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The Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will host its 16th annual journalism ethics conference at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery on Friday, Sept. 26.
The conference is free, open to the public and made possible by generous sponsorships from craig newmark philanthropies, the Evjue Foundation, Podcamp Media, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
“Journalism Ethics in a Fracturing World” will bring together news media professionals, innovators, academics, advocates, students and the public to address the ethical dimensions of a media environment characterized by fragmentation, increasing authoritarianism and disappearing and unreliable data. Participants include nationally renowned experts such as Keith Woods (formerly of NPR), Kara Swisher (VOX Media) and Ben Smith (Semafor).
The rapid and far-reaching changes to government during the second Trump administration are presenting journalists and media makers with a monumental three-part task: being responsive to a transformed information environment, evolving media ethics in the face of disappearing norms and defending the press’s right to exist. The Sept. 26 conference will provide a thoughtful forum for attendees to better understand the challenges, opportunities and pressures of this moment.
Top tech reporter Kara Swisher will interview Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, for her Vox podcast “On with Kara Swisher.” Keith Woods, former chief diversity officer at NPR, will deliver a keynote in defense of journalism in a free and fair democracy. Other panelists will take on key conversations such as “The New Age of Censorship” and “Spin, Lies and Disappearing Data.”
“Journalism is facing greater challenges than I have seen at any point in my lifetime,” said Kathleen Bartzen Culver, James E. Burgess Chair in Journalism Ethics and director of the Center. “It’s a time to be courageous and to defend the values and ethics that have long guided the best journalism. This conference will be a clarion call for journalism’s continued service to citizens and an exploration of what practices can help people live free and meaningful lives.”
The Center for Journalism Ethics, housed in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW–Madison, provides an international hub for the examination of the role of professional and personal ethics in the pursuit of fair, accurate and principled journalism. The Center offers resources for journalists, educators, students and the public, including internationally recognized annual conferences exploring key issues in journalism.
craig newmark philanthropies supports groups that seek to strengthen American democracy. The foundation drives civic engagement by working to advance organizations focused on trustworthy journalism, cyber security, and veterans and military families. Craig Newmark is the founder of craigslist.
The Evjue Foundation is the charitable arm of The Capital Times newspaper. Since its founding in the 1960s, the Foundation has made grants totaling more than $70 million to worthy educational, cultural and charitable organizations in the newspaper’s circulation area.
Additional sponsors include Podcamp Media, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
For more information, see the conference web page and/or contact Krista Eastman, administrator and communications specialist at the Center for Journalism Ethics, at krista.eastman@wisc.edu.