New England Newspaper & Press Association

Speakers:

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  Edward Fitzpatrick

  Edward Fitzpatrick is a Rhode Island-based reporter for the Boston Globe, where he writes about state government and Rhode Island politics. He has won numerous awards from the Rhode Island Press Association for a wide range of stories, from spot news to education coverage to business features and profiles, and received special recognition in 2022 for his innovative and insightful coverage of state and local elections. As the host of the weekly Rhode Island Report podcast, he has interviewed local luminaries, national and state politicians, and other newsmakers. He’s a familiar face at local political debates, where he frequently serves as moderator, and he co-hosts and moderates live events for the Globe as part of “Rhode Island Report Live.” Before coming to the Globe in 2019, he was the director of media and public relations for Roger Williams University. Prior to that, he worked for 16 years at the Providence Journal, including eight years as the political columnist and five years as the courts reporter. He has also worked as a reporter at the Hartford Courant, the Albany Times Union, and was the city editor at the Saratogian. He is a board member of the New England First Amendment Coalition and a former board member of Common cause Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Syracuse University, where he earned a degree in magazine journalism and political science.

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  Megan Hall

  Megan Hall is an award-winning audio journalist and health policy expert. She has spent more than two decades collecting, analyzing and telling stories. As Rhode Island Public Radio’s health care reporter, she created radio features, blog posts, and forums about complicated health topics. She then spent more than five years building, explaining and improving HealthSource RI, Rhode Island’s health insurance exchange. Hall now uses her expertise to turn complicated ideas into everyday language for everyone from neurologists to ecologists. Hall has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and a master’s degree in public health, both from Brown University. She lives in North Providence with her husband, two daughters and a cranky cat.

The Student Press Law Center will join the University of Vermont Center for Community News for a check-in on the legal challenges that college reporting programs are facing today, the rights we can exercise, and strategies for protecting our student reporters.

Bring your questions and concerns.

• Meg Little Reilly, CCN Managing Director
• Gary Green, Student Press Law Center Executive Director
• Mike Hiestand, Student Press Law Center Senior Legal Counsel
• Josh Moore, Student Press Law Center Assistant Director
• Jonathan Gaston-Falk, Student Press Law Center Staff Attorney

The social media landscape never stops evolving—and neither can publishers.

Join us for a forward-looking session as we explore the current state of social media and break down exactly what publishers need to do to stay ahead. We’ll also explore how AI and automation are unlocking new levels of scale, helping lean teams punch above their weight and consistently drive traffic without burning out.

You’ll learn:
Optimizing content formats to maximize performance
Why recirculating your best content is a major opportunity
How AI can help you do more with less—without losing your editorial voice

If you’re ready to win the feed and upgrade your social strategy, this one’s for you.

As news avoidance rises and trust erodes, solutions journalism offers a way to re-engage audiences. In the fourth installment of our series Solutions Journalism for Beat Reporters, we’ll explore how federal contract cancellations are disrupting local communities—and how to uncover both the local impacts and the community responses.

Thousands of federal contracts have been canceled since January, affecting local economies, workers, and essential services. This session, led by Big Local News, will show you how to use data tools to reveal these impacts in your community and spotlight how residents are responding.

Guest: Rosie Cima, Senior Data Journalist, Big Local News

About Big Local News: Based at Stanford University, Big Local News makes vital public records accessible to local journalists. The organization gathers data on policing, public health, government, and other critical topics, then builds tools and collaborates with reporters to turn that data into stories. Learn more at biglocalnews.org.

This session will unpack how hyperlocal outlets can become the most trusted information source in their communities. We’ll talk about how hyperlocal sites have built credibility and civic engagement by consistently delivering useful, verified, and deep local news, often in places underserved by traditional media.

Key Takeaways:

– Editorial guidelines and fact-checking practices for hyperlocal publishers
– Examples of how local trust leads to civic action, event participation, and brand loyalty
– The intersection of mission-driven journalism and business health