The Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is devoting its upcoming regional conference in March to reporting on indigenous issues.

The regional conference will feature Native American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander presentations, as well as a debate contest on whether major news outlets should take significant steps to change how they gather and report news that concerns indigenous communities.

Hands-on training sessions include the use of Google, Facebook and Instagram, digital sleuthing on deadline, fighting “fake news” and copyright issues with photographs.

There will also be discussions on the Hawai‘i Journalism Resource and Style Guide, and whether the nonprofit model can work for the future of news.

Networking opportunities are also available with students and professionals from SPJ Region 11, which includes Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and the Mariana Islands.

The conference is scheduled for March 20 to 21 at the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus.

The Hawaii chapter of SPJ stands for a free press and news media protections, urges open government and transparency, and supports journalism education through internships funded by its popular, annual Gridiron show.

Visit this link for a full schedule and ticket information. UH students get a special discount on tickets.