Welcome to the Need to Know: Training Edition! Your monthly curated list of professional development resources for journalists and news leaders. Do you have ideas for opportunities to include? Send it our way using this submission form.

ICYMI: Resources from API and partners

>> Influencer strategy on the road: Did we see you at LION, ONA or at one of our collabs with News Revenue Hub? Still have questions about working with influencers and content creators in your community? Our guide has you covered and answers everything from where to find influencers, how to assess whether they’re a good fit for your organization and how to work through your ethical questions. New this month are sections on leveraging social platform features with influencers (think polls, stickers, video duets, live videos, collab reels and more) as well as three case studies on newsroom-creator collabs.

>> Intergenerational collaboration: In September we also published a series on intergenerational solidarity in our Need to Know newsletter highlighting contributions from five participants of our recent API Local News Summit on Civic Discourse Across Generations.

Upcoming training opportunities

>> AI training course bundle: Women in Journalism is offering a 10‑session AI course (sessions recorded) running Oct. 1 to Dec. 3, blending expert instruction with hands‑on demonstrations. Sessions cover topics such as ChatGPT, LLMs, AI workflows, ethical concerns and building tools for journalism.

>> AI journalism lab: Adoption showcase: CUNY’s J Plus program, supported by Microsoft, is hosting a virtual showcase Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. EDT. Journalists will present lightning talks on AI adoption projects, sharing how their newsrooms are testing, implementing and scaling AI to enhance reporting and audience engagement. Speakers include leaders from Deutsche Welle, CNN Indonesia, El Vocero de Puerto Rico and McClatchy.

>> Women’s Leadership Accelerator: The Online News Association runs a six‑month selective program to boost leadership and management skills among women and nonbinary individuals in digital journalism. The application deadline is Oct. 3 and applicants will be notified Nov. 5. Participants receive mentoring, coaching and peer connection while tackling a real challenge unique to their role. Candidates should have experience managing people or projects and a strong interest in driving innovation and change. Tuition is $1,000, and selected participants receive a full pass to the 2026 ONA annual conference.

>> Explore your career river: Navigate change in today’s media ecosystem: The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas offers a free, four‑week course from Oct. 6 to Nov. 2. Using the Career River framework, participants learn to view their careers as a river rather than a ladder, identify transferable skills and map their professional journey. The online course is open to journalists, freelancers, editors, product professionals, designers and executives.

>> Use data to power your newsroom: The INMA Newsroom Transformation Master Class begins Oct. 9 with the first of three virtual sessions focused on using more meaningful metrics to build audience loyalty. The program covers content strategy, exclusive offerings, newsletters and how to shift from search and social traffic to direct, repeat visitors. Sessions will also address how to identify loyalty metrics and apply them to newsroom decision-making. Registration includes access to recordings and presentation materials. INMA members receive a discounted rate. Additional discounts for registrants who sign up by Oct. 3.

>> Two new AI journalism labs at Newmark J‑School: CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, with support from Microsoft, is launching two hybrid, tuition‑free AI journalism labs, beginning in January. One lab will focus on leadership: helping newsroom leaders make strategic, ethical decisions about AI. The other will emphasize adoption: supporting newsrooms just starting out with generative AI. Each lab can accommodate 15-25 journalists and is open to candidates from the U.S. and beyond. The labs require an in‑person kickoff in New York followed by online sessions and a capstone project under guidance. Spots are aimed at journalists in audience, tech, product roles and media professionals worldwide. Applications open until Oct. 10.

>> YESEO newsroom partner cohort info session: The YESEO team is hosting an informational session on Oct. 14 for newsrooms interested in joining a new product testing cohort. Ten outlets will be selected to test upcoming features, contribute to case studies and explore how AI tools like YESEO can support local journalism as a paid product. Participants will choose which features to test based on their newsroom needs.

>> How journalists can use scraping tools for environmental stories: The Pulitzer Center will host a free webinar on Oct. 14, introducing journalists to web scraping as a key tool for environmental reporting. The session will cover scraping basics, legal and ethical considerations, methods for extracting large datasets from public websites and real-world examples including deforestation records, pollution data and permit databases. Scraping offers journalists a practical way to power investigations into government transparency and corporate greenwashing using data often buried from view.

>> Report like an anthropologist: The Reynolds Journalism Institute and The Centre for Anthropology and Journalism are hosting a virtual workshop teaching journalists ethnographic techniques such as participatory observation, semiotic mapping and better interviewing. The two 90-minute sessions happen Oct. 14 and Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. CT. Participants will receive templates, a workbook and coaching on applying methods to their own beats.

