"Aspiring Journalists" Webinars

The Washington Press Club Foundation is pleased to host a series of webinars connecting aspiring journalists to Washington, DC reporters, editors and bureau chiefs. These programs are specifically designed for journalism students to gain practical insights into the changing culture and practices of media organizations as preparation for your future job search.

Three webinars are presented each semester and journalism professors are welcome to encourage their students to participate. Each program lasts one hour and participants are able to submit questions either in advance or during the webinar.

2024 -2025 Series

RSVP to programs@wpcf.org for your zoom link

Internships and Fellowships- Navigating the Changing Newsroom Job Market

November 22, 2024 1 pm EST

How are entry level jobs changing? What happens when you don’t get your dream internship? In the highly competitive search for entry level positions what strategies can you employ to move from internships to fellowships to your first job as a reporter. What can you do, starting in your undergrad years, to build a resume that lands on the top of the pile? Join our panel of newsroom managers as they describe what they look for in the resumes they receive and what skills make a stand out candidate.

On the panel:
Shirley Carswell, Executive Director, Dow Jones News Fund (Howard University, Northwestern University)
Corinne Chin, Director of News Talent Recruitment, Associated Press, (Northwestern University)
Sharif Durhams, Managing Editor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Univ. N. Carolina, Chapel Hill, Univ. Texas, Austin)
Angela Hunter, Director of Talent Development, CBS News (University of Utah)
Leon Tucker, Director of Talent Diversity and Development, Gannett (Florida A&M University)

To watch this webinar click here

Covering a Turbulent Election Cycle

December 6, 2024 1 pm EST

In the summer of 2024 political reporters experienced a 28 day seismic news cycle with one major story breaking on the heels of the next. Hear from our panel of political reporters describe how they managed to pivot, almost daily, from one major story to another. What tools were most useful as they were expected to produce immediate, solid reporting, almost from scratch, and their advice on how you, as a journalism student, can work to build that skill set. Also included in the discussion will be information on how to cover an election in general, how to find the right voters to talk to and how seek out sources that will help you build a great story.
Moderated by Shawna Thomas, CBS News

On the panel:

Bill Barrow, National Political Reporter, Associated Press

Sophia Cai, National Political Reporter, Axios

Michael Collens, White House Reporter, USA Today

Taurean Small, Political Campaign Reporter, CBS News

To watch this video, click here

Reporting History In Real Time -Covering News When You are Part of the Story

January 17, 2025 1 pm EST

How do you deliver real time, accurate and newsworthy reporting before an official confirmation is released to avoid misinformation or need for a retraction? How can you identify credible sources who will add to the accuracy of your reporting? Join a panel of reporters who were in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 or at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024 to hear how they navigated these events while reporting live from the middle of the chaos. Included in the discussion will be tips on how to recognize when your safety is at risk and what precautions to take.
Moderated by Brie Jackson, NBC News, University of Maryland
On the panel:
Lisa Desjardins, Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
Daniella Diaz, Congressional Reporter, POLITICO
Paul Kane, Senior Congressional Correspondent
Kate Sullivan, Campaign Embed, CNN
Ken Thomas, White House Reporter, Wall Street Journal
Alayna Treene, Presidential Politics Reporter, CNN

To watch this webinar click here.

AI in the Newsroom- Current Impact and Future Directions

February 21 2025 1 pm EST

AI is already being used in newsrooms, openly and under the radar. How are media outlets approaching this new technology and where are the lines not to cross? What are the benefits of AI? Will it affect basic reporting, will it eliminate jobs or even replace reporters? What basic skills are needed to use AI effectively and how can you tailor your resume to promote your AI skills? Hear from our panel of newsroom decision makers on how they are forming their AI strategies, both in an effort enhance newsroom practices as well as the guidelines they are developing for reporters will follow. Using AI as a fact checking tool will be included in the discussion.

Moderated by Shawna Thomas, Executive Producer, CBS Mornings

To watch this webinar click here.

Networking and Sources- New Techniques to Build a Solid Source Base

March 7, 2025 1 pm EST

Good sources are key to good reporting but the shift to remote workplaces has changed how journalists develop these sources. In this webinar we’ll cover how to build a quality stable of solid contacts to support your reporting, from identifying best sources to providing details on how to turn that first interaction into a mutually beneficial relationship. What strategies can you employ when a potential source doesn’t respond to your emails or calls? This discussion will include how to ensure that the relationships between reporter and source don’t cross ethical boundaries.

Accountability Journalism- Turning a Local Story into a National News

April 25, 2025 1 pm EST

Covering local politics is often the first beat assigned to a reporter at the start of their career. While serving a hometown audience, reporting on local political events, a journalist may also uncover information that leads a local story into news of national importance. Learning how to combine the tools of investigative and data journalism journalism with newer techniques, such as crowdsourcing and social networking, are key in this process. This assembled panel of experienced journalists will share their strategies on how they’ve built their award winning careers by expanding on local news stories that had a far broader impact.

RSVP to programsf@wpcf.org for details.