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 – 11:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | social media & messaging platforms
Storytelling through video on Facebook +info►
During this workshop you will learn how to engage your audience by creating videos that are social and interactive. Hear about Facebook’s latest tools and video best practices that can support your content development and help you reach more people on the platform. This workshop will also highlight how broadcasters can successfully build and engage a global community while leveraging existing resources and work flows. This session is offered with Italian National Association of Journalists training credits.
10:00 – 11:00 > Centro Servizi G. Alessi | other topics
Measuring what matters: new ways of quantifying the impact of great journalism +info►
The power of journalism has always been about the change it can bring in society. Non-profit news organisations have long thought about how to measure impact but is it time for for-profit to do the same? What would a news organisation look like that optimised for impact? Organised in association with the European Journalism Centre.
10:00 – 11:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | other topics
World News Day: a celebration of the power of journalism +info►
What is it like to have journalism change your life? On 3 May 2018, the Canadian Journalism Foundation took a moment to pause and celebrate the good and important work that journalism does in the world. The CJF launched the first-ever World News Day with inaugural events in Toronto and Montreal featuring journalists and citizens sharing stories about the power of journalism and how it effected change in their lives and communities, along with live musical performances by award-winning Canadian artists. In 2019, it’s critical we amplify the value of journalism around the world, where truth is under attack, trust in the media is in decline, and the spread of misinformation has never been faster — all threatening to undermine free press and a healthy democracy. World News Day celebrates the stories, the people, the reporting and the professional news organizations that are dedicated to changing lives, challenging the status quo, holding those in power to account and supporting freedom and democracy. World News Day 2019 will take place on May 2, the eve of the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which underscores the importance of a free press. With that freedom comes a responsibility, and World News Day is a beautiful moment to reflect what is possible when we share the stories that inspire and move us. We’re inviting newsrooms and industry bodies around the world to put their support behind WND and take part in a global movement to celebrate the power of journalism. #NewsMatters #WorldNewsDay
10:00 – 11:00 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | AI/audio/video/voice/VR
Everyone is talking about audio but what’s in it for your newsroom? +info►
Everyone is talking about audio – but what’s in it for your newsroom? (and your business and your audience) If podcasting was already on the rise last year, it is exploding now and newsrooms all over Europe and the US are investing in and launching new audio strategies. The New York Times Daily podcast seems to be the success story publishers are trying to emulate – with recent launches including a soon-to-come daily from the Wall Street Journal, the Washing Post’s Reports, Today in Focus from the Guardian, others from Elektra Bladet in Denmark and Swedish Radio. But as appealing as it is to get into audio, what’s really in it for publishers? How will this help inform and engage audiences? How will audio help build membership and subscribers? Is it really a smart investment of resources in an ecosystem where resources and revenue are scarce?
10:00 – 11:00 > Sala del Dottorato | disinformation
Disinformation in covering migration +info►
Countries across the world are dealing with an unprecedented influx of immigrants and refugees, with a record 258 million people moving to new countries in 2017. In most of these countries, citizens are inundated with mis- and disinformation about migration, sometimes through ignorance and sometimes through coordinated campaigns to vilify migrants. Americans are told that the Central American “caravan” of asylum-seekers is filled with terrorists and criminals. Europeans are told that Muslim refugees from Africa, the Middle East and Asia seek to impose Sharia law in their new homes. In countries from Costa Rica to Bangladesh, social media has been used to stir fear against immigrants fleeing persecution in their own countries. At a time when disinformation is one of the greatest challenges facing journalists, how can we ensure that audiences are not being misled about migration, an issue that is only expected to grow more serious across the globe as climate change worsens? Organised in association with the International Center for Journalists.
11:00 – 12:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | social media & messaging platforms
Stories school workshop by Facebook +info►
Stories on Facebook and Instagram is a visually immersive way for you to connect with your audience through a collection of full-screen photos and videos. The use of Stories is growing, and we see many trends and creative ways of posting. This practical workshop walks you through everything you need to be inspired and use your Stories for storytelling every day. From changing the color of text to using the rewind effect to motion pinning to tapping to reveal. Learn all of the tips and tricks of posting Stories on Instagram and Facebook. This session is offered with Italian National Association of Journalists training credits.
