Wednesday, September 18

Late Night Networking: RNA Social Hour

Thursday, September 19

Continental breakfast, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee

Welcome & announcements
Peter Smith, RNA president

Anti-Semitism in Politics, Pews and Overseas, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee
From tropes and dog whistles to violence in our nation’s synagogues and abroad, what is new about the oldest hatred? Experts talk about how to recognize antisemitism in religious, political and communal settings. They will discuss efforts to fight the latest scourge and what the U.S. and other countries can learn from Europe.

• Moderator: Mayna Brachear Pashman

• Rabbi Andrew Baker, American Jewish Committee

• Rabbi Noam Marans, American Jewish Committee

• Julie Rayman, American Jewish Committee

Welcoming the Stranger: How Sacred Texts Inform Emerging Immigration Views
What do the Bible and other religious texts say about the notion of hospitality or “welcoming strangers?” This panel takes a look at how sacred texts in various faith traditions have played a role in the immigration debate, and how different sides have used or weaponized religious texts and teachings to support their opinions on immigration, particularly when it comes to how refugees and asylum-seekers are treated.

• Moderator: freelance journalist

• Nahla Kayali, Access California Services

• Mark Tooley, Institute on Religion and Democracy

• Mark Hetfield, HIAS

Religion, Socialism & Economic Justice
Christianity and capitalism are deeply intertwined in the United States, but there's far more than just the prosperity gospel when it comes to religion in politics and economics, and not all socialists are atheists. This panel will explore the history of religion on the left, particularly in the context of socialism and movements for economic justice. Panelists will also cover contemporary labor and economic justice movements, highlighting stories that the press has overlooked and areas where media coverage can be strengthened.

• Moderator: Stephanie Russell-Kraft, Freelance Journalist

• Rev. Andrew Wilkes, Double Love Experience Church

• Betty Hung, UCLA Labor Center

• Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice

Saving Souls in Sin City: The Secret Life of Ministry in the Party City
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is the catchphrase description of a city that is home to a variety of lifestyles unlike most other places in the United States. It’s not just the notorious ones, such as the gambling tourists. There are also large immigrant populations, who flock to the city for cheap living and good-paying jobs, for example. This panel will explore the ways that religious communities minister to the city’s diverse population, either within their houses of worship, or on the Strip itself.

• Moderator: Adele Banks, Religion News Service

• J B Myers, Bright Angel Church of Christ

• Imam Fateen Seifullah, Masjid As Sabur

• Rabbi Sanford Askelrnad, Congregation Ner Tamid

• Annie Lobert, Hookers for Jesus

Christian Nationalism in the Age of Trump, sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation
This panel will focus on Christian Nationalism's recent upsurge, including the Trump administration's role in potentially aiding and abetting the movement.

• Moderator: Amit Pal, Freedom From Religion Foundation

• Andrew L. Seidel, Freedom From Religion Foundation

• Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service

• Katherine Stewart, Freelance

Welcome reception, sponsored by “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” movie
Tom Junod

Late Night Networking: Exploring the Westgate

Friday, September 20

Breakfast & exhibitor presentations

Opinion Journalism on the God Beat
Opinion writing plays an important role in the media and religion ecosystem. From Religion News Service's diverse roster of columnists to religion reporters at major newspapers penning the occasional editorial or news analysis piece, opinion journalism on the God beat takes many forms. This panel will center the experiences of RNA reporters and editors to expose the opportunities, benefits and pitfalls of opinion writing.

• Moderator: Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, freelance

• Cathleen Falsani, Religion News Service

• Jana Riess, Religion News Service

• Jacob Lupfer, The Relay Group

• Simran Jeet Singh, Religion News Service

Millennials & Spirituality — Measuring Millennial Spirituality
American Millennials are decidedly less religious than older generations, with more than one third selecting “No religion” on recent polls. Yet some Millennials have found new ways to embrace forms of spirituality that connect the human spirit in soulful ways outside the walls of houses of worship — in fitness studios, mindful meditation retreats, civic engagement, or theology debates over microbrews. Others are cultivating interfaith experiences during college in and their young professional lives that inform their social and political views of faith communities. This panel seeks to examine how Millennials are living out their religious and spiritual lives, and ways to measure these emerging trends. This panel with produced in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute.

