Why and how we’re spotlighting AI at our SFJ conference in Phoenix
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We can’t believe we’re so close to seeing members of our Society for Features Journalism family in person at our comeback conference from Nov. 6-8 in Phoenix!
For people who haven’t had an opportunity to register yet, we wanted to let you know about some new single-day conference rate options and also spotlight an important conference session and workshop all about artificial intelligence. If you’re working on getting your bosses’ approval for the conference, we know the AI workshop will be worth the investment as it comes with a rare reward.
On Saturday morning, Nov. 8, we are partnering with Arizona State University’s Knight Center for the Future of News to present “The Power of AI: 9 Ideas You Can Take Home and Try.”
Djordje Padejski
This presentation will focus on the intersection of journalism and artificial intelligence, which is producing reactions among our colleagues ranging from high anxiety to great excitement. (Data analysis! Headlines and summaries! Text-to-speech technology!)
This session will be led by Djordje Padejski, an expert on AI and journalism who teaches at both Stanford University and Arizona State’s Cronkite School, and serves as Associate Director of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford. Padejski is leading a national project at the Knight Center mapping how newsrooms are adopting AI, and in this session, he’ll share concrete, newsroom-tested ways journalists are already using AI to enhance storytelling, deepen audience relationships and streamline their workflow — all while keeping ethical considerations front and center.
After that session, conference attendees will break into small groups to brainstorm AI-powered ideas that could solve specific needs in features journalism. Then the group will reassemble to share their ideas, and the best ideas will be singled out by a panel of experts. One of those ideas will be assigned to an ASU Cronkite School intern, who will prototype or pilot it into reality.
That’s right: A paid intern from ASU could be assigned to work remotely for your news organization for the spring semester in 2026. The intern could create a tailored tool to help you solve a newsroom-wide dilemma, streamline your workflow and aim to improve the quality of your journalism.
We really hope you can be there with us for this valuable session and workshop. In addition, check out these updates about our conference, which will include:
a very special welcome reception on Thursday night, Nov. 6;
a full day of programming on Friday, Nov. 7 with speakers like Eli Saslow, Lane DeGregory, Mike Wilson, Maria Carrillo, Mallary Tenore Tarpley, Jason Wolf, Aisha Sultan, Mesfin Fekadu, Jonathan Landrum Jr. and many more;
a half day of programming on Saturday, Nov. 8 with Mark Warren, winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing, in conversation with Kim Cross, a New York Times bestselling author, journalist and teacher, as well as the two-part session and workshop all about AI.
All of those days will include FOOD, drinks, snacks and more … and we’ve got some fun happy hour plans and other field trip plans in the works for Friday night and Saturday afternoon!
To attend the entire conference and not miss anything on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, including plenty of time to socialize with good people, register here at the full conference rate of $225.
To attend a single day of the conference, use these links: Friday only for $125 or Saturday only for $50.
Conference registration will remain open through Oct. 25.
Please join us! We can’t wait to see you in Phoenix!
Laura T. Coffey is president of the Society for Features Journalism and a longtime editor and feature writer. She’s also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts.” Connect with Laura here.