11:00 – 12:00 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | social media & messaging platforms
Regulation of information spread on social media: is it being done too hastily? +info►
Tighter regulation of information spread on social media and other digital information companies is on the horizon. But is it being done too hastily? Current laws in France and Germany, and legislation considered at an EU-level, focuses on removal of content, but is this too narrow an approach to fighting problems of misinformation and other harmful content? The session will consider how the new laws are affecting journalism and public discourse, and explore ideas for alternative ways to move forward with tackling the information crisis. Organised in association with Polis.
11:00 – 12:00 > Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori | community & trust
Membership that matters: it’s not just about money, it’s about trust, transparency and learning +info►
The Membership Puzzle Project defines membership as a model that invites audiences to give their time, money, connections, professional expertise, distribution to their networks, and/or ideas to support a cause they believe in. Sound like something your organization could benefit from? Come hear from experts working in and across newsrooms and academia about promoted practices in news membership. We’ll share what differentiates some journalism sites that foster robust community involvement, lessons on products that build loyalty, and timely themes in digital and editorial strategy, workflow, and technology. This session is for people interested in business models and member-engaged journalism, including journalists and editors working in member-oriented newsrooms, organizations considering restructuring or moving to a membership model, and anyone else who wants a firmer understanding of membership models. Organised in association with the Membership Puzzle Project.
11:00 – 12:00 > Palazzo Sorbello | diversity & inclusion
Telling gender stories innovatively in the #metoo era +info►
A commitment to gender equality, through both organisational structure and content, is a marker common to the news publishers studied in the latest report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Journalism Innovation Project to be published during #IJF19. But what does innovative storytelling about gender equality and women’s empowerment look like in the #metoo era? And what can we learn from international case studies in the practice of women-centred journalism? In this session, leading women journalists and editors from three countries dissect case studies from their own contexts, demonstrating the power of innovative approaches to reporting and storytelling from a female perspective. We’ll look at France 24’s pioneering news program about gender equality The 51 Percent designed to empower women dealing with discrimination, at the agenda-setting NewsMavens from Poland, and at one journalist’s emotionally-engaged account of surviving sexual assault and combatting harassment.
11:00 – 12:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | business models, funding & start-ups
Is philanthropy the answer to save journalism? +info►
While the news industry struggles to find a sustainable revenue model, newsrooms including Reuters and some promising digital startups have announced mass layoffs in recent months. Meanwhile, nonprofit newsrooms are growing in influence and impact, relying on funding from foundations and individual readers, while billionaires are coming to the rescue pumping money into floundering news operations like the LA Times and TIME Magazine, following on the heels of Jeff Bezos’ success at he Washington Post. What are the advantages and pitfalls of journalists soliciting donations from readers, foundations and grant-makers, and knights in shining armor trying to save journalism with infusions of cash? Join Indira Lakshmanan of nonprofit Pulitzer Center; Alan Rusbridger, formerly of the Guardian and now chair of RISJ; Vivian Schiller of the Scott Trust and the Civil Foundation and Craig Newmark, who has donated millions of dollars to support a range of news organizations, to discuss the pros and cons of relying on philanthropy to support news and information.
11:00 – 12:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Priori | investigative journalism
How we discovered the biggest tax robbery in European history +info►
In October 2018, 39 journalists from 19 media in 12 countries published the CumEx Files and unveiled the biggest tax robbery in European history. Bankers, brokers and rich investors robbed over the years 55 billion euros from the treasuries of EU countries. Oliver Schröm, editor-in-chief of the German newsroom CORRECTIV, was one of the initiators and head of European research cooperation. He describes how this team of investigative journalists researched, how they evaluated 180,000 documents, how they got an insider to make a confession in front of their TV camera. Schröm shows how he and his colleague Christian Saleweski slipped into the role of billionaires and proved with the help of an offshore company in a spectacular undercover mission that these cheaters are plundering public treasuries not just in Europe but around the world.
12:00 – 13:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | AI/audio/video/voice/VR
Leveraging new technology to consume news +info►
An in-depth explanation about how third-party developers can use the power of voice interactions through Alexa and Echo devices to reach customers (and listeners) in even more ways. Max Amordeluso, EU Lead Evangelist Amazon Alexa, will provide an overview of Alexa Skills and their growth in Italy and worldwide, explaining how customers can listen to daily news via Alexa devices. Organised by Amazon.
