Session 5: Introducing Media and Press Freedom Organizations
3 June 2026, Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
Representatives of globally recognized press freedom organizations and online media platforms will be invited to present various opportunities provided for the empowerment of journalists and well-being of media professionals reporting from undemocratic nations.
Session 4: Career Pathway to the United Nations: Reporting from Multilateral Organizations
1 June 2026, Monday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
For aspiring journalists interested in international affairs, reporting from multilateral organizations like the United Nations offers a promising career pathway. This involves gaining expertise in international law, diplomacy, and global issues, along with developing language skills and understanding of international protocols. Entry points include internships, fellowships, and positions within UN agencies or affiliated NGOs. Building a network through international reporting, attending global conferences, and contributing to reputable outlets can enhance visibility. Reporting from multilateral organizations requires accuracy, neutrality, and a deep understanding of complex geopolitics. Such careers enable journalists to influence global policy debates, advocate for human rights, and promote sustainable development initiatives.
Session 3: Trends Shifting from Traditional Mainstream Media to Virtual Platforms
29 May 2026, Friday at 10:0 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
The media consumption landscape is rapidly shifting from traditional outlets—such as newspapers, radio, and television—to virtual platforms like social media, podcasts, and independent news websites. This transition offers advantages like immediacy, interactivity, and broader reach. However, it also presents challenges related to misinformation, echo chambers, and monetization. Virtual platforms empower individual content creators to produce and disseminate news directly to audiences, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. As a result, journalism is becoming more decentralized, democratized, but also more susceptible to bias and sensationalism. Embracing these trends requires media literacy initiatives, platform accountability, and innovative business models to sustain quality journalism in the digital age.
Session 2: Weaponizing Misogyny Against Women Journalists
27 May 2026, Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
Despite progress in gender equality, women journalists frequently face misogyny, harassment, and disinformation campaigns designed to silence or discredit them. These tactics, often amplified online, threaten both individual safety and press freedom. Weaponizing misogyny manifests through sexist comments, threats of violence, and coordinated smear campaigns, which aim to undermine women’s credibility and discourage their participation in journalism. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach: media organizations must implement stringent policies against harassment, promote digital literacy, and support victims. Additionally, societal efforts to challenge gender stereotypes and promote gender equality are vital. Recognizing and combating the weaponization of misogyny is essential for safeguarding women journalists and ensuring a diverse and inclusive press environment.
Session 1: Creator Journalism: Integrating Ethics with Personal Brand and Audience Trust
25 May 2026, Monday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
In the era of social media and digital content creation, “creator journalism” has emerged as a powerful force. Individual creators often cultivate personal brands that influence their audience significantly. However, maintaining journalistic integrity within this framework is essential to sustain credibility. Ethical principles such as accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability must underpin creator-driven content. Creators can integrate these ethics by clearly distinguishing fact from opinion, fact-checking diligently, and being transparent about sources and biases. Building and maintaining audience trust hinges on consistent ethical conduct; audiences are increasingly discerning and value authenticity. Consequently, creators should prioritize ethical standards as foundational to their personal brands, fostering long-term credibility and influence.
JOURNALISTS AND WRITERS FOUNDATION
PRESENTS 7th ANNUAL
MEDIA AND JOURNALISM WEBINARS 2026
The Media and Journalism Webinars 2026 will be held virtually from May 25 to June 3, 2026, via Zoom, organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation. Since its inception in 2021, this certificate program dedicated to “Inspiring Young Journalists as Advocates of Press Freedom” has brought together over 49 experts and 210 participants from 33 countries. In its 7th year, the Webinars will feature training sessions and panel discussions led by distinguished professionals, providing participants with essential resources to confront contemporary challenges in journalism and human rights reporting.
The rapidly changing media landscape requires journalists to maintain ethical vigilance, build resilience against misogyny, adapt to emerging platforms, and develop strategic career paths. By integrating fundamental journalistic principles with personal branding, addressing gender-based threats, embracing digital innovations, and pursuing international reporting opportunities, journalists can effectively navigate the complexities of modern media while upholding integrity and contributing to global discourse. This holistic approach, championed by the Media and Journalism Webinars 2026, aims to ensure journalism remains a vital pillar of democracy, accountability, and societal progress.
