NLGJA 2026 National Convention: Full Schedule

Discover what makes an AI story worth telling and why most aren't. Not every AI story deserves a headline. Learn how journalists cut through the noise to find compelling stories about people, business and the real-world impact of emerging technology. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch their own story ideas and receive feedback on what makes them newsworthy.

Sponsors

The Wall Street Journal

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT
Seacliff D

Breakout Session

9:30am PDT

If We Built Queer Journalism Today, Would We Call It a Newsroom?

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT

Seacliff A

Queer journalism is no longer centered in traditional newsrooms. Activists, creators, freelancers, and community organizers are often the first — and most trusted — sources when news breaks. This session examines what journalism looks like when it operates outside legacy institutions, and what that shift means for credibility, accountability, trust and safety. We’ll explore when amplification is more ethical than attribution, how to report alongside communities without flattening lived experience and how journalism increasingly functions as infrastructure — from bill trackers to harm-reduction reporting. This conversation challenges gatekeeping, rejects false neutrality and asks a necessary question: if we built queer journalism today, would we still call it a newsroom?

Speakers

Evan Milward

Consultant & Host/Moderator, Evan Millward Consulting

Evan Millward is a storyteller, consultant, and community advocate, having spent a decade in local news in Greater Cincinnati. In that time, he helped launch the nationwide E.W. Scripps Pride employee resource group and led WCPO-TV's Pride efforts each year, highlighting and platforming... Read More →

Missy Spears

Executive Director, Queer Kentucky

Missy Spears (she/they) is the Executive Director of Queer Kentucky, a nationally recognized journalism outlet amplifying the voices and stories of LGBTQ+ individuals in a deeply red state. Under her leadership, Queer Kentucky has tripled its story output, expanded its impact into... Read More →

Divya Karthikeyan

Editorial Manager, Queer Kentucky

Alex Cooper

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT
Seacliff A

Breakout Session

9:30am PDT

Reporting on Suicide: A Skill-Building Lab for Ethical Storytelling

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT

Seacliff C

The way journalists report on suicide has real‑world impact. This highly interactive, hands-on workshop equips reporters with practical tools to cover suicide ethically, accurately and with empathy. Designed for journalists who want to strengthen their craft, this session breaks down the storytelling elements that matter most: framing, language, source selection and narrative structure. Panelists will show how small shifts in these areas can reduce contagion risk, avoid harmful tropes and ultimately support prevention. Participants will learn to add essential context to their reporting without sensationalizing, stereotyping, or oversimplifying lived experiences. This is not a lecture. Attendees will work directly with real‑world story excerpts, headlines and scenarios, receiving real-time expert feedback. Journalists will leave with concrete, actionable techniques they can apply immediately in their own newsrooms. This session empowers journalists to tell stories that inform—and stories that save lives.

Speakers

Christine Yu Moutier

Chief Medical Officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Dr. Christine Yu Moutier has served as AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer since 2013 and is one of the nation’s leading voices on suicide prevention. She became involved with AFSP in 2006, co‑founding the San Diego chapter while simultaneously helping build UC San Diego’s pioneering... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT
Seacliff C

Breakout Session

9:30am PDT

Ripped from the Headlines: A Fireside Chat with LGBTQ+ Documentary Filmmakers

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT

Seacliff B

It might be a news story that seems stranger than fiction or one that hits close to home. Queer and trans documentary filmmakers have been on the frontlines across America, diving deeper into the “ripped from the headlines” stories that feel too important to ignore. In this session, hear from industry leaders and documentary filmmakers who found inspiration from the news to craft films that zoom in on some of the most pressing issues facing LGBTQ+ people today. Using their films as case studies, attendees will see firsthand how these creatives found their story and got their projects made. This panel is perfect for any journalist interested in learning how to work with filmmakers to expand on their stories, or who wants to learn how they can create their own documentaries.

Speakers

Meg Shutzer

Senior Editor, Mission Local

Meg Shutzer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, investigative reporter and senior editor at Mission Local, a nonprofit newsroom in San Francisco. Meg’s documentaries have screened on five continents and won numerous awards at film festivals. Their most recent investigation... Read More →

Hansen Bursic

Founder & Filmmaker, Hansen Bursic Film

Hansen Bursic is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, and the President of the NLGJA Los Angeles Chapter. He broke into nonfiction directing documentaries in Pennsylvania with local advocacy organizations helping battle some of the first explicitly anti-transgender... Read More →

LaTajh Weaver

Producer / Director, Freelance Filmmaker

LaTajh Simmons-Weaver is a screenwriter, director, and producer from Oakland, CA. They were named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film.