>> Making the case for local news: The Press Forward Foundation, in partnership with Beekeeper Group, is hosting Words That Work: Making the Case for Local News on Oct. 15. The webinar is based on research including national polling, focus groups and messaging tests, which is outlined in a newly released guide. Participants will be able to identify how newsrooms can communicate their value in ways that resonate with funders across demographics and political viewpoints.

>> MediaFest 2025: MediaFest returns to Washington, D.C. for the first time since 2022, Oct. 15–18. Hosted by the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association and SPJ, expect more than 200 sessions, workshops led by Google News Initiative and Trusting News, a dedicated “Freelance Central,” networking and coverage of journalism, technology, business and leadership.

>> Business of Local Conference: The Business of Local Conference will be held Oct. 19–21 in Salt Lake City. The in-person event brings together local innovators and entrepreneurs who are pioneering new revenue models and figuring out new ways to engage communities. Attendees can expect hands-on breakout sessions, panels, case studies and networking opportunities focused on sustainable business models, membership strategies, ad tech, direct-sold revenue, events and AI tools for growth.

>> Information campaigns that work: A crash course from public health experts: Perspectives is hosting an in-person event on Oct. 22 in Chicago on how journalists can learn from public health professionals to communicate effectively in a fragmented, skeptical information environment. The program includes hands-on exercises, messaging strategy tips and a conversation with Dr. Allison Arwady, former head of Chicago’s public health department, alongside a panel of experienced OB-GYNs and pediatricians. Held near the News Product Alliance Summit venue, the event offers appetizers and a cash bar. Doors open at 7 p.m. CDT, with programming starting at 7:30.

>> NPA summit 2025: News products for a consumer-driven era: The News Product Alliance is hosting an immersive, in-person summit Oct. 23–24 in Chicago for mid- to senior-level news product professionals, including leaders from editorial, audience, business and technology. The program features more than 50 sessions and 80 speakers from legacy media, startups and tech platforms, covering topics like AI’s impact, product and editorial collaboration, revenue strategies, audience trust, democratic resilience and innovation in fragmented media landscapes.

>> Women and prisons: Covering the impact of incarceration: Poynter is offering a free, two-part webinar series on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, focused on the physical, emotional and financial effects of incarceration on women and their families. The sessions explore the unique trends behind female incarceration, women with incarcerated family members and ethical reporting strategies. Attendees of both sessions will come away with concrete story ideas and are eligible to apply for one of five $10,000 reporting grants to pursue stories about how these issues impact their communities.

>> How to supercharge reporting and streamline workflows with GenAI: INMA and OpenAI are hosting a webinar on Oct. 30 that explores how leading news organizations are integrating generative AI to boost reporting and workflow efficiency. Speakers will share real‑world use cases like connecting ChatGPT to internal archives, deploying secure AI agents and maintaining editorial standards. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for responsible AI adoption in newsrooms.

>> Klein News Innovation Camp: The 16th annual Klein Camp will take place Nov. 8 as a daylong unconference for journalists, creators and information providers. Held for the first time in Mazur Hall at Temple University, the event features attendee-driven sessions on topics like AI ethics, community listening, editorial products and social media shifts. Organized by Technical.ly and Temple’s Klein College, your ticket includes breakfast, lunch and a post-event happy hour.

>> SFJ features journalism conference: The Society for Features Journalism is hosting its 2025 SFJ Conference, Nov. 6–8 at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Phoenix. Registration closes Oct. 25. The full conference package includes a Thursday night reception, and single-day tickets also available.

>> Deep dive into state accountability reporting: The Collier Prize for State Government Accountability holds its first symposium on Thursday, Nov. 13, featuring a keynote conversation with Knight Foundation President and CEO Maribel Perez Wadsworth as well as panels featuring award-winning investigations and a forum on the future of state government reporting. It’s free, either in person at the University of Florida or via livestream, but you must register.

>> Symposium in service to our communities: The Reynolds Journalism Institute is hosting a two-day, off-the-record symposium Nov. 13 and 14 at Mirror Indy in Indianapolis for a cohort of 30 community-centered journalists. Participants will collaborate across newsrooms to develop actionable ideas that better serve their communities under Chatham House rules. Accepted attendees receive three nights of hotel lodging (Nov. 12–15), daily lunches, a curated summary of session insights, follow-up check-ins at three and six months, and a stipend to pilot a new idea in their newsroom. Apply by Oct. 26.

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