THE NATION’S LARGEST GATHERING OF COLLEGIATE JOURNALISTS, MEDIA STUDENTS AND THEIR ADVISERS

>  CHECK OUT THE HUNDREDS OF CONVENTION SESSIONS IN OUR 20 LEARNING TRACKS.

2019 and 2022 convention photos by Bradley Wilson, Midwestern State University

The fall convention returns to the South in 2023,
from Sunday to Thursday, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, in Atlanta.

Sponsored by Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association, the nation’s largest gathering of college journalists and advisers meets
at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta for four days
of sessions, speakers, critiques and contests.

With attendance upwards of 1,000 delegates, the annual fall gathering is
the place to seek solutions to the most challenging
publishing and broadcasting problems,
share success stories, see what’s new in the media marketplace,
and network with students and advisers from across the nation.

You’ll also interact with journalists from across the nation.
Two professional associations —
the Radio Television Digital News Association and
the Society for Professional Journalists Region 3 —
will meet concurrently during our convention.

Gray Television, a convention sponsor that also hires collegiate journalists for jobs and internships, will lead a track of breakout sessions. 

Oct. 6 is the deadline for hotel rooms and for early bird registration rates.
Plan now to join us.

Keynote speakers

We have a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers for the fall convention, blending national newsmakers with Atlanta’s rich media tradition.

> Keynotes & biographies

Hip-hop at 50:
Reflections from the Dirty South

One night in 1973, DJ Kool Herc founded a transformational genre of music on 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in New York City.

Fifty years later, hip-hop endures throughout America, and in 2009, entertainment journalist Jon Caramanica declared Atlanta “hip-hop’s center of gravity.”

Our roundtable keynote, led by veteran journalist and soon-to-be hip-hop film producer Ernie Suggs, will be a guide on the history of hip-hop, both nationally and regionally. Our panelists will talk about their experiences covering the genre, the important stories they’ve told along the way and how young student journalists can carve a path.

Charles M. Blow is a New York Times columnist and MSNBC analyst. He writes about politics, culture, equality and justice, and he’s been the anchor of “Prime with Charles Blow” on the Black News Channel, as well as a CNN commentator.

Blow joined the Times in 1994 as a graphics editor and quickly became the paper’s graphics director, a position he had for nine years. In that role, he led The Times to a best of show award from the Society for News Design for The Times’s information graphics coverage of 9/11 — the first time the award was given for graphics coverage. He also led the paper to its first two best of show awards from the Malofiej Infographics World Summit, for work that included coverage of the Iraq war.

Blow is the author of New York Times bestselling books “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” released in September 2014, and “The Devil you Know: A Black Power Manifesto,” in 2021. “Fire” has been developed into an opera, the first by a Black composer to premiere at the Metropolitan Opera. “The Devil” has been developed into a feature-length documentary that will air later this year on HBO.

Blow speaks at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Legends: Women Who Defined Mainstream TV and the Black Press in Atlanta

The 1920s meets the 1970s which meets the present as Pearson joins Scott in conversation. They will discuss the changes they’ve seen in journalism and the barriers each has broken.

The center of the conversation will be the 95th anniversary and legacy of The Atlanta Daily World and how it has helped reshape the coverage of not only local but national issues that are still relevant today.

Pearson and Scott speak at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Trump, Young Thug and Cops:
What Students Need to Know About Georgia’s Season of Indictments

In 2020, George Chidi witnessed a secret meeting of Republican operatives at the state Capitol. Little did he know that this would move beyond his journalistic assignment and lead to his testifying as witness to a grand jury considering the indictment of a former President. But it was only fitting that a Georgia-based journalist that be a witness: the state finds itself at the center of numerous national issues, embodied by multiple indictments.

Fellow freelancer and podcaster Jewel Wicker joins Chidi in a conversation that will cover the indictment of a hip-hop mogul, of protesters of a controversial proposed policing facility and of the 45th President of the United States. They’ll also discuss how freelancers have produced some of the most memorable journalism of the past four years.

