2026 Local Media Fest Agenda

9 a.m. – 9:05 a.m.: Welcome and Local Media Fest Kickoff | Room 621 Executive Dining Room

Kick off Local Media Fest with a warm welcome, a look at what’s ahead, and a few surprises to set the tone for an energizing week of learning, networking, and big ideas. Welcome remarks from Jay Small and Julia Campbell, co-CEOs, Local Media Association

9:05 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.: Opening Keynote Session: Why Local News is Essential | Room 621 Executive Dining Room

For eight years, Dean Baquet held the top editorial position at the New York Times. He now leads the Times’ local news fellowship program, which creates partnerships and provides reporters in local newsrooms. Baquet is a passionate supporter of local news, and in this keynote shares his vision for why local news is essential to our communities. Presenter: Dean Baquet, former executive editor, The New York Times. Moderator: Tim Franklin, senior associate dean, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, Medill School, Northwestern University. Introduction by Nancy Lane, CEO emeritus, Local Media Association.

9:55 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Building a Modern Multiplatform News Brand: Spotlight Delaware | Room 621 Executive Dining Room

If you built a local newsroom today from the ground up, applying the best practices for revenue and audience, including the changing ways consumers get news, it would probably look like Spotlight Delaware. Launched as startup in Jan 2024, Spotlight Delaware now has built out six lines of revenue including Events, Branded Content and Advertising along with institutional philanthropy, membership and donations; it has launched both English and now Spanish language versions; offers both newsletters/web, (vertical) video, podcasts, events…and has social channels like TikTok and Reels. Founder Allison Taylor Levine shares how her team built this modern local news startup.

Presenter: Allison Taylor Levine, publisher and CEO, Spotlight Delaware. Moderator: Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer, Local Media Association

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch, Innovators of the Year Presentation and Program | 621 Executive Dining Room

Join us for lunch, where we will recognize our Innovators of the Year, sponsored by Upland/SecondStreet and more.

12:50 p.m.: 10 ways MCP will transform your news, audience, and revenue operations

Every newsroom sits on a goldmine of archives and audience data, but getting clear answers out of those systems often means wrestling with half a dozen disconnected dashboards. Model Context Protocol (MCP) creates a secure bridge between AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude) and your CMS, turning scattered metrics into a tireless newsroom assistant. Instead of spending hours digging through analytics, ask your CMS plain-English questions like “What are the most visited sections of our site this month?”, “Which content types are actually converting visitors into subscribers?”, or “Which of my reporters is driving the most pageviews?”, and receive immediate, actionable answers. In this session, BLOX Digital’s Phil Pracht explores 10 high-impact ways connecting your CMS with MCP drives productivity, sharpens editorial strategy, and reveals new audience revenue streams.

1:10 p.m.: Turning existing journalism into video audiences actually want to watch

For one of the largest news publishers on the planet, the biggest growth lever wasn’t more headlines, it was turning existing journalism into video audiences actually want to watch. In this session, Genna Co-Founder and CEO Lindsay Stewart sits down with Donna Ogier, Director, US Audience at Reach plc, to unpack how Reach is transforming written and produced content into video using real, licensed footage to deepen audience engagement and open new monetization pathways across its platforms.

Revenue Track: The Future of Local Advertising

Local advertising has been transformed by the evolution of the internet, market consolidation, shifting consumer behavior and growing complexity for local businesses trying to market effectively. This session will explore whether local media can build stronger future revenue through new advertising and marketing-services models, smarter use of AI and shared services, and a renewed role in helping local businesses and communities thrive together. Panelist: Corey Elliott, executive vp, market intelligence, Borrell Associates. Moderator: Jay Small, co-CEO, Local Media Association

Audience Track: PART 1 – What Newsrooms Must Do Now to Reach Younger Audiences and Why Journalism’s Future Depends on It

Local TV newsrooms are struggling to reach younger audiences, but there’s a proven model to win them over. Northeastern University’s Reinventing Local TV News Project spent a year embedding Digital Content Creators inside three major-market newsrooms — WCBS, WLS, and WCVB — to produce platform-native content built specifically for social media and digital audiences. The project also surveyed adults 18-34 nationwide to understand how Millennials and Gen Z actually consume local news today.

