We’re barely two months into 2026, but we’re already seeing NEWSWELL’s plans and connections blossom in the new year.
In Phoenix
It started with the National Journalism + AI Accelerator we helped host in Phoenix, along with the Knight Center for the Future of News. Nearly 200 people from across the journalism world joined us at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication for three days of insights about the role of artificial intelligence in journalism’s future.
We knew there were cohorts from all across the industry working on these ideas — research, data, product, even sales — and that if they could share their ideas, they’d be better together. The group spent their days immersed in the campuses of the nation’s most innovative university, including a presentation from Arizona State University’s president, Dr. Michael Crow. Participants told us they walked away ”with a better sense of what’s possible,” as well as what questions they still need to answer in their own work.
Key takeaway: We need to be bolder, faster with adoption of AI that propels, not replaces, our work. Check out seven more takeaways from Amalie Nash, Knight Foundation Vice President of Journalism.
In San Diego
A few weeks later, ASU alumni from Southern California gathered in our newsroom at Times of San Diego for food, fun and a newsroom tour. Our San Diego editor and GM Andrew Keatts joined Jared Aarons, morning anchor at ABC 10News San Diego and an ASU alum, to break down how Times of San Diego is positioning itself as the region’s go-to news source by linking its network of community papers into a comprehensive daily news website even as traditional news outlets retreat.
Key takeaway: Communities enjoy seeing the inner workings of the newsrooms that serve them. Invite them in.
In Los Angeles
The California Journalism Summit brought together funders and nonprofit newsrooms statewide to learn about each other and how they can support their local news. I joined a panel of local journalists for a discussion about how we move beyond the problem and start working as champions for our communities — including the lessons we’ve learned building stronger newsrooms in Stockton, San Diego and Santa Barbara.
Key takeaway: We are stronger together. Nonprofits must move beyond competition to collaboration.
In Miami
Then the Knight Media Forum in Miami showcased more of the work that matters to us most. This annual gathering brings together the key leaders who shape local journalism, civic life, research, academia and the arts. One of the most important themes was the First Amendment, a set of rights that’s as important now as ever. The entire conference gathered to test their own knowledge about the First Amendment — using the interactive quizzes NEWSWELL helped launch in partnership with the Freedom Forum. These learning modules help nonprofits embed civic education right into their sites — and help our audiences expand their own understanding of their responsibilities to their community.
Key takeaway: In the words of Knight CEO Maribel Pérez Wadsworth: “The people demanded a First Amendment. Today, we must demand it be upheld.”
Across the country, we’re seeing NEWSWELL’s work become a key part of the future of news.
Our university partnership fosters innovation across newsrooms far beyond our own. Our prototype newsrooms work in concert with other nonprofits as we build a new model for journalism. And our work helps bolster the fundamental freedoms that make it all possible.
Keep watching NEWSWELL’s work. We know the future of news — and of our communities — depends on it.
This update originally appeared in our Feb. 23, 2026, newsletter. This version has been lightly edited for clarity.