

Salon Series: An Evening of Impact with Mike Allen and Jessica Yellin
Salon Series: An Evening of Impact with Mike Allen and Jessica Yellin
Exploring news entrepreneurship, public trust and the future of political journalism
Date: Friday, Sept. 19, 2025
Time: 6:30 to 9 p.m. ET
Location: SEQUOIA, 3000 K Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20007
Ticket: $1,500 per guest
(Event cost $500, tax deductible portion $1,000) Your participation in this event supports the work of the Poynter Institute.
In celebration of Poynter’s 50th anniversary, please join the Poynter Institute for an exclusive, invitation-only gathering in Washington, D.C., featuring two of journalism’s most influential political voices:
📰 Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios and author of Axios AM
📺 Jessica Yellin, founder of News Not Noise and former White House correspondent
Poynter will honor Allen and Yellin with the Poynter 50 “Make a Mark” Leadership Award — a recognition of their bold contributions to journalism and their impact on public understanding.
The evening includes an intimate conversation that will be moderated by Neil Brown, president of the Poynter Institute, and will explore how Allen and Yellin each moved from traditional newsrooms to launch trusted new platforms. The discussion will focus on how journalism is adapting to connect with modern audiences — and what these shifts mean for the future of political coverage and public trust.
With just 50 seats available, this salon-style event offers an opportunity to engage directly with the ideas and individuals shaping journalism today.
This is more than just a conversation — it’s an Evening of Impact. No podiums. No pretense. Just smart, unfiltered conversation about truth, audience and impact.
Your attendance directly supports the mission of the Poynter Institute. Every dollar helps train journalists, combat misinformation and uphold press freedom. Use code POYNTER50 for a $100 early supporter discount for a limited time.
To learn more, contact Aaron Sharockman at asharockman@poynter.org or call (727) 553-4336.
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About our Honorees
Mike Allen, Co-founder and Executive Editor of Axios, Former POLITICO Chief White House Correspondent
Mike Allen is one of Washington’s most influential and well-connected journalists. He is the co-founder and executive editor of Axios, a disruptive media company delivering news and insights on politics, business, media and tech. The company specializes in high-quality news and analysis easily shared among readers and across social platforms. Axios has been recognized for its forward-thinking approach to the way people consume news in the 21st century.
The approach is chronicled in Allen’s book Smart Brevity: Saying More with Less, which he co-authored alongside Axios co-founder, Jim VandeHei. Allen was also the co-creator and executive producer of Axios on HBO, a documentary news series that ran for four seasons, profiling the world’s top leaders and covering the most consequential topics of the day.
In addition to starting Axios, Allen was a co-founder at POLITICO, the digital media company that upended political and policy journalism in Washington, New York and Europe. He not only reported on but also drove the day’s conversations in and around the Beltway. In 2006, Allen joined POLITICO and served as the chief White House correspondent and was the founding father of the successful daily email tip-sheet Playbook. The New York Times called Allen “The Man the White House Wakes Up To,” and Vanity Fair said, “Reading Playbook is as close as you can come on a Washington morning to knowing everything.”
Time named Allen one of its top 140 Twitter feeds, and in 2017, Vanity Fair named Allen to its “New Establishment List,” an annual compilation of industry titans. Allen also won the White House Correspondents’ Association’s Merriman Smith Memorial Award for “Outstanding presidential coverage on deadline” in 2004.
Jessica Yellin, News Not Noise Founder, and Former White House Correspondent
Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a Webby award-winning independent news brand. Over 1.3 M subscribers and followers across digital media rely on Jessica and News Not Noise for trusted information and to manage their “information overload.” She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Award-winning political correspondent for ABC, MSNBC and CNN. Her novel, Savage News, is available from HarperCollins. Subscribe to News Not Noise on Substack. Follow on Instagram @JessicaYellin
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The Poynter Foundation is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to improve journalism in service to democracy. Proceeds from this fundraising event will power Poynter’s efforts to stoke civil connection and thoughtful expression between journalists and the communities they serve.
The EIN for the organization is 99-0731998.