In this 90-minute hands-on session, Northeastern researchers Mike Beaudet and Lisa Thalhamer join forces with one of their Digital Content Creator Fellows for a two-part deep dive. The first half makes the research-backed case for why the Digital Content Creator role isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a lifeline for stations serious about their future. The second half gets practical: The Digital Content Creator walks through what the job actually looks like day-to-day, from shooting tips and tricks to planning content across multiple platforms and formats. Moderators: Lisa Thalhamer and Michael Beaudet, RTDNA Trainers, Northeastern. Introduction by: Colin Benedict, vp and chief innovation officer, Morgan Murphy Media.

Tech Track for Revenue: Tool training with Google News Initiative

Learn about the best tools from GNI! This tool training session will cover an overview of GA4 and News Consumer Insights (NCI). Host and trainer: Iain Christie, Business Analyst, Google News Initiative; assisted by April Pilolli and Pinay Jones from the Knight x LMA BloomLab

Click here to register to attend this session. Limited to the first 25 people!

2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Breakout Sessions

Revenue Track: Local News Fund Success Stories

Finding new ways to fund the journalism that matters most to your community has never been more important. Hear directly from leaders behind some of the most successful Local News Fund philanthropic support programs in the country, as they share how they built fundraising efforts rooted in community-driven giving and foundation support. This session is packed with real insights for any media organization looking to strengthen its commitment to local news and make a lasting impact in the communities it serves.

Presenters: Erin Richards, director of newsroom development, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Marcia Parker, vice president, philanthropic partnerships, The New York Times, Will Campbell, editor and 4th generation co-owner, The Columbian. Moderated by John Celestand, head of funding, Knight x LMA BloomLab

Audience Track: PART 2 – What Newsrooms Must Do Now to Reach Younger Audiences and Why Journalism’s Future Depends on It

Local TV newsrooms are struggling to reach younger audiences, but there’s a proven model to win them over. Northeastern University’s Reinventing Local TV News Project spent a year embedding Digital Content Creators inside three major-market newsrooms — WCBS, WLS, and WCVB — to produce platform-native content built specifically for social media and digital audiences. The project also surveyed adults 18-34 nationwide to understand how Millennials and Gen Z actually consume local news today.

In this 90-minute hands-on session, Northeastern researchers Mike Beaudet and Lisa Thalhamer join forces with one of their Digital Content Creator Fellows for a two-part deep dive. The first half makes the research-backed case for why the Digital Content Creator role isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a lifeline for stations serious about their future. The second half gets practical: The Digital Content Creator walks through what the job actually looks like day-to-day, from shooting tips and tricks to planning content across multiple platforms and formats. Moderator: Angela Chen, RTDNA Fellow, Northeastern. Introduction by: Colin Benedict, vp and chief innovation officer, Morgan Murphy Media.

Tech Track for Journalism: Tool training with Google News Initiative

Learn about the best tools from GNI! This tool training session will cover an overview of Gemini and NotebookLM. Host and trainer: Iain Christie, Business Analyst, Google News Initiative; assisted by April Pilolli and Pinay Jones from the Knight x LMA BloomLab

Click here to register for this session. Limited to the first 25 people!

The Evolving News Value Proposition: How Consumers Are Changing & News Organizations Are Adapting

Join us as Google’s Arun Venkataraman and Andrew Wicken share the most recent research on how audience behavior is shifting, how news organizations and Google are meeting the AI moment, and what we can learn from emerging news organizations. Presenters: Arun Venkataraman, global lead of emerging news & industry research, Google News Initiative, Andrew Wicken, head of North America programs & Canada, Google.

