WEDNESDAY, 15 NOVEMBER - newsxchange.org · WEDNESDAY, 15 NOVEMBER ... only to end up in your audience's Facebook ... Hiwar says that many broadcasters are too simplistic and sensationalist

WEDNESDAY, 15 NOVEMBER

REGISTRATION OPENS AT 08:00 AT THE BEURS. NEWS XCHANGE 2017 BEGINS AT 09:15 SHARP.

Opening/IntroductionThe Golden Age of Journalism

Dance performance with Jon Boogz and Ahmad Joudeh

• Jon Boogz, Movement artist, choreographer, director, Co-Founder, Movement Art Is

• Ahmad Joudeh, Dancer, Dutch National Ballet

Introduction to News Xchange 2017• Amy Selwyn, Managing Director, News Xchange

Julie Pace, Associated Press Bureau Chief, Washington DC• Moderated by Stephen Gaisford, Journalist and Consultant

Last year, News Xchange ended with speculation about just what journalistic life with the newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, might bring. And although there was no way of knowing

AN EBU CONFERENCE

2017 AGENDA

�1

for sure at that stage, there was much speculation about diminishing press freedoms or access, a contentious relationship with the press – especially with those organizations he had criticized and mocked during the election – and a penchant for declaring news to be “fake”.

Now, one year later, it is time to look at the reality. Julie Pace, Bureau Chief in Washington, DC, will give us an upfront and personal view of covering Trump. What’s it like in the bubble of the Trump White House? What is it like to report in the era of “fake news”? What’s next, does she think?

Session: Strategic Decisions • Produced by News Xchange• Moderated by Jacqueline Simmons, Executive Editor of Global Business,

Bloomberg News• Panelists Salah Negm, Al Jazeera; Caroline Paterson, CNN; John

Pullman, Reuters.

In a time of budgets under pressure how do big news organisations prioritise where they spend their money? Do we all chase the same stories – perhaps there are some examples of news organisations going it alone and it paying off? How do global news organisation achieve a global balance? Is there a danger they choose to cover news where they have people, and how do you fight this tendency? An example to discuss might be the hurricanes that hit the US at the same time as a major cyclone  in Bangladesh. What sort of balance should a news organisation be aiming for? And the question of risk versus reward. How do you decide how long to spend a on a story as the costs mount up, e.g., Iraq? Senior editorial guests will discuss how they reach decisions on strategies and approach.

Short Sharp: Yusuf Omar and Sumaiya Omar• Co-founders, #Hashtag Our Stories

Yusuf Omar participated as a speaker at last year’s News Xchange conference, addressing the question, “Is mainstream media out of touch?” (Yusuf said, emphatically, “Yes, you are”.) In the intervening 12 months, Yusuf has gone on to become a senior social journalist at CNN and, most recently, to launch his own news organization, #Hashtag Our Stories: The Next Billion People Online Will Make You Want To Know Their Stories.

�2

Yusuf and Sumaiya say the golden age of journalism is now. And it’s all about mobilizing the mobile to gather the world’s stories. Building news communities and partnering with major news organizations. Is he right?

Short Sharp: Molly Bingham• President and CEO, Orb Media, Journalist and Filmmaker

An award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer and journalist, Molly has covered news and conflicts around the globe. Her work has been featured in leading media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Independent, Vanity Fair, and she has appeared on top network and cable television and radio news programs.

In this short sharp, Molly will talk about Orb’s groundbreaking investigative journalism series, Invisibles: The Plastic Inside Us, the first ever global scientific study on the overwhelming prevalence of microplastics—extremely small pieces (less than 5 mm) of plastic debris resulting from the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste—in tap water. How Orb partnered with global organizations, and what has happened since this groundbreaking journalism was published.

Coffee & Networking Break, Generously sponsored by Ruptly

WORKSHOPS

How To Transform Early Eyewitness Reports Into Breaking News Stories• Produced and led by Dataminr• Room: Administratiezaal (1st Floor)

Many of the biggest news stories of 2017 were broken by eyewitnesses who happened to be on the scene, and reported what they saw on social media. A recent study conducted by Dataminr found that citizen journalists were the top contributors to breaking news stories in every region around the world. Learn how leading newsrooms transform early eyewitness reports sourced by Dataminr into broadcast news, and see the alerting platform in action during the live product demo. 

�3

Facebook: Getting the most out of video• Produced and led by Facebook. Presenters: Nick Wrenn and Caitlin

Ramrakha. • Room: Berlagezaal (1st Floor)

It’s predicted that by 2020, more than 75% of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video. Video offers publishers new opportunities to keep people engaged for longer, as well as new ways to increase revenue. In this workshop we’ll review how video is growing on Facebook and explain the opportunities to build audiences, earn revenue and innovate using video on demand, Facebook Live and 360.

