The Society of Professional Journalists’ four-state conference for pros and students will offer a full day of provocative sessions about the changing media landscape and how to navigate it.

At the 2025 SPJ Region 9 Conference: Fundamentals and the Future, April 5, 2025, an all-star roster of Rocky Mountain journalism leaders will be on hand to share their insights.

The keynote speaker is Kevin Flynn, longtime Colorado journalist, author and politician.

The conference will offer panels and sessions on topics that include the changing landscape of social media, newsroom ethics, making the transition from reporter to editor, and tips on landing a job or internship. Details below.

And in the evening, we will celebrate our colleagues’ work at the four-state Top of the Rockies Awards presentation, and present the SPJ Colorado Pro individual awards to several journalists whose work and commitment rise above and beyond. The honorees are: Michelle P. Fulcher (Keeper of the Flame), Sam Tabachnik (Journalist of the Year), Rachael Johnson (First Amendment Award), and Doug Bell and Derigan A. Silver (Educators of the Year). MORE ON THE HONOREES HERE.

Fundamentals and the Future is open to journalism professionals, students and allies from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Discounted tickets are available to SPJ Colorado Pro members. 

Special offer: Join SPJ (national and Colorado chapter) for a discounted price. CLICK HERE for details.

Conference price: $50 for SPJ members, $75 for non-members. Students are admitted free, but you’ll need a ticket. CLICK HERE to buy tickets.

The evening awards reception is free, but you’ll need to obtain tickets, even if you have tickets for the conference. CLICK HERE for awards tickets.

Here are full conference details:

WHERE: The Slate Hotel Denver, 1250 Welton St., Denver, CO 80204

WHEN: Breakfast 8:30-9 a.m. Keynote 9-9:45 a.m. Morning sessions 10:15-11:30 a.m. Lunch on your own 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Midday sessions 1:30-2:45 p.m. Afternoon sessions 3:15-4:30 p.m. Awards reception 5:30-9 p.m.

PARKING/PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The Slate Hotel offers valet parking at a rate of $20 for up to four hours, $28 for four to eight hours, and $59 for more than eight hours. There are paid surface lots nearby at 12th and Welton streets,13th and Welton and 13th and Glenarm. The hotel is near the RTD Light Rail Theatre District/Convention Center station (D and H lines) and the 16^th Street Mall Ride free shuttle.  

PROVIDED: At the conference, continental breakfast and afternoon refreshments served. At the awards reception, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash-only bar. (Sorry, no credit or debit cards or payment apps accepted.)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Kevin Flynn, who was an award-winning Rocky Mountain News reporter for nearly three decades and is now a Denver City Council member, will open the conference. His 1989 investigative book with Gary Gerhardt, The Silent Brotherhood: Inside America’s Racist Underground, was the basis of the new film starring Jude Law, The Order (now for rent on streaming services). 9-9:45 a.m.

SESSION SCHEDULE (subject to change):

Panel — Social Media: Navigating a Changing Landscape (morning, 10:15-11:30 a.m.) – From breaking news to audience engagement, social media has transformed how journalists report, connect, and build trust. This panel will dive into the latest trends and challenges, including big tech’s growing influence on government and increasing attacks on fact-checking. Join our experts as they explore how journalists can navigate these shifting dynamics while maintaining credibility.

• Moderator: Marco Cummings, Digital Strategist, Denver Gazette.
• Panelists: Alex Rose, Public Information Officer, City of Wheat Ridge, and former FOX31 multimedia journalist; Danika Worthington, membership director and former social and presentation editor, Colorado Sun; Kurt Wagner, social media reporter, Bloomberg.

Panel — Pitch Perfect: A Beginner’s Guide to Freelancing (morning, 10:15-11:30 a.m.) — A changing journalism landscape means more publications are relying on freelance experts to produce content. From audio production to longform journalism and award-winning photos, learn from some of the region’s leading freelancers on making a winning pitch, building up a client list, and more.

• Moderator: Kara Mason, freelance reporter and a writer for the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
• Panelists: Jay Bouchard, freelance and educator; Isaiah Downing; freelance photographer; Stephanie Wolf, podcast producer, CPR News and a longtime freelance.

