We invite you to check out the full festival programme on the website, but to provide a taster we have prepared the following brief overview. By clicking on +info► you can link to full details of each session, and then add it if you wish to your personal festival day-by-day agenda on your computer or smartphone.
10:00 – 10:50 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | media under attack
The rise of populism and autocratism: how should journalists respond? +info►
In June 2022 Andras Petho wrote an article for Nieman Reports entitled I witnessed Orbán crackdown on Hungary’s free press. Here’s my advice to journalists facing similar threats about his experience with working in Hungary, which is an increasingly hostile environment for independent journalists. In the piece he argued that while it is tempting to focus on ourselves and engage in fights with politicians and propagandists on social media, it is a much better use of our resources if we dedicate all of our energy to ambitious reporting projects instead. Andras deeply believes in this, but he understands that others might think that it is a much better approach to be vocal in the face of populist attacks. Given that this is an ongoing debate, we have organized a panel around this topic. How should journalists respond to the rise of populism and autocratism? Should we engage in direct conflicts with those who attack liberal democracy (and traditional media as part of it)? Or should we find other ways to handle thes challenges?
10:00 – 10:50 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | social media platforms
TikTok and the news: how can publishers join the party? +info►
After a brief introduction of how TikTok has become an important source of news for the young, and an update of the top news accounts in the world based on the recent Reuters Institute TikTok report, the panelists will talk about their personal journey, their tips for TikTok success and how they think the platform will develop this year. The challenges of distributing news on this Chinese-owned platform will also be discussed.
10:00 – 10:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Priori | investigative journalism
Satellite imagery for crisis reporting +info►
This workshop is an introduction to the use of satellite imagery for crisis reporting and beyond. Working with emblematic case studies, such as Amnesty’s investigation into the supply chain of aviation fuel in Myanmar, we will cover the basics of satellite imagery including availability of satellite imagery and other geo-spatial data, investigatory techniques and main tools to boost investigative capacity in your newsroom.
Organised in association with Citizen Evidence Lab Amnesty International.
10:00 – 10:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | diversity, equity & inclusion
Where are the working-class journalists? +info►
Working-class representation in UK journalism has hit a record low. A report released in 2022 found a staggering 80% of journalists come from professional and upper-class backgrounds, and while race and gender representation had improved in recent years, social class was the only factor surveyed where the UK news industry is getting increasingly unequal over time. So what’s being done about this? What’s it like for reporters from low-income backgrounds to make their way into the industry – and how do they still face barriers today? Are newsrooms changing their hiring practices to focus on social class? In this panel discussion, the speakers will have a candid conversation about their personal experiences of class barriers in the industry, as well as their ideas for how to make journalism an industry less dominated by the well-connected, wealthy elite.
10:00 – 10:50 > Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori | decolonising journalism
Decolonizing journalism: global coverage from a local perspective +info►
Parachute journalism, sending reporters from western countries into
Black and brown communities globally, is a foundational and
institutionalized norm in journalism. It also leads to coverage of
communities and countries from the perspective of “us” and “them”, some
of those conversations rooted in our histories of colonialism. What
place should parachute journalism, if at all, occupy in the global
conversation about journalism (and colonialism)? What lessons have we
learned from mainstream coverage that can support the (re)building of
newsrooms to move away from that type of journalism?
11:00 – 11:50 > Auditorium San Francesco al Prato | collaborative journalism
Radical sharing: 15 years of cross-border collaborative journalism +info►
As more and more reporting partnerships take hold across the globe, it’s almost hard to imagine a time when journalists were not working together. But it wasn’t always so. Industry pioneers talk about the early days of cross-border collaborative investigative reporting, how it got started, and what’s on tap for the future. Organised in association with Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
11:00 – 11:50 > Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori | climate reporting
Climate reporting literacy: what journalists need to learn and communities want to know +info►
Increased focus on climate change effects has seen the rise of explainer journalism formats, reporting that aims to center the most vulnerable, and the increase in associated themes such as “climate anxiety,” “greenwashing,” “climate justice,” and “carbon credits.” This has resulted in a need for climate change literacy, and while some audiences seek education from peers or social media, many journalists face the challenge of having to understand climate change, at the same time they are supposed to be reporting authoritatively on its effects. This panel will focus on climate literacy and its overall importance in supporting media in how they cover climate change, and in turn support communities in better understanding what is happening as we face this global phenomenon. Overwhelmed by the overlaying themes of crises associated with climate change reporting, studies like the Reuter’s Digital News Report show that year after year, more and more people are tuning out, and stop following the news. Informed by the practice of constructive journalism, this panel will discuss how journalists need to move forward with a set of skills to better report on the issue of climate change in a way that people keep following the news. This would include key tenets of constructive journalism being the focus on solutions, shining a light on multiple perspectives and fostering constructive dialogues. Organised in association with Bonn Institute.
