JAWS CAMP 2026: Beyond Saving Newspapers - Building Sustainable Local Journalism
JAWS CAMP 2026: Join us Saturday, Oct. 3 for a discussion about the state of local journalism and how leaders are building sustainable local news ecosystems. We’ll hear from Gwyneth Doland, Professor of Practice in Journalism at the University of New Mexico, Katherine Rowlands, leader of Bay City News Foundation, and Sharon Walsh, retired journalist and founder of PublicSource.
JAWS’ annual Conference and Mentoring Program (CAMP) will be held Oct. 2-4, 2026 at the Hyatt Centric Delfina in Santa Monica, California.
Registration for the conference is open! Reserve your spot now:
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
GWYNETH DOLAND
Gwyneth Doland is Professor of Practice in Journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she runs the New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships. A journalist for more than 25 years, she has worked in print, digital, radio and television news; currently she is Senior Political Correspondent at NMPBS. At UNM, she leads initiatives to strengthen New Mexico's local news ecosystem through workforce development, a student news lab and research on news coverage gaps across the state. Her reporting has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Federation of Press Women and the New Mexico Broadcasters Association, and her work for the Center for Public Integrity was a finalist for Harvard Kennedy School's Goldsmith Prize. She is a former board member of JAWS.
KATHERINE ROWLANDS
Katherine Ann Rowlands leads Bay City News Foundation, a nonprofit that publishes journalism for the greater SF Bay Area and Northern California at LocalNewsMatters.org and MendoVoice.com. She is also publisher of Bay City News, an affiliated regional newswire supplying trustworthy, original journalism for the media ecosystem, from TV and radio to legacy newspapers to start-up digital outlets. Her team actively experiments with practical and ethical uses of AI in the newsroom at Bay City News Labs. She is co-founder of Women Do News, a project to improve the representation of women journalists on Wikipedia, and past president of Journalism & Women Symposium. She is currently president of the board of the First Amendment Coalition. She won a “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” award from Exceptional Women in Publishing. In 2024, she was honored with the Alumni Award from Columbia University’s journalism school.
SHARON WALSH
Sharon Walsh spent more than 40 years as a journalist for national and local publications, including The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Lexington Herald-Leader. In 2011, she started PublicSource, a non-profit online news organization in Pittsburgh that is still going strong. She has been a JAWS member for more than 30 years and has served twice on the board. She is retired and lives in Pittsburgh.
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FAQs
Where is Conference and Mentoring Program (CAMP) 2026? CAMP 2026 will be held October 2-4 at The Hyatt Centric Delfina, located at 530 Pico Blvdin sunny Santa Monica, CA. The hotel is steps from the world-famous Santa Monica pier along with restaurants, shops and entertainment.
The CAMP Site Selection Committee chose Santa Monica based on feedback from members urging a balance between an urban setting allowing easier travel with access to a get-away-from-it-all vibe. The committee also took into account the venue’s capacity, support for conferences, cost and location. We chose this location intentionally for its walkability, safety and convenience, prioritizing an environment where attendees can focus on community, learning and connection without added logistical stress.
What happens at CAMP? This will be JAWS’ 41st CAMP. While the format and size have varied over the years, the goal has not: to bring women* journalists together from different specialties, beats, demographics and geographies to share with, learn from and empower each other. There will be structured presentations and workshops, planned social events and free time for unstructured relationship-building and city exploration. The current, rough agenda is as follows:
Oct. 1: Self-organized social activities for early arrivals
Oct. 2: Daytime workshops, evening welcome reception at Ms. Magazine offices
Oct. 3: Morning plenaries, lunch provided, afternoon sessions, Books & Browse evening reception
Oct. 4: Morning member meeting, morning sessions, lunch provided, afternoon sessions
Oct. 5: Self-organized social activities for late departures
Will meals be provided? Yes! Lunch will be provided Saturday and Sunday. Other provided meals and receptions will be announced. Meals not on the official schedule will be unstructured, allowing attendees to explore nearby eateries and spend time together away from the venue.
What is the CAMP refund policy? CAMP registration at the Early Bird rate is non-refundable and non-transferable. Regular registration can be transferred before September 1, 2026 upon written request to hello@jaws.org.
Is conference sponsorship available? Yes! CAMP sponsors support programming and other CAMP activities, making it possible to keep the conference affordable for participants. More information is available below.