12:00 – 13:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | other topics
European right-wing populism +info►
The upcoming European elections see the populist right aiming at Brussels with an explicitly anti-EU agenda; Fidez in Hungary, Lega in Italy, Rassemblement National in France, the AFD in Germany and the FPO in Austria have all campaigned on nationalist demands in a climate of continuous propaganda, made up of references to the homeland and the creation of enemies for purposes of national identity. An approach which has been built on exploiting or circumventing mainstream media, working widely at a local level and focusing on the weak responses of traditional politics to the Eurozone crisis. The speakers will evaluate this transnational scenario, seeking to identify characteristics and contiguity between the various movements. Moderated by Leonardo Bianchi.
12:00 – 13:00 > Sala della Vaccara, Palazzo dei Priori | business models, funding & start-ups
The rise of membership models +info►
This panel will examine the membership models of several news outlets in Europe. Membership models are increasingly popular. They’ve been embraced by small publications but also by big news organizations such as Quartz and Buzzfeed News, that didn’t have any reader revenue before. Focus will be on the editorial priorities, distribution strategies and funding models of news organizations that are embracing membership models.
12:00 – 13:00 > Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado | disinformation
Vaccinating against misinfodemics: journalists and public health misinformation +info►
In the field of global health, information quality crises can quickly escalate into public health crises, with grave consequences for both population health and trust in institutions more broadly. Widening fears of vaccinations, diagnostic processes, treatments and interventions, based on misinterpretations and successive sharing of low-credibility content about health online leads to distrust not only between doctors and patients, but between communities and health information authorities. The role of strong journalism in health emergencies, as well as quality reporting about new and emerging health research, is essential for mitigating the risks of health misinformation; and this has far-reaching effects. This session will emphasize that combatting health-related misinformation in the digital age requires stronger integration between health practitioners and journalists, identifying missed opportunities and learnings through three case examples: reporting on adolescent health and family planning, health and ‘wellness’ trends, and infectious disease outbreaks including Ebola and HIV. Panelists will highlight the ways in which public health best practices and the most up-to-date information is communicated differently to different populations, and the important role that journalists play in strengthening the health information ecosystem – in both everyday and emergency settings. Experts will share insights about the importance of the ‘voice’ that delivers global health messages, the media through which messages are being conveyed, and the specific language used. We will use these case studies to further describe which collaborations can be most useful when creating more efficacious media and reporting on global health topics and in health emergencies. This panel will discuss the following core issues: i. Examining the role that the digital information ecosystem plays in propagating health misinformation – or information that is harmful to target audiences – and journalists’ role in spreading/counteracting this) ii. Investigating barriers to information that can make public health content inaccessible to the target populations that journalists are trying to reach – examining both the messages and the messengers. iii. Describing issues of health misinformation online through three health case examples— adolescent health and family planning, ‘wellness’ trends, and infectious disease—and discussing what journalists might do to address them. iv. Analyzing how human-centered approaches for reporting research, network science and digital language analysis can be used to inform and strengthen new digital communication strategies for health. Organised in association with Meedan.
12:00 – 13:00 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | #ijf19talks
Witness vs. forensics: the future of data-driven investigative reporting. #ijf19talk by Julia Angwin +info►
#ijf19talk by Julia Angwin. Moderated by Dan Gillmor.
12:00 – 13:00 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | media under attack
Journalism when caught between right-wing extremism and military authoritarianism +info►
This session explores the crises of journalism and freedom of expression globally in term of the quandary in which we find ourselves, faced by religious and ideological extremism (e.g. Islamist extremism, White supremacy, racism, etc.) on the one hand, and “national security” concerns and measures (e.g. immigration, Trumpism, counter-terrorism, growing constraints on freedom of expression) on the other. In this context, the daily execution of journalism’s fundamental mandate, speaking truth to power, is increasingly under sustained pressure. Media experts from across the globe will discuss the crises – how it impacts the business, modern storytelling, the impact on our audiences and the very ethics of our work – and how we can navigate the future.
14:00 – 15:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | AI/audio/video/voice/VR
Google News Initiative: AI in the newsroom +info►
What’s the role of artificial intelligence when it comes to publishing? How are news organizations starting to experiment with this emerging technology, and what are the best practices? This session hosted by the Google News Initiative and Jigsaw will feature examples from around the world.
