Name: Public interest journalism – where does Europe go?
Start: 2025-05-23T15:00:00+0200
End: 2025-05-23T16:15:00+0200

Friday May 23, 2025 3:00pm - 4:15pm CEST

Z1.16

Independent newsrooms are sprouting up all over Europe. They counter the decline in traditional media and the rise of misinformation, but they are still outnumbered and face significant challenges to their survival.
For the first time, we now have knowledge and data about this new sector: The Journalism Value Project (JVP) has over the last two years made a survey of 174 independent newsrooms on 31 countries, produced a 25-episode podcast series about their main challenges and published a white-paper aimed at politicians and funders about the need for public service journalism and the needs, these newsrooms have.
The project has put the spotlight on the societal value of independent journalism and the challenges it faces. Join this session to hear about the state of public interest newsrooms in Europe and hear how the newsrooms and the funders look at future possibilities. Is there a place for these media? Are they a priority for funders or for politicians at national and EU level? Must the newsrooms find their own ways to become sustainable?

Moderators

Brigitte Alfter

Director, Arena for Journalism in Europe

Brigitte Alfter is a senior German-Danish journalist and director for Arena for Journalism in Europe. Having practiced journalism for more than a decade on local, national and European level, she realised the need for collaborative journalism and for structures to support not least... Read More →

Speakers

Malte Werner

Projektleiter Helpline, Netzwerk Recherche

Malte Werner ist gelernter Agenturjournalist und war viele Jahre freier Reporter. Jetzt hegt und pflegt er das zarte Pflänzchen des gemeinnützigen Journalismus im Grow-Greenhouse, dem Zentrum für gemeinnützigen Journalismus und Medienvielfalt von Netzwerk Recherche. Bei NR hat... Read More →

Ebru Akgün

Public Interest Programme Manager, Adessium Foundation

Ebru, currently in the role of Public Interest Programe Manager, joined Adessium Foundation in November 2021. Adessium Foundation is a private and independent grant making foundation, based in the Netherlands. It aspires to a society that encourages people to live in harmony with... Read More →