The 7th Annual Media and Journalism Webinars is now accepting applications for the 2026 season. Apply today to become part of this global network of aspiring media professionals. After submitting the application form, the JWF Executive Team will review your submission and send a confirmation email if you are accepted, including a link to pay the participation fee. Please note that attending at least 4 out of 5 sessions is mandatory to receive a certificate.
Application Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026.
Participation fee: $100.
Scholarships are available for students based on financial need.
PROGRAM GOALS:
OUTCOMES:
Watch the Media and Journalism Webinars 2025 Recordings at the JWF YouTube Channel
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Session 1: Creator Journalism: Integrating Ethics with Personal Brand and Audience Trust
25 May 2026, Monday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
In the era of social media and digital content creation, “creator journalism” has emerged as a powerful force. Individual creators often cultivate personal brands that influence their audience significantly. However, maintaining journalistic integrity within this framework is essential to sustain credibility. Ethical principles such as accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability must underpin creator-driven content. Creators can integrate these ethics by clearly distinguishing fact from opinion, fact-checking diligently, and being transparent about sources and biases. Building and maintaining audience trust hinges on consistent ethical conduct; audiences are increasingly discerning and value authenticity. Consequently, creators should prioritize ethical standards as foundational to their personal brands, fostering long-term credibility and influence.
Session 2: Weaponizing Misogyny Against Women Journalists
27 May 2026, Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
Despite progress in gender equality, women journalists frequently face misogyny, harassment, and disinformation campaigns designed to silence or discredit them. These tactics, often amplified online, threaten both individual safety and press freedom. Weaponizing misogyny manifests through sexist comments, threats of violence, and coordinated smear campaigns, which aim to undermine women’s credibility and discourage their participation in journalism. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach: media organizations must implement stringent policies against harassment, promote digital literacy, and support victims. Additionally, societal efforts to challenge gender stereotypes and promote gender equality are vital. Recognizing and combating the weaponization of misogyny is essential for safeguarding women journalists and ensuring a diverse and inclusive press environment.
Session 3: Trends Shifting from Traditional Mainstream Media to Virtual Platforms
29 May 2026, Friday at 10:0 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
The media consumption landscape is rapidly shifting from traditional outlets—such as newspapers, radio, and television—to virtual platforms like social media, podcasts, and independent news websites. This transition offers advantages like immediacy, interactivity, and broader reach. However, it also presents challenges related to misinformation, echo chambers, and monetization. Virtual platforms empower individual content creators to produce and disseminate news directly to audiences, bypassing traditional gatekeepers. As a result, journalism is becoming more decentralized, democratized, but also more susceptible to bias and sensationalism. Embracing these trends requires media literacy initiatives, platform accountability, and innovative business models to sustain quality journalism in the digital age.
Session 4: Career Pathway to the United Nations: Reporting from Multilateral Organizations
1 June 2026, Monday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
For aspiring journalists interested in international affairs, reporting from multilateral organizations like the United Nations offers a promising career pathway. This involves gaining expertise in international law, diplomacy, and global issues, along with developing language skills and understanding of international protocols. Entry points include internships, fellowships, and positions within UN agencies or affiliated NGOs. Building a network through international reporting, attending global conferences, and contributing to reputable outlets can enhance visibility. Reporting from multilateral organizations requires accuracy, neutrality, and a deep understanding of complex geopolitics. Such careers enable journalists to influence global policy debates, advocate for human rights, and promote sustainable development initiatives.
Session 5: Introducing Media and Press Freedom Organizations
3 June 2026, Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST – Zoom Webinar
Representatives of globally recognized press freedom organizations and online media platforms will be invited to present various opportunities provided for the empowerment of journalists and well-being of media professionals reporting from undemocratic nations.
Media and Journalism Webinars is a virtual certificate program that emphasizes experiential and hands-on learning through intensive workshops, webinars, mentorship, and interactive discussions with professional journalists for hands-on field experience. This program aims to prepare journalism students and young professionals to succeed in their professional careers while fostering experiential learning by translating knowledge and skills into experience through research and article writing that lead to a meaningful understanding of journalism, communications, and the media professions.
SESSION 1
The Role of Media in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights
27 June 2023, Tuesday at 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)
SESSION 2
Storytelling and the Power of Media to Reveal the Truth
29 June 2023, Thursday at 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)
SESSION 3
Reporting from Conflict and War Zones: Challenges and Opportunities
4 July 2023, Tuesday at 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)
SESSION 4
Contemporary Challenges to Protect Media Freedom and Combat Violence against Journalists
6 July 2023, Thursday at 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)
SESSION 5
Introducing UN Correspondence Association and UNDGC (TBC)
11 July 2023, Tuesday at 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)
Application deadline is 11 June 2023, Sunday.