14:00 – 15:00 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | media under attack
Journalists under fire: protecting journalists reporting on corruption in Europe +info►
Over the past 18 months, the murders of journalists in EU Member States have underscored just how dangerous a time it is for investigative journalists in Europe. Daphne Caruana Galizia, Jan Kuciak and Viktoria Marinova all were working to uncover corruption and financial crime prior to their deaths. Indeed, their murders helped to draw attention to the role that journalists play around Europe in defending EU economic interests and holding corrupt states to account. Cross-border cooperation between journalists and strengthened networks are making investigative journalists more effective: but these opportunities to uncover sensitive areas of abuse mean higher stakes, and increasing risk. So what type of protection and support do journalists in the EU need? Independent and critical journalists are often working on unequal playing fields, in part because of skewed and partisan media ownership, which marginalizes independent journalists. This marginalization is in addition to the existing- and already known range of legal threats (from defamation lawsuits to the seizure of personal and professional records), pressure from government officials, verbal threats, physical attacks, and online harassment. The session will examine the risks facing investigative journalists in Europe and the support they warrant. The journalist speakers will address their own experiences of pressure, harassment, intimidation or attacks associated with their work. The session will examine what strategies investigative journalists and their newsrooms are employing to better protect themselves against threats and pressure. The discussion will then move to what European institutions should and can be doing to protect investigative journalists, including when threats specifically come from authorities of an EU Member State or in response to reporting on a Member State, as in the cases of Caruana Galizia, Kuciak, and Marinova. Organised in association with the Committee to Protect Journalists.
14:00 – 15:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | social media & messaging platforms
Digital dominance: the power of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple +info►
Presentation of the book Digital dominance. The power of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple (2018) edited by Martin Moore and Damian Tambini. Moderated by Elizabeth Hansen. Across the globe, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft have accumulated power in ways that existing regulatory and intellectual frameworks struggle to comprehend. A consensus is emerging that the power of these new digital monopolies is unprecedented, and that it has important implications for journalism, politics, and society. It is increasingly clear that democratic societies require new legal and conceptual tools if they are to adequately understand, and if necessary check the economic might of these companies. Equally, that we need to better comprehend the ability of such firms to control personal data and to shape the flow of news, information, and public opinion. In this volume, Martin Moore and Damian Tambini draw together the world’s leading researchers to examine the digital dominance of technologies platforms and look at the evidence behind the rising tide of criticism of the tech giants. In fifteen chapters, the authors examine the economic, political, and social impacts of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft, in order to understand the different facets of their power and how it is manifested. Digital Dominance is the first interdisciplinary volume on this topic, contributing to a conversation which is critical to maintaining the health of democracies across the world.
14:00 – 15:00 > Sala del Dottorato | community & trust
Jumping through hoops to optimize for trust +info►
So you’ve joined the Trust Project. Now the real work begins. How to marshall newsroom resources to optimize for trust. Is all this new work worth it? What can news organizations learn about working together when we work to optimize trust?
14:00 – 15:00 > Palazzo Sorbello | diversity & inclusion
Amplifying women’s authoritative voice in media +info►
Around the world only 24% of the people seen, heard or read about in the news are women, and only 19% of subject matter experts sourced in the news are women (Global Media Monitoring Project, 2015 Who Makes the News Report). The absence of women’s expert and leadership voice from the news media perpetuates gender bias and women’s socio-economic exclusion in society. There is growing body of opinion among major newsrooms around the world that increasing women’s voice, particularly their authoritative voice, in the media can not only fight gender inequality, but improve the business of journalism and news reporting. A greater voice for women in media, for instance, can lead to more diversity in content and as a result a more diverse audience, developing an edge on the competition by breaking more stories through new sources, or building audience trust through greater inclusion. This panel session will feature media professionals leading in the effort to adapt journalistic and newsroom practices to assure gender-equal content. Panel members will discuss the various tools and methodologies being put into practice today, the business case for investing in these approaches, and what simple measures more newsrooms can take around the world to bring more women into their content. Organised in association with United for News, a coalition project led by Internews in collaboration with the World Economic Forum working to build sustainability and trust for local media around the world.
