SPJ, CMA, ACP Set 2022 Conference Partnership

The Society of Professional Journalists, College Media Association and Associated Collegiate Press have come to an agreement to partner for the 2022 conference. All three boards voted to approve finalizing details.

“I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with ACP and CMA,” SPJ National President Matthew T. Hall said. “Emerging journalists are not just the future of journalism, they’re the present, and I hope that our 2022 conference is just the start of a long and fruitful relationship because SPJ’s 6,000 members have a lot to teach college journalists and a lot to learn from them. Our joint conference just became the journalism conference of the year in 2022.”

“Having a joint convention is a great opportunity for our college journalists and advisers,” ACP Executive Director Laura Widmer said. “I believe the innovation and energy of our student journalists, along with the experience and skills of SPJ members, will bring a new dynamic to the fall convention. We see this partnership as an amazing opportunity for all three organizations.”

“This agreement brings the best of professional media and the best of college media together under the same roof,” CMA President Chris Whitley said. “We at CMA are excited to be part of what could be the biggest media event of the year.”

The groups’ joint conference will be held in Washington, D.C., in October 2022. This marks the first time SPJ, CMA and ACP will have hosted a national conference together.

National conference attendees are professionals and students in journalism, including: newsroom decision makers, leaders, station managers, reporters, producers, content managers, editors, freelancers and educators — people who are looking to implement new technologies, software products and journalism best practices in their newsrooms as soon as they return home from the conference.

Earlier this year, it was announced collegiate newsrooms and their journalists can more easily become members of both SPJ and ACP by adding an SPJ newsroom affiliation to their ACP membership. This agreement is hoped to further strengthen the relationship between these organizations.