After filling out the form, you should receive a confirmation email by 9 June 2023, Friday latest with a link to submit your participation fee.
Participation fee of this certificate program is $25 for professionals and $15 for students.
Scholarships are available for students based on needs.
Completing 3 out of 5 sessions is mandatory to receive a certificate.
You may visit www.jwfacademy.org for more information.
JWF Academy: www.jwfacademy.org
JWF Website: www.jwf.org
Media and Journalism Webinars emphasize experiential and hands-on learning through intensive training and interactive discussions with professional journalists for field experience. This program aims to prepare journalism students and young professionals to succeed in their professional careers while fostering experiential learning by translating knowledge and skills into experience.
In this session, participants will be able to learn about the Foreign Press Association and UN Reporting from professional journalists and media personalities. Your active and meaningful participation with questions and reflections will make the discussion more productive.
Ian Williams is the President of the Foreign Press Association of the U.S. for over 20 years. He is a frequent contributor to the Guardian’s “Comment is Free” section and is regular columnist for George Orwell’s old newspaper, Tribune. He has also been a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times, the European, The Observer, and The Independent for which he was one of the founding writers. Mr. Williams was for years a columnist for the New Statesman.
He is the anchor for a radio program, The Catskill Review of Books, on WJFF FM, and often appears on international radio and TV talking about geopolitical affairs. He has been covering international politics, business and finance for more than two decades and has reported from over sixty countries. While President of the UN Correspondents’ Association in 1995 and 1996, he inaugurated the Annual UNCA Awards for best coverage of the UN. In 1985 he won the Liverpool Press Club award for “By-line mania” when he wrote the centerfold for the Baptist Times, since then has proved how much he deserved it by writing for Penthouse and Hustler. Ian was born in Liverpool and graduated from Liverpool University.
Stéphanie Fillion is a French-Canadian journalist specializing in foreign affairs and a United Nations Correspondent. She currently covers the UN for the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun and is a contributor to Radio-Canada, Forbes, and Foreign Policy. She has worked for Radio-Canada in Vancouver and was a San Paolo fellow at La Stampa in Turin.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism, Politics and Global Affairs from Columbia Journalism School and a B.A. in Comparative Politics, History and Italian Studies from McGill University. Her work appeared in outlets such as Quartz, Vice News, The Independent, and PassBlue. In 2015, she won the EU Canada Young Journalist Award, in 2021, the UN Correspondent Association Prince Albert of Monaco II Award for climate change reporting and an Individual Achievement Award for foreign language reporting from the Alliance for Women in Media in 2022.
The JWF Media and Journalism Webinars’ Session 5 introduced the Foreign Press Association Promotion and UN Reporting on 3 August 2022. Journalist and journalist Yazeed Kamaldien from South Africa started the conversation by introducing the speakers.
Ian Williams has been President of the Foreign Press Association for over 20 years. He is a frequent contributor to the Guardian’s Commentary and is a regular columnist for George Orwell’s former newspaper, The Tribune. He is also a regular contributor to The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, European, The Observer and The Independent, of which he is one of the founding authors. Mr. Williams has been a columnist for the New Statesman for years.
Stéphanie Fillion is a French-Canadian journalist specializing in foreign affairs and a United Nations Correspondent. She currently runs the UN for Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun and contributes to Radio-Canada, Forbes and Foreign Policy. She worked for Radio-Canada in Vancouver and was a San Paolo member at La Stampa in Turin. She holds an MA and BA in Journalism, Politics, and Global Affairs from the Columbia School of Journalism. He graduated from McGill University in Comparative Politics, History and Italian Studies.
Stephanie made a presentation on UN reporting and discussed various sources for UN reporting, which included spokespersons, diplomats, UN staff, retired diplomats/employees, NGO representatives, civilians, government officials, experts, media outlets and journalists (especially on the ground). Stephanie also discussed the challenges and possibilities associated with UN reporting.
Yazeed turned the floor to Ian Williams to share some of his experiences. William stated that he has been a freelancer for over 40 years. He followed as a kid, working as a reporter at the United Nations, where he also discussed his foreign policy expertise, collecting different stamps, where he learned more about different countries, such as spending a year in India for a scholarship. A real sight on the ground floor of India. Ian shared some of his life experiences, including being involved in student politics in South Africa and meeting Nelson Mandela at the United Nations.
