The New York Press Club’s Annual Conference on Journalism at Fordham University Law School at Lincoln Center will look closely at the relationship between the White House and the news media, both in the present and throughout history. It will also feature a recap of the midterm elections and several sessions for journalists on switching jobs and careers, covering climate change, the current state of the media workplace and how to get one’s start in the business.
The day’s keynote will feature Harold Holzer, historian and author of The Presidents vs. the Press: The Endless Battle Between the White House and the Media – from the Founding Fathers to Fake News, and Elie Mystal, legal commentator and justice correspondent for The Nation covering the U.S. Supreme Court, politics and the media.
They will discuss President Donald Trump’s stated animus toward the media, and they will examine how this toxic phenomenon between U.S. presidents and the press is – or is not -something new. They will also address how the Supreme Court has played a role and what journalists can learn about the media’s historical relationship with the White House, sometimes fraught with dissension and other times so close as to threaten objectivity and the disclosure of essential information.
The conference, now in its 34th year, will take place Saturday, November 7th, 9:00 am to 3:00 PM, at Fordham Law School’s Costantino Center, 150 W 62 St., New York, NY. The cost is: $50 for non-members and $40 for members. There is also a student price of $20. The registration fee includes a continental breakfast and hot lunch.
Here is more about the conference:
Plenary Session: The Midterms are Over: How Did the Media Do? With Alec Hernandez, National Political Reporter, Politico; Kelly Mena, Politics Reporter, Spectrum News NY1, and moderator, Political Journalist Azi Paybarah.
The discussion will focus on dissecting coverage of the midterms. How did newsrooms succeed or fail in covering one of the most closely watched elections in recent memory? This plenary panel will feature beat reporters steeped in local and national politics. They will look at the predictions, trends and fast-breaking campaign news, analyzing the narrative shifts they got right, obstacles they faced, and what every reporter should know to cover an intense beat.
Breakout Session I (Attendees choose one)
A) Life after the Newsroom: Leaving the newsroom does not necessarily mean starting from scratch; journalists can and should leverage one of the most versatile skill sets in the professional world. In this panel, former journalists reveal how they parlayed tight deadlines, critical thinking, and relentless inquiry into successful secondary careers.
B) Climate is Still Making News: Are Outlets Missing the Big Story? Advice on how to go deeper than covering the occurrences and immediate aftermath of heat waves, forest fires, flash-floods, and other climate-related disasters.
Breakout Session II (Attendees choose one)
A) Surviving a Toxic Newsroom: Panelists from the field help break down the signs of whether you’re in a toxic work environment or a typical high-stakes newsroom, and when it’s time to leave.
B) Where to Start? Your First Steps in Gaining Experience: With a tight job market, a panel of journalists offer ideas on how to jump start one’s career, the various paths to take and what the first years look like.
In addition, two hands-on tutorials will be held for those wishing to take part in lieu of the breakout sessions.
A) Master Class on LexisNexis: How to use the news to find your next big story, with Brad Hamilton of the Hatch Institute, president of the Institute for Storycraft and Information Gathering
Amid the deluge of click bait, AI slop and disinformation, knowing what’s true can challenge even the best of us. But becoming skilled at research isn’t just vital to your reporting and reputation. It can also help you discover great story ideas. In this class, award-winning investigative journalist Brad Hamilton will show how to tap into the LexisNexis archives to uncover new angles and develop valuable sources.
B) Sound Like Yourself: How to Use Your Voice Effectively to Engage Audiences with George Bodarky, Reporter Trainer at NPR
Whether you’re producing a podcast, hosting on TV, conducting an on-air interview, or shooting a quick vertical video, learn proven techniques to sound more present, natural, and engaging. Step away from rigid broadcast habits and discover how to move from simply being heard to truly being listened to.
For more information and to register for the 2026 New York Press Club Conference on Journalism, Click Here.