Journalism Festival in Perugia and the Future of Media
By Klara Kranjc
For years, Perugia has transformed into the world's journalism hub every April. Thanks to the EU project aimed at public broadcasters in the Western Balkans, "Innovation. Media. Minds." and the support for public service journalists, this year the trends and innovations from this prestigious event reached the O Radio newsroom.
Journalists, editors, and media researchers from all over the world gathered to exchange experiences with colleagues and learn about key challenges and directions for the profession's development. The number one topic in Perugia this year was media sustainability, considering a series of decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump to cut funding for media and media projects. Significant attention was also given to reporting from war-affected areas.
My focus, however, was on new media formats, the use of artificial intelligence, and social media as a source of information. Among the many inspiring speakers was TikTok journalism pioneer and former BBC author, Sophia Smith Galer. For two consecutive years, she has won the British Journalism Award for innovation and was listed on Forbes' list of the most influential women in England under 30. This TikTok author has over 140 million views, and in Perugia, she shared her insights on how to reach a younger audience and where, if at all, the boundary lies between informing through social media and traditional media.
The festival program was so diverse and rich that the most challenging part was deciding what to follow, as about ten sessions were held simultaneously every day, with at least 50 sessions in total daily. Given that young people are my focus, I attended several panels and workshops discussing new formats and ways to tell a story. Some examples include using humor in informative content, collaborating with influencers, and developing a specially designed communication channel with the audience.
When it comes to journalism, artificial intelligence is an unavoidable topic. Journalists from numerous global newsrooms already use various AI tools and shared their experiences. At the same time, it was a place where creators of certain AI systems presented their products, and I took the exclusive opportunity to register RTV and O Radio for a one-year free trial of the you.com system. This tool is intended for journalists and those dealing with information and data, and the package includes an AI agent service. The unanimous stance I bring from the journalism festival in Perugia regarding journalism and artificial intelligence is that the final decision on content must still be editorial and human.
The festival in Perugia confirmed that journalism is changing at an incredible speed, as are the ways of obtaining information and audience habits. New generations get informed on social media, and trends show that globally, by the end of this year, more than 80% of content will come from social media. Therefore, for traditional media, the key challenges are innovation and the readiness to adapt to new trends and conditions.
Participating in the Journalism Festival in Perugia was definitely one of the most inspiring events for me professionally. Besides the incredible number of lecturers and topics covered, meeting colleagues from around the world and exchanging concrete experiences was equally useful and interesting. I am grateful that the EU project "Innovation. Media. Minds." recognized the important role of journalists and editors in public services and provided the opportunity and support for learning and professional development. The next step is to apply the acquired experience and knowledge, which I believe will soon be recognized in O Radio's future projects.
Source: https://oradio.rs/sr/vesti/drustvo/obrazovanje/festival-novinarstva-u-perudji-i-buducnost-medija-14421.html
Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds Program: Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie. The contents of this story are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
For years, Perugia has transformed into the world's journalism hub every April. Thanks to the EU project aimed at public broadcasters in the Western Balkans, "Innovation. Media. Minds." and the support for public service journalists, this year the trends and innovations from this prestigious event reached the O Radio newsroom.
Journalists, editors, and media researchers from all over the world gathered to exchange experiences with colleagues and learn about key challenges and directions for the profession's development. The number one topic in Perugia this year was media sustainability, considering a series of decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump to cut funding for media and media projects. Significant attention was also given to reporting from war-affected areas.
My focus, however, was on new media formats, the use of artificial intelligence, and social media as a source of information. Among the many inspiring speakers was TikTok journalism pioneer and former BBC author, Sophia Smith Galer. For two consecutive years, she has won the British Journalism Award for innovation and was listed on Forbes' list of the most influential women in England under 30. This TikTok author has over 140 million views, and in Perugia, she shared her insights on how to reach a younger audience and where, if at all, the boundary lies between informing through social media and traditional media.
The festival program was so diverse and rich that the most challenging part was deciding what to follow, as about ten sessions were held simultaneously every day, with at least 50 sessions in total daily. Given that young people are my focus, I attended several panels and workshops discussing new formats and ways to tell a story. Some examples include using humor in informative content, collaborating with influencers, and developing a specially designed communication channel with the audience.
When it comes to journalism, artificial intelligence is an unavoidable topic. Journalists from numerous global newsrooms already use various AI tools and shared their experiences. At the same time, it was a place where creators of certain AI systems presented their products, and I took the exclusive opportunity to register RTV and O Radio for a one-year free trial of the you.com system. This tool is intended for journalists and those dealing with information and data, and the package includes an AI agent service. The unanimous stance I bring from the journalism festival in Perugia regarding journalism and artificial intelligence is that the final decision on content must still be editorial and human.
The festival in Perugia confirmed that journalism is changing at an incredible speed, as are the ways of obtaining information and audience habits. New generations get informed on social media, and trends show that globally, by the end of this year, more than 80% of content will come from social media. Therefore, for traditional media, the key challenges are innovation and the readiness to adapt to new trends and conditions.
Participating in the Journalism Festival in Perugia was definitely one of the most inspiring events for me professionally. Besides the incredible number of lecturers and topics covered, meeting colleagues from around the world and exchanging concrete experiences was equally useful and interesting. I am grateful that the EU project "Innovation. Media. Minds." recognized the important role of journalists and editors in public services and provided the opportunity and support for learning and professional development. The next step is to apply the acquired experience and knowledge, which I believe will soon be recognized in O Radio's future projects.
Source: https://oradio.rs/sr/vesti/drustvo/obrazovanje/festival-novinarstva-u-perudji-i-buducnost-medija-14421.html
Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds Program: Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie. The contents of this story are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.