Ian further engaged the audience by explaining that a journalist’s responsibility is to examine a story from all possible angles. Ian also discussed the Foreign Press Organization, founded in 1918 by western journalists who covered Washington as the financial capital of the world in the context of World War I and New York. After some discussion, Yazeed moved on to the Q&A Session. Participants questioned the speaker’s political correctness and sought advice based on their experience.
Stephanie stated that she needs to diversify her sources when it comes to politics and story search. He stressed that addressing the war crisis in Russia and Ukraine is one of his most difficult tasks, which he called a challenge for journalists working at the UN. Yazeed also stressed that being politically correct is not always the primary purpose of entities, but rather getting the facts right.
A participant from Sri Lanka asked Stephanie a question about getting her perspectives and advice on reporting virtually at the UN General Assembly as she received a scholarship to cover the UN General Assembly virtually. Stephanie responded by emphasizing the importance of reaching people in this situation as soon as possible. After a short discussion between the host Yazeed and the speakers, the session ended.
RESOURCES:
Foreign Press Association
The Foreign Press Foundation, the affiliate arm of the Foreign Press Association, has been the conduit for both global and national corporations to support the education and development of professional journalists for the realities of today’s media industry. Since 1993 the FPF has provided over 99 scholarships to foreign graduate students studying journalists in the United States.
Link: https://www.foreignpressassociation.org
United Nations Correspondence Association
The U.N. Correspondents Association, UNCA, is a professional organization of over 200 correspondents and producers from dozens of countries, representing scores of publications, news agencies, and broadcasters from all regions of the world, founded in 1948. The relationship between the United Nations Correspondents Association, as the organization representing the U.N. press corps, and the Secretary General is based on an agreement in 1955 and is recognized annually by the United Nations General Assembly, most recently, in 2018. It represents the U.N. press corps at the United Nations on issues related to coverage of the news and access to news sources. UNCA sponsors press briefings and an annual gala dinner recognizing outstanding journalism and work on humanitarian issues by prominent individuals. It is associated with the Dag Hammarskjold Fund for Journalists, which sponsors journalists from developing countries for the duration of the annual General Assembly.
Link: https://unca.com
United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC)
The Department of Global Communications tells this UN story across multiple platforms, digital and traditional, to build support for the aims and work of the United Nations. Through its global operations and offices in 60 countries, DGC reaches millions of people with trusted, objective information and an inclusive message that enables the public, civil society, private sector and Member States to engage in the work of the United Nations. Communicating in more than 80 languages, the Department embodies the United Nations principle of multilingualism, extending our impact to all corners of the world.
Link: https://www.un.org/en/department-global-communications
UN Web TV
UN Web TV is the organization’s official streaming video platform for live and on-demand coverage of United Nations meetings and events. It provides the opportunity to a global audience to watch, directly from the source, uninterrupted coverage of meetings of the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, Human Rights Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ) trials, Press briefings, Media Stakeouts, UN Conferences and Special events. In addition, UN Web TV makes available news and feature videos, Secretary-General’s and other UN Official’s video messages as well as promotional and other videos produced by the UN system. UN Web TV promotes the Organization’s core value of transparency.
Media and Journalism Webinars emphasize experiential and hands-on learning through intensive training and interactive discussions with professional journalists for field experience. This program aims to prepare journalism students and young professionals to succeed in their professional careers while fostering experiential learning by translating knowledge and skills into experience.
In this session, participants will be able to learn about the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which promotes media freedom, supports inclusive societies, and supports human rights. Our guest speaker is Antonio Zappulla, Chief Executive Officer of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Your active and meaningful participation with questions and reflections will make the discussion more productive.
Introducing Thomson Reuters Foundation
TRFilter Program and TrustLaw.org
Antonio Zappulla OMRI is Chief Executive Officer of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading content-driven technology company. Through news, media development, free legal assistance and convening initiatives, the Thomson Reuters Foundation harnesses the combined power of journalism and the law to advance media freedom, raise awareness of human rights issues, and foster more inclusive economies.