Their work blends humor, imagination, and irony to explore overlooked stories within Black Queer dynamics. They have produced commissioned films for The Guardian, the Museum of African Diaspora, and the San Francisco Queer Arts Foundation. In 2025, Weaver had two films premiere... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am PDT
Seacliff B

Breakout Session

10:45am PDT

Triplett Series - The Road Ahead Has Many Paths: How Can Media Meet at the Intersections of Faith, Gender, Race and Class?

Friday September 11, 2026 10:45am - 12:15pm PDT

Grand Ballroom A

Our community — and our very democracy — are at a crossroads as we approach the midterm elections and two more years of the current administration. We have seen political discourse devolve and chip away at our rights in the courts and on Capitol Hill. We see faith weaponized, trust in our democracy eroding, vicious attacks on the fourth estate and misinformation floods our social platforms. And yet, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, people of color and a growing resistance encompassing all genders and generations continue to rise, organize and meet the moment. How do we face the future together? What is the role of journalists in bringing to light the power and stories of the intersectional nature of these and other struggles? How is what we are experiencing in the United States connected to global attacks on women’s rights, trans people and more? While the most obvious intersection is faith and the weaponization and politicization of religion, what can we learn from those who have taken these attacks head on – together and across differences? What can we learn from journalists who are tackling these issues and connecting the dots? What resources and sources are there for journalists to look at these issues from a broader perspective?

ABOUT THE MICHAEL TRIPLETT SERIES
The Michael Triplett Series features notable speakers on the intersection of faith, politics and the LGBTQ+ community. The program provides an opportunity to hear from prominent leaders on these issues and raise new questions about the complex relationship between support for LGBTQ+ rights and free religious expression. The series is presented in memory of Michael Triplett, a past president of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, who died in 2013 and was a strong leader of both our organization and his local Lutheran church.

Speakers

Kierra Johnson

Cathy Renna

Caitlyn Ryan

CAITLIN RYAN, PhD, ACSW, is a clinical social worker, educator and researcher who has worked on LGBTQ+ health and mental health for 50 years and whose work has shaped policy and practice for LGBTQ+ children, youth and families. Dr. Ryan was an organizer in the LGBTQ+ health movement... Read More →

Christopher Wiggins

Politics & News Editor, The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins is the politics and news editor at equalpride, where he leads and shapes coverage across The Advocate, Out, and Them. Based in Washington, D.C., he oversees national reporting on the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, federal agencies, state governments... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 10:45am - 12:15pm PDT
Grand Ballroom A

Plenary Session

12:15pm PDT

QPOC Brownbag Meet-Up

Friday September 11, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm PDT

Waterfront A

More networking opportunities. Grab your lunch at one of the nearby eateries and bring it back for a lunch hour filled with fun, sharing and networking!

Friday September 11, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm PDT
Waterfront A

Networking

12:15pm PDT

Women's+ Brownbag Meet-Up

Friday September 11, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm PDT

Waterfront B

More networking opportunities. Grab your lunch at one of the nearby eateries and bring it back for a lunch hour filled with fun, sharing and networking!

Friday September 11, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm PDT
Waterfront B

Networking

1:45pm PDT

Leveling Up the Narrative: Journalists' Contributions to HIV Prevention and Care

Friday September 11, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT

Grand Ballroom A

What does the next phase of the HIV response really require? Leadership from journalists like us to bring critical health news to the public, especially audiences who may not realize they are at risk. Panelists will dig into why a more holistic approach to prevention is key — one that brings together stakeholders from across and beyond the HIV space from journalists to doctors to patients to rethink who should be testing, who benefits from treatment, and who the epidemic is truly affecting.

Sponsors

Gilead Sciences

Friday September 11, 2026 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
Grand Ballroom A

Plenary Session

3:00pm PDT

Coffee Break Cafe

Friday September 11, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Seacliff Foyer

Sponsors

Maynard Institute

Friday September 11, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Seacliff Foyer

Coffee Break

3:30pm PDT

Deepfakes, Gender and Sexuality in the AI Era

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Seacliff A

Artificial intelligence has developed swiftly and with few guardrails, often pushing the boundaries of sexuality and consent. In January, Grok, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, created and then publicly shared at least 1.8 million sexualized images of women in just nine days. Online, some users are falling in love with chatbots, while others are using them to generate the types of intimate deepfakes that prompted governments in Britain, India, Malaysia and the United States to start investigations into whether the images violated local laws. This panel covers the rapidly evolving industry, the lures and risks for users of the technology and how journalists can protect themselves from harassment and spot the truth in an onslaught of faked imagery.

