Last Call: FJA Deadline on September 15
It’s not too late to join the party! Journalists and news media in the printed and online press have just a week to submit their entries for this year’s FJA competition. Remember, entries must be in one of the four categories:
- Outstanding contribution to Peace;
- Contribution to Civil Rights;
- Outstanding Investigative Reporting; and
- Excellence in Environmental Journalism.
The competition is worldwide and open to any online or print journalist or news media. The winners share a prize fund worth 520,000 CHF, that’s more than $640,000 USD. For details on how to enter, see https://fjawards.com/how-to-enter
FJA Webinar: The Future is freelance 14.00 UTC 9 October
This year more than half of the winners in the Fetisov Journalism Awards were independent freelance journalists, and proud to be so. It’s estimated that around 40 per cent of all journalism is now coming from the freelance community which is building a formidable reputation for quality journalism.
Our webinar looks at the challenges facing the modern freelance. Drawing upon the experience and talents of our winners, (Sarah A Topol, Outstanding Contribution to Peace, Fabian Federl, Environmental Journalism, and Anna-Catherine Brigada, Contribution to Civil Rights) we provide a survival guide for those making the transition to freelance work or just starting out on their journalistic journey.
Also with us will be Christiana Bedei, an outstanding freelance who has produced an international guide for freelance journalists. This webinar will explore how freelancers not only survive but reach the top tier of journalism with their top-quality stories.
Join us on 9 October 14.00 UTC for this unique opportunity to support and promote the fastest-growing sector of journalism.
Tributes to Andrei Jvirblis
In August the FJA mourned the loss of Andrei Jvirblis, a leading members of the FJA Experts Council. Andrei was a courageous Russian-French journalist and activist renowned for his work representing independent and journalists and media workers. Aidan White, for the FJA Executive Committee, said: “He was a great colleague and committed defender of independent journalism. His passing is a great loss to all of us.”
United Front over Killing of Journalists
The United Nations has strengthened protection for journalists at a time when media have been facing unprecedented challenges to the safety of their staff. In an unprecedented global action, more than hundreds of media outlets from 50 countries, including many publishers of FJA winners, took part in a co-ordinated editorial protest over the deaths of more than 200 journalists in Gaza on 1 September. It is the most deadly conflict for the press in modern history.
At the same time the UN Human Rights Council adopted a new resolution on the safety of journalists which strengthens protections for media. The resolution, for the first time, makes a reference to the targeting of journalists and media workers. In addition, UN agencies will carry out a comprehensive study on national systems for protection journalists. A review of the resolution by the anti-censorship Article 19 can be found here: https://www.article19.org/resources/un-human-rights-council-adopts-strong-resolution-on-safety-of-journalists/?mc_cid=cad962bea8&mc_eid=482a1f442c
Challenging AI over theft of Journalism
Journalists and media want to stop the grotesque exploitation of their work by AI companies. Recently European Union and Canadian publishers announced plans to lobby governments for trade deals that will force AI companies to pay for the journalism they are ripping off from media across the internet. However, although this might work for powerful media in richer countries, the global south is likely to be left behind unless a broader international approach is taken.
Africa Investigative Journalism Conference 2025
The 21st African Investigative Journalism Conference, taking place from 5 to 7 November at Wits University in Johannesburg, offers a wide range of training on everything from mining data, following the money exercises, health, whistleblowing, journalists’ safety, innovation, migration and other critical topics. Among the highlights are specific sessions on using AI tools: focus on the resistance of girls in conflict zones in Mozambique, and how solutions-driven investigative journalism can be a shield, as well as a sword. https://www.quicket.co.za/events/316901-2025-african-investigative-journalism-conference/#/
Looking to the future of journalism
Everywhere the talk is about the uncertain future for journalism in troubled times and in the UK on 14 and 15 September the crisis will be addressed at a major conference of media academics and journalists. The event at Cardiff University covers a range of issues from the role of journalists in covering conflict, the challenges in reporting on authoritarian politics, to the role of social media in shaping audience responses to news journalism. The audience is academic, but there are valuable insights into what the future holds for journalists and media leaders. See https://cardiffjournalism.co.uk/foj2023/
Reading materials:
Rethinking Ethics: Are traditional journalistic ethics able to protect quality journalism in the age of authoritarian politics, “fake news,” AI, and industry decline? Thirteen leading journalists and media ethics experts gave their view on this challenging question in a recent survey carried out by Julia Gerstein and Margaret Sullivan published by Columbia Journalism Review.
They have also produced a terrific series of reports on the future of ethics. It’s not bad news, but our core ethics -- accuracy, independence, impartiality, humanity and accountability – will be strengthened by new guidelines and ground rules. This is a must-read for journalists worried about the future of newsroom standards.
See https://www.cjr.org/new-journalism-ethics-standards-and-practices?mc_cid=dfc549aa77&mc_eid=5e8478bb33 and https://www.cjr.org/feature/thirteen-journalists-on-how-they-are-rethinking-ethics-newsroom-leaders-ethicists-trump-fake-news-ai.php?mc_cid=c29cd97d39&mc_eid=5e8478bb33
Digging into Business: Exploring how financial markets can have a detrimental impact on human rights is a tricky business, but reporters in Brazil used a tool kit to understand how money markets are damaging environmental standards. The tools help journalists follow supply chains and business operations. In this case it was dealings in meat and corn, but it could be a starting point for other story telling. https://ijnet.org/en/story/how-reporters-linked-brazil%E2%80%99s-financial-market-environmental-violations
Media Capture in Africa and Latin America is a challenging book published recently revealing, in a south to south context, how media can respond to the threats posed when journalism is unduly influenced by a political economy that drives media systems. https://theconversation.com/african-media-are-threatened-by-governments-and-big-tech-book-tracks-the-latest-trends-258017