• Moderator: Emma Green, The Atlantic

• Paul Raushenbush, Interfaith Youth Core

• Veronica Selzler, Hattaway Communications

• Alan Cooperman, Pew Research Center

Millennials & Spirituality — Four Millennials Who are Redefining Faith
In 2017, Pew Research reported that 27% of US adults identify as “spiritual but not religious.” Among those are Millennials who question religious teachings and openly challenge religious institutions, their doctrine and views, but still want to self-identify as religious. This panel will feature four millennial voices from different faiths who are taking back ownership of the identifier “religious” as they reshape and redefine spiritual practices. This program was produced in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute.

• Moderator: Jack Gordon, Interfaith-ish

• Mahdia Lynn, Masjid al-Rabia

• Joey Furjanic, The Block Church

• Kyra Limberakis, CrossRoad Summer Institute

• Rosemary Card, Q.NOOR

Lunch: Millennials & Spirituality — Covering Millennial Spirituality
This working lunch for journalists aims to explore two questions: 1) How are Millennials engaging in new forms of storytelling surrounding faith and spirituality? and 2) What resources and examples for Millennial spirituality coverage can journalists use in their own reporting? This program was produced in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute.

• Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service

• Andrew Henry, Foundation for Religious Literacy and The Atlantic

Sanctuaries or Soft Targets? How Houses of Worship are Grappling with the Threat of Attacks
There was a time when houses of worship were considered safe spaces, sanctuaries that offered refuge and welcomed strangers. But several recent attacks at churches, Sikh temples, mosques and synagogues have left people of faith wondering how safe their sanctuaries are. This panel will explore the conundrum of protecting congregants while maintaining the sanctity of these sacred spaces.

• Moderator: Deepa Bharath, Southern California News Group

• Pardeep Singh Kaleka, Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee

• Rev. Mark Whitlock, Reid Temple AME Church

• Capt. Sasha Larkin, Las Vegas Metro Police Department

High Church? Marijuana, Mushrooms and Drug-related Religious Activism
Drug policy is changing nationwide, as states legalize medical or recreational marijuana, cities vote on psilocybin use and leaders reconsider penalties for those caught with illegal substances. This panel will address how faith groups are responding to these shifts and what future changes to expect in the next few years.

• Moderator: Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News

• Natalie Gillespie, God’s Greenery

• Marty Stephens, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Peter Droege, Centennial Institute

• Emmett Reistroffer, cannabis consultant

Extreme Coverage: Reporting on Religion, Peace, and Conflict sponsored by the Ansari Institute
New York Times correspondent Rukmini Callimachi, one of the world’s leading reporters on religious extremism, joins religion historian R. Scott Appleby of the University of Notre Dame to consider how faith is represented in the media and how it might be reexamined, especially in connection to peace and conflict.

Dinner sponsored by World Vision: Shifting Our Approach to Poverty
Through a recent worldwide study of 15,000 millennials, Barna and World Vision learned that corruption and global conflict were among their top concern. They are longing to make a difference. It comes at a moment of national cynicism and division, and unprecedented humanitarian need. President Edgar Sandoval will address how we can shift our thinking to better help the hurting, while also building confidence that one person—every person—can make a difference.

Late Night Networking: Hit the Strip

Saturday, September 21

Breakfast sponsored by the University of Notre Dame: Sexual Harassment and Catholic Seminary Culture: The First Sociological Survey of Current Seminarians
The University of Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life will release embargoed research: a first-of-its-kind survey of current Catholic seminarians. It was conducted entirely by laity. The results come from 149 seminaries or houses of formation, with a 65% response rate among the approximately 2,375 seminarians contacted. The data reveal the state of seminaries and houses of formation on the specific question of sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct in the Catholic Church—what seminarians have experienced, what they are thinking on the issue, and how seriously they perceive it is being addressed by their superiors. 

