Agenda At-a-Glance

INDIGENOUS MEDIA EXPO

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

8:30 am – 10:00 am Opening Ceremony and Breakfast – Sponsored by NBCUniversal

10:00 am – 11:00 am 

• What Journalism Schools Need to Learn from Indigenous Newsrooms
• AI Reporting Tools for Journalists

11:00 am – 11:30 am Break and Exhibits 

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

• Redrawing the Map: Repurposing Federal Climate Data for Indigenous Stories

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Lunch Break / IJA Sponsor Appreciation Lunch

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

• From Assignment to Exit Plan: Staying Safe While Reporting
• Screening and Q&A: HULA: A Special Preview
• The Psychedelic Story and Indigenous Communities 

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Break and Exhibits 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

• This Is Not Fine: Lessons From The Burnout Box
• Cultivating Indigiqueer Community within IJA
• The Reality of Freelance Journalism Today
• “Storytelling Sovereignty: Indigenous People and the Media” book launch

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm 

• Opening Night Reception at the Redd on Salmon – Sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (transportation provided)

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm IJA MEMBERS ONLY: In-person voting will take place at the IJA Table at The Redd. Only eligible IJA members in good standing may vote.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

8:30 am – 9:30 am 

• How to Cover Protests Safely
• Organizing for a Transformed Media Economy
• From Neo-Chumash to Disenrollment: Reporting on Indigenous Identity
• Backgrounding Like a Boss

9:30 am – 10:00 am Break and Exhibits 

10:00 am – 11:30 am

• Does Climate Journalism Actually Care About the Climate?
• Covering the MMIP Crisis: Best Practices 
• Screening and Q&A: The Good Canadian

11:45 am – 1:15 pm Membership Luncheon and Business Meeting (ticket required)

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm 

• IJA MEMBERS ONLY: In-person voting will take place at the IJA Table in the conference foyer of the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront. Only eligible IJA members in good standing may vote.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

• Building Your Path: A Career Conversation for Emerging Journalists – Sponsored by the New York Times
• Rejecting the Premise: “Efficiency” vs. Cultural Resource Preservation
• Indigenous AI in Pacific Journalism: Building Ethical Frameworks

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Break and Exhibits – Sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

• Fact checking in and for Indigenous communities
• How to do Solutions Journalism to Benefit Indigenous Communities
• Screening and Q&A: Producing a Community-Centered Sports Documentary as a Newspaper
• Screening and Q&A: OPB Indigenous Documentary Storytelling – Sponsored by Oregon Public Broadcasting

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Indigiqueer Mixer – Proof Reader Bar

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Off the Record: A Welcome Event Hosted by Your River City Relatives (offsite)

Friday, July 24, 2026 

8:30 am – 9:30 am

• Good Morning America: What it Takes to Work in Morning TV – Sponsored by ABC News
• Through Our Lens: Indigenous Photographers Documenting Indigenous Communities
• Building Curricula that Bridges Youth Connections to Reporting
• Breaking Down Walls: Strategies for Tribal Press Independence and Funding Sovereignty

9:30 am – 10:00 am Break and Exhibits 

10:00 am – 1:00 pm 

• What Native Youth Are Telling Us: 10 Years of Digital Storytelling – Sponsored by the Confederated Tribe of Siletz Indians

10:00 am – 11:00 am

• Reporting on Suicide and Mental Health in Indigenous Communities: Practical Tools
• So You Want To Do Social Video…
• Best Practices for Covering Pacific Islander Communities

11:00 am – 11:30 am Break and Exhibits  

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

• Gratitude Hour: Honoring the People Behind the Stories
• Building Relationships Between Journalists and Communications Professionals in Indian Country
• Lock It Down! – Device Safety for Working on the Ground

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm Break and Exhibits

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

• IJA Indigenous Journalism Code of Ethics Work Session
• Screening and Q&A: People of the West Docudrama: California’s True History, Told Through Indigenous Voices
• Screening and Q&A: Murder in Big Horn: Documenting Trauma

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Pacific Islanders in Journalism Mixer – Proof Reader Bar

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm President’s Reception and Silent Auction (ticket required)

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Indigenous Media Awards Banquet (ticket required)

Stay tuned for more schedule details!