Conventions | Special Events | Confabs
The 2026 CMA Member Survey is now available! Your responses will inform decisions about future programming, training, and conventions and help our organization evolve to better meet our members’ needs. You will also have an opportunity to tell us how you would like to get more involved in CMA!
Log in to complete the survey, which only takes 10-15 minutes. Members will have access to the anonymized survey results once compiled. Thank you for your participation!
Complete the Member Survey
In 1968, four young people were kidnapped in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Three escaped. One didn’t. For 55 years, the people who lived through that night stayed silent. “A Murder in Mercer” is the story of what happens when they finally speak … The documentary will be screened at the upcoming National College Media Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.
The one hour and 10 minute documentary premiered at the 2026 McDonough Storytellers Film Festival and is directed by Dr. Brittany L. Fleming and James Cressman. Fleming is an associate professor at Slippery Rock University and a documentary filmmaker based in western Pennsylvania. Cressman is a freelance videographer and editor and is part-owner of Horizons Media. He specializes in archiving and preserving analog media.
Registration is now open for the National College Media Convention Nov. 4-7 in Kansas City, Missouri! Make plans now to join us for the largest gathering of collegiate journalists, media students and their advisers! You can save with early bird prices through Oct. 13:
Student/Adviser Member: $175
Student non-member: $225
Nonmember Adviser/Attendee: $295
Step into the heart of how stories are reported, produced and shared—across every platform. The fall convention will bring together students, advisers and media professionals from across the country for four days of learning, connection and collaboration. Presented by Associated College Press and College Media Association, the convention will feature sessions, speakers, critiques and contests across print, broadcast, audio, and digital media.
Attending offers a unique opportunity to learn from industry professionals, build practical skills and connect with peers from across the country. Through workshops, panels and keynotes, participants will gain insight into the evolving media landscape while sharing ideas and real newsroom experiences.
With nearly 1,000 attendees, the convention also serves as a space to showcase student work, receive feedback from experts and explore career paths in media.
Register for Convention
The convention will be hosted at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Attendees can reserve discounted rooms at $215 per night for up to quad occupancy. (About $262, including taxes and fees.) Rooms are subject to availability and must be booked before Oct. 16 to receive the discounted rate. One person may reserve up to 10 rooms at a time.
Reserve Your Hotel Rooms
If you have an idea for a convention session, please submit a proposal! Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis with selections based on relevance, originality and impact. Chosen sessions will be announced when the full program is finalized.
Submit a Session
Looking for support in your advising role? Want to connect with fellow advisers? The CMA Education Committee will host the next informal (virtual) Adviser Happy Hour from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. Join us for lively conversation and perhaps a few games!
Register for Adviser Happy Hour
Ben McNeely
Ben McNeely
“Midterm Elections Matter”
5 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 16
Cost: FREE
Presidential elections get all the attention, but midterm elections are just as important. And this year, the results will have a major impact on students. Get a primer on this year’s midterm races with veteran political journalist Ben McNeely, and learn tips on how your newsroom can make the midterms relevant to students. From how election night works to why horse-race reporting is horse hockey, you’ll get some tips on how to report on the midterms with impact.
Presented by Ben McNeely, North Carolina State University
BEN MCNEELY has practiced journalism since he was 14 years old. He spent his career at local North Carolina newspapers, and 10 years as a political news producer at Spectrum News 1. He currently serves as editorial advisor for student media at NC State University, where he advises two student newspapers, The Nubian Message and Technician.
Register for September Confab
Mike Hiestand
Mike Hiestand
“Employee or Editor? The Legal Minefield of Dual-Role Student Journalists”
5 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 21
Cost: FREE
When student journalists are also university employees, it can create a web of legal complications that threatens both press freedom and institutional interests. Join the Student Press Law Center to examine the legal and practical risks that arise from this dual role — including FERPA compliance, open records access, Title IX mandatory reporting obligations and institutional liability — and explore other compensation models that could address some of those risks.
Presented by Mike Hiestand, Student Press Law Center
MIKE HIESTAND has been integral to SPLC’s success since 1989. He was an SPLC intern, its first legal fellow and then served as full-time staff attorney from 1991-2003. Over the years, he has assisted over 20,000 student journalists and advisers using the Center’s free media law legal hotline. He co-authored the last three editions of the SPLC’s book, Law of the Student Press, and is responsible for many of the legal resources produced by Center over the last three decades. As the SPLC’s senior legal counsel, he currently works from the west coast on the SPLC hotline and related projects. During the 2013-14 school year, Hiestand traveled around the country with free speech icon Mary Beth Tinker, teaching and speaking out on behalf of student press rights and free expression. “Tinker Tour USA” kicked off on Constitution Day at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and logged just under 25,000 miles while speaking at schools, colleges, churches, a youth detention facility, courts and several national conventions. Hiestand, who grew up in Alaska, graduated from Bartlett High School in Anchorage and went on to Marquette University’s College of Journalism and Cornell Law School.
Register for October Confab
CMA Confabs are monthly virtual sessions open to all CMA members. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Confabs are held on the third Wednesday of each month (excluding convention months.) Speakers and topics are subject to change. Follow event links to sign up and access the latest details. You can renew your membership or join CMA as part of registering for confabs. are monthly virtual sessions open to all CMA members. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Confabs are held on the third Wednesday of each month (excluding convention months.) Speakers and topics are subject to change. Follow event links to sign up and access the latest details. You can renew your membership or join CMA as part of registering for confabs.
Did you know CMA members can access Confab recordings online for a limited time following each event? Recent Confab recordings are available in the members-only section of the CMA website, along with the Adviser Handbook and other helpful resources.
