Program Update: New Panel Added to Sept. 26’s INBA Fall Convention; get your tickets

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is pleased to announce an important addition to the 2026 Fall Convention program. We are honored to welcome Brandon Pope, Emmy‑winning journalist and anchor/reporter with Fox 32 Chicago, and Leon Hendricks, News Director at 25 News WEEK, who will join us for a newly added session.

The panel, titled Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today, will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Holiday Inn & Suites East Peoria. This session will offer a substantive examination of the current journalism job market, exploring how newsrooms evaluate applicants, the qualities and skills most valued in early‑career journalists, and the ways in which hiring practices have evolved in response to industry‑wide changes.

Pope will share insight from his recent transition into a major Chicago newsroom, while Hendricks will provide the perspective of a newsroom leader responsible for recruitment and talent development. Together, they will offer attendees a clear and practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing journalists entering the profession today.

This addition reflects INBA’s continued commitment to supporting both established professionals and emerging journalists as they navigate a rapidly changing media landscape. We look forward to the valuable perspectives Pope and Hendricks will bring to this year’s convention.

The new session add to an already strong lineup to INBA’s one-day convention, titled “Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility,” which also includes keynote speaker Sean Lewis, a former anchor at WGN-TV.

Tickets are on sale now. And for a limited time, INBA professional members can get one free ticket for their newsroom for every ticket they purchase.

While the one-day convention format allows for attendees to make the experience a one-day trip from almost anywhere in Illinois, the Holiday Inn is offering a special hotel rate for attendees who’d like to stay the night before or after the event. Reserve by Sept. 11 to take advantage.

Local News at a Crossroads: Power, Pressure & Possibility

Current agenda. All sessions at Holiday Inn East Peoria, 101 Holiday St.

• 9 a.m.: Welcome
• 9:05 a.m.: Changes to the print industry (Speakers TBA)
• 10:05 a.m. — Midterm Elections Panel: Mike Miletich, WAND-TV; Brenden Moore, Capitol News Illinois
• 10:55 a.m. —  Inside the Hiring Room: How Journalists Land Jobs Today, Brandon Pope, Fox 32 Chicago; Leon Hendricks, 25 News
• 11:40 a.m. — What’s next for the Future of TV: Ray Cortopassi, formerly WGN-TV
• 12:30 p.m. — Lunch
• 1 p.m. — Student/Young Journalist Meetup
• 1:50 p.m. — Newsmaker Keynote, Q&A: Sean Lewis, formerly WGN-TV
• 2:25 p.m. —The Crossroads Conversation
• 3 p.m. — General Membership Meeting (announcement of election winners and other business)
• 4 p.m. — Adjourn