Journalists and friends-of-journalism from seven states will descend on Cincinnati April 1-2 for a joint Region 4-Region 5 conference, titled Looking Back, Moving Forward.

On tap:

Stephen George

• Stephen George from Louisville Public Media, presenting the keynote speech about his Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and how to build an investigative culture in newsrooms.
• Twelve panels on four different tracks: history in journalism, tools and technologies, skill sharpening, and diversity matters.
• A SuperSession panel on the use of body-cam, dash-cam and citizen video in reporting.
• MOE awards, from 404 entries from Region 4 and 475 from Region 5.
• A Silent Auction to benefit the Student Press Law Center.
• An opening reception, with area millennial journalists populating a Job Hunt 2016 meet-n-greet.

Great work from a great committee. Hoping for an equally great turnout for our great programming.

Miami University’s Department of Media, Journalism & Film will host the real Walter “Robby” Robinson of “Spotlight” fame March 8. Robinson, portrayed in the Academy Award-winning film by Michael Keaton, will speak to several classes and present “Spotlight on Spotlight” at 4 p.m. in the Armstrong Student Center’s Pavilion rooms.

In anticipation of his visit, several MJF faculty members have assigned students to read some of the Boston Globe’s original coverage of the priest pedophile scandal, as well as a comprehensive Columbia University-produced case study related to its Spotlight team. Need a reminder of the importance of deep, investigative work in American journalism? Watch the film. Read the coverage. Read the case study. And if you are anywhere near Oxford, Ohio, March 8, join us to welcome Robby Robinson.

(Just in: As the nation recalls the Catholic church scandal in Boston, a Pennsylvania grand jury on Tuesday released a 147-page report alleging that some 50 priests and other religious leaders in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese abused hundreds of children over four decades. Coverage of the report notes that journalists who cover the central Pennsylvania community have been writing about the scandal there for years.)

Schoonover Center for Communication at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University | The Collaborative

The super smart folks at Ohio University have assembled a super smart conference focused on the future of student media. The Future of Student Media Summit in Athens, Ohio, promises to be two days of top-notch advice and forecasting. Check out the A List speakers — many of whom are OU grads — on the conference site. I’m making the trek east from Cincinnati with two colleagues and a van full of students. Hope to see some of you there.

The Planning Committee for Looking Back, Moving Forward is hard at work lining up a great roster of speakers. We’ll release the list this coming weekend. In the meantime, we’ve extended the early bird prices through March 8. Visit spjforward2016.com for all the details. And watch for updates!