Panel — AI Ethics and the Newsroom (morning, 10:15-11:30 a.m.) – Navigating the promise and pitfalls of artificial intelligence.

• Moderator: Corey Hutchins, manager of the Journalism Institute at Colorado College and author of the “Inside the News in Colorado” newsletter.
• Panelists: Lee Ann Colacioppo, editor, Denver Post; Stacy Feldman, founder and publisher, Boulder Reporting Lab; Forrest Senti, CEO and AI product manager, Omniglass.AI.

Panel — Reporter to Editor: How to Make the Jump (midday, 1:30-2:45 p.m.) – Making the transition from reporter to editor at a news outlet can be both rewarding and challenging. A panel of journalists who have made the jump share ways to successfully navigate the change.

• Moderator: Mark Harden, who made the reporter-to-editor transition several times in 40 years at The Denver Post, Denver Business Journal, Colorado Politics, Colorado Community Media and West Coast newspapers and is now a writer for the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
• Panelists: Molly Armbrister, west coast editor, Bisnow, and a former reporter for the Northern Colorado Business Report and Denver Business Journal; Ellis Arnold, deputy city editor for the Boulder Daily Camera and Longmont Times-Call, and a former senior reporter for Colorado Community Media and editor-in-chief and columnist for the CU Independent; Lance Benzel, team editor, Colorado Sun, and a former reporter at the Colorado Springs Gazette; Thelma Grimes, deputy editor, Colorado Politics, and a former reporter in Colorado and Arizona; Dennis Huspeni, city editor, Denver Gazette, and a former reporter  for the Denver Business Journal, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Post, among other outlets.

Panel – Photojournalism in Focus (midday, 1:30-2:45 p.m.) – Leading news photographers share their experiences and professional insights on capturing vivid images.

• Panelists: Chancey Bush, Albuquerque Journal; Helen Richardson, Denver Post.

Speaker — So You Started a Student SPJ Chapter. Now What? (midday, 1:30-2:45 p.m.) – McKenzie Romero, editor of the Utah News Dispatch and SPJ Region 9 coordinator, will talk with student journalists about organizing and leading a student SPJ chapter, brainstorm program and recruitment ideas, and help participants create a networking base for student chapter leaders. Bring your ideas, questions and concerns. And Romero will present the regional student SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards during her program.

Panel — Neutrality In a Divisive World (afternoon, 3:15-4:30 p.m.) – Nationally, journalists have been called the “liberal media” and purveyors of “fake news,” and now those sympathies have worked themselves into community journalism over divisive issues. In this panel, we will explore the issues journalism faces and discuss ways of maintaining neutrality even when the public and news sources assume we are biased.

• Moderator:  Deb Hurley Brobst, veteran of 44 years in journalism and former journalism chair at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
• Panelists: Erin McIntyre, co-owner and co-publisher, Ouray County Plaindealer; Brian K. Martin, editor, Wyoming Tribune Eagle; Monte Whaley, reporter, Colorado Community Media, and a former Denver Post reporter.

Panel: Walking The Beat: How To Strike Journalistic Gold (afternoon, 3:15-4:30 p.m.) — Beat reporting requires curiosity, commitment and courage. In this session, we’ll hear from beat reporters who will share tips and advice on developing and mastering beats, including developing reliable sources, becoming experts in their fields and breaking big stories.

• Moderator: Cara DeGette, editor, Greater Park Hill News, and affiliate journalism professor, MSU Denver.
• Panelists: Michael Karlik, judicial reporter, Colorado Politics; Noelle Phillips, reporter, Denver Post; Jeremy Wade Shockley, editor-in-chief, Southern Ute Drum.

Speaker — How to (and How Not to) Land a Journalism Job (afternoon, 3:15-4:30 p.m.) — Are you ready to break into the biz? Doug Bell, a longtime editor at many Colorado newspapers, hired scores of reporters and photojournalists during his 40-year career. Join him to peek into the mind of a hiring manager and the qualities editors look for in applicants. He’ll cover everything from cover letters to resumes to the art of interviewing.

Awards Reception — Top of the Rockies and individual awards (evening, 5:30-9 p.m.).