Connecting community and journalists.

At a time when trust in media is critical, the goal was to create a meaningful event where the community could engage directly with the journalists behind San Diego’s biggest stories—building brand affinity and driving subscriptions for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Festival of Journalism brought together 500 attendees and exceeded audience and engagement goals. It featured panels with award-winning reporters and editors and national keynote speakers on timely topics.

I led development in collaboration with more than 20 partner organizations, including San Diego State University and Cal Matters. We secured participation from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and created university partnerships that offered students extra credit to attend—deepening community ties and expanding our reach.