In April 2022, Antonio was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (OMRI) the highest-ranking honour of Italy. An outspoken supporter of the business case for human rights, Antonio is the founder of Openly, the world’s first global platform dedicated to coverage of LGBT+ stories with distribution to 1 billion Reuters clients daily. In 2018, Antonio ranked first in the OUTstanding list of third sector LGBT executives published by the Financial Times. In 2017, he was named a European Young Leader by Friends of Europe. In 2016, he was awarded the Talented Young Italians Award by Italian Chamber of Commerce.
Antonio is a One Young World Counsellor and a World Economic Forum agenda contributor. He sits on the Boards of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford; the Forum for Global Challenges at the Institute for Global Innovation at the University of Birmingham; the International News Safety Institute; and LGBT+ NGO Open for Business. Prior to his present role, Antonio was Executive Producer at Bloomberg Television in charge of news, factual programming and documentaries for Europe, Middle East and Africa, developing a number of Award-winning TV series distributed globally.
Antonio holds a Degree in Journalism, a master’s degree in Middle East studies, and has continued his executive education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
On August 1, 2022, JWF Media and Journalism Webinars hosted its 4th session by Introducing Thomson Reuters Foundation and the TRFilter Program. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, a global news and information services company working to strengthen media freedom, promote more inclusive economies, and advance human rights.
Yazeed Kamaldien started Session 4 by introducing Mr. Antonio Zappulla, the Chief Executive Officer of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which leverages the combined power of journalism and law to advance media freedom, raise awareness of human rights issues, and foster more inclusive economies through news, media development, free legal aid and rally initiatives.
Antonio Zappulla interacted with attendees by showing a presentation on the identified studies on which Thomson Reuters was based. Initially, Antonio showed a video of the work being carried out by the Reuters Foundation in war zones throughout the pandemic and promoting human rights. The Thomson Reuters Foundation uses a dedicated collection of league and media expertise to empower the world’s most knowledgeable professionals so that their decisions can have a positive impact on people, society, and the environment. It works with journalists, civil society, businesses, and governments to advance the media, freedom, promote the inclusive economy and promote human rights.
Antonio Zappulla believes that societies should be free, fair and informed by focusing on socioeconomic inclusion, reinforcing ESG frameworks, and ensuring access to accurate dependent and reliable data through news, fair work and gathering initiatives. The goal of the Thomson Reuters Foundation is to shape a rich planet with everyone, without leaving anyone behind. Antonio underlined that his organization is based entirely on doing great things through media use and legal interventions. According to Mr. Zappulla, the media and law are effectively the two engines of work needed to liberate societies of all kinds. Antonio stated that a free, just, and uninformed society cannot function and be beneficial. He also highlighted that the Foundation was launched in 1982 and has one hundred and fifty employees in more than 17 countries around the world.
The Thomson and Reuters Foundations have 3 main areas of focus: the first is “Media Freedom” – having the media work center for democracy and development, defending media freedom, empowering the future of journalism, and also focusing on acquiring an educational portfolio, especially for journalists in developing countries in the global south mentoring and capacity building programs. The second main focus area is the work center of responsible and sustainable business models, ESG, just transition, purposeful business models, technology impact on society, realities and digital rights, and “inclusive economies”. The third area of focus is human rights, working on thematic issues such as freedom of speech and expression, climate, facts and digital rights, forced labor and human trafficking, women’s rights and LGBT+ Rights.
Antonio also informed the participants that Thomson Reuters Foundation has a network of more than 20,000 journalists and 5,500 members working in 11 languages. It also talks about the launch of its new editorial product “CONTEXT” on September 28, 2022. He talked about the Foundation’s extensive program that annually gives grants to NGOs and journalists. Also, the Thomson Reuters foundation’s flagship “Confidence Conference” – Empowering free, fair and informed societies, this year draws the attention of the audience by announcing that this event will be held October 26-27, 2022, in London.
Moving towards concluding the presentation, Antonio spoke about the launch of a new product known as TRFilter, which works heavily with twitter and uses its twitter account to detect abusive content https://trfilter.org. After Antonio’s presentation, Yazeed took the floor and marked it as a comprehensive presentation, where participants from different countries asked questions about the Role of Thomson and the Reuters Foundation in presenting potential construction initiatives for journalists. Antonio kindly answered the questions by explaining the different opportunities the Thomson Reuters Foundation provides for NGOs and human rights defenders. For example, the TRF give scholarships to interested journalists to come to oxford and do research for about 6 months, and freelance journalists who are interested in human trafficking, women’s and LGBT rights.