14:00 – 15:00 > Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado | investigative journalism
The rebirth of local investigative reporting? +info►
Despite the immense challenges to local investigative journalism, new platforms are emerging and putting networks and communities at the heart of their model. This panel explores some of the lessons being learned about how community engagement can serve local investigative reporting.
15:00 – 16:00 > Centro Servizi G. Alessi | AI/audio/video/voice/VR
AI in the newsroom +info►
In the current news ecosystem, filter bubbles, echo chambers, misinformation and viralized fake news are rampant. We will address how artificial intelligence (AI) could, on the one hand, help journalists in reporting more accurately (tools for fact checking, for helping reporters to have a more comprehensive knowledge of a topic or by doing alienating tasks and letting journalists focus on the relevant, added-value work) and, on the other hand, affect the freedom of the press (misuse of bots, personalized services and marketing and advertising campaigns to manipulate people) as well as the dangers of not having a human being behind the news.
15:00 – 16:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Priori | business models, funding & start-ups
Journalism was trapped in a click bubble: it’s finally bursting +info►
How the bubble consumed the internet, a timeline of the collapse, key lessons, and the promising road ahead for great journalism. In this session Mario Vasilescu will: > Explain how the modern internet was driven by clicks in a speculative, deceiving fashion which closely parallels classic “bubbles”, such as the US real estate bubble and collapse. > Show shocking and thought-provoking data about the clicks-based system, and various data points that show how it is collapsing, in parallel with both the fall and early resurgence of support for quality journalism. > Explain key lessons that are essential to succeeding on the road ahead (and not making the same mistakes again), such as The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs; being careful about blindly glorifying engagement metrics; the key ingredient behind Quartz’ industry-leading Daily Brief; and the cautionary tale behind Google’s early days.
15:00 – 16:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | disinformation
The Spiegel scandal and the seduction of storytelling +info►
Is the “story” the atomic unit of journalism or a seductive siren that leads us to favor drama and engagement over truth? The Claas Relotius scandal at Der Spiegel – revealing rampant fictionalizing by a star reporter – forces us to question whether the story is a necessity or a corruption and whether journalists and the public have become addicted to narrative. This session takes as its starting point the 24 December 2018 post on Medium by Jeff Jarvis entitled The Spiegel scandal and the seduction of storytelling.
15:00 – 16:00 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | diversity & inclusion
#metoo in India: a cultural revolution +info►
The #metoo movement in India was set off by Priya Ramani’s 12 October 2017 article in Vogue India entitled To the Harvey Weinsteins of the world in which she accused a former editor of hers – without naming him – of sexual harassment and predatory behaviour. In October 2018 she named in a tweet this man as AJ Akbar, who was now Minister of State for External Affairs. He resigned as Minister on 17 October 2018 and filed a private criminal defamation complaint against Priya Ramani. The defamation case is currently ongoing. Meanwhile, many other women have come forward with public allegations of sexual misconduct against AJ Akbar. Rana Ayyub is an award-winning Indian investigative journalist and a political writer who lives in Mumbai. She has followed closely the #metoo campaign in India. See for example her 21 October 2018 article in The Guardian entitled In India, women are no longer prepared to stay silent. Rana has also been the target of online hate campaigns. For details, see her 22 May 2018 New York Times opinion column entitled In India, journalists face slut-shaming and rape threats. Moderated by Barbara Serra.
15:00 – 16:00 > Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado | community & trust
Extreme engagement: lessons from “journalism shows” around Europe +info►
Across Europe, huge audience sit – often in national theaters – and experience journalism: reported stories augmented with audio, video and live music and put together in a new genre you could call ‘theatrical journalism’. The audience bonds emotionally with the stories, with the storytellers and with each other. But can we go too far in turning journalism into entertainment? Do we risk prioritizing stories over facts? Or is theatrical journalism simply a valuable way to connect with new audiences? Meet and discuss with live journalism pioneers from France (Live Magazine), Finland (Helsingin Sanomat), Romania (DoR) and Denmark (Zetland).
