Poynter Summit Will Explore 10 Years of Lessons Learned and the Future of Audience Engagement

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ten years after the launch of CNN iReport, a groundbreaking initiative inviting news consumers into the reporting process, The Poynter Institute is convening industry leaders on Aug. 29 in New York City for a unique summit on the state of audience participation in journalism.

"The 10UP Summit: 10 Years of User Participation" will explore a decade of lessons learned and a look toward the future of audience engagement. Lila King, founder of CNN iReport and now head of Instagram's News and Publishing Partnerships team, will deliver the day's keynote address.

Through a mix of debates, presentations and panels, the summit will examine top issues in user participation thoughtfully curated by the field's trailblazers. Topics will include audience engagement in underserved communities, what to look for in audience-focused newsroom positions, the ethics of interacting with users during breaking news events, and how to build newsroom environments where forward-thinking ideas can thrive.

As with all periods of innovation, the past decade was full of trial and error. In a series of lightning talks delivered throughout the day, presenters will share insightful, funny and sometimes painful lessons learned through their failed efforts in making audience participation work.

Other 10UP Summit speakers include Jennifer Brandel, founder and CEO of Hearken; Eric Carvin, social media editor at The Associated Press; Michelle Ferrier, founder of TrollBusters.com; Monica Guzman, a 2016 Nieman Fellow and an award-winning Seattle journalist; Andrew Haeg, founder of GroundSource; Mandy Jenkins, head of news at Storyful; Terry Parris Jr., ProPublica's community editor; and Callie Schweitzer, editorial director of audience strategy for Time Inc.

Amanda Zamora, incoming chief audience officer at the Texas Tribune, will close the day with a look at what's next in audience engagement. Poynter's Katie Hawkins-Gaar, digital innovation faculty, and Joy Mayer, adjunct faculty and engagement strategist, will co-emcee the event.

"This opportunity to convene the leaders in audience participation demonstrates the power of Poynter to bring together industry experts," said Tim Franklin, Poynter's president. "Their insights will illuminate the future of participatory storytelling."

Tickets for the event, which will be held at the Hearst Tower in New York, are $100 and include a light breakfast, lunch and closing reception. Attendance is limited, so early registration is encouraged. To learn more and register, go to poynter.org/10yearsUP. The 10UP Summit is generously supported by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

"In the fast-paced news world, it's rare to have an opportunity to pause and consider what we've learned. This event allows us to do just that," said Hawkins-Gaar, who, before coming to Poynter, led CNN's user participation team. "We are honored to help journalists create lasting relationships and more meaningful reporting with their audiences, and grateful for the McCormick Foundation's support in making it happen."

Poynter is seeking additional funding from media and technology companies, foundations and academic institutions to enhance this transformative event. For sponsorship information, please contact Elisa Jackson, executive director of the Poynter Foundation, at [email protected].

About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, www.newsu.org, offers the world's largest online journalism curriculum in 7 languages, with more than 400 interactive courses and 330,000 registered users in more than 200 countries. The Institute's website, www.poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world's top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and protected discourse that serves democracy and the public good.

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