SABEW26

As companies retreat from DEI commitments, the biggest stories may be found not in official statements, but in the quieter shifts that follow: who gets hired, who gets promoted, which programs disappear, and how opportunity changes for women and marginalized groups inside major institutions. This session will explore how reporters can uncover those stories, spot the gap between rhetoric and reality, and track the long-term consequences for workforce equity, leadership pipelines, and corporate power.

What does it mean to be “authentic,” “conversational” or “sincere?” Bosses use these words all the time to describe the best writing and story development, but do you know HOW to do it? This session is based entirely upon years of viewer research into how news consumers identify truth, fact and fake news. This workshop will reveal the secrets to writing and delivering deeply viewer-connected, memorable stories with sincerity, authenticity, and excellence every day. It might also inspire you.

This panel is in partnership with RTDNA.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly embedded in hospital care, from radiology triage to predictive analytics, but its real-world impact is often misunderstood. This session examines how AI is actually used inside clinical workflows, where it supports care—and where it can fail. Participants will learn how to separate marketing claims from operational reality, and what questions to ask clinicians and health systems about safety, bias, and accountability. The focus is on reporting AI as it is practiced, not as it is promised.

This panel is in partnership with The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation.

AI in health care is big business, but its financial logic is rarely transparent. This session breaks down how AI companies make money, how hospitals pay for these tools, and why costs don’t always decline as promised. Participants will explore pricing models, data monetization, and incentives that shape adoption decisions. The goal is to equip reporters to follow the money—and uncover who truly benefits from AI in health care.

This panel is in partnership with The National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation.

GLP-1 targeting drugs are a cornerstone of obesity care, and were recently placed on the World Health Organization's registry of essential medications. But balancing the health benefits and affordability -- while also ensuring equitable access -- is a challenge. Recent approvals for oral forms of the drugs, for example, occur in the context of changing guidance for insurance coverage and looming coverage losses, which impact hospitals, providers, and patients alike. In this session, journalists will hear from speakers about some of the key challenges facing the GLP-1 industry, health insurers, and people in need of these medications.

This session is sponsored by The Commonwealth Fund. SABEW retains control of content, including the topic and speaker selection, for all conference sessions.