A bid for a better journalism: iMEdD’s International Journalism Forum and our Community Event

What is “better” journalism? How do we make it “better”? This word, in the context of a profession that is ever-changing, under constant pressure, crucial for society, and subject to the relentless scrutiny of public opinion and political powers, means many things.

All these many ways journalism is “better” or can be “better” will be explored in Athens, from 26 to 28 September, during iMEdD’s third International Journalism Forum, an event dedicated to journalism in the broadest sense, with panels, workshops, discussions, titled “Unveiling stories, shifting perspectives”. Let’s see them together.

Elena Stancu in one of our live journalism EPPisodes – Odyssey Edition, at the iMEdD’s Forum in 2023

1. A “better” – of higher quality – journalism

It isn’t easy to assess what quality journalism is.

We know that well, at the European Press Prize. Every year, we mobilise a Preparatory Committee made up of more than 20 experienced journalists and a world-class level Panel of Judges, to try and identify the most worthy stories and journalists of the year. And who knows how many there are out there that we cannot reach.

Journalism is first and foremost a system of practices. So, when we talk about what higher-quality journalism is, we need to refer to the thousands and thousands of journalists, reporters, and media professionals who every day strive for quality in what they do, and try to tell important stories in the most effective and transparent way.

2. A profession made of “better” journalists

So, the focus of improving this profession passes through its practitioners, the journalists.

To make journalism “better”  we need to give every one of them – or at least the highest number possible, means and space to make great journalism. We try to do so with events like iMEdD’s Forum, and with our Community Event.

iMEdD’s International Journalism Forum will bring hundreds of world-class journalists to Athen. They will come together to explore the many facets of the profession. There will be panels on the effect of AI on it, and on the opportunities that new technologies carry; workshops on how to report ethically on difficult topics; keynotes on crisis reporting; and many more activities that will also give Greek journalists the opportunity to interface with their international counterparts.

It is during this Forum, that we will host our third Community Event, to bring together many Laureates of the European Press Prize, let them connect, share ideas, become friends. We believe that building a strong Community will contribute to making the journalists that are part of it, “better”, because it will give them the chance to learn from each other and the optimism of knowing that there is a support system ready for them.

3. A profession that is “better”, in better health

In the World Press Photo flagship exhibition in Amsterdam, visitors will find a room whose walls are completely covered with the names of all the journalists killed “in action” – doing their job –  that is, over the years.

It is a daunting sight, and the number of media workers who risk their lives, or who are sued, persecuted, harassed, and threatened, is ever-growing.

So, more safety means “better” health, a profession that can function “better”. Journalists can do their jobs more effectively when they know they are protected and that there is a system of accountability for who attacks them.

But better health also means better mental health. In the second edition of our Community Event, we hosted a workshop by The Self Investigation, an organisation whose goal is to teach journalists how to take care of their mental well-being.

Journalism is a high-energy profession, where work and life boundaries can be blurred, at times. During our Community Event, we decided to give space to this topic and open up the conversation with our Laureates.

So, when we talk about a “better” journalism we mean all of this: a journalism that is stronger, healthier, more protected, of the highest quality and made with energy and happiness. This way, it can be one of the most important professions in the world.

The Winners of the European Press Prize 2024 now translated in five major languages

Journalism can be a powerful tool to connect people. It is by sharing stories that distances are bridged, and Europe can feel more united.

This is why, thanks to the partnership with the startup kompreno, all the Winners of the European Press Prize 2024 are now available in five major European languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Our News Table at our Community Event in Berlin, 2021

The collaboration with the German startup kompreno started earlier this year. They supplied the European Press Prize with English-language translations for the Preparatory Committee and the Panel of Judges. Ultimately, three of the five Award-winning contributions in the main categories were translated by kompreno.

The great power of translations

We often state that Europe is the sum of its stories. Such stories don’t always come from Europe’s centres of power. Sometimes, small facts that happen in the continent’s periphery can prove to be very important for readers living far away from the story’s source.

But in a Europe made up of so many different languages, stories might get stuck, unable to travel outside the language borders of their state. This is why translations are crucial – not only translations into English, but also into other languages.

Moreover, journalism is increasingly developing into a cross-border and collaborative endeavour. Journalists team up with their colleagues, often creating international teams or consortiums to tackle important issues. It is only natural, then, that articles will be translated and republished, distributed to different audiences, and sometimes picked up for follow-up pieces by yet another team of journalists.

Jochen Adler, co-founder of kompreno: “Language barriers deprive us of so many unique opportunities to recognize and realise progress and innovation. The world currently faces many urgent challenges – shifts in geopolitics have brought insecurity, the climate crisis demands new energy, we need new concepts for urban and rural mobility, and the struggle to keep balance in social justice and civil society. Our continent will benefit immensely if we take up ideas from other cultures, working together to apply them more forcefully, globally. Translations are the way.”

The Winning pieces translated by kompreno

Here are the Winning pieces of the European Press Prize 2024. Clicking on the links, you will be able to read each of them translated into five languages.

Kazakhstan-Xinjiang, the Border of Tears: For the survivors of the Xinjiang concentration camps, leaving the camps is rarely a liberation; rather, it is often the start of a new ordeal. Now, they must learn to live again and navigate a life where their traumas are not recognised.

Lapdogs of War: A Guide to Russia’s Wartime Oligarchs: Proekt’s research has shown that the richest Russians – the so-called oligarchs – have received billions of dollars in defence contracts, producing, among other things, the weapons used to kill civilians in Ukrainian cities. But even knowing this, the oligarchs prefer to remain silent.

Iraq Without Water: The Cost of Oil to Italy: Oil fields in Iraq extract crude oil using water diverted from rivers. Their profits have multiplied since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. But the city of Basra has no water or electricity.

How Europe Outsourced Border Enforcement to Africa: The European Union is militarizing Africa’s internal borders to curb migration, with little regard for human rights.

We Have Betrayed a Generation: This year, as never before, we have seen an alarming increase in media reports of acts of violence against the elderly, but nothing is being done. It’s as if nothing shocks us anyone anymore.