PMJA Regional Professional Development Series
Presented in partnership with WFYI
Register Now$150 members · $199 non-members
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.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Registration and coffee at 8:30 a.m. · Program runs 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Every Near + Now event follows the same arc: lay the groundwork, go deep on the skills, learn from real newsrooms, work it out with peers, and leave with a plan. Here’s how that plays out in Indianapolis.
Set the stage
Name what’s hard. Establish that change is a skill — and that everyone in the newsroom has a role in it, regardless of title.
Understand the problem
Learn to tell a workflow problem from a culture problem. That distinction changes everything about how you solve it.
Design the solution
Frameworks for proposing change from wherever you sit. Map a workflow. Identify your levers. Practice the hard conversations.
Learn from the room
Case studies and peer exchange: what colleagues tried, what worked, and what they’d do differently.
Build your plan
Identify your specific next step and pair with an accountability partner before you leave.
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.
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.
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
We’re working to arrange a discounted rate at a nearby hotel. Details coming soon.
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.
Five scholarships available for Indianapolis.
Need-based · Two types
Budget constraints at your station shouldn’t determine whether you can be in the room.
Scholarships cover registration, travel costs, or both. When you apply, you indicate what you need — you don’t need to estimate costs. Travel support is available up to $500, awarded based on need and distance.
Priority goes to journalists at small stations (1–5 newsroom staff), those in early career or currently enrolled in journalism or media programs, journalists from communities historically underrepresented in public media, and attendees traveling from outside the region.
Register for Indianapolis
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 · The Athenaeum, Indianapolis, IN
Register Now — $150Attending multiple events? A series pass covers all four for $500. Learn more →
Questions? conference@pmja.org
PMJA Near + Now sponsors
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Corporation for Public Broadcasting
401 9th St NW
Washington, DC 20004Series funding partner
