International Journalism Festival 2026: What can PSM learn from others?

The targeting of (public) media’s independence via repressive legislation and the slashing of funding is another mechanism we can observe over this period. Hungary, the US, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Argentina… as Panievsky said, “The scapegoats vary but the playbook is the same” and consigns certain topics to the depth of oblivion through self-censorship, in “a slow but steady silencing”.

“The most valuable thing we can do is to cover our communities with dignity, empathy and care” – Maritza Félix, founder and director Conecta Arizona 

She also argued that there is a necessity to set up clear journalism practice criteria, which defines who and what a journalist is today.  This is a question left unanswered for a very long time for all its ethical issues. The main challenge being to determine who has the legitimacy to bear the responsibility to decide on such important matter.  But as she said, not deciding on such a matter gives the opportunity to “bad faith actors” and anti-journalists figures using the style of news to  undermine the journalistic profession and destroy it from within.

So, what can the media and journalists do to resist the creep of censorship? How can we forge a different path moving forwards? As Panievsky said, “defending press freedom is defending our right to know. It’s not just defending journalists”.

She argues that historically, there has been a weak response by independent media in the face of these threats facing them. Panievsky said that the media and journalism community has to take on an activist role to defend itself from outright and creeping threats against the mission of informing the public, holding the powerful accountable and foster a public debate. To quote Panievsky’s book, “Securing our right to know requires revolutionising our information sphere. No battle will be won without a victory in the fight for our right to know.”

How to do public service journalism differently?

One sentence resonated louder than others during this festival.

“The most valuable thing we can do is to cover our communities with dignity, empathy and care”. These were the words of Maritza Félix, founder and director Conecta Arizona, when she talked with Shirish Kulkarni from Media Cymru and the podcaster Andreea Vilcu on the importance of telling stories for marginalised people.

The three initiatives presented had something in common: what people value in a media is the creation of connection and change. And this must be considered in the way we view journalism and news today. In the words of Kulkarni who worked on the News for All Research, “a product that does not offer change or the hope of change is quite empty”.

It is in the mission of public service media to serve everyone, yet many public broadcasters are struggling to engage with some audiences, and are seeing declining levels of trust. Research has shown that whole communities do not feel represented in mainstream news coverage.

Read more: How collaboration is fuelling the mission of public media & PMA

To design news and journalism that include and serve the most marginalised “would produce universal solutions that work for everyone,” said Kulkarni. He advocates for producing content which adhere to design justice principles, which follow the idea that when something is being made for and with marginalised and underrepresented people, the influence goes beyond these group and responds to challenges that may affect society as a whole.

From an audience engagement perspective, public media could also look at other forms of journalism which are telling stories and bringing them to people differently. Drawn journalism is one of them. This form of journalism shows stories that cameras cannot, gives a face to those who have to stay invisible for security reasons, or tells a complicated stories in a few brushes. The cross-border public broadcaster ARTE is embracing such formats, with animated documentaries that can be shared with the public via the traditional but also vertical mediums. As Olivier Kugler, editorial illustrator who drew for The Guardian, told me, “The essence of drawings is that they ‘draw you in’.” He explained how people can relate to drawings differently than with pictures of articles, because of this human touch, and the story a drawing and a few words in a bubble can tell.

Conflict is closer than what you think

Iran, Gaza, Ukraine: three international wars that have shaken the world and taken a toll on media and journalists’ lives too.

Crisis and wars demand adaptation, resilience and a rethinking of some of the foundational values of journalism. In a panel on the resilience of Ukrainian media on the fifth year of war, Mariya Frey, from the public broadcaster Suspilne said that in a war condition, she could not be impartial at all. “Impartiality is being weaponised against people who care the most” Frey said, “and it’s usually journalists, because they care the most about the victims and they care the most about telling the truth to the world [about] who is the aggressor.”

The young public broadcaster had to reinvent itself when the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in 2022. It was quickly considered as critical infrastructure in this time of crisis and became one of the most trusted sources of information for Ukrainians. These are two of the pillars that hold Suspilne together. Frey also stressed the importance of investing in people and raising independent managers who will protect the editorial independence of the media, which is vital at all times, but especially in time of war.

This discussion also highlighted the need for more communication and connection between international media outlets. Effectively countering disinformation is a challenge, given the constant torrent of content flooding through social media. Forming partnerships with trustworthy media outlets in Ukraine help international media disseminate accurate and verified information, and avoid spreading propaganda.

Furthermore, the panel noted how essential it was that big tech are held accountable for the disinformation and harmful content they host and enable on their platforms, through the making of strong policies.

From this important panel, four things emerge: media must be considered as critical infrastructure, investing in people is the best way to keep good journalism and media afloat, media is one of the strongest forms of resistance against disinformation, and conflict is never far away.

Lessons for public media… from public media

How to save public service journalism? This was the question at the centre of one panel, but the answer is just as vast and complex as the challenges public media are facing today.

Panellists agreed that in face of the tech giants, public service media must work together on a strategic and operational level. Such collaboration can involve content sharing, but also working together to verify information. And collaboration should not be limited to public service media organisations working together but should also include local and public-interest media, to ensure independent and trustworthy information can be provided to different audiences.

Echoing what was said in other panels, it is vital for PSM to invest in people and brands that people can trust, to fortify the defence against the tsunami of disinformation we’re already encountering. The European Broadcasting Union’s Head of News, Liz Corbin added that public broadcasters today are not focused on their audience enough. She stressed they need to look back at the rules that have shaped PSM over the last century, keeping it safe and strong, and adapt them to new technologies and ways of delivering news.

Addressing one of the most widespread challenges the media and public media are facing today, namely funding, the founder of Project Kontinuum Branko Brkic pointed out that we live in an economy that does not support media anymore. As such, the whole economy of the media has to be reimagined, to find funding that is sustainable in the long term and allows public service media to deliver on its public service mandate.

In conclusion…

There were many other discussions at the IJF. But from that ocean of ideas, suggestions and initiatives, a few stand out: collaboration is key; media should ensure they’re including the marginalised voices; invest in people as they are the fibre of journalism. And finally, media can be a strong force for both good and bad, and so its independence must be protected at all costs.