8:30am – 6:00pm EST, Friday, May 31, 2024
A conference produced by The Nation Fund for Independent Journalism
In-person applications open until May 6
Live-stream applications open until May 17
For the first time since 2019, the annual Puffin Nation Student Journalism Conference is back in-person hosted by The New School! The event convenes speakers from the most dynamic and innovative media outfits nationwide to talk to student journalists about the history, role and craft of journalism through workshops, discussions, seminars, video screenings, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and social activities.
The proceedings will be live-streamed.
The conference is entirely free of charge for all accepted applicants. It takes place at The New School, founded in 1919 to advance academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation. Breakfast, lunch and an evening reception are included. Travel reimbursements (within the US) via wire transfer and a small number of free housing spots (doubles) are available. If seeking travel funding or housing, please apply ASAP. All attendees receive a free subscription to The Nation. (Conference address: Theresa Lang Student Center, The New School, Second Floor, 55 West 13th Street.)
Coverage of social movements, politics and protest is always essential–especially now as we navigate a deeply fraught political moment and profound political polarization. Yet, a meaningful understanding of what leads people to participate in movements is often obscured by personality-driven or sensationalized narratives, if not outright misinformation. Through rigorous reporting, historical context, and a sense of mission, the journalists at The Nation provide a model for informed coverage of the social and cultural movements that shape history.
This year, the ninth annual Puffin Nation Student Journalism Conference will bring together the next generation of independent journalists to discuss how to cover politics, politicians, movements, messages and culture. All college students at two and four year schools are welcome to apply. Speakers include Ari Berman, Elie Mystal, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Laila Al-Arian, Sarah Aziza, Luis Feliz Leon, Amy Littlefield, Rainesford Stauffer, Jake Bittle, Dave Zirin, Bhaskar Sunkara, Ken Klippenstein, Lizzy Ratner and Samantha Schuyler, And more to be announced soon.
There’ll be a conversation on covering solidarity, suppression of protest and genocide in Gaza and a session devoted to how to develop a beat, establish a voice and launch a career. There’ll be breakout sessions where students will talk about their own work, we’ll offer a training on FOIA journalism, there’ll be a conversation on minority rule and voting rights, and much more.
APPLICATION: In a cover letter of not-more-than 250 words, tell us where you’re from, where you go to school and why you want to attend this conference. Please also let us know if you’d like to attend in-person or virtually and if you need a travel grant and/or housing. These are two separate things. Please include one published piece of journalism. All material should be in either Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or PDF format. All applications will be acknowledged and considered on a rolling basis until May 6. Email applications to studentconf@thenation.com.
ELIGIBILITY: All matriculating college and university students in both the United States and abroad are eligible, including those graduating in spring, 2024. High school students are welcome to attend via live-stream. Young writers of traditional college age not in school are also encouraged to apply. Email studentconf@thenation.com with any questions.
This conference has been made possible by the great generosity of the Puffin Foundation.
The 2023 conference took place virtually last June 3. Recordings of the sessions are below.