The International Journalism Festival weekly round-up. Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter, by following us on Instagram or Telegram, or by joining us on Bluesky.
The pioneers rebuilding Syria’s fragile news ecosystem: “The media needs to break these walls between people.” With the country in transition, two Syrian journalists discuss press freedom, funding challenges, news influencers and the media’s role in this time. Kholoud Helmi and Loujein Haj Youssef will be #ijf25 speakers
Collaborative journalism is our only future. A case from Forbidden Stories. Laurent Richard will be a #ijf25 speaker
The festival will take place in two weeks. Here is the #ijf25 e-brochure. Check the online programme for real-time updates. Kindly note that the following festival sessions require registration. Sign up now to guarantee your place: Management and culture clinics (Thursday 10, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 April), Safety clinics for journalists and editors (Thursday 10, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 April), Sunrise smartphone photography walk (Friday 11 April), New angles: creating a richer, more inclusive news story (Friday 11 April) and Sunrise smartphone videography walk (Saturday 12 April)
The Third Way of funding independent media. Philanthropy as a catalyst, not a savior. Patrice Schneider will be a #ijf25 speaker
The Trump Administration accidentally texted me its war plans. U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling
CPJ denounces Israel’s killing of 2 more Gaza journalists in return to war. On March 24, deadly Israeli strikes hit the car of Qatari-based Al Jazeera Mubasher’s Hossam Shabat near northern Gaza’s Beit Lahia, and the home in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis of Mohammed Mansour, who worked for the pro-Islamic Jihad, Beirut-based Palestine Today TV
The evolution of media and democracy. How we got here. How we might move forward. On the paradox of free expression and its challenging impact on effective democracies and the role of journalism. Richard Gingras will be a #ijf25 speaker
Inside the newsroom: how Conecta Arizona covers immigration news and protects journalists. Maritza L. Félix on the challenges of reporting for Hispanic communities and staying safe in a hostile political climate. Maritza L. Félix will be a #ijf25 speaker
The “broken rung” is the missing step on the career ladder that keeps women from reaching their first promotion. A new book by McKinsey senior partners Kweilin Ellingrud, Lareina Yee, and María del Mar Martínez, The Broken Rung, gives you strategies for how to overcome it and fulfill your potential.
Trump’s attacks on press freedom are paving the way for authoritarianism. A leading global democracy research institute says democratic “backsliding” must be turned around quickly—warning that after 10 years, recovery is “close to impossible.” Joel Simon and V-Dem Institute director Staffan Lindberg will be #ijf25 speakers
‘No matter the obstacles’: ICIJ’s 2024 Annual Report shows how journalists tracked power and exposed corruption. Investigations into Kazakh oil, Swazi financial networks and IRS weaknesses drove change in a year marked by volatility. Gerard Ryle will be a #ijf25 speaker
The Public Method: redefining how to measure journalism’s value. Data and metrics are not the only way to consider the impact of news. A framework used by Dutch public broadcaster NPO factors in individual audience needs and broader societal functions. Maike Olij and Karlijn Goossen will be #ijf25 speakers. And the #ijf25 panel entiled Journalism’s public value: balancing individual metrics and societal impact will address this topic
“There is a lack of skill in media management.” Martin Kotynek, founding director of the Media Forward Fund, stresses the need for sustainable business models in journalism to strengthen democracy, shares insights to their funding model focusing on user-centric independent media in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and highlights the growing role of pooled funds. Martin Kotynek will be a #ijf25 speaker
Trust, consistency, differentiation: Politico’s Jamil Anderlini on building a news brand. Digital media consultant Mark Challinor continues the News Horizons series by talking to the people shaping tomorrow’s media. The latest edition is with Jamil Anderlini, European regional director, Politico. Jamil Anderlini will be a #ijf25 speaker
The AP’s freedom of speech—and yours. A brazen attempt to punish us for using words Trump dislikes. Julie Pace will be a #ijf25 speaker
Russian networks flood the Internet with propaganda, aiming to corrupt AI chatbots. The self-iterating and widespread nature of artificial intelligence is a perfect medium for a novel abuse of the technology vis a vis disinformation. Nina Jankowicz will be a #ijf25 speaker
“Adolescence” and “Dorian Gray” are human triumphs over tech. These shows are creative feats only a human could pull off. Mitra Kalita will be a #ijf25 speaker
Image credit: screenshot of 25 March 2025 Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism article.