Speakers

Sam Cole

Journalist, 404 Media

Sam Cole is a journalist and co-founder of the independent technology news outlet 404 Media. She was previously a senior editor for Motherboard, Vice's technology outlet, and has worked as a journalist for over a decade at outlets including Popular Science, Fast Company, and Al Jazeera... Read More →

Kathleen Massara

Senior Staff Editor, The New York Times

Kathleen (they/them) is a senior staff editor on the Culture desk at The New York Times. They were previously an editor on the Arts & Leisure section and on the home page. Before joining The Times, Kathleen was the managing editor of Artnet News, a senior editor on digital projects... Read More →

Kate Conger

Technology Reporter, New York Times

Kate Conger is a technology reporter at the New York Times and the co-author of "Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter." She has reported on business and power in Silicon Valley for more than a decade, writing about the political influence of billionaires, the use of artificial... Read More →

Tat Bellamy Walker

Program Coordinator, The International Women's Media Foundation

Tat Bellamy-Walker is a Program Coordinator at the International Women’s Media Foundation. Previously, they served as Program Manager of Digital Safety Training and Resources (Media) at PEN America. Before joining PEN America, Bellamy-Walker was a communities reporter at The Seattle... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Seacliff A

Breakout Session

3:30pm PDT

LGBTQ+ Women in News

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Seacliff C

What is it like to be an LGBTQ+ woman in the news industry? There can be unique challenges, triumphs and obstacles to overcome. How has the industry continued to evolve to fit more out women in its spaces? What still needs to be done to get even more out women in the industry? Hear a panel of speakers share their personal journeys and delve into some of the most pressing topics related to being a LGBTQ+ woman in news

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Seacliff C

Breakout Session

3:30pm PDT

Navigating a Career in Broadcast and Advocating for Yourself

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Seacliff B

Leading industry professionals will share their experiences and advice, empowering you to negotiate with your employer and address workplace concerns throughout your career. This panel, made up of SAG-AFTRA members currently working as media professionals will discuss their careers, give guidance and answer questions from the audience. This panel will cover: the media landscape and getting your first job; addressing difficult issues and advocating for a better work environment; and the important role of mentorship and networking in the field of broadcast.

Sponsors

SAG-AFTRA

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Seacliff B

Breakout Session

3:30pm PDT

The Podcast Era: Audio & Video Storytelling, Queer Narratives and Holding Space

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Seacliff D

We are living in the podcast era where audio and video formats shape how stories are shared, experienced and trusted across platforms. From podcasts and video podcasts to YouTube and social video, these mediums have become essential tools for journalists, creators, and storytellers seeking deeper connection with audiences. This session takes a closer look at audio and video work through the lens of queer narratives, format, and creative approach. The panel brings together perspectives from journalism, platform building, and modern creator culture to examine how queer stories evolve across formats while maintaining trust, care, and responsibility to their communities. Attendees will learn how to translate lived experience into compelling audio and video, select formats that best support both message, and audience and think intentionally about tone, structure and audience connection. The panel will also examine discoverability, distribution and sustainability — offering insight into how queer voices reach audiences across platforms in ways that feel authentic. Designed for journalists, creators, students and media professionals at any stage, this session offers practical tools and guiding principles for navigating the podcast era with intention, creativity and inclusivity.

Speakers

PJ Brescia

Founder & CEO, BabyGay

PJ Brescia (they/them) is the founder & CEO of BabyGay™, a nonprofit and media platform dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ individuals through the coming out journey via storytelling, advocacy, and togetherness. In partnership with community leaders, The Black Cat, and the Los Angeles... Read More →

Ryan Lu

Podcast host / content creator / pop star, e.mo.tions LLC

Ryan Lu is a content creator, podcast host, and rising pop star known for bold storytelling, unfiltered humor, and turning delusion into entertainment.

Friday September 11, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Seacliff D

Breakout Session

4:45pm PDT

A Tale of Two States: The Role of the Media in Informing Voters about Ballot Initiatives in the 2026 Midterm Elections

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT

Seacliff D

With anti-trans ballot initiatives emerging as the latest front in the fight against LGBTQ+ rights — and millions of dollars flooding into misleading anti-trans advertising — what responsibility does the media have in ensuring voters are accurately informed about trans rights on the ballot this midterm election? Join leading strategists from Colorado and Missouri — two states facing ballot initiatives this year — alongside advocates from the Transgender Law Center for a timely conversation on the media’s critical role in shaping public understanding, countering misinformation and equipping voters with the facts they need to make informed decisions.

