The International Journalism Festival weekly round-up. Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter, by following our Telegram channel, or by joining us on X and Facebook.
Journalist or Russian spy? The strange case of Pablo González. As a Spanish reporter, Pablo González charmed his way into Russian opposition circles and covered Putin’s wars. Then, in 2022, he was arrested on suspicion of espionage. Many former associates now believe that he betrayed them
Pluralistic media for democracy: strengthening Europe’s independent media landscape. Through support in innovation, business sustainability, and audience engagement, a new initiative will empower media organisations to continue their critical role in upholding democracy and fostering informed public discourse across Europe
The climate crisis threatens societal collapse—how many more hurricanes will it take for us to wake up? As a new scientific report warns that the world is on the ‘brink of an irreversible climate disaster’, why do politicians and the media seem so uninterested? By Alan Rusbridger
In Germany, a ‘public media critic’ tackles Trump and ‘epistemological Switzerland.’ What is the value of the journalist as a “neutral observer in this epistemological Switzerland, just taking notes when the world is breaking apart”?
Journalism needs a better story. Journalism isn’t failing because of its business model. It’s failing because it forgot how to tell a compelling story
While there is a lot of excitement around generative AI, realizing its value can be hard. In a new episode of The McKinsey Podcast, senior partners Rodney Zemmel, Eric Lamarre and Kate Smaje discuss their book, Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI, and how leaders can deliver successful digital and AI transformations in a fast-changing era.
Press Forward awards $20 million to 205 small local newsrooms. In response to the volume and quality of applications, Press Forward doubled the funding and number of grantees for this open call
Why Microsoft Copilot Daily launch is ‘moment of significance’ for news industry. Copilot Daily will give users an AI-generated summary of news and weather
A Russian non-profit interferes in Moldova’s EU referendum — and builds an anti-Western influence machine. Backed by fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, the ‘Evrazia’ organization is paying Moldovans to vote against the EU. CU SENS jointly with The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and IStories Media unveiled the many ways Russia is trying to create a Eurasian identity as opposed to a European one, by pumping tens of millions of dollars to disrupt the electoral process and further polarise the society
International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) provides a lifeline to independent news outlets in Eastern Europe. IFPIM today announced awards of new grant support to five independent media organizations in Moldova and Georgia, confirmed between March and September of 2024. Support to these independent news outlets expands the total investment in the region to just over US$ 3 million, and doubles the number of organizations funded in Eastern Europe since 2022
Announcing the five winners of the 2024 Climate Journalism Award. The jury praised the winners for excelling at connecting complex climate issues to human experiences, making abstract concepts more urgent and relatable to audiences. From effective storytelling techniques to combining data visualisation and investigative research, as well as showing strong personal narratives, the winning projects revealed the far-reaching effects of climate change
The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg warns newsroom decay is how ‘democracy decomposes.’ “We’re sleepwalking into an absolute disaster,” Goldberg said
Image credit: screenshot of 15 October 2024 Guardian article Journalist or Russian spy? The strange case of Pablo González