Revenue Track: Audience First, Revenue Follows: The New Playbook for Media Sales

The best close isn’t a great rate card. It’s the moment a prospect leans back and says, “I had no idea you reached that many people.” Local media has built something remarkable: a loyal, engaged audience that no algorithm can replicate. The outlets winning right now are the ones who figured out how to lead with that story and let their reach open doors that a product pitch never could. This panel is about what happens when you put audience first. Panelists will share real stories about the conversations that changed, the deals that followed, and why prospects who once overlooked local media became some of their best clients. Presenter: Dr. Toni Draper, chief executive officer, The AFRO, Brian Pitts, publisher, Washington Blade Moderator, Corey Elliott, executive vp, market intelligence, Borrell Associates. Moderator: Robert Walker-Smith, head of revenue, Knight x LMA BloomLab

Audience Track: Audience Experiments from the FIMS Lab

Three participants in LMA’s Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab, or FIMS Lab, share valuable learnings and impacts from experiments their companies conducted to drive audience and revenue. Additionally, a variety of the Lab’s key takeaways will be highlighted. Presenter: Chase Heatherly, chief revenue officer, Georges Media Group, Clint Schroeder, president & corporate publisher, Hagadone Communications Hagadone Media Newspaper Groups, Bruce Potter, chief operating officer, Rappahannock Media LLC, InsideNoVa. Moderator: John Humenik, chief strategy and operations officer, Local Media Association

Tech Track for Revenue: Tool Training with Google News Initiative

Learn about the best tools from GNI! This tool training session will cover an overview of GA4 and News Consumer Insights (NCI). Host and trainer: Iain Christie, Business Analyst, Google News Initiative; assisted by April Pilolli and Pinay Jones from the Knight x LMA BloomLab

Click here to register for this session. Limited to the first 25 people to register!

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Lunch on your own

1:00 p.m. – 1:40 p.m.: General Session: What AI Means for Local News

AI isn’t just a tool to increase the efficiency of newsrooms. AI will profoundly change the ways people find and share information, and news leaders must prepare now for these transformative disruptions to tier business. Newsroom Robots founder Nikita Roy describes three massive disruptions to the traditional model of news, and how leaders can meet this moment and leverage the opportunities created by AI. Presenter: Nikita Roy, founder, Newsroom Robots

1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. AI for Audience: AI Moonshot Experiments

Learn from the unique experiences of three forward-thinking local media companies in their pursuit of innovative uses of artificial intelligence. This must-see discussion explores how to build an AI strategy, AI experimentation, and early learnings from projects focused on next-level audience engagement. Presenters: Neal Boling, president, KHQ, Inc., Shane Benjamin, managing editor, The Durango Herald, and Ra-Jah Kelly, chief officer of technology and grants, The Washington Informer. Moderator: John Humenik, chief strategy and operations officer, Local Media Association

AI for Revenue: From Efficiency to Dominance: Advanced AI Tactics for Modern Sales

Many media sales professionals are already using AI — but they’re using it the same way everyone else is. This session goes beyond surface-level prompts and basic automation to show how top-performing reps and teams are leveraging AI as a strategic sales advantage, not a productivity hack. You’ll learn how to use AI to see deals earlier than competitors, personalize outreach at scale, run better discovery, anticipate objections, and shape deals before buyers do. Moderator: Shannon Kinney, founder, Dream Local Digital

AI for Product: Are You AI-Exposed? Protecting Your News Organization’s Data 

Artificial intelligence creates many opportunities for news innovation. But AI also exposes news organizations to many new risks. In this essential session, Jon Accarrino, founder of ORDO Digital, walks news leaders through the key privacy and security risks news organizations face both from using AI and from having their content used by AI, including a security and tools checklist, and the key steps leaders must take to keep their data and their brand secure. Presenter: Jon Accarrino, founder and CEO, Ordo Digital

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Super Sales Workshop Session

Join hosts Shannon Kinney and Peter Lamb for one of the most energizing sessions of the day. Three local media sales leaders will each share an innovative sales idea that’s actually working right now in the field. Bold strategies, fresh approaches, and real-world tactics you can bring back to your team. If you’re looking to shake up your playbook or just need that one spark to ignite your next big idea, this is the session you won’t want to miss. Presenters: Brandi Nelson, director of sales and special projects, Anchorage Daily News, William Weibert, sr. director of advertising, Chicago Sun Times, Mackenzie Gregory, director of client success, Maine Trust for Local News. Moderators: Shannon Kinney, founder, Dream Local Digital; Peter Lamb, president, Lamb Consulting.