10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(New York time)
Creator journalism is reshaping who tells the news, how stories travel, and why audiences decide to trust one voice over another. On day one, we map the landscape — from the creator economy at large to what it means for publishers trying to reach younger audiences. We will look beyond the hype and ask what news can realistically learn from creators: about trust, formats, audience relationships, and the courage to sound less institutional.
Expect honest conversation, sharp case studies, and a group exercise that puts the question directly to you: what would creator journalism look like inside your organisation?
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. (New York time)Welcome and introductions
What is the creator sphere — and why should every news publisher care? Kerstin Hasse opens the summit by mapping the landscape, setting up the key questions for the three days, and taking the pulse of the room with a first audience poll.
Kerstin Hasse, Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMA
10:15 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. (New York time)The creator economy and what news can learn from it
The creator economy didn't wait for newsrooms to catch up. Liz Kelly Nelson unpacks what publishers actually need to understand about how creators build trust, audience, and business models – and why she thinks that creators do not really need the approval of legacy media.
Liz Kelly Nelson Founder, Project C, United States11:05 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. (New York time)
Coffee break
A short pause to refill your coffee, collect your thoughts, or catch Kerstin for a quick conversation about what is changing fastest in young audiences and creator journalism.
11:10 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. (New York time)Why this matters, the broader case for creator journalism
Why does investment in creator-driven journalism matter – and why do young people connect to them. Knight Foundation delivers some answers.
Sofia Bliss-Carrascosa, Journalism Programme Associate, Knight Foundation, United States
11:40 a.m. - 12:10 a.m. (New York time)What newsrooms can learn from a creator who does it differently
He built one of Latin America's most-followed independent news voices without a newsroom behind him. Nicolás Copano breaks down what legacy journalism can learn from creators – from how he thinks about his audience to why authenticity is a craft, not a personality trait.
Nicolas Copano Creative Director, Turno Media, Chile12:10 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. (New York time)
Wrap up and takeaways
Kerstin closes the first day with the strongest ideas from the first module and a few questions to carry into module two: who is already doing this well, what can publishers learn from them, and what needs to change inside newsrooms?
Kerstin Hasse Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMATuesday, September 15
Module 2: Who is doing the job?
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(New York time)
Someone is already doing creator journalism — inside legacy newsrooms, at digital-first outlets, and in entirely new formats. On day two, we look at the people and organisations leading the way: what they built, what it cost, what worked, and what surprised them.
This is the day for practical examples. We will look at how editorial teams reach audiences where they already are, how new newsroom cultures are being built around video and social platforms, and what legacy publishers can learn without pretending to become something they are not.
10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. (New York time)Welcome and introductions
Kerstin Hasse, Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMA
10:10 a.m. - 10:55 a.m. (New York time)Building audiences where they already are
Younger audiences rarely begin their news journey on a homepage. They discover stories through creators, friends, feeds, short video, newsletters, messaging apps, and platform communities. This conversation will explore how news organisations can build presence and trust in those spaces without losing editorial seriousness. The session will look at what it means to meet audiences on their terms: how to choose the right platforms, how to adapt tone and format, and how to build relationships that go beyond one-off reach.
Birgit Coenen, Chief Growth, Spilnews, NetherlandsChristopher Kenis, Publisher & Managing Director, Spilnews, Belgium
10:55 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (New York time)
Break
Five minutes to pause, refill, and note one idea you might want to test in your own organisation.
11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (New York time)How to build the newsroom of the future
Video-first, social-first, built from scratch for audiences who never opened a newspaper. The News Movement walks through how they think about journalism differently – from commissioning to distribution – and what that means for newsrooms still trying to make the transition. This session will be a joint discussion with the speakers on what it really takes to build journalism for younger audiences: the skills, compromises, editorial choices, and internal barriers that come with doing this work properly.
Rebecca Hutson Editor-in-chief, The News Movement, United Kingdom
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 a.m. (New York time)Creator journalism inside a legacy publisher
How does a legacy publishing giant win in the creator era? DMG Media, one of the UK's largest news publishers, unpacks its creator strategy: from talent and formats to editorial culture. And it's not just talk: a creator from their own team joins the conversation to share what it actually looks like from the inside.
Ellie Beetham, Head of Social Creative, DMG Media, United KingdomMikey Olympitis Multimedia News Producer, DMG Media, United Kingdom
12:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. (New York time)
Wrap-up
Kerstin brings the group back together to capture the strongest patterns from the break-out rooms and close with practical takeaways for newsrooms at different stages of the journey.
Kerstin Hasse Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMAThursday, September 17
Module 3: How to build creator talent
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(New York time)
Wanting to do creator journalism and actually building the conditions for it are two different things. On day three, we get practical, structures, incentives, editorial courage, and the bigger case for why this matters. We close with a hands-on exercise to take the conversation home.
10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. (New York time)Welcome and introductions
Kerstin Hasse, Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMA
10:10 a.m. - 10:55 a.m. (New York time)What it actually takes: Structures, support and editorial courage
How do you build internal creator talent when your newsroom wasn't designed for it? Johanna Rüdiger offers concrete answers – from identifying the right people to giving them the structure and confidence to find their voice on camera and beyond.
Johanna Rüdiger Journalist, Deutsche Welle, Germany10:55 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (New York time)
Break
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. (New York time)Creating the conditions for creator talent
Creator journalism does not happen because one talented person starts posting more often. It needs space, support, editorial clarity, and permission to experiment. It also needs a clear path to value creation. This session will look at how to identify and develop creator talent inside the organisation, give people room to build their own voice and audience, and connect that work to clear commercial and monetisation opportunities — without leaving creators alone with all the risk.
Sara Goo, President, The Washington Post, United States
11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. (New York time)From academy to newsroom: Building creator skills
What happens when young journalists learn to think not only like reporters, but also like creators? Lisa Reck and Vinzenz Mayer will share how they built hands-on creator experience at the Axel Springer Academy and what they are now taking with them into their newsrooms. They will then move into breakout rooms, using concrete examples and exercises to explore what creator skills look like in practice — from developing a distinctive voice and format to understanding how to build engagement with an audience.
Vinzenz Mayer, Axel Springer Academy of Journalism & Technology, Axel Springer, GermanyLisa Reck, Trainee Journalist, Axel Springer Academy of Journalism & Technology, Germany
11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (New York time)
Q&A
A final speaker discussion on the hard questions: Who gets to be a creator? What happens when personality and editorial brand meet? How do you manage risk? And how do you make this sustainable rather than another experiment that disappears after six months?
12:00 p.m. - 12:15 p.m. (New York time)
Wrap-up
Kerstin closes the summit with the main lessons from all three days: what news can learn from the creator economy, who is already showing the way, and what publishers need to build internally if they want creator journalism to become part of their future audience strategy.
Kerstin Hasse Young Audiences Initiative Lead, INMA