Chidi and Wicker speak at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2.

HELPFUL INSTRUCTION

Hundreds of instructional sessions on how to improve your publications and sites — and serve your readers and community. Our sessions help staffs and schools of all sizes and skill levels.

> Look through the hundreds of convention sessions in our 20 learning tracks.

Pre-convention workshops take a deep dive into trends and technology. They’re from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29.

HONORS & RECOGNITION

The top national awards
in collegiate media —

ACP awards
Pacemakers in broadcast, innovation, magazine, multiplatform and newspaper/newsmagazine, 
plus Individual Awards
and Best of Show

> CMA awards
Pinnacles
honoring organizations and individuals,
Adviser Awards

CMA FILM & AUDIO FESTIVAL

Join us for our showcase of collegiate film and audio, from 8-10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

> Festival info

NATIONAL NETWORKING

On-site critiques with
common-sense feedback
from experienced advisers, editors and journalists.

Convention receptions to meet students and advisers from across the country, including Radio Television Digital News Directors attendees.

MEDIA TOURS

Learn more about the city and its media with one of our media tours.

TRADE SHOW

Always a convention highlight, our exhibits feature collegiate journalism programs and companies with decades of experience helping advisers and students.

> Trade show & sponsorships

MEDIA ZONE

One of the best parts of our conventions is meeting students and advisers from across the nation.

So, new for Atlanta, you can join us for the Media Zone, a designated location where students and advisers can exhibit their work and network with others.

FEATURED SPEAKER
2:30-3:20 p.m. Wednesday

Charles Forelle
Wall Street Journal
deputy editor-in-chief

Hear about efforts to free reporter Evan Gershkovich from imprisonment in Russia and the increasing risks facing journalists upholding press freedom around the world.

#StandWithEvan

FEATURED SPEAKER
3:30-4:20 p.m. Wednesday

Andrew Morse
Atlanta Journal Constitution
president and publisher

Morse became ACJ publisher after working at ABC News, Bloomberg Media and CNN, the latter of which he designed the streaming service CNN+. He’ll discuss the lessons he has taken from his career and how he is applying them to the AJC, and he’ll describe what to look out for in the direction of their profession.

Hyatt Regency Atlanta

265 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30303

$205
single/double quad

Reserve your hotel rooms
before Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The conference rate is not guaranteed after that date.

Please book your rooms at our convention hotel. Your support helps our members get the best hotel rate possible.

Discounts on Delta

If you book a Delta flight, take advantage of the Kellen discount.

> Download the instructions PDF.

ATL to the hotel

Atlanta’s MARTA transit system connects Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Fares are $2.50 each way.

From the airport, you can board any northbound train and exit downtown at the Peachtree Center Station, connected to the hotel through the Peachtree Center Mall.

Atlanta is
Sunday to Thursday

The fall 2023 convention is at the beginning of the week, not the end, as is typical for our fall conventions.

> Check the tentative schedule

Convention registration

Registration opens in early August.
The early bird rate ends
Friday, Oct. 6.

early bird rate / regular rate

$150 / $170
ACP member / student

$170 / $190
CMA member / adviser

$180 / $200
student nonmember/ join ACP

$245 / $265
adviser nonmember/ join CMA

Take advantage of all that Atlanta has to offer — the history and the fun

Learn more about the city and its media with one of our media tours.

The King Center

Visit the nonprofit center exhibiting Martin Luther King Jr. images and artifacts, plus rooms on Gandhi and Rosa Parks.

Take an interactive virtual journey through the history of racial justice, as well as the legacy of the center’s founder, Coretta Scott King.

Jimmy Carter
Presidential Library & Museum

The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum houses President Carter’s papers and other material relating to the Carter administration and the Carter family’s life.

The Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium exhibits hundreds of species and thousands of animals across its seven major galleries, all of which reside in more than 11 million gallons of water.

The World of Coca-Cola

The World of Coca-Cola is a museum that showcases the history of The Coca-Cola Co. View presentations on the drink’s history, with historic advertisements, commercials and memorabilia.