11:00 – 11:50 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | impact
How elevating diverse voices and perspectives drives impact in global development and human rights reporting +info►
Join Guardian, BBC and Intelligent Sanctuary editors, writers and collaborators as they share insights into how they navigate and define the wide remit of such foreign reporting; effective approaches to indigenous reporting and partnerships; editorial decision-making on collaborative projects, considerations of duty of care for reporters and photographers; and how much concern for real world impact they believe should be at the centre of journalism.
Sponsored by The Guardian.
11:00 – 11:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Priori | podcasting, audio & video
YouTube News Shorts workshop +info►
How to optimize your news experience and tell your stories on YouTube Shorts. We’ll discuss vertical video case studies and short content inspiration.
Sponsored by Google News Initiative.
11:00 – 11:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | data journalism
Ambitious data journalism under pressure: doing big work in small newsrooms +info►
Great data journalism is often seen as a resource-intensive exercise that only huge newsrooms can afford to indulge in. But the speakers in this panel prove that’s not the case. Working in small teams – sometimes alone – they managed to pull off some of the year’s best work. Learn from their experiences, tips and techniques. Organised in association with Sigma Awards.
11:00 – 11:50 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | Ukraine
Ukraine Europe: towards a common defence and security policy +info►
One year after the beginning of the Russian invasion, the European Union is still standing with Ukraine. However, this new situation of war at its borders has urged the EU to reopen the debate about a common Security and Defence policy. This panel will analyse European support for Ukraine as well as the impact of the war on EU decision-making as far as security is concerned. Members of the European Parliament (including Vice President Picierno) and experts from think tanks will provide insight into the matter.
Sponsored by the European Parliament.
12:00 – 12:50 > Auditorium San Francesco al Prato | Ukraine
Covering Mariupol +info►
The stunning collection of searing visuals that have come to define the largest war in Europe since World War II speak for themselves. The three journalists behind it – the only international journalists inside besieged Mariupol – provided the world’s only window into what was happening on the ground. At great personal risk they told the story of a desperate city cut off from the outside world and, after three weeks, managed to escape under constant bombardment. Mstyslav Chernov and Vasilisa Stepanenko (Evgeniy Maloletka is unable to join them) will be in conversation with Barbara Serra.
Organised in association with The Associated Press.
12:00 – 12:25 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | in conversation
The value of independent journalism in a polarized world +info►
In an increasingly polarized world, Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni will join Ros Atkins to discuss the importance of independent, unbiased journalism, why diversity in the newsroom is essential and the new challenges and opportunities facing journalists – from AI to a rising interest in advocacy to digital harassment.
Organised in association with Reuters.
12:00 – 12:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | diversity, equity & inclusion
Underreporting and misreporting of queer lives in the Global South media +info►
New queer people focused media outlets such as queerbeat in India and Kuchu Times in Uganda, and community-building organizations such as Queer Lapis in Malaysia and The Queer Muslim Project in Asia, are rebuilding the narrative about LGBTQIA+ persons by accurately and deeply covering the community and uplifting their voices in the region. The panel will discuss why the mainstream media in the Global South has underserved the LGBTQIA+ community, and how the new queer people focused newsrooms and social media organisations are changing that, how they are making the media ecosystem queer inclusive, and what challenges they are encountering while doing so.
12:35 – 13:00 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | in conversation
Artist on the frontlines: a conversation with artist and writer Molly Crabapple +info►
Molly Crabapple is an award-winning artist and writer who has reported for The New York Times, Guardian, Rolling Stone and many more. She has traveled between war zones and Guantanamo Bay, Abu Dhabi labor camps and post-Maria Puerto Rico drawing portraits and dramatic scenes, often when no cameras were allowed. Her sensitively rendered images drawn from life depict individuals caught in political systems that control their fate and future; each offers news readers insight into a subject that is contemplative and introspective in a way that is far different from the split second nature of a photograph. This conversation will explore how publications can make room for more material artistic observations of political events that speak to the human need to connect while also acting as a kind of critical cultural response. Molly Crabapple will be speaking with Marisa Mazria Katz, a journalist and non-profit leader who has worked within the sphere of art and journalism for over a decade.
