Chicago’s ONA Congress brought AI debates, media layoffs, global applause, halal food adventures, mayor talks, airport drama, and a memorable farewell to Windy City.
By Imran Malik
The first day of the Congress began with excitement at full peak. This was my second ONA conference, while it was Asim’s first experience. We even tried a protein bar for the first time. Long lines at Starbucks inside the Hilton Hotel gave us an early signal that the day would be packed and busy.
Our first session on AI started at 9:00 a.m. Since two or three sessions were happening at the same time, Asim and I made a smart plan: split up, attend different sessions, and later share notes.
One session included a working lunch. We survived on fish and pasta because Asim was very strict about chicken. According to him, jhatka chicken was a big no.
By around 6:00 p.m., after attending session after session, we were completely exhausted and returned to our room.
At 7:30 p.m., We met an old family friend, Khalid Dogar, who has been living in Chicago for almost 35 years. Then began our search for halal food. We finally reached a Turkish restaurant where Indian owners had added their own spicy touch to Turkish cuisine. Khalid Bhai was a college fellow of my elder brother, Imtiaz Bhai. This was my second meeting with him — the first was back in 2007, when I had finished NYFA and started exploring the U.S.
The second day was equally busy. We had breakfast on Michigan Avenue in a lovely English-style café. The mashed eggs and potatoes were excellent. But Asim wanted tea with milk. The tea came hot, but the milk was ice-cold — ruining the tea completely. Still, the experience was enjoyable.
Day two had excellent sessions on AI in the newsroom. In the evening, there was a grand dinner, preceded by a reception in the Hilton ballroom with more than 1,000 journalists present.
One important panel discussed worldwide media layoffs, AI, and the future of newsrooms. I asked the first question. As soon as I said:
“I am Imran Malik, and I have come directly from Pakistan to attend this media conference…”
The whole hall burst into applause. Some people even stood up in respect. Then I asked about global layoffs, mentioning The Washington Post and other organizations, and questioned how ONA could help journalists facing job losses. Sadly, there was no strong answer.
The food was once again excellent, but for us, dessert and cheese pizza were the safest options. Day two was hectic, so we went to bed early.
Early the next morning, from our 17th-floor hotel room, I saw an amazing cloud formation outside the window and a light drizzle. Then came the usual alarm and quick preparation, because we had an important session with the Mayor of Chicago.
ONA had announced that brownies, special cookies, and free coffee would be served to all journalists, so the main ballroom was full. Mayor Johnson arrived right on time. A former school teacher, he is now Mayor of Chicago. The discussion covered the First Amendment, salary discrimination against Black and Brown women workers, Trump’s bullying of female journalists, and social media.
At around 1:00 p.m., hunger struck again, and Asim discovered a mandi shop about 30 minutes away from the hotel. It was a small place run by an Arab owner, but the food was outstanding. The chicken mandi beat all three previous meals we had eaten in Chicago.
We returned to the Congress around 3:00 p.m., met some media personalities, and checked out because our flight to Orlando was at 9:00 p.m. We also had a photo session with ONA CEO Niketa Patel and brief interviews with Kevin (ex-CNN) and Sasha (ex-Washington Post).
At the same time, another hall was specially dedicated to media stalls. We had detailed conversations with representatives at booths from Reuters, CNN, NPR, and AP.
At 4:30 p.m., we left for the airport in windy, rainy Chicago — though surprisingly, there was no rain at the airport. Check-in was through QR code. Everything went smoothly for Asim, but when it was my turn, my boarding pass showed the name Imtiaz Alam Malik instead of Imran Alam Malik.
We went to the airline representative, Suzanne, who was extremely polite and helpful. After scanning my passport, she quickly issued a new boarding pass and luggage tag in the name of Imran Malik. But Asim and I were both wondering: how did that even happen?
We had some time before the flight, so we relaxed in the lounge. Due to bad weather, the flight was delayed by one hour, and the gate changed three times. Thanks to Asim, who kept checking for updates, we kept moving toward the right gate. It felt like a 5,000-step airport marathon.
Finally, around 11:00 p.m., the plane took off for Orlando.
And we said:
Goodbye, Windy Chicago!
