10 Webinars this week about AI, Journalism & Media
/Mon, July 6 - AI and Human Dignity
What: Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical (about AI) and the broader questions it raises about AI ethics, education, and our shared digital future.
Who: Wesley Fryer, a middle school STEM and media literacy middle school teacher at Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina and educational technology early adopter.
When: 7 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Media Education Lab
Tue, July 7 - Reporting on Rape
What: This webinar will cover: Common myths and harmful narratives to avoid; How language choices influence public attitudes to sexual violence; Practical tips for ethical and accurate journalism – built on strong working practice; Best practice for working with survivors sharing their stories; Opportunities to ask questions and raise any challenges you face in reporting on this issue.
Who: Sophie Wilkinson, a freelance journalist with over 15 years’ experience working for a range of consumer titles; Alessia Tranchese, Associate Professor of Language, Feminism and Digital Media.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: End Violence Against Women Coalition
Tue, July 7 - The Data Investigator’s Toolkit: Lessons from 2026’s Sigma Award Winners
What: Each winning team will have five minutes to showcase the approaches and breakthroughs that helped them uncover complex stories. The session will offer perspectives on the trends and practices redefining data journalism today.
Who: Moderated by Brant Houston, GIJN co-founder and Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois.
When: 9 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Global Investigative Journalism Network
Tue, July 7 - Codex for Everyday Use
What: We'll explore ways people are using Codex to support everyday projects and tasks—from organizing information and planning activities to creating simple tools that make life a little easier. We'll focus on practical examples and leave some time for questions and ideas from the audience.
Who: Angela Bunn, AI Deployment Manager, OpenAI.
When: 11 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: OpenAI Academy
Tue, July 7 - AI Impact Hour for Nonprofits
What: A practical, interactive conversation designed for executive directors, staff, board members, and volunteers who want to understand what AI can realistically do in a nonprofit setting. You’ll see simple demonstrations and real examples, and you'll have a chance to share your experiences, challenges, and insights with the group.
Who: Aretha Simons, M.Ed., Webinar Producer, Nonprofit & Al Consultant.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: TechSoup
Thu, July 9 - Uncover the Hidden AI Risks in Your Applications
What: In this webinar, we’ll discuss: The benefits of leveraging AI models to accelerate innovation; How to identify the models, license obligations, and risks in your applications; Ways to prevent vulnerable AI-generated code from impacting your business; How to customize your SBOMs to include AI models and fit your specific needs.
Who: Steven Zimmerman, DevOps Security Solutions Manager, Black Duck.
When: 5 am, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Blackduck
Thu, July 9 - Health care affordability isn’t inflation, and AI may not serve us: What journalists need to understand
What: This practical session will provide reporters with data sources, story ideas and reporting frameworks for covering one of the most important economic issues facing American households.
Who: Marty Steffens, SABEW chair of business and financial reporting at the Missouri School of Journalism; Larry Levitt, Executive Vice President for Health Policy at KFF.
When: 1 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Society for Advancing Business Editing & Writing
Thu, July 9 - How Rural Districts Are Using AI to Meet Real Needs: Lessons from the Rural AI Strategy Lab
What: You’ll hear from the three team leads from the Rural AI Strategy Lab, a cohort-based initiative where 13 rural school district teams are working through a human-centered design process to identify real problems and build AI-enabled solutions that fit their contexts. They walk through their experience from the inside. They’ll share the user-centered problems they identified, the AI tools they selected and why, what they learned when they started prototyping, and how they’re planning their pilots for fall 2026.
Who: David Huggins, an educator and United States Army veteran with more than a decade of experience in education; Jessica Gillespie, the Director of Instructional Improvement–Innovation at Griswold Public Schools; Ted W. Paton, a forward-thinking educator and innovator dedicated to bridging the digital divide for the next generation of rural leaders; Megan Benay, a Partner on the Practice and Implementation team at FullScale; Adam A. Phyall, III, a former high school science teacher.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: FullScale
Thu, July 9 - How to Improve AI Visibility With Press Releases & Syndicated Articles
What: We’ll show you how to turn press releases and syndicated content into powerful drivers of AI visibility. Today’s AI search engines don’t rank content, they cite trusted sources. If your PR strategy isn’t built for that, you’re missing critical opportunities to get surfaced where your audience is searching.
Who: Melissa James, Senior Sales Director, Notified; Jeff Heisler, Senior Sales Director, Notified.
When: 2 pm, Eastern
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Sponsor: Public Relations Society of America
Fri, July 10 - Strengthening Stories Workshop: Ledes, Nut Grafs, and Self Editing
What: Participants will learn: Practical tips to punch up languid ledes; Ways to quickly identify and focus nut grafs; Approaches to story structure to rethink — or reshape — the narrative A new framework for self-editing that will improve or tighten your copy, guaranteed; Additional tips for effective storytelling.
Who: Beth Francesco, Executive Director at NPCJI Elliot C. Williams, Training Manager at NPCJI.
When: 12 pm, Eastern
Where: EventBrite
Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers
Sponsor: National Press Club