14:00 – 14:50 > Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori | media under attack
How today’s media can prepare for the crises of tomorrow! +info►
Why do most media outlets do not prepare for crisis, even if one is already knocking at their door? The recent past has shown how exposed media outlets are to sudden shocks and disruptions. Many have struggled in the last few years: violent conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, inflationary spirals and economic downturns. Crises which threaten media viability and continuity, in addition to already existing challenges of digital disruption, authoritarian political regimes, and eroding public trust. Yet some media outlets can adapt quickly. They not only survive disasters but continue to deliver the information people need in times of crisis. And often go even beyond capturing new audiences despite the odds. In this session, media managers from Iraq, Myanmar and Belarus will share their most successful strategies and shed some light on how to best encourage media to prepare for crisis.
Organised in association with DW Akademie.
14:00 – 14:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Priori | other topics
The power of editorial cartoons +info►
In this workshop, cartoonists Emanuele Del Rosso and Tjeerd Royaards show the participants what makes political cartoons tick. Why are cartoons one of the first things to be banned by authoritarian regimes? Who do political leaders (especially those who don’t like democracy all that much) fear what in essence is no more than a few lines on paper? Join us to find out the power of cartoons in this hands-on workshop that will challenge you to make your own political cartoon. Drawing skills are not required.
14:00 – 14:50 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | AI
AI journalism: the next generation? +info►
AI is now part of news gathering, production and delivery around the world, from small specialist newsrooms to global organisations. But how is changing the journalism created and what impact will it have on the industry overall? What are the ethical, economic and editorial issues at stake as machine learning, text/video generation, automation and personalisation become drivers of news creation and consumption? Organised in association with the JournalismAI team at Polis/LSE.
15:00 – 15:50 > Auditorium San Francesco al Prato | media under attack
Fighting gendered disinformation: how women journalists stand up to dictators, shadowy foreign agents and digital conspiracy networks +info►
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa learned how to stand up to a dictator when she was targeted by gendered disinformation linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte. The BBC’s Marianna Spring has been prolifically targeted with sexist abuse while reporting from the frontlines of the ‘disinformation war’, and the Observer’s Carole Cadwalladr was misrepresented and maligned in a misogynistic trolling campaign with links to Russia after exposing the Cambridge Analytica scandal and reporting critically on Brexit. All three women join the International Center for Journalists’ (ICFJ) Julie Posetti – lead researcher on The Chilling, a global study which found that 41% of women journalists surveyed had experienced online violence as an aspect of coordinated disinformation campaigns. She also leads the research project at the heart of ICFJ’s Disarming Disinformation program.
Organised in association with International Center for Journalists.
15:00 – 15:25 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | in conversation
Turkey at the crossroads: democracy or an Erdogan fiefdom? +info►
Marking its centennial as a republic, Turkey goes in May to its most critical elections ever – seen as an “existential referendum” between democracy and totalitarian rule. How has the Erdoğan government managed to demolish the freedom and independence of Turkish media? An interview of Yavuz Baydar by Marco Ansaldo.
15:30 – 15:55 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | Ukraine
What it’s like to investigate your country’s military during war +info►
In 2022, the Kyiv Independent became the only Ukrainian media to publish investigative stories looking into alleged misconduct and corruption in the Ukrainian military. It’s a taboo topic among Ukrainian journalists who often choose to self-censor in order to avoid hurting their country’s military or government as Ukraine is fighting a war for survival against the Russian invasion. The Kyiv Independent published two investigations into alleged misconduct in the International Legion, a special unit of the Ukrainian army created for foreigners who volunteered to fight for Ukraine. Among the allegations is the most taboo topic of all: Western-donated weapons going missing, allegedly embezzled by the corrupt commandment. Publishing a story like this in Ukraine today means not only dealing with accusations of being a traitor, but also facing a criminal prosecution. The Kyiv Independent chose to not self-censor. This presentation is by Anna Myroniuk, the head of investigations at the Kyiv Independent, and the author of both stories. Anna will explain how the team worked on the investigations, and what it had to deal with when investigating Ukrainian military during an invasion. It will mention both the hard moral choices and the practical lessons of these investigations.
Organised in association with The Kyiv Independent.
16:00 – 16:50 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | business models & funding
What’s next for the business of news? +info►
With high inflation and a looming recession, legacy revenues in accelerated decline, online advertising primarily going to platforms, and digital reader revenues growing only at some titles in a winner-takes-most market, news continues to be a challenging business. This panel will focus on lessons learned at different kinds of publishers forging ways ahead – including titles focused on reader revenue, titles focused on advertising, and titles that mix membership and advertising – and identify key trends journalists need to recognize in a market with few winners, and many losers.