Finally, Mehmet Kilic, President of the Journalists and Writers Foundation, asked a question about the advantages that a freelance journalist can enjoy under the Trust Law. Antonio said that the Trust Law only serves NGOs and social enterprises. He emphasized to the audience that the Thomson Reuters Foundation is working to increase Trust Law services to develop free legal support systems for newsrooms and journalists at risk. Antonio mentioned some resources that could be useful for journalists at risk, shared an initiative website called “Media Legal Help” www.medialegalhelp.org. Antonio said that in journalism, assessing the risks and situations is crucial to ensuring that life is protected. It is also important to seek help at the right time to avoid any risk. In closing the Session 4, Yazeed thanked Antonio and the attendees, and received a note as the session approached close.
RESOURCES:
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Thomson Reuters is one of the world’s most trusted providers of answers, helping professionals make confident decisions and run better businesses. Its customers operate in complex arenas that move society forward law, tax, compliance, government, and media and face increasing complexity as regulation and technology disrupts every industry. Thomson Reuters help them reinvent the way they work. Its team of experts brings together information, innovation and authoritative insight to unravel complex situations, and worldwide network of journalists and editors keep customers up to speed on global developments that are relevant to them.
Link: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en.html
Thomson Reuters Foundation TR Filter
TRFilter is a free web application for journalists and media practitioners. It syncs with the user’s Twitter account, automatically recognizing and flagging harmful comments. The tool limits journalists’ exposure to abusive content, allowing them to block, mute or save comments at scale. It also allows users to create reports to store or share with third parties as needed.
TRFilter is currently available for use on Twitter.
Link: https://trfilter.org
Register through: https://trfilter.org/register-home
TRUST
TRUST is the corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information services company. As an independent charity, registered in the UK and the USA, it works to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive economies, and promote human rights. Through news, media development, free legal assistance and convening initiatives, TRUST combines its unique services to drive systemic change.
Link: https://www.trust.org
The Legal Network for Journalists and Risk
The Legal Network for Journalists at Risk provides journalists and independent media outlets around the world with critical legal support to protect their continued reporting on issues of vital public interest. The Legal Network for Journalists at Risk (LNJAR) strategically coordinates the different types of support currently offered by various organizations with the goal of providing journalists and independent media outlets at risk with a single-entry point into an ecosystem of support. Cases against the media can take a long time to come to an end. Assistance offered through the network ranges from urgent legal representation to ongoing assistance for the duration of a case, to systemic support to improve the legal environment in which the media operates. LNJAR is an initiative comprising key member organizations and a steering committee composed of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Media Defence.
Media and Journalism Webinars emphasize experiential and hands-on learning through intensive training and interactive discussions with professional journalists for field experience. This program aims to prepare journalism students and young professionals to succeed in their professional careers while fostering experiential learning by translating knowledge and skills into experience.
In this session, participants will be able to learn about the following topic and subjects from professional journalists and media personalities. Your active and meaningful participation with questions and reflections will make the discussion more productive.
Reporting from Conflict and War Zones: Challenges and Opportunities
Thomas Sideris is an investigative journalist and an award-winning director based in Greece. He is working at the Greek Broadcasting Corporation. Mr. Sideris was shortlisted for 2 years in a row (2018 and 2019) for the PRIX EUROPA PRIZE, a special EU prize for the best journalist in Europe.
He is a member of the International Press Institute. He has been honored with TORCH AWARD in the USA (human rights advocacy via his films, Pennsylvania, May 2021). Mr. Sideris was honored with Athanasios Botsis Journalism Foundation Award (Athens, January 2018), Albert Schweitzer International Organization Award (Vienna, September 2017). He has been honored with more than 20 awards at film festivals around the world for his films. Mr. Sideris studied Political Sciences and Public Administration at the Law School of the University of Athens and specialized in the mass media. Mr. Sideris has a postgraduate diploma in Human and Social Geography on the subject “Human Geography, Space Development and Design” by the University of the Aegean. He is a PhD candidate in Human and Social Geography by the Harokopio University of Athens. His research field is about the human body in space, the human “landscapes” and the fluid temporary habitable spaces and the fluid identities. Thomas Sideris is also a member of the International Academy of Social Sciences (Florida, USA).
Isobel Koshiw is the Guardian Correspondent reporting from Ukraine. She has previously worked on investigations into transnational crime and corruption at NGOs and for international publications. Her investigations have appeared in OCCRP, The Verge, The New York Times, The Financial Times and The Times and Kyiv Post.