Immediately following the workshops, we will break for lunch.

Campbell Brown, Head of News Partnerships, Facebook• Q&A Moderated by Justyna Kurczabinska, Eurovision

Session: Social Media, Media Literacy and Audience Trust • Produced by News Xchange• Moderated by Mandy Jenkins, Storyful• Panelists: Clemence Lemaistre, Les Echos; Jacques Pezet, Corretiv

This intimate chat will see Mandy Jenkins, and two prominent guests discuss social media literacy in the news environment for newsrooms and their audiences. The conversation will focus on the impact of disinformation and social media literacy against the landscape of nationalistic movements, especially in Europe and the US. We’ll cover the various platforms in play at any given time during major news cycles and how information moves between open networks like Twitter, closed networks and the dark web, only to end up in your audience's Facebook feeds. Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of modern social media newsgathering and getting the "story behind the story".

Smoothie Break (back of room). Generously sponsored by Ruptly

�4

Margarita Simonyan, Editor-in-Chief, RT• “The Outsider’s View”• Q&A moderated by Roger Hearing, BBC World

In a recent interview with NPR in the United States, RT’s Editor-in-Chief, Margarita Simonyan, said her news organization is working to counter the narrative being told by mainstream media. To be “the outsider” reporting the news from other perspectives. At the same time, France's president Macron recently accused the English-language news channel RT of "deceitful propaganda."

So, which is it? In this presentation, we’ll have an opportunity to hear Margarita Simonyan’s own take on “the outsider’s view” and what that really means in terms of journalism, stories and audiences.

Short Sharp: Tirana Hassan• Crisis Response Director, Amnesty International• “What Happens When Platforms Remove Violent Videos?”

The tension between the desire to keep information unfettered and the need to prevent the abuse of channels by violent or hate groups is complicated. And difficult. In the effort to curb extremism, Amnesty International’s Tirana Hassan shares the often devastating effect of these policies on justice and human rights.

Short Sharp: Zahra Rasool• Editorial Lead, Contrast VR• “The Ethics of Virtual Reality”

Zahra Rasool is the Editorial Lead for Contrast VR — Al Jazeera’s new immersive media studio where she focuses on the production of compelling 360-degree video, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) content. Before joining Al Jazeera's Innovation Team, she was the Managing Editor of HuffPost RYOT where she was responsible for RYOT's editorial strategy, managing the content team and combining journalistic storytelling with VR and 360-degree technology. In 2015, she founded her own startup Gistory. Her background is in documentary filmmaking and she is very passionate about new emerging platforms

�5

and immersive storytelling in shaping the future of the media. Zahra was the editorial lead for “I Am Rohinga”, a virtual reality documentary.

Sisonke Msimang, Journalist, social critica and “opinionista”• “The Role of the Media in Polarised Societies”• Q&A Moderated by Guido Baumhauer, Deutsche Welle

In recent years, media institutions have come under fire for failing to predict massive political upsets:  Brexit and Trump’s win being the most commonly cited examples. Yet the failure of the media to “know” anything with “certainty” is a function of a far wider set of social problems.  Chief among these is the fact that around the world the distance between people of different belief systems seems to be widening - certainly in terms public expressions of difference.  

Yet the role of the media is to provide information in non-partisan and ‘objective’ ways, and in societies that are increasingly complex, that have multiple stakeholders and that are increasingly polarized.  

In such situations can the media ever really win?  Can it tell stories that are “objective and impartial”?  

This talk looks at the pitfalls of ‘impartiality’ in fractured societies, arguing that it is only by being more explicit and straightforward about subjectivity, that media institutions can gain trust.  

COCKTAIL PARTY (Beurs van Berlage), Generously sponsored by AFP

�6

NEWS XCHANGE BY NIGHT: GIN & TECHNIC

Start time approximately 19:15

Help yourself to cocktails and be sure to hit the stylish Dutch gin & tonic bar. Then, grab a plate, sample a variety of Dutch specialties, and pull up a chair for some News Xchange fun.

First, join Zahra Rasool, Editorial Lead, for a screening of her award-winning VR doc, “I Am Rohinga” (Duration: 8 minutes). Glasses provided, of course! Watch the video and hear, first hand, from Zahra about the challenges of making the film and working in virtual reality.

Then, get ready for Yusuf Omar, the man who walks through life wearing his Snapchat glasses… Yusuf will talk about, “Cool Sh*t You Need To Be Know”!

