Dean Baquet, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former executive editor of The New York Times, will moderate a panel discussion spotlighting the North Carolina journalists who provided essential news coverage during Hurricane Helene and its historic flooding.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dean Baquet will headline the fourth annual NC News & Information Summit, moderating a panel conversation during the Wednesday, March 12, gathering of news and information professionals dedicated to sustaining local news and open government. For the second consecutive year, the daylong summit – presented by the NC Local News Workshop and the NC Open Government Coalition – will be held at NC Central University in Durham.
Baquet will lead a timely discussion that ties to this year’s summit theme – “A lifeline for Western NC: The essential role of local news and transparency during Hurricane Helene.” Panelists will explore how local journalists overcame obstacles, including damaged infrastructure, to deliver life-saving information during the fall’s disastrous storm. Invited panelists include Patricia Serrano (Enlace Latino NC), Julio Tordoya (JMPRO Community Media), Laura Lee (Blue Ridge Public Radio), Moss Brennan (Watauga Democrat), Jacob Biba (Citizen-Times), and Travis Long (News & Observer).
“Journalists from Western NC deserve the spotlight at our fourth annual NC News & Information Summit,” said Shannan Bowen, executive director of the NC Local News Workshop. “After working tirelessly to provide critical information while also navigating the aftermath of Hurricane Helene themselves, they have valuable lessons to share with us all about disaster reporting and information sharing. We’re also honored that Dean Baquet will host this conversation by moderating our panel of journalists and sharing insights on the critical role of local news during disasters.”
Pate McMichael, director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, echoed Bowen’s sentiments, acknowledging the need to highlight journalists, information providers and supporters who provide a lifeline to their communities.
“It’s an honor to welcome these inspiring journalists to the summit and have them share their reporting and resilience with the entire FOI community,” McMichael said. “The disaster in western North Carolina has helped illuminate some novel sunshine issues that we look forward to exploring.”
Registration for the summit is now open. Additionally, organizers are still accepting sponsorships to support travel stipends, particularly for journalists from western North Carolina. Interested sponsors can contact Bowen (sbowen5@elon.edu) or McMichael (pmcmichael@elon.edu).
Following the morning presentation of the Sunshine Awards and the Frank Barrows Award for Excellence in Student Journalism, the summit will again feature sessions on big ideas, case studies and best practices to improve public access to information and open government.
The summit’s breakout sessions will highlight a variety of topics relating to Hurricane Helene and natural disaster news coverage, including the emotional toll the work took, the lessons learned reaching people who were cut off from digital media and electricity, and what needs to be done to prepare for information coverage in the next disaster. Additionally, Baquet and his New York Times colleagues also will lead a session on investigative reporting as part of the summit program.
The summit’s full schedule will be available in early February.
This year’s event will be held at NC Central’s Alfonso Elder Student Union located at 511 Nelson Street, Durham, NC, 27707. For more information regarding the fourth annual summit, contact Bowen or McMichael.
About Dean Baquet
Dean Baquet leads the local investigative fellowship program at The New York Times. Previously, he served as executive editor of The New York Times from May 2014 until June 2022, serving in the highest ranked position in The Times’ newsroom and overseeing the publication’s news report in all its various forms.
During his career, Baquet has held a variety of leadership roles with The New York Times, as well as the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, he has reported for the Chicago Tribune and The Times-Picayune in New Orleans.
He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 1988 when he led a team of three in documenting corruption in the Chicago City Council, and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 in the investigative reporting category. The Columbia University graduate has also received numerous local and regional accolades.