leading journalism thinkers discusses his new book — and how journalism must change to serve democracy.
Who: Tom Rosenstiel, Eleanor Merrill Scholar on the Future of Journalism; Professor of the Practice·University of Maryland.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: University of Maryland