Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention

Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention
Name	Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention
Founded	1921
Frequency	Annual
Venue	Various
Location	United States
Participants	College media advisers, student journalists
Organized	Associated Collegiate Press

Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention The Associated Collegiate Press National College Media Convention is an annual gathering for student journalists, media advisers, and campus media organizations that brings together training, competitions, and networking. The convention draws participants from institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Columbia University, New York University, and University of Texas at Austin and features speakers from outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR (United States), CNN, and The Atlantic.

History

The convention traces roots to early 20th‑century collegiate press movements connected with Sigma Delta Chi chapters and student publications at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. Over decades it intersected with milestones involving PEN America, American Society of News Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, Associated Press bureaus, and campus free‑press litigation such as cases before the United States Supreme Court and decisions influenced by precedents like Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District and Healy v. James. The event evolved alongside developments at institutions including Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Syracuse University Newhouse School, Medill School of Journalism, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and national trends tracked by Pew Research Center and workforce reports from Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Organization and Sponsorship

Organized by the Associated Collegiate Press, the convention collaborates with partners such as College Media Association, Student Press Law Center, Poynter Institute, Online News Association, and university journalism schools like University of Missouri School of Journalism and University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Corporate and foundation sponsors have included Google, Facebook, Amazon (company), Knight Foundation, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Adobe Inc., The New Yorker, and ProPublica, while media organizations such as Reuters, Bloomberg L.P., Los Angeles Times, and USA Today often provide workshops, internships, and judging panels.

Program and Events

Programming typically features concurrent sessions from professionals affiliated with BuzzFeed, Vox Media, HuffPost, Time (magazine), The Wall Street Journal, and Gannett as well as methodological seminars from Gallup, Nielsen Media Research, Columbia Journalism Review, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, International Center for Journalists, and technical trainings referencing tools from WordPress, Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Google Analytics. Events include panel discussions, hands‑on labs, portfolio reviews, career fairs with representatives from The Washington Post Company, NBCUniversal, Disney, and ViacomCBS, and legal clinics run with assistance from American Civil Liberties Union, National Press Photographers Association, and the Student Press Law Center.

Awards and Contests

Competitive programs at the convention administer awards modeled after national recognitions like the Pulitzer Prize, Peabody Award, and Edward R. Murrow Awards with categories judged by professionals from Associated Press, National Geographic Society, Scripps Howard Foundation, Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, and university juries from Stanford University, Yale School of Drama, Brown University, and Dartmouth College. Contests span multimedia storytelling, investigative reporting, design, photography, podcasting, and breaking news with judges from The New Yorker, The Economist, Foreign Affairs, ESPN, and Wired (magazine).

Notable Speakers and Keynotes

Keynote rosters have included prominent figures associated with Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Maria Ressa, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ezra Klein, Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, David Remnick, Arianna Huffington, Ira Glass, Gwen Ifill, Maggie Haberman, Bari Weiss, Nick Kristof, Christiane Amanpour, Glenn Greenwald, Seymour Hersh, and executives from The New York Times Company, Hearst Communications, Tribune Publishing, and VICE Media.

Attendance and Impact

Attendance ranges from hundreds to several thousand, drawing student editors and advisers from institutions such as Boston University, University of Southern California, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Michigan State University, and Ohio State University. The convention has influenced campus media operations, internship placements at organizations like The Atlantic Monthly Group and The Guardian, curricular partnerships with schools such as Rutgers University School of Communication and Information and Emerson College, and career pipelines into outlets like Bloomberg, Politico, Axios, FiveThirtyEight, and Quartz.

Venue and Logistics

Host cities have included metropolitan centers served by major transport hubs and conference infrastructure such as Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Texas, Seattle, and Denver. Venues often partner with local chapters of institutions like City University of New York, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, University of Washington, and hospitality providers associated with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation to coordinate exhibit halls, breakout rooms, audiovisual services from vendors such as Shure Incorporated and Sony Corporation, and on‑site security liaised with local authorities including Metropolitan Transportation Authority and municipal visitor bureaus.

Category:Journalism conferences