On July 29, 2022, JWF Media and Webinars 2022 hosted its Session 3 on “Reporting from Conflict and War Zones: Challenges and Opportunities.” The JWF Media and Journalism Webinars 2022 welcomed 33 participants from 18 different countries.
Some of the Highlights of Session 3 are :
Yazeed Kamaldien introduced the speakers and gave them the opportunity to further introduce themselves. Isobel talked about her job as a “fixer” for many media sites and certain research projects that she was doing before the war crisis in Ukraine. She shared her experience when the country’s internal conflict started, and because of her extensive work history in and around Ukraine, she was recruited by The Guardian, whom she referred to as luck.
Isobel shared her experiences by stating that many journalists left Kiev during the war, but she remained there and that many media outlets are trying to change these positions of vacancies. Yezeed appreciated Isobel’s courage as the session host and gave the stage to Thomas Sideris. Thomas introduced himself as a current employee of Athens-based public broadcaster E.R.T, where he also makes films and documentaries about human rights and conflict. Yazeed provided both speakers with a summary of previous sessions of the JWF Media and Journalism Webinars, which focused on the practicality and ethics of journalism. He explained that the first session focused on independent and freelance journalists and how they work, while the second session examined the various roles organizations and journalism play in building stable communities.
Why is reporting from war and conflict zones so important and important?
Using the Ukraine crisis as an example, Isobel Koshiw said that seeing people you can relate to is extremely difficult and emotionally hurtful. That’s why she wasn’t sure if she would continue in this profession if she had no connection to Ukraine as she had worked in Ukraine for many years. Isobel stated that she found the Ukraine issue incredibly upsetting at first, but as a journalist she knew that the media cycle continued and the work had to be done. Isobel also responded by showing her fear of being there, afraid that an artillery gun she could not have imagined a year before had landed next to her.
Isobel also added that it was a professional choice for her to stay in the beginning as she wanted to cover it up when she realized things were going to get worse. “I was defending myself mentally and emotionally from what happened there. I decided to stay because I wanted to make the effort and explain what was going on because it was so confusing.” Yazid also emphasized that as journalists, we are a reflection of human experience and that conflicts can occur anywhere in the world.
How do you focus on human rights in your films and documentaries?
Thomas Sideris stressed that his work is for human rights and uses the example of refugees to illustrate this point. In his documentaries, Thomas sees all refugees as the same people, regardless of their country. Yazeed asked another question about how to prepare participants for conflict reporting and approached Isobel to continue her questioning. Isobel admitted she wasn’t ready, but she had some training. While first aid is necessary, being emotionally and psychologically prepared is also very important. She also stressed the importance of knowing a little about a few weapons when one has to defend oneself or possibly others in an emergency.
Responding to Yazeed’s question to prepare for conflict reporting, Thomas explained that making a film on any conflict topic or documentary takes time, as it is a lengthy endeavor that requires getting to know the entire area and its inhabitants and gaining their trust and confidence before collecting stories from a variety of people. Thomas also recounted a time he was in Syria and saw a little boy returning home after seeing a plane. When Thomas asked the boy’s father why the boy did this, the father replied that the boy was afraid of bombs. Thomas claimed that he was able to grasp and advance human rights by observing real victims of a particular issue while producing documentaries.
The participants were included in the discussion after the insightful exchange of the speakers, Abu Naser, one of the participants from Bangladesh, asked a question about the role journalists play in maintaining ethical responsibility in conflict situations or shaping public opinion and consciousness on behalf of humanity.
When Thomas stressed that it is obvious to bear all the suffering of the victims during filming, it can be traumatic, but must be managed as a professional. Rachel from Kenya asked how to maintain her mental health as a journalist in such conflict zones. Isobel recommended the same for managing all the stress and pain. Thereupon, Yazid presented his views on the subject and urged everyone there to seek mental health services, if necessary, after a traumatic event. Most participants were concerned about security in a conflict zone. Both speakers discuss knowingly all the risks and facts. Yazeed appreciated the participation of the various international participants and closed the session.
RESOURCES:
Thomas Sideris` Analysis on Press Freedom (attachment)
Thomas Sideris` List of Documentaries: https://filmfreeway.com/ThomasSideris
News articles by Isobel Koshiw published in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/isobel-koshiw
Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index: https://rsf.org/en/index
