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← Near + Now /Indianapolis

PMJA Regional Professional Development Series

Indianapolis
Wednesday, August 26, 2026  ·  The Athenaeum
Move the Needle
The Work That Keeps Newsrooms Running

Presented in partnership with WFYI

Register Now

$150 members  ·  $199 non-members

About · The Day · Resources · Venue · Getting There · Dine-Arounds · Reception · Scholarships · Register · Speakers
About This Event

The problems aren’t mysterious. And you already have more power to address them than you think.

Every newsroom has a list. The workflow that never quite works. The culture issue nobody wants to name out loud. The process that made sense three years ago and doesn’t anymore.

Near + Now Indianapolis brings journalists, producers, editors, news leaders, and every role in between into one room to work on the operational and cultural challenges that shape everyone’s day. You’ll spend the day building practical skills in change design, workflow problem-solving, and the kinds of conversations that actually move things forward.

Action planning is built into the afternoon. You leave with a specific commitment and a peer partner to keep you honest.

The Day

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Registration and coffee at 9:00 AM  ·  Program runs 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

All times Eastern (ET)

9:00–10:00 AM  ·  Registration & Coffee
01
10:00–10:30 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Brief welcomes from our hosts and sponsors, followed by a local newsroom that recently navigated a season of uncertainty and came out stronger.
02
10:30 AM–12:00 PM
Building Adaptive Capacity in a Time of Polycrisis
Practical Tools for Navigating Uncertainty
A. Rima Dael
Evolving technologies. Political polarization. Declining trust. Staff burnout. Economic uncertainty. Each challenge would be significant on its own. Together, they create what scholars call a polycrisis: multiple crises that overlap and reinforce one another. This session explores how to build organizations that can stay grounded in mission through all of it — and how psychological safety, productive conflict, and knowing your spheres of influence make the difference.
12:00–1:00 PM  ·  Lunch provided
03
1:00–2:15 PM
Small Tweaks, Big Peaks: Testing Workflow Changes to Reclaim Your Energy
Jan Ross P. Sakian
Every newsroom has processes that quietly drain time, energy, and coverage quality. This workshop gives you a practical framework for addressing those pain points and testing small, targeted changes without waiting for a full organizational overhaul. You’ll leave with tactics to share and at least one action to bring back to your newsroom.
2:15–2:30 PM  ·  Break
04
2:30–3:45 PM
It’s Breakfast Time: How to Better Strategize a Healthy Newsroom Culture
Erica Peterson
You’ve probably heard the old maxim “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That may be true, but culture isn’t just something that happens. It’s something we can plan for and actively shape. This session helps you design an action plan with concrete steps anyone in a newsroom can take to build a healthier culture, whether you’re starting from scratch or trying to reset.
3:45–4:00 PM  ·  Break
05
4:00–4:45 PM
Action Planning: What Comes Next?
It’s easy to let a day of learning stay in your notebook once you’re back under deadline pressure. That’s why we build structured time into the schedule for working out what you’re taking away and how you’ll act on it. You’ll leave with a specific next step and an Accountability Buddy who’ll follow up when you’re back in the newsroom.
4:45–5:00 PM  ·  Closing Remarks & Goodbyes
You’ll leave with more than notes. You’ll leave with a plan.

A personal commitment to one change you’ll make, the frameworks to act on it, and a peer partner who’ll follow up when you’re back in the newsroom.

Prep Resources

Before you arrive

Use this before August 26 to get oriented on the themes of the day — or share it with your team back home.

Idea Lab: Workflow Documentation Tip sheet
Best practices from a peer conversation on July 20 — practitioners comparing notes on documentation systems, from handbooks and SOPs to style guides and project roadmaps.
Workflow Documentation · Tool Finder Interactive
Answer two quick questions and we’ll point you to a tool worth trying. The best tool isn’t the fanciest one — it’s the one your team will actually open.
Live event  ·  August 19, 2026  ·  2:00–3:00 PM EDT
Building an Emergency Playbook: Planning Before the Story Breaks
Laura Lee of NC Local — who led Blue Ridge Public Radio through Hurricane Helene — walks you through building an editorial workflow plan before you need it: roles, communication, coverage priorities, and keeping your team safe.
10 Signs Your Newsroom May Need a Change
A quick self-assessment for when the work isn’t flowing quite as well as it should
Prep Resources

Before you arrive

Use this before August 26 to get oriented on the themes of the day — or share it with your team back home.

