What Events and Publications Does CNPA Offer for News Professionals?

CNPA (the California News Publishers Association) runs a calendar of education and networking events for news professionals and publishes The Right to Know: A Guide to Public Access and Media Law, now in its second edition and available as a digital purchase and download for $30. The events are open to the news community it serves, while some member benefits tied to membership require joining or logging in.

Events: What CNPA Hosts

CNPA maintains a calendar of upcoming events that includes:

• Webinars — online sessions for professional education.
• The California Journalism Awards Gala — the annual awards event recognizing work across the state's newsrooms.
• The annual Capital Conference — CNPA's yearly gathering in the state capital.

According to CNPA, these education and networking events exist to "keep professionals connected across the Golden State." In practice, that means the calendar mixes skill- and topic-based sessions (webinars) with larger in-person gatherings where journalists, editors, and publishers from different markets meet.

Who the events are for

CNPA's membership base spans daily, weekly, and monthly California newspapers as well as digital and campus publications. In 2020, CNPA also added individual membership opportunities for freelancers. Events are framed around that same professional community, so attendees typically include staff journalists, freelancers, editors, publishers, and educators.

How to find dates and details

CNPA points visitors to its calendar of upcoming events for dates and specifics. If you are trying to decide whether an event is worth your time, check the calendar entry for the format (webinar vs. in-person), the topic, and whether registration is limited to members — CNPA's site notes that joining or logging in unlocks benefits including the Legal Helpline and Job Bank, so some access sits behind a login.

Publications: The Right to Know

CNPA's flagship publication is The Right to Know: A Guide to Public Access and Media Law. Key facts from CNPA's own description:

Why it matters for news professionals

Public access and media law questions — records requests, open meetings, and related First Amendment issues — come up constantly in reporting. CNPA describes The Right to Know as "the essential resource" for exactly those users: newsrooms that need a reference on access law, attorneys working with media clients, and educators teaching it. Because it is sold as a digital download, buyers get immediate access rather than waiting on shipping.

How to get it

CNPA lists the guide as available for digital purchase and download at $30, with a "Learn More" link on its site leading to the purchase. There is no indication in CNPA's materials that the guide is free or included with membership, so treat the $30 digital purchase as the stated path unless you confirm otherwise.

Choosing Between Events and the Guide

These two offerings serve different needs, so the decision is fairly simple:

• If you want to build connections or pick up current practice — look at the events calendar first. Webinars suit a single topic on a tight schedule; the Awards Gala and Capital Conference suit broader networking.
• If you need a reference you will return to — the $30 digital edition of The Right to Know is the more durable purchase, especially for newsrooms, attorneys, and educators.
• If you are a freelancer or work at a small publication — check membership eligibility (individual memberships have been available since 2020) before assuming you cannot attend or access member benefits.

For current dates, prices, and registration terms, go directly to CNPA's events calendar and the Right to Know page, since those details change and CNPA's site is the authoritative source.