Artificial Intelligence has quickly gone from the fringe to the mainstream in so many aspects of our everyday lives. Despite this rapid integration, many people still don’t have a full understanding of AI and what it can and can’t do. They may not even realize when it is and is not being used.
That includes journalism.
The Akron Press Club is convening a forum to provide a better understanding of the considerations being made in newsrooms across Northeast Ohio. There will be an opportunity for questions from the audience.
Our panel will include news leaders as well as journalism faculty teaching the next generation of journalists and will be moderated by Ideastream Public Media Deputy Editor-News and Akron Press Club Board Member Andrew Meyer.
The forum follows a week-long reporting project by Ideastream looking at the intersections of life and AI in Northeast Ohio. Ideastream is a media partner for this event.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Time: Doors open at 11 a.m. for buffet luncheon. Program begins at noon.
Location: The East End, 1200 E. Market St,, Akron, OH 44305
Cost: $35 for individual tickets | $210 for table of 6
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation requests must be received no later than 48 hours before the event. After that time, there will be no refunds and an invoice will be issued for payment.
About the panelists
Mizell Stewart III
Stewart is a lifelong journalist and community servant with a passion for transforming organizations and lives for the better. Today, he is a Professional-in-Residence at the School of Media and Journalism at Kent State University and President and CEO of Emerging Leaders, LLC, a consulting and coaching company serving mid-level and senior executives in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, he was a senior news executive for Gannett and the USA TODAY Network, Managing Director and Chief Content Officer for Journal Media Group and Vice President/Content for the newspaper division of The E.W. Scripps Company. Earlier in his career, he led newsrooms in Akron, Ohio, Evansville, Ind. and Tallahassee, Fla.
Phil Trexler
Editor-in-Chief, The Marshall Project - Cleveland
Trexler has worked as a journalist for over three decades. During his career, Phil spent 16 years at the Akron Beacon Journal as a criminal justice reporter, and about seven years as an investigative producer for WKYC TV-3. He joined The Marshall Project in 2023.
Proceeds from Akron Press Club events fund scholarships for journalism and public relations students. Between the Press Club and the John S. Knight Memorial Scholarship Fund, scholarships of $5,000 were awarded to nine students in 2025. The Press Club sincerely thanks Summit County, Dr. Aileen Thong and Elizabeth Bartz for their donations to the scholarship fund. The Press Club also partnered with Sojourner Truth Education Committee to award two scholarships to Akron Public Schools graduating seniors.