WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, October 8, Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism and founder of the Center for Journalism & Democracy (CJD) at Howard University, will host the third annual Democracy Summit for veteran and budding journalists.  

This year’s Democracy Summit will deeply examine the mechanisms of oligarchy and explore the multifaceted ways oligarchic forces shape policy and public perception. Through expert talks, panel discussions, and interactive roundtable sessions, attendees from across the journalism and media ecosystem will gain insights and skills necessary to navigate and report on oligarchy and its influence in contemporary American society.  

The Summit will gather historians, democracy experts, and leaders in journalism for a collective unpacking of the present and specific threats to American democracy, the history that shaped this moment, and the journalism profession’s central concepts of fact, objectivity, fairness, and balance as they relate to investigating the institutions and individuals central to our system. By fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment, the Summit will enhance the press’ collective ability to defend democracy against this encroaching tide. 

The Democracy Summit will take place 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Howard University’s Blackburn Center, 2397 Sixth Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20059. Speakers include Joy Reid, Nabil Ahmed, Jeffrey Winters, Andrea Bernstein, Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, Josh Cowen, Errin Haynes, Jane Chung, Sherrilyn Ifill, Justin Elliott, Tonya Mosley, and more.  

On Monday, October 7, the CJD will also host “INDABA: Student Press Leadership and Innovation Conference” for 10 student newsrooms at historically Black colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These newsrooms were recipients of the CJD-sponsored Newsroom Innovation Challenge award. Students from these newsrooms will participate in workshops focused on democracy coverage on campus, strategic planning, and more.  

The Student Press Leadership and Innovation Conference is poised to become a dynamic hub for ongoing newsroom innovation. By serving as a meeting place for cohorts actively implementing the CJD newsroom innovation awards, the conference will foster a collaborative environment for sharing best practices and strategies and will offer tailored training sessions for pre-applicants of these grants, coaching them on drafting effective grant proposals. 

Future pre-Summit conferences will invite participation from newsrooms at institutions beyond the consortium. This expansion will lay the groundwork for long-term partnerships and broaden the reach of the CJD consortium. The pre-summit conference will become a critical touchpoint within a broader network of year-round support efforts, continuously reinforcing the capacities of HBCU student journalists and newsrooms. 

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