Thursday, March 5, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental breakfast available to all convention attendees
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – University AB
- Student Editor Panel
- Kate Roberts Edenborg
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – University CD
- Member Roundtable Discussion: topics submitted by members on variety of topics -public notices, working with the community, advertising ideas, etc
- Beth Bennett
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. University CD
- Social Media: effective distribution strategies
- Jessica McBride
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – University AB
- How to use AI to enhance Ad Sales
- Kevin Berrier
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Capitol Ballroom
- Branen Family Student Luncheon
- WNA Foundation will celebrate Wisconsin’s outstanding student journalists, announcing the winners in its college and high school Better Newspaper Contests.
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – TBD
- JEA Advisors Meeting
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – University CD
- Reporter, Shooter, Poster: The One-Person News Operation: discuss equipment, methods to make it easier to do both and optimization on social media posts
- Kris Leonhardt and Kaity Leikness
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – University AB
- AI Games Part 1 – Introduction to the Games and tips to build an AI presentation
- Kevin Berrier
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – University CD
- Legislative and Legal updates: defamation, public notice, open meetings and FOIA
- Max Lenz, Brian Spahn and Beth Bennett
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – University AB
- AI Games Part 2 – Teams will get experience with hands on team building and development of an AI presentation
- Kevin Berrier
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Capitol Ballroom
- Annual Meeting
- Wisconsin Newspaper Association members will hold a brief meeting, during which new officers will be elected. All are welcome and WNA members are especially encouraged to attend.
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – University Room
- Cocktail Reception
- Raise a glass with friends and colleagues, relax, and recap the day’s events before attending the Hall of Fame banquet. The cocktail reception is open to all attendees of convention and those attending the banquet
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Capitol Ballroom
- Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame Banquet: Created in 2001 to honor visionaries and innovators in the Wisconsin newspaper industry, the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame recognizes both living and deceased individuals with induction. Must register to attend banquet.
Hall of Fame nominations are open to anyone, living or deceased, who has contributed above and beyond the call of duty to newspapers and newspapering in Wisconsin. This includes publishers, editors, reporters, photographers or any other newspaper personnel with significant contributions to the newspaper industry.
- Former reporter and UW-Whitewater newspaper advisor Sam Martino
- Newspaper publisher Carlton DeWitt
- Former newspaper managing editor and current Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation President Scott Peterson
Friday, March 6, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental breakfast available to all convention attendees
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – University AB
- Member Panel – what is working and what isn’t
- David Eliot, Dave Wood and Kelly Lecker
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. University CD
- Tools of the Trade – Investigative Reporting Techniques –
- Danielle DuClos
- Jim Polzin
- Jenna Rae
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – University AB
- National update from the National Newspaper Association
- Jeff Patterson and Pat Wood
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Capitol Ballroom
- Better Newspaper Contest Awards Banquet
- The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation salutes the achievements of Wisconsin newspapers. We’ll showcase the finest work of Wisconsin’s photographers, honor the newspaper veterans we lost in 2025, and celebrate the winners of our Better Newspaper Contest, Best of Division, and the Daily and Weekly Newspapers of the Year.