Speakers

Anna Castro

Principal Narrative Strategist, Transgender Law Center

Anna Castro is Transgender Law Center’s Principal Narrative Strategist for the Trans Agenda for Liberation Narrative Lab. With fifteen years of experience designing and leading integrated advocacy campaigns in the voting and civic engagement, immigration, and transgender rights... Read More →

Sara Mar

Sara Mar (they/them) is the Senior Media Relations Manager at Transgender Law Center. In their role, Sara incorporates messaging research into media strategy to craft narratives for trans liberation and builds relationships with journalists to center trans voices, trans joy, and trans... Read More →

Nadine Bridges

Nadine Bridges (she/her) is a nationally recognized leader in equity, public health, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. As the first Black and female Executive Director of One Colorado, she has led the state’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization through some of the most challenging political... Read More →

Robert Fischer

Robert is a communications strategist with more than a decade of experience helping nonprofit organizations, advocacy campaigns, and mission-driven leaders tell stories that inspire action. A graduate of the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations... Read More →

Sponsors

Transgender Law Center

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT
Seacliff D

Breakout Session

4:45pm PDT

How CBS News Bay Area (KPIX) and CBS News 24/7 Are Reinventing Broadcast

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT

Seacliff B

This panel examines how a local station’s virtual studio and a national streaming network now operate as one news model. CBS News Bay Area adopted AR/VR technology, with its anchors now contributing to CBS News 24/7, the network's national streaming service, blurring the line between a regional newsroom and a 24-hour national broadcast operation. Using one virtual studio for both local broadcasts and continuous streaming, raises real production questions about pacing, graphics, talent direction, staffing, and workflow when using the same set to effectively serve both platforms. Panelists will discuss using a virtual set for both local weather and national news and what it signals for future local-to-national broadcast integration.

Sponsors

CBS News and Stations

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT
Seacliff B

Breakout Session

4:45pm PDT

Leveling Up Your Reporting with IRE

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT

Seacliff C

If you want to bolster your reporting with some easy techniques, this is the session for you. Learn how to analyze data quickly, file strong public records requests, and find hidden info online that will make your work even stronger.

Speakers

Adam Rhodes

Managing Editor & Training Director, Investigative Reporters & Editors

Adam Rhodes is an award winning Latine journalist whose work primarily focuses on queer people and the criminal legal system. Their recent work has examined anti-LGBTQ+ bias in dozens of death penalty cases, HIV criminalization laws around the country, anti-trans disinformation, and... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT
Seacliff C

Breakout Session

4:45pm PDT

The Art of the Slow Burn: A Masterclass in Long-Form Pacing and Narrative Writing

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT

Seacliff A

In an era of digital distraction, holding a reader’s interest across thousands of words requires a quiet superpower. The secret isn't just the strength of the reporting — it is in the rhythm of the delivery. This panel brings together narrative writers and editors who will dissect the mechanics of proper pacing. Want a meaty discussion about great writing? We will move beyond vague advice like "make it flow" to analyze the structural decisions that keep a story moving. Attendees will learn how to strategically expand and contract time, choreograph high-stakes scenes, and inject breathing room into dense, information-heavy investigations without losing momentum. Come learn how to build tension, manage transitions, and keep readers hooked for the long haul.

Speakers

Jeremy Fox

Terra King

Denny Nivens

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton

Business Reporter, The Seattle Times

Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton is a business reporter at The Seattle Times. She previously covered immigration at The Denver Post after forging the newspaper's Denver neighborhoods beat and covering social inequities in business. She covers the Hawaiian diaspora for Ka Wai Ola, a Hawaiʻi-based... Read More →

Friday September 11, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm PDT
Seacliff A

Breakout Session

6:00pm PDT

Diversity Reception

Friday September 11, 2026 6:00pm - 7:30pm PDT

Waterfront CDE

Join us as NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists salutes the value of diversity, equity and inclusion in newsrooms and America as a whole. We honor our partners in diversity who share our dedication to fair and accurate coverage of our communities and bring us together.

Friday September 11, 2026 6:00pm - 7:30pm PDT
Waterfront CDE

Reception

7:30pm PDT

Spectrum Dinner

Friday September 11, 2026 7:30pm - 8:00pm PDT

TBA

Sponsors

CNN & TNT Sports

Friday September 11, 2026 7:30pm - 8:00pm PDT
TBA

Networking

8:00pm PDT

Night Out

Friday September 11, 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm PDT

Sponsors

Queerty

Friday September 11, 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm PDT

Reception

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