Conference supporting European journalists

At our first major event we provided a platform for stories of courage and resilience from journalists operating in some of Europe’s most precarious media environments.

Foreign Desk directors chaired and moderated 7-8 discussions and presentations over the two-day event held at the prestigious Frontline Club in London. We heard from journalists who’d been jailed or kidnapped, held by ISIS, or seen colleagues murdered for exposing corruption. We are seeking to build support networks for journalists in countries where independent media is under pressure. This piece in The Times, published to coincide with the conference, it was written by a Hungarian academic whose university is being as driven out of the country by the state. https://lnkd.in/dnegP5b

We heard from the pioneering British journalist Carole Cadwalladr about the importance of keeping going when you feel strongly about an issue, whether you’re an ‘investigative journalist’ or a feature writer – as she was when she started lifting the lid on the campaign to leave the EU. Columnist Nick Cohen pointed out that the American and Western support is vital to ensuring strongmen back off the press. He gave a great speech and wrote in the Observer about his discussion with some of our incredible speakers and participants. https://lnkd.in/dHAJhg7