15:00 – 16:00 > Palazzo Sorbello | social media & messaging platforms
Social media: prejudice and reality. What does academic research show? +info►
Public concerns across the world have risen to near-panic levels over social media, filter bubbles, echo chambers, and the disinformation attributed to these technologies, particularly in the aftermath of the 2016 US Presidential Election, the UK’s Brexit referendum, and over elections across Europe. To address these issues, and related concerns of the audience, Philip di Salvo will moderate a discussion and interview Bill Dutton, who has conducted an extensive research on Internet users in seven countries, asking respondents how they use Internet search, social media, and more traditional news media, for getting information about politics, and what difference it made for them. Bill believes that his findings show that the panic over disinformation on the Internet and social media is unwarranted. Is it? What is the reality? Keywords: search, political opinion, information, filter bubbles, echo chambers.
15:00 – 16:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | media under attack
How we can fight the political undermining of the media and promote freedom of expression +info►
Globally, media is in crisis: in addition to public mistrust and eroding revenue models, we are witnessing overt threats and attacks against media, often by government actors or vested interests. The rise of authoritarianism led by “strongman” populist leaders has particularly redoubled pressures on media organizations globally. Freedom of expression is under threat in democracies as well as authoritarian regimes. According to Reporters Sans Frontières, the threat to journalists is growing rapidly: in 2018, 348 journalists were detained, 60 were held hostage, and 80 were killed. In this panel, we’ll explore – with three practitioners who fight for freedom of expression every day – how to battle the political forces and vested interests that seek to undermine independent media.
15:00 – 16:00 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | investigative journalism
Following the dark money fueling European populism +info►
From Brexit to the upcoming European parliament elections, money from unknown sources is increasingly influencing Europe’s politics, boosting the rise of populism across the continent. Over the last two years, openDemocracy has followed the ‘dark money’ that flowed into the UK’s knife-edge EU referendum vote in 2016, and revealed how an international network of think tanks, financiers and politicians have subsequently sought to shape the Brexit negotiations. We have also investigated how similar networks of influence have sought to mobilise across Europe, from Ireland to Italy. Our work resulted in a series of ground-breaking stories that led to criminal investigations, parliamentary inquiries and record fines. The panel will share key findings from the Dark Money investigation, with a particular focus on two case studies: our reporting on the Brexit referendum, and on the forthcoming European elections. We will share our experience of investigating transnational networks and flows of dark money into politics, how this issue is likely to develop in the future and how a network of small, independent media organisations like openDemocracy have come to be at the forefront of investigative work into these issues. Organised in association with openDemocracy.
16:00 – 17:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | other topics
Pitfalls of over-reacting to populism: the relationship between populism and the media+info►
‘Populist’ politics are on the rise around the world. These movements have been boosted by their success at capturing attention on social and mainstream media. Often they are a direct challenge to mainstream media and its role in democracy. Is populism a proof that traditional news media is out of touch? How should journalists report on populism without amplifying extremism or polarisation? Organised in association with Polis.
16:00 – 17:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | other topics
Radical change in the world calls for radical changes in journalism +info►
Around the world, most recently including liberal democracies, journalism and journalists are under attack. But that is a symptom of a much deeper trend: a move away from the basic freedoms that were ascendant in the second half of the 20th century. Meanwhile, huge and nearly unaccountable technology companies, often with government collaboration, are taking control of communications. Doing journalistic business as usual isn’t enough. We’ll offer some specific ways to respond to this emergency.
16:00 – 17:00 > Palazzo Sorbello | other topics
How to see in the Wilderness of Mirrors +info►
National security is one of the most important and difficult beats in journalism. Accurate reporting of this burgeoning public and private sector industry has become more significant in recent years. This panel will discuss the problems of reporting on national security, evaluates the current landscape especially in the ‘Five Eyes’ nations and the Middle East. The panel will discuss whether there is a possible framework of how early career journalists should be trained to take a critical approach to this beat.
16:00 – 17:00 > Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado | disinformation
Beyond fake news: what’s next for tackling online misinformation +info►
James Ball, author of Post-Truth: How Bullshit Conquered The World, commissioner of the London School of Economics’ Truth, Trust and Technology report, and journalist covering online and Russian disinformation, surveys the landscape almost three years after “fake news” became the word of the year. From Facebook’s efforts to tackle “dark ads” to state responses to Russian interference, from automated fact-checking to new rules for online information – lots has been tried and is being tried. But what works (and what doesn’t)? And are our priorities in the right place?
