What the EJC team is looking forward to in Perugia

From April 3–7, Europe’s biggest gathering for journalists is opening its doors.

The International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy (short: Perugia) is going into its 13th edition, featuring 280 different sessions. The European Journalism Centre will be involved in the programme more than ever this year.

We’ll be there with 14 sessions and six staff members, as well as many EJC friends. We will be discussing topics surrounding our focus areas: Freedom, Funding, Leadership, Storytelling and Digital.

Are you interested in catching up on these topics — or with our colleagues? Here’s an overview of our sessions and where you can find us.

Freedom

With press freedom increasingly under attack, one of the EJC’s goals this year is to enable media environment by implementing and connecting press freedom initiatives globally.

• Media covering media: press freedom in the news

4 April, 15:00–16:00, Palazzo Sorbello

A panel discussion featuring the columnists of our ‘Press Released’ series on press freedom and journalism safety issues, produced in partnership with Project Syndicate.

• Media capture: when journalists and journalism are NOT the problem

5 April, 16:00–17:00, Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani

Media capture constitutes one of the gravest threats to independent journalism. This session will cover the issue by featuring stories of panelists from countries strongly impacted by state and business entities bent on stifling freedom of expression.

For all sessions around press freedom, get in touch with our colleague Josh.

Funding

To help journalism discover new means of sustainability, in 2019 we will focus on the testing and development of new funding models.

• Funders confidential

6 April, 10:00–11:00, Hotel Brufani — Sala Raffaello

How do foundations take decisions when it comes to funding projects, organisations and ideas? We will discuss this with the decision makers from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Luminate Group, Open Society Foundations and Rudolf Augstein Stiftung.

• How Big Tech is re-defining journalism

4 April, 11:00–12:00, Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni

What is Google trying to achieve with its 150 million euro DNI fund for European media? The panel will discuss the findings of a cross-border investigation on how Google uses its money as a soft-power tool in journalism.

• Can we escape the innovation binge/purge cycle?

4 April, 14:00–15:00, Sala del Dottorato

It seems like there’s always something new that promises to “save” the industry. This session will look at the important lessons we can learn from adjacent industries about testing and learning in ways that help the news business move forward.

Leadership

Leadership and diversity are crucial to the reinvention of journalism. This year the EJC will focus on supporting new journalism leaders, freelancers and cultural change.

• How life in the newsroom is (or should be) changing

4 April, 12:00–13:00, Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori

Discussing everything from hierarchy to workflows, join an honest conversation with our News Impact friends Alex Entwistle, Cristian Lupsa, Anita Zielina and Zuzanna Ziomecka, and our colleague Paula Montañà Tor, to discuss some of the vital challenges our industry is facing.

• Re-learning to listen: one way news organisations can regain trust

6 April, 12:00–13:00, Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori

How can news organisations re-learn to listen and regain trust? Our panelists will discuss the ways we can restore trust in newsrooms.

• Measuring what matters: new ways of quantifying the impact of great journalism

5 April, 10:00–11:00, Centro Servizi G. Alessi

A look into new ways of quantifying the impact of great journalism. Both sessions will be moderated by our colleague Kathryn Geels.

Storytelling

As news organisations cut back, certain types of journalism have suffered. In 2019, we will support new forms of storytelling, especially on underreported topics.

• Parachute journalism: is development reporting a thing of the past?

6 April, 15:00–16:00, Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado

Featuring grantees of our Innovation in Development Reporting Grant Programme (IDR), this panel discussion will look at parachute journalism, asking whether development reporting is a thing of the past.

• How newsrooms report on development

4 April, 11:00–12:00, Palazzo Sorbello

A discussion with grantees of our publishers grants and the New Arrivals project, on the challenges in development reporting and on how development reporting is changing the way newsrooms think about topics like migration, climate and equality. Both sessions will be joined by our colleague Elise Rochez.

• Reality journalism: a new format taking the world by storm

4 April, 18:00–19:00, Palazzo Sorbello

This interactive panel on reality journalism will showcase our investigative journalism TV shows in Europe and Africa that are regularly watched by more than 2 million people. This session will be joined by our colleague Josh LaPorte.

Digital

Digital skills and data journalism have great value in journalism. For this reason, the EJC will focus on connecting and training students and journalists in digital and data skills.

• Data journalism handbook: ask me anything

4 April, 14:00–15:00, Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado

An interactive Ask Me Anything session with Christina Elmer, Paul Bradshaw and Lindsay Green-Barber, authors of the Data Journalism Handbook. Tip-off: during this session, we will be previewing our new DataJournalism.com website.

• Data journalism: a local revolution

6 April, 17:00–18:00, Palazzo Sorbello

What are the challenges of data journalism done at a local level? This panel will look at data journalism for local newsrooms with Megan Lucero of The Bureau Local, Marianna Bruschi & Marie-Louise Timcke.

For all things data journalism & EJC get in touch with Letizia Gambini.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!