Idea Lab: Workflow Documentation Tip sheet
Best practices from a peer conversation on July 20 — practitioners comparing notes on documentation systems, from handbooks and SOPs to style guides and project roadmaps.
Workflow Documentation · Tool Finder Interactive
Answer two quick questions and we’ll point you to a tool worth trying. The best tool isn’t the fanciest one — it’s the one your team will actually open.
Live event  ·  August 19, 2026  ·  2:00–3:00 PM EDT
Building an Emergency Playbook: Planning Before the Story Breaks
Laura Lee of NC Local — who led Blue Ridge Public Radio through Hurricane Helene — walks you through building an editorial workflow plan before you need it: roles, communication, coverage priorities, and keeping your team safe.
10 Signs Your Newsroom May Need a Change
A quick self-assessment for when the work isn’t flowing quite as well as it should
The Venue

The Athenaeum

The Athenaeum has been one of Indianapolis’s most interesting buildings since 1893, when it was built as Deutsche Haus, a German-American cultural center. The Victorian Romanesque architecture holds up well. So does the Rathskeller in the basement, which will be providing lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Main sessions take place in the Basile Theatre. Smaller breakout rooms are available in the afternoon.

Getting There & Where to Stay

Plan your trip

By Air

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is about 20 minutes from The Athenaeum by car or rideshare.

Rideshare

Lyft and Uber both serve downtown Indianapolis reliably.

Parking

Block 20 Garage is directly adjacent to the venue. Event-rate parking is $11/day. A pre-purchase link will be available closer to August.

Hotel

Hilton Garden Inn Indianapolis Downtown

10 East Market Street  ·  0.4 miles from The Athenaeum
King or double: $139/night  ·  Block dates: Aug. 25–27  ·  Book by August 1

Book Your Room →
The Evening Before

Dine-Arounds: Tuesday, August 25

Optional · Night Before the Event

Dinner with new colleagues before the work begins.

On the evening of Tuesday, August 25, we’re heading out to dinner. Multiple restaurants within walking and rideshare distance — each one chosen by a local Indianapolis volunteer who knows the city well.

Sign up for the restaurant that sounds right to you and you’ll spend the evening at a table of about 10 people. Some you’ll know. Most you won’t. Seating is limited at each venue, so sign up early when registration opens.

WhenTuesday, Aug. 25 · 6:30 PM
Meeting pointHilton Garden Inn lobby
CostEach person covers their own dinner
Sign-upRestaurant details and sign-up coming closer to August
After the Day

Evening Reception: Wednesday, August 26

WFYI

Included with registration · Wednesday, August 26

Duckpin bowling, pinball, and good company to close out the day.

WFYI, our Indianapolis host station, is sending everyone off in style. After the program wraps, we’re heading to Pins Mechanical Company in the Bottleworks District — a short walk from The Athenaeum. Expect duckpin bowling, pinball machines, yard games, and light snacks.

WhenWednesday, Aug. 26 · 5:30 PM
Where856 Carrollton Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202 · Bottleworks District
Getting thereWalkable from The Athenaeum
CostIncluded with registration
Scholarships

The Indianapolis scholarship application window has closed.

Applications for Near + Now Indianapolis closed June 7, 2026. Recipients have been notified.

Scholarships are available at each event in the series. Learn more about the Near + Now scholarship program.

Register for Indianapolis

Wednesday, August 26, 2026  ·  The Athenaeum, Indianapolis, IN

Register Now — $150

Members only

Near + Now Series Pass

One registration for each of the four events — Indianapolis, New York, Austin, and San Francisco — for $500. That’s $125 per event. The pass covers one seat per event and can be used by a different person from your newsroom at each one.

Get the series pass →

Questions? conference@pmja.org

The Full Series

New York City

September 9, 2026 · Emerging Tech & AI

Austin

February 2027 · Beyond the Broadcast

San Francisco

March 2027 · Community-Centered Journalism

← Back to Near + Now series overview

Near + Now: Indy Speakers

  • Rima Dael
    Rima Dael
    CEO National Federation of Community Broadcasters
    Speaker
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  • Erica Peterson
    Erica Peterson
    Editor
    Speaker
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  • Jan Ross Sakian
    Jan Ross Sakian
    Program/Community Manager
    Speaker
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PMJA Near + Now sponsors

Sponsorship makes Near + Now possible — and helps us keep registration costs low and scholarships available at every event. We’re grateful for partners who believe in what this kind of accessible professional development can do.
  • Google News Initiative
    Google News Initiative
    Venue sponsor · NYC, Austin & San Francisco
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  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting
    Corporation for Public Broadcasting
    401 9th St NW
    Washington, DC 20004
    Series funding partner
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  • Hindenburg
    Hindenburg
    Multiplatform storytelling sponsor
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