Discuss how AI is impacting media (and the election too)

Steven Levy is one of the world’s best respected technology journalists. 

He’s also a longtime contributor to an accessible and community driven “unconference” about media-making, journalism and the future of news that we at Technical.ly have organized since 2008. 

The daylong event returns this Saturday, Nov. 16, and is called the Klein News Innovation Camp, named after Temple University’s well-regarded media and communications school in Philadelphia — where we’ve hosted the event since the beginning.

This year, with artificial intelligence shaping the future of media-making, Levy, editor at large with Wired, will keynote the day, interviewed by me. Most of the day’s sessions of an “unconference” are created by the 150 or so journalists, marketing and media makers who attend. But we always pre-plan a couple to set the day’s tone. 

Given that we’re 10 days after the US presidential election, we also have a session debriefing on the race with these heavy-hitters:

• Jess Estepa, campaign editor, CNN
• Chris Brennan, politics columnist, USA Today
• Holly Otterbein, national political reporter, Politico
• Denise Clay-Murray, cohost, Philadelphia Hall Monitor

What else? Sessions on gun violance solutions reporting, including a related documentary viewing, will be led by a team from longtime event collaborator and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jim MacMillan’s nonprofit PGCVR. Technologist and Love Now Media founder Jos Duncan-Asé will lead a session on using AI for community-centered reporting. Stephanie Humprey, aka Tech Life Steph, will give tips on how to become an in-demand TV commentator. And we’ll talk business, too, with a pair of fundraising veterans offering insights on revenue streams for independent media orgs. There will be more.

The day’s attendees are always a proudly eclectic group of national journalists, local editors, students and a cross-section of Technical.ly readers — technologists, media-geared entrepreneurs and marketing folk. 

This year, longtime attendee and new-ish Technical.ly editorial director Danya Henninger took up the reins to lead coordination with the Temple University Klein College team, whose dean David Boardman has been a longtime champion.

The day’s flow is friendly, and you’re welcome to drop in anytime. Doors open at 9 a.m. for light breakfast, by 9:30 we begin to assemble the day’s programming. Sessions run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Levy’s keynote in the middle as lunch is served. At the day’s end, we walk a few blocks for some pizza, beer and chatter.

All are welcome for just $20.