FESTIVAL 2023: Global Challenges, Local Perspectives
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- FESTIVAL 2023: Global Challenges, Local Perspectives
FESTIVAL 2023: Global Challenges, Local Perspectives
This edition focused on the ethics and responsibilities of global journalism. Over the course of three days, we explored how to report on the climate crisis, migration and conflicts without perpetuating harmful stereotypes, and how to photograph people in crisis with dignity.
WHAT HAPPENED
The second edition raised some uncomfortable questions about how stories from other parts of the world are told. A Nigerian writer challenged our preconceived ideas about Africa. Photographers demonstrated the difference between emotional impact and human dignity, and explained why poverty should not define anyone’s identity.
As part of the festival, the first major public debate on AI in Slovak newsrooms took place. Editors from SME, Denník N and Seznam Zprávy discussed which jobs would disappear and which tasks humans would always perform better than algorithms. Ulrik Haagerup, a pioneer of Danish constructive journalism, challenged the assumption that news must be negative to be serious. Workshops covered everything from podcast production to 360-degree VR reporting.
The festival in numbers
MOMENTS THAT STAYED
How Not to Divide Society
Beata Balogová (SME), Veronika Munk (former editor of Telex.hu) and Ulrik Haagerup (Constructive Institute, Denmark) debated whether the media contributes to polarisation. Creating US vs. THEM narratives creates divisions in society. Can journalists offer solutions as well as problems? What is constructive journalism, and is there a place for it in Central Europe?
How We See Africa
Nigerian journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani and Tina Lee (Unbias the News) discuss why we tend to imagine Africa as one monolithic continent characterised by poverty. Is it skyscrapers and tech hubs or antelopes and huts? The truth is that it's both, but the Western media only show one side of the story.
Please Remember Their Names
Workshop on ethical photography with Jana Čavojská, Karol Grygoruk and Noel Rojo. Photos of malnourished children with swollen bellies evoke strong emotions – but would you allow your children to be photographed in the same way? Why do we allow more to be done to the most vulnerable than we'd tolerate for ourselves? "Please remember their names. He was not just 'Boy in a red shirt'." Poverty doesn't define people – it's just part of their story.
Responsible Journalism
Workshop with Magdaléna Rojo about sustainability in journalism. How can we report on the world without harming local communities? Journalists act as bridges between cultures, and their role in shaping global understanding is crucial. Responsible journalists consider context, history and culture. They also realise that even their trip to a less developed country has an impact on the local community.
How AI Will Change Journalism
The first major debate about artificial intelligence in Slovak media. Jíří Špaček (Seznam Zprávy), Filip Struhárik (Denník N), and Ondrej Podstupka (SME) on what will change in newsrooms. Will chatbots write lifestyle articles better than humans? Who doesn't need to worry about their job? "Boring tasks like transcribing interviews will be eliminated. But everyone will have to become today's editor – someone capable of taking information, verifying it, evaluating it, and putting it in context."
Climate Crisis in Media
How can climate change be reported in a way that motivates instead of terrifies? Katarína Kozinková (SME), Tomáš Grečko (Denník N) and Irena Jenčová (Euractiv) discussed how to cover the biggest story of our time in a way that does not overwhelm people with climate anxiety.
WHO JOINED US
From Nigerian essayists to Danish media pioneers, from Polish photographers to Canadian ethics scholars. Journalists exploring how to report on the world responsibly.
Featured participants:
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (Nigeria)
Ulrik Haagerup (Constructive Institute, Denmark)
Beata Balogová (SME, Slovakia)
Tina Lee (Unbias The News, Germany)
Karol Grygoruk (RATS Agency, Poland)
Noel Rojo (Freelance photographer, USA/Mexico)
Stephen Ward (Media ethicist, Canada)
Veronika Munk (Former Telex.hu editor, Hungary)
+ 15 more journalists, photographers, and media researchers
Also joined by:
Jana Čavojská (photographer, Slovakia), Magdaléna Rojo (freelance journalist), Christiane Wittenbecher (VR journalism pioneer, Germany), Jíří Špaček (Seznam Zprávy, Czech Republic), Filip Struhárik (Denník N, Slovakia), Ondrej Podstupka (SME, Slovakia), Jana Maťková (SME podcasts, Slovakia), Katarína Kozinková (SME, Slovakia), Tomáš Grečko (Denník N, Slovakia), Irena Jenčová (Euractiv, Slovakia), Peter Ivanič (World Between the Lines, Slovakia), Ján Dobranský (filmmaker, Slovakia), Eva Žilineková (voice coach, Slovakia)