16:00 – 16:50 > Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori | journalists in exile
Building a viable newsroom in exile: successes and challenges of Russian independent media +info►
The war censorship and unprecedented crackdown on press freedom in 2022 saw a mass exodus of Russian journalists and media organisations abroad. As a result, Russian independent journalism – painstakingly built over past decades – has been at risk of being wiped out. Nonetheless, many media have found ways to adapt and overcome the numerous challenges, which includes developing new business models, finding new ways to report stories and developing tech solutions to maintain ties to their audience despite the censorship. This panel will explore how Russian media are building viable newsrooms abroad, cases of success and failure, and what it takes for media to survive in exile – when relations with audiences and ability to report from the ground are gravely strained.
16:00 – 16:50 > Auditorium San Francesco al Prato | legal protection for journalists
Media freedom, democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong: the case of Jimmy Lai and Apple Daily +info►
This expert panel will discuss the case of Jimmy Lai and Apple Daily, and the wider ramifications of this case for media freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong and across the region. This panel is timely and urgent, taking place in the months leading up to Jimmy Lai’s September 2023 trial. Moderating the discussion is Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Director of the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute, who has been sanctioned by the Chinese government for her human rights work in relation to China as a Parliamentarian. Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai’s son, will describe how his father and family have been targeted, and why he is now leading the international #FreeJimmyLai campaign. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, who heads Jimmy Lai’s international legal team and also represents his son Sebastien, will discuss why this case is emblematic of risks to journalists and media organisations in the region and around the world, and Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post will bring his perspective, as an expert in media freedom issues but also as a journalist who has been imprisoned for his work and who has seen first-hand the value and importance of an international solidarity campaign to secure his release.
Organised in association with Doughty Street Chambers.
16:00 – 16:50 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | diversity, equity & inclusion
The state of gender journalism around the world: challenges, approaches and opportunities +info►
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, many newsrooms invested in greater gender coverage — but not all those initiatives have lasted through the subsequent years of pandemic and economic crises. As the world faces a global backlash against the rights of women, gender-diverse and queer people, how prepared are newsrooms to cover issues such as the fall of Roe v Wade in the US, the anti-feminist government in South Korea, the ‘green wave’ of abortion rights in Latin America or the criminalisation of sex outside marriage in Indonesia? Our panel will provide insights for their experience covering gender issues worldwide, and share exciting new findings from a global study of gender journalists. Organised in association with As Equals CNN.
16:00 – 16:50 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | journalist safety & well-being
Wounded witness: the challenge of vicarious trauma and moral injury +info►
News cycles drenched with violence, war and civil unrest don’t just challenge reporters on scene: far from the front line, an open pipeline of graphic imagery and toxic content floods the screens of video editors, investigative reporters, fact-checkers and content moderators, taking a mental-health toll on a wide range news professionals. This panel will explore this hidden newsroom health crisis and best practices for journalists and newsrooms in combating vicarious trauma, moral injury and burnout. Organised in association with Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma.
17:00 – 17:50 > Auditorium San Francesco al Prato | social media platforms
What happens to journalism now that Twitter is dying and Facebook doesn’t care about the media any more? +info►
Rightly or wrongly, a lot of journalists and publishers have come to rely on Twitter and Facebook to promote their work, reach audiences, respond to criticism, and in some cases generate revenue. Twitter has become more erratic after Elon Musk’s acquisition, and some believe it is dying — or at least declining in influence. And Facebook has cut funding to the media and made it clear it is no longer interested in giving media companies special treatment. What does the future of social media look like now, and how do media companies and journalists need to adapt?
17:00 – 17:50 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | disinformation
Fighting misinformation online: pre-bunking workshop +info►
A pre-bunking workshop from Jigsaw and DPA, explaining the why and how of pre-bunking in combatting misinformation.
Sponsored by Google News Initiative.
17:00 – 17:50 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | other topics
Freedom of the press in Europe: protecting a fundamental right +info►
Media freedom and pluralism are key values of the European Union as well as the preconditions for the realisation of democracy. However, in recent years concerns about the politicization of the media, deterioration of the right to information, and lack of transparency of media ownership have been raised in several EU member states. This panel is dedicated to the challenges of European policy makers, focusing on media freedom legislation. Representatives from European institutions will provide an insightful point of view on the issue.
Sponsored by European Commission Representation in Italy and European Parliament.
Photo credit: Alessandro Migliardi