Blog

The program for the 27th International Symposium on Journalism (ISOJ), which will take place from  Sept. 17-18, 2026, will revolve around two of the industry's most pressing issues: strengthening audience trust at a critical moment for democracies around the world and the future of news in the age of artificial intelligence.

The newly released program for this year’s ISOJ, happening online and at The University of Texas at Austin, features journalists and industry leaders like Elizabeth Green, CEO and founder of the Civic News Company; Jonathan Greenberger, Global Editor-in-Chief of POLITICO; Allison Murphy, COO of Axios; Sarah Adler Hartman, CEO of The Texas Tribune; Sisi Wei, chief impact officer at CalMatters & The Markup; Zach Seward, editorial director of A.I. initiatives at The New York Times; and Jody Chong, executive director of City Bureau.  

On day 1, focused on journalism, trust, and democracy, sessions will examine the future of public and nonprofit media, new approaches to community building, and coverage of this year’s U.S. midterm elections. Day 2, organized around the theme of innovation, AI, and the future,  includes sessions on reaching young audiences, agentic AI in news consumption, and the role of technology in exile journalism. 

"This year’s ISOJ program brings together some of the most innovative thinkers and practitioners in journalism to tackle the defining challenges of our time — from rebuilding trust and strengthening democracy to navigating the transformative impact of AI," said Summer Harlow, the Knight Center's associate director. "We’re creating a space for global conversations that are both urgent and deeply practical. Whether community engagement, creator journalism, agentic AI, reaching young audiences, live journalism, or exile journalism, the 27th ISOJ will reflect the biggest conversations happening in the industry right now. The program truly is unmissable!"

Early-bird registration is open through July 20, after which ticket prices will increase. Click here to register today! 

Since 1999, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas has organized ISOJ. Each year, the conference attracts journalists, media executives and scholars from around the world, helping lead the conversation on how digital technologies are reshaping the journalism field. With ISOJ’s unique blend of professional practice and academia, participants can engage with the latest research, methods and educational practices.

This year’s conference will once again be held at the Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom at the University of Texas. For those unable to attend in-person, ISOJ also offers a Virtual Experience for online participation.

Both in-person and online participants will have full access to all sessions and will be able to connect with fellow participants through a dedicated ISOJ 2026 Slack community.

The Virtual Experience goes beyond streaming of panels to include ways for remote participants to engage with speakers and fellow attendees. As in recent years, online participants will be able to attend live Q&As with select speakers.

The conference will be simultaneously interpreted from English to Spanish for those attending in person and online.

Last year’s ISOJ attracted 422 in-person registrants and 455 virtual participants, coming from 58 countries.

Traditionally held in April, ISOJ moved to September this year and dropped “Online” from its name, reflecting changes in the conference and the broader journalism landscape.

On Sept. 19, the day after ISOJ, the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas will host the 19th Iberoamerican Colloquium on Digital Journalism, a conference conducted in Spanish that brings together journalists, publishers and scholars from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram for real-time updates, and join the conversation using #ISOJ2026. And if you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up for the ISOJ2026 newsletter in English or Spanish.