AI Accountability Workshops and Networking Session at IRE Conference

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Pulitzer Center staff and grantees will support two panels and a networking event focused on AI accountability at the 2026 Investigative Reporters and Editors Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Thursday, June 18, 2026. Explore the session descriptions below and click here to register for the conference.

Snack Break Exploring AI Accountability Investigations, Funding, and Partnerships with the Pulitzer Center

Date and time: Thursday, June 18, 1:00-1:45pm EDT 

Location: National Harbor room 6, third level 

Participants

• Marina Walker Guevara, executive editor, Pulitzer Center
• Steve Sapienza, senior editor, U.S. News Partnerships, Pulitzer Center 
• Lam Thuy Vo, 2022 AI Accountability Network Fellow, Pulitzer Center; City University of New York associate professor; and investigative reporter at nonprofit newsroom Documented 

What are the ways AI may intersect with your reporting, whether it be algorithmic influence on government decisions, environmental impact, or simply lots of hype around time and cost savings? How might the Pulitzer Center’s training and funding opportunities support your dream reporting project connected to the accountability of AI systems and companies? Join the Pulitzer Center’s Marina Walker Guevara and Steve Sapienza, and 2022 AI Accountability Fellow Lam Thuy Vo for networking and a discussion exploring these questions. Coffee and light snacks will be provided.

The Latest Intel on Big Tech and AI Threats, and Tools to Expose them

Date and time: Thursday, June 18, 2:30-3:30pm EDT

Location: Maryland B 

Panelists

• Andrea Arzaba, Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
• Marina Walker Guevara, executive editor, Pulitzer Center
• Craig Silverman, investigative journalist and co-founder of Indicator, an independent outlet focused on investigating digital deception
• Lam Thuy Vo, 2022 AI Accountability Network Fellow, Pulitzer Center; City University of New York associate professor; and investigative reporter at nonprofit newsroom Documented 

GIJN recently produced best-practices stories, videos, a report, and a webinar for its Tech Focus Project based on the knowledge and exchange of ideas of 100 experts in the field. This session will distill the highlights: tools for detecting AI-generated content; experimenting with AI tools; cutting-edge tips to protect from surveillance; tools to investigate government use of AI; and techniques for radical collaboration to counter Big Tech’s assault on the information ecosystem. Andrea Arzaba, Marina Walker Guevara, Craig Silverman, and Lam Thuy Vo will share tips and experiences around investigating tech and using tech for investigations.

Covering AI’s Environmental Impact: How to Make a Complex Story Accessible

Date and time: Thursday, June 18, 2:45-4:45pm EDT

Location: Maryland B

Panelists

• Paul Cobler, reporter, Texas Tribune
• Lynn Walsh, assistant director, journalist organization Trusting News
• Marina Walker Guevara, executive editor, Pulitzer Center

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the world—but its environmental impact is still poorly understood by many audiences. Data centers consume enormous amounts of energy and water, and AI expansion is raising new questions about climate and resource use. Yet much of the reporting on this topic is highly technical and difficult for audiences to engage with.

This panel will explore how journalists can better cover AI’s environmental footprint in ways that are clear, compelling, and accessible. Research from Trusting News shows that many people care deeply about the environmental impact of emerging technologies—but often struggle to understand coverage or see how it connects to their lives. 

Panelists will share examples of reporting approaches that help audiences get “on-ramps” into this complex issue. These include social media explainers, visual storytelling, social cards, and narrative framing that makes the stakes understandable without oversimplifying the science or policy. 

The discussion will focus on practical strategies reporters and editors can use to translate complicated environmental and technology reporting into stories that invite audiences in—and motivate deeper engagement.