17:00 – 18:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | community & trust
The role of experts in rebuilding trust in journalism +info►
We live in a time when trust is in decline: trust in politicians, trust in institutions, trust in media, even trust in experts. We are drowning in spin and opinions at the same time as many of us are turning our backs on the deep expertise of academics and scholars. The Conversation is a global media project in which journalists collaborate with academics to share their expertise and provide reliable information to inform democracy. It now operates in Africa, Canada, Indonesia, the US, Spain, France, New Zealand and the UK. TC’s Australian editor Misha Ketchell joins UK editor, Stephen Khan, and Miguel Castro, founder of The Conversation in Spain, to discuss how journalists can work more closely with experts to serve their audiences and provide trusted information.
17:00 – 18:00 > Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani | environmental journalism
Climate change: is it time for journalists to do more advocacy? +info►
The recent IPCC 1.5°C report outlined the need for unprecedented changes in economies and societies if we are to avoid severe climate impacts. Other recent reports have backed this up, stressing the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions (the National Climate Assessment in the USA, the UNEP UNEP emissions gap report and the WHO report on health). Many observers argue that given the urgency of the challenge, journalists need to do more coverage, do different coverage, or become advocates for taking action. The panel will consider these issues, including a focus on the Guardian’s Keep it in the Ground Campaign (KIITG) to encourage divestment from fossil fuel companies – did it work, what are the lessons to be learnt, should journalists campaign?
17:00 – 18:00 > Centro Servizi G. Alessi | media under attack
The Arab winter +info►
Eight years after the so-called Arab Spring, the Middle East has had to come to terms with even more ferocious dictatorships than of past decades. The case of the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shown that Western nations continue to maintain relations with authoritarian governments in the region while reacting with caution to the violations of human rights that their business partners perpetrate in their countries. The panel will analyze the new political scenario in the Middle East and consider how Arab activists, many of them in exile, continue their battle for democracy and human rights.
17:00 – 18:00 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | in conversation
Google News Initiative: what’s been achieved and what’s next? +info►
Olivia Ma, Director of the Google News Lab, a global team that collaborates with journalists and news organisations on some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Olivia has worked at YouTube and Google for 11 years, overseeing strategy across major events including the Arab Spring and multiple US Elections. In this session we’ll hear an update on her latest work that includes Subscribe with Google, we’ll share how we’re working with journalists to fight misinformation and we’ll provide an update on the Google News Initiative. Moderated by Mark Little.
17:00 – 18:00 > Palazzo Sorbello | diversity & inclusion
Suppressed or unbelievable: the polarised perception of Muslim women in Western media +info►
There are certain narratives around Muslim women that seem to be fed into and off global media. Muslim women are veiled, resilient, have overcome odds, have broken the shackles of a very particularised Muslim patriarchy. They are not just allowed to be. If they function just as women, without the narrative of veil, patriarchy, forced marriage or suppression, they are not considered “real” or “authentic” and are often dubbed “privileged” and, hence, not required to be taken seriously. The otherisation of Muslim women is a real problem because it doesn’t allow us to stand in the fight for our rights as women. A discussion about women who do not fit the mould and who want to be a part of the conversation.
17:00 – 18:30 > Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado | investigative journalism
The business of investigative journalism: best practices for sustainable newsrooms +info►
Making newsrooms sustainable is a challenge for everyone in the media today. No matter how brilliant one’s journalism, it won’t be sustainable unless it’s backed by a business plan that takes into account revenue, audience, distribution and more. This workshop is for nonprofits, start-ups, and new media on the business practices and revenue models underlying successful investigative journalism enterprises. What are the keys to a successful investigative newsroom? How can such organisations diversify revenue, especially in regions with repressive governments, poor ad markets, and struggling economies? What innovative practices will provide a strong base and financial structure to do important investigative journalism? We’ll look at practical ways of generating revenue from different sources: audiences, donors, events, membership and commercial opportunities. This workshop will bring together global experts and investigative journalism organisations to discuss best practices on increasing revenue in smart, sustainable ways. It will also give those attending the opportunity to share their own experiences and raise questions. Organised in association with the Global Investigative Journalism Network.
