About SRCCON 2021

At SRCCON 2021, participants came together and built an unforgettable space to work on our hopes for journalism — what we’ll be shedding and leaving behind, what we’ll create anew, and how we can support one another through it all.

Here’s what we did

• Gathered for three talks that tackled head-on the difficult conversations in journalism, inspiring us to not be satisfied with the way things are, become better managers, and recognize the extremely real concerns that are causing people to leave journalism entirely.
• Came together for 25 interactive sessions and workshops, teaching each other about how we need to rethink the tools and techniques we use do journalism in 2021, how to make our newsrooms more equitable places for everyone, and how to take care of ourselves so we can continue to do what we care about in the future.
• Led a dozen more informal, social sessions on everything from becoming freelance consultants, to doing nothing, to living in national parks, to talking about being Jewish in journalism, and to asking the DEI questions you’re scared to ask.
• Connected throughout the week in the SRCCON Slack: a pop-up community with dozens of channels created by attendees to keep talking after sessions wrapped up and organize around shared interests and goals

And here’s what you said

• “SRCCON is making me reconsider everything about everything, in the best way!”
• “SRCCON’s celebration of people’s value outside their work is so refreshing and inspiring. The fact that we can be talking about journalism constantly and still keep our jobs in perspective with the rest of our lives is magical.”
• “I loved the big conversations that were tackled and the honestly and generosity with which they were facilitated. But mostly, I’m coming away with new tactics and approaches that I’m hoping to implement at my organization to start working toward the bigger change we all want to see, from modernizing newsrooms to creating more equitable workplaces.”

About the program

Wednesday-Friday, August 11-13, 2021

• Talks: The three talks on our program this year create a common foundation to build on during conversations throughout the week. SRCCON participants can watch them in advance and submit questions ahead of time, or join us live to watch the talks and participate in Q&As with the speakers.
• Sessions: Participatory sessions create space to get into the biggest problems facing journalism, together. Community members will facilitate peer conversations and hands-on workshops that draw on the experience of every attendee in the (Zoom) room.
• Meetups & group conversations: SRCCON makes time for a set of sessions about life at work and outside of it — hobbies, games, and other activities. Some are on the schedule, some will happen in the Slack, and others will emerge organically throughout the week.

What you can expect

The SRCCON program is focused on the practical challenges that news technology and data teams encounter every day. At SRCCON, you’ll:

• Be part of hands-on workshops that reimagine newsroom tech, teamwork, leadership, community, and journalism itself —not panels where you sit back and listen, but sessions where you participate and learn.
• Connect with people who share your hopes and dreams for journalism—not just making professional acquaintances, but creating personal relationships that last.
• Bring who you are into a conference that thinks about the program, the schedule—even games & meals—as ways to celebrate everything you have to share.

SRCCON will be a place to re-energize, personally and professionally, where the care participants take with one another animates every piece of our shared program. The conversations that happen here come from the community and reflect its values:

• We lead change—by challenging the power structures that have failed our industry, we push for long-lasting change in our organizations, led by journalists of color and journalists in local and regional newsrooms.
• We support one another—by offering each other our expertise and empathy, we find new collaborators, help each other learn, and make our networks and organizations more resilient.
• We experiment in the open—by sharing our work and processes, we do the transformative work our organizations need to better connect with and inform our communities.

Our work exists to create a future where journalists can work in newsrooms that are equitable, inclusive, and collaborative. We hold space for you to bring your entire self to SRCCON, just as we hope that one day everyone will be able to bring their whole selves to work—instead of feeling the need to self-oppress because of identity or background. We also hope to provide the community, environment, and support you need to focus on your work (or what you’re passionate about), and at least for a while, do it without carrying extra weight.

Who attends SRCCON events

Our participants represent organizations ranging from massive to tiny, and come from all over the U.S. and many other countries. Accessibility is a core value, and we always offer live session transcripts and tons of documentation throughout the conference. Just like last year, much of the SRCCON program will be available across multiple time zones and through asynchronous participation—if you need to take care of the popsicle your kid just dropped on the floor or step away for an urgent call, we want to make it possible to participate around the complexity of this moment.

SRCCON participants are developers, designers, journalists, editors, and allies: the practitioners and leaders who are transforming their newsrooms into more representative and innovative places to work. Participants come to SRCCON to change journalism by creating more intentional processes, better relationships with the communities they cover, and new ways to engage and inform people.

How much does it cost?

Ticket prices start at $125, plus ticketing fees. We’ll also offer a limited number of need-based, free scholarship tickets as well as $250 stipends for attendees whose time to attend would otherwise be uncompensated.

SRCCON events don’t have open sale dates or lotteries. If you want to come to SRCCON 2021, our call for participation is how to let us know.

What’s next

Stay in touch by following @SRCCON and find out about upcoming deadlines by joining our community email list. If you have a specific question, please reach out.

About us

SRCCON events are produced by OpenNews. We help people strengthen relationships across organizations and build a more equitable future for journalism. Through interactive events and programs, we help peers share knowledge and care for a community grappling with complex problems. Incubated at the Mozilla Foundation from 2011-2016, OpenNews is now a project of Community Partners.