New England Newspaper & Press Association

Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events most of which never make the news. The Boston Globe’s Blotter Tales — reported by Emily Sweeney — features many amusing, shocking and heart-breaking incidents from the police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities. Join us as we speak to Emily about the most surprising stories she found and how she found them. We’ll also discuss a new contest for student journalists who want to use the skills Emily describes to find their own stories . . . and win great prizes.

Whether you’re currently experiencing the stress of being laid off or you are concerned about the possibility at your newsroom, suddenly losing your job can be a frightening, isolating experience.

Join journalist and Career River creator Bridget Thoreson for a one-hour virtual gathering designed to transform that concern into clarity. Bridget will share what she’s learned from interviewing 150+ professionals and training more than 1,900 people in 106 countries on how to successfully navigate moments of uncertainty or the unexpected in their careers.

She’ll outline the strategies that have helped people weather crisis moments, and offer concrete tips for approaching the job hunt as a data-driven experiment, instead of a roller coaster of rejection.

Her 30-minute presentation will be followed by optional small-group discussions for you to share what’s on your mind and practice a new framework for finding your way forward.

Breakout room facilitators:

Monique O. Madan, Co-Lead Storytelling Advisor at the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, and Principal at The Madan Creative Group
Dustin Block, Director of Portfolio Growth at BlueLena

Join the Office of Campaign and Political Finance on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. for a webinar on the Massachusetts campaign finance system. This session will include a guided tour of OCPF’s online reporting system, where statewide, legislative, mayoral, and other candidates and committees report their campaign finance activity. 

We will also demonstrate how to register for E-Notify, OCPF’s alert system that notifies you when a candidate, PAC, ballot question committee, or political party files reports. You can choose to follow all filers or only those in your community, receive updates on new filers, and access reports of agency actions by OCPF’s legal staff. A new press-release module will be added soon to keep you informed about broader campaign finance news. 

Register for the webinar at https://ocpfreporter.us/SeminarRegistration/ and select General Webinar under the type of seminar. You may also register by visiting www.ocpf.us and following the links under Upcoming Seminars.

We look forward to having you join us. If you have any questions about the webinar or any campaign finance issue, contact Jason Tait, Director of Communications & Public Education at jtait@mass.gov or by calling (617) 979-8300.

The Center for Community News is hosting a webinar spotlighting community college-led student reporting programs: innovative models that deliver high-impact, career-shaping learning experiences while strengthening local news in communities that need it most.

Faculty from five community colleges are already leading these programs for their students and communities. CCN actively supports and expands this work and is now offering new resources, guidance, and funding to help additional community colleges launch their own programs so their students can gain hands-on experience that directly prepares them for careers in journalism, public service, and beyond.

Panelists include CCN Director Richard Watts; Holyoke Community College digital media faculty member Gyuri Kepes; and Front Range Community College English and journalism faculty member Aaron Leff.

Join Covering Climate Now for a frank conversation about the state of climate journalism, in a discussion from the Society of Environmental Journalists convention in Chicago.

Amid concerns about a backsliding of climate coverage in the press, CCNow interviewed dozens of climate reporters from around the world to assess the challenges facing reporters on the climate beat. The result is ‘A Burning House, A Quiet Media, A Silenced Majority,’ a new white paper from CCNow that will be released at SEJ.

In this webinar, CCNow co-founders Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope will discuss the paper’s findings, the hurdles faced by climate reporters, and the significant opportunities for newsrooms to build a new audience interested in climate news.

Let’s take your reporting for a walk! Learn how to utilize walking tours as another medium for local journalism, stepping outside to take a walk with the communities we serve.

This session draws from Cara Kuhlman’s RJI Fellowship project, A Tour Guide for Journalists, a free digital guide to help other journalists launch their own tour pilot for local audiences.

As journalists cover the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections, the National Press Club Journalism Institute is partnering with the Bipartisan Policy Center for a midterm coverage briefing.

Join the Institute at noon ET on Thursday, April 23 for a free webinar on what journalists and their audiences need to know, including:

• changes in voter list maintenance and what they mean for election coverage;
• trends among the elections workforce;
• how reporters can understand and analyze the data that comes in rapidly on Election Day;
• questions reporters can ask before election results come in;
• and how to cover major policy proposals in a way that cuts through the noise.

The Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project Director Wren Orey will lead the briefing and answer questions on everything you need to know about telling impactful stories during the midterms.

Join Poynter Beat Academy for a free 75-minute webinar on April 28, 11:30 a.m–12:45 p.m. Eastern. Learn how to cover ICE enforcement and its impact on children and families. Gain more practical strategies for reporting on immigration with accuracy and care. Identify strong story angles on education, health care and housing impacts. Ask questions and engage with experts during the live session. Strengthen your approach to one of today’s most complex reporting beats. Leave with actionable reporting techniques you can use immediately.

Rahim Jessani of Bottom Up Media leads a virtual presentation on how to become a “creator journalist” by teaching the art of short-form video content for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Attendees will learn how to identify and use trends, the basics of creating content on their phones, and gain exclusive tips and tricks for making concise, digestible videos for social media. By the end of this session, you will be better prepared to create your own short-form videos that engage and grow new audiences on social media.