18:00 – 19:00 > Sala dei Notari, Palazzo dei Priori | in conversation
Reporting on global migrations: European crisis, world crisis +info►
Never in history have so many people been displaced by political and military conflicts at home–more than 65 million globally. For over a decade, human rights journalist Agus Morales has journeyed to the sites of the world’s most brutal conflicts and spoken to the victims of violence and displacement. To Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Central African Republic. To Central America, the Congo, and the refugee camps of Jordan. To the Tibetan Parliament in exile in northern India. We are living in a time of massive global change, when negative images of refugees undermine the truth of their humiliation and suffering. By bringing us stories that reveal the individual pain and the global scope of the crisis, Morales reminds us of the truth and appeals to our conscience. He is the author of the book We Are Not Refugees (2019) which tells the stories of many of these displaced, who have not been given asylum. He will be joined by Francesca Mannocchi, one of the leading Italian journalists reporting from conflict zones and an expert in migration. Mannocchi has written numerous articles for national and international newspapers from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Egypt. Io Khaled vendo uomini e sono innocente (2019) is her first book and tells the story of Libya and the tragedy of migrant smuggling. The session will be moderated by Maria Gianniti, foreign correspondent of RAI 1 News.
18:00 – 19:00 > Sala del Dottorato | community & trust
Trust and bias: how often unconscious bias is eroding trust in news +info►
Trust in journalism is in dire straits. Why? In part because many people feel un-represented and that the mainstream media has a progressive, liberal bias which doesn’t reflect their reality. Many media companies say they are unbiased and report the facts but is it possible to be unbiased? What is bias anyway? And how does it affect audiences as well as newsrooms? We want to take this beyond a shouting match and provide a thought-provoking debate about how bias is part of human psychology and come up with solutions as to how to work with and within them to improve trust again. Reuters has “unbiased and reliable” as one of our Trust Principles so it is core to our thinking. Organised in association with Reuters.
18:00 – 19:00 > Sala San Francesco, Arcivescovado | business models, funding & start-ups
Changing the rules of the game: a new generation of media outlets +info►
A new generation of media outlets is changing the rules of the game. In recent years, a number of new media players with innovative business models have emerged in various markets around the globe. Reader-funded, community-centered online media are on the rise. What do the upcoming players have in common, what differentiates them? An open discussion.
18:00 – 19:00 > Hotel Brufani – Sala Raffaello | disinformation
Journalism, fake news and disinformation: equipping journalism for the fightback +info►
The targeting of journalists and news organisations – by states, populist politicians and deceptive corporate actors – makes fighting back against disinformation, misinformation and ‘malinformation’ a critical mission for journalism in 2019. But how can that best be achieved? What new knowledge, skills and tools do journalists and news publishers need to tackle the scourge of ‘information disorder’? Leading international experts have worked with the UN to publish a new handbook to help guide journalists in the fightback. Journalism, F*ke News & Disinformation was commissioned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the context of technology-enabled disinformation campaigns in which journalists and journalism have also become targets. The handbook is designed to strengthen journalism’s defences against disinformation, going beyond fact-checking and debunking to address ways journalists can avoid being sucked in by digital fakery. This workshop will bring together the guide’s lead authors and journalists on the frontline of the fightback in India and the Philippines. We’ll walk you through some of the lessons in the handbook, focusing on the new digital literacies, investigative techniques and storytelling methods required to combat and report on disinformation. What does it take to dig into the stories behind disinformation and follow the often-hidden digital trails of duplicitous information circulated by states, populist politicians, corporate actors and others? When purveyors of toxic information turn on journalists – deliberately smearing them and subjecting them to threats of violence – what can be done to hold the line? Part of this mission involves helping the public differentiate between diverse legitimate narratives in journalism on the one hand, and an avalanche of defective, deceptive content on the other. How can we work collaboratively on that challenge? The handbook is free to download here. You can read about the project’s goals here in this September 2018 Nieman Lab article.
18:00 – 19:00 > Sala Brugnoli, Palazzo Cesaroni | media under attack
How to protect journalists from political pressures +info►
With journalism under pressure from major politicians across the world, how can editors and others work to protect journalists? This panel offers a wide range of different perspectives on how pressure is applied, who are most vulnerable, what barriers can withstand different kinds of pressure, and what tactics and strategies can help enhance independence.