• John Cavadini, University of Notre Dame

• Thomas Gaunt, S.J., CARA

The Whistleblowers
No religion is exempt from assault and scandal, and none is exempt from those willing to step up and speak out against that wrongdoing. This panel will bring together men and women in different faiths who have chosen to risk family, community and profession to call out a misuse and abuse of religious power against them or others. This panel will address how those in power, in many situations, still remain in power even after being exposed. We will discuss why and how these whistleblowers reached their ultimate decision to speak out and ultimately ask themselves the question: “Whose law do I abide by — man or the divine?”

• Moderator: Dina Zingaro, CBS News

• Manny Vega, abuse survivor

• Siobhan O’Connor, RespectfulCatholic.com

• Lyvonne Proverbs, beautiful scars

• Trudy Metzger, Generations Unleashed

Breakout Panel: Challenging Secularism: Hindu Fundamentalism in India and the Diaspora
Under the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has seen a rise in Hindu nationalism and an increased targeting of religious minorities. This panel will examine what is Hindu nationalism, whether and how it is supported through groups in the United States and why nuanced reporting matters.

• Moderator: Deepa Bharath, Southern California News Group

• Sonia Paul, freelance Journalist

• Kalpana Jain, The Conversation US

• Amit Pal, Freedom From Religion Foundation

Breakout Panel: Finding the Right Images for the Faith Beat
This panel will feature photographers and videographers discussing how to find the right visuals for your story. They will address the unique challenges of working in sacred spaces and offer tips for reporters who are asked to take their own photos.

• Moderator: Liz Kineke, freelance broadcast journalist

• Andrew Rush: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

• Audrey Galex, AIB-TV

• David Gladstone, CBS News

Lunch: “The Future of Faith in Media” sponsored by TBN
From Pope Francis to ISIS to the enduring presence of the religious right, spirituality remains a shaping force in America and a pressing issue for journalists. Yet the rise of fake news and an erosion of trust in many traditional media outlets has left many wondering about how religion reporting and faith-based media can remain strong in this uncertain age. This panel, sponsored by TBN, the world’s largest religious broadcast company and moderated by New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas will survey the current challenges to religion in media while attempting to forecast the future.

• Moderator: Eric Metaxas

• Holly Meyer, The Tennesssean

• Jonathan Decker, independent producer

• Nate Daniels, TBN

• Roxanne Stone, Religion News Service

Abortion, Religion & the Courts
Faith groups are front and center across the abortion issue, with some pushing to curtail abortion rights and others urging courts and legislatures to protect women's right to an abortion. As states pass six-week abortion bans, each side says they are morally called to their beliefs. In this panel, we'll sort through some of the myriad religious viewpoints and how they're poised to impact the future of abortion in the United States.

• Moderator: Dane King, The Columbus Dispatch

• Rabbi Hara Person, Central Conference of American Rabbis

• Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life

• Elaina Ramsey, Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Breakout Panel: Faith in the Age of Social Media: How Religion Journalists Can Best Use Social Media in Reporting
Religion reports may be familiar with Twitter and Facebook to meet new sources and engage discourse on religion. However, Reddit, Instagram and even Tiktok are among other platforms that are being used more often by religious people. Along with detailing these lesser-known forums, this panel will discuss social media etiquette and how reporters should engage with online religious communities.

• Moderator: Liam Adams, freelance journalist

• Sophia Smith Galer, BBC World Service

• Chrissy Stroop, writer and author

• Aysha Khan, Religion News Service

Breakout Panel: How to Cover Horrific Events
Gun violence, hate crimes and natural disasters devastate communities. They also create difficult assignments for religion reporters. This panel will explore how to respectfully cover a horrific event and how to take care of yourself in the process.

• Moderator: Holly Meyer, The Tennessean

• Jennifer Berry Hawes, The Post and Courier

• Jamie Aten, Humanitarian Disaster Institute

• Yonat Shimron, Religion News Service

• Peter Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

RNA member meeting

Awards banquet