�7

THURSDAY, 16 NOVEMBER

WORKSHOPS (starting at 09:30, with coffee and continental breakfast served)

Reporting what's happening: How newsrooms use Twitter’s latest tools to break news first• Produced and led by Twitter. Presenters: @JeromeTomasini and

@BeitaArma• Room: Administratiezaal (1st Floor)

Understanding the practicalities of disinformation• Produced and led by Storyful. Presenters: Ravi Pillai: Global Vice

President, Media Partnerships, and Padraic Ryan: Senior Journalist• Room: Veilingzaal (1st Floor)

Rumours, smears, fake news and disinformation can sometimes seem to appear online out of nowhere. Understanding their origins, how they move across platforms and get magnified, is key to knowing how to report on and debunk them. Using an interactive approach, Storyful will help attendees understand how disinformation spreads, how reporting on it can help journalists and how preventive measures can positively impact the business of news.

Official program begins at 10:15

Peter Greenberger, Global Head of News, Twitter• #TwitterForNews: Optimising for Reach, Revenue & Innovation• Q&A Moderated by Alan Soon, CEO, Splice

 People turn to Twitter every day to find out what's happening in their world. Never has Twitter been more relevant or influential to the news industry or the global conversation. Learn how Twitter partners with news organisations to grow their reach and earn revenue on the platform, in

�8

addition to helping reporters discover, cover and break news through innovations in storytelling.

Session: Reporting Terror• Produced by Chris Gibson, BBC News; Executive Producer Jonathan

Munro, BBC News • Moderated by Martin Bashir, BBC News• Panelists: Ryan Broderick, Buzzfeed; Ibrahim Helal, Al Jazeera; Dahlia

Lithwick, Slate; Judith Moritz, BBC; Jonathan Munro, BBC; Marc Sala, TVESensationalising terrorism It is the responsibility of the media to not sensationalize terror attacks. Broadcasters have long been accused of inadvertently granting renown by glamorizing those who perpetrate terror. Are the media becoming recruiters?

Bias and language Azzam Tamimi, Editor-in-Chief of the London based Arabic channel, Al Hiwar says that many broadcasters are too simplistic and sensationalist in their coverage and this comes from deeply held prejudices and anxieties about Muslims.  The allegation is that prejudice or unconscious bias spreads fear and confusion and the framing of television reportage, when allowed to continue unchecked, reinforces prejudices and stereotypes. What are we doing to address our own bias?  What is required to address cultural prejudice?

Western lives matter moreAre the media guilty of prioritising the lives of westerners over those from other regions? Is a terrorist attack in London or Barcelona covered with a level of emotion and compassion, whereas similar incidents in Gaza or Afghanistan will be reported as just another incident in a violent region of the world.  The humanitarian impacts are oftentimes much more severe in the latter, yet the weight of compassionate coverage is the reverse.

What are the best practices for reporting a terror story? In the golden age of journalism, are these practices achievable? Why or why not?

�9

Session: Journalist Safety, Cyberbullying and Online Harassment • Produced by News Xchange• Moderated by Hannah Storm, INSI• Panelists: Dr. Anthea Butler, Writer and Professor, University of

Pennsylvania; Mary Hamilton, The Guardian; Alexandra Pascalidou, Journalist

We have done many sessions on safety in the past. Today, we must add harassment (especially online) and cyberbullying to the language of safety. Threats of rape, lynching, kidnapping, murder, harm to children or family members, name-calling and other targeted attacks threaten to silence voices and perspectives, especially those of women. This will be an intimate, personal discussion, led by Hannah Storm, INSI, and two guests who will speak candidly of their experiences and what they are doing to fight the harassment.

LUNCH

Lunchtime session: A Practical Conversation About Journalist Safety • Produced by INSI• Moderated by Cilla Benko, Swedish Radio• Participants: Phil Chetwynd, AFP; Tommy Evans, CNN; others TBD• Room: Keurzaal

In this session, you’re invited to explore ideas and share tips on how to prepare local journalists before they go to cover stories with traumatic content and support them if they experience difficulties dealing with what they have experienced. This is not about the experienced foreign correspondent; rather, this is about the reporter unaccustomed to covering dangerous situations (domestic terror attacks, hurricanes and extreme weather) and suddenly finding themselves in danger, feeling anxious or worse. What are some practical ideas for dealing with this? Bring your lunch, pull up a chair, join colleagues in problem-solving and knowledge-sharing.

�10

Session: How do we report on the new popular political movements?• Produced by Naja Nielsen• Moderated by Tine Gotzsche (DR) • Participants: Dr. Miguel Otero, Executive Editor and Pubisher (in exile) El

Nacional (Venezuela); others TBD

How to report on new popular political movements without embedding bias, without reducing to discussions of right vs. left. What language are we using? What language should we be using? What is the underlying set of assumptions? How can better reflect what is happening and establish a deeper understanding for audiences?

Session: Misinformation Ecosystem• Produced by News Xchange, NHK• Moderated by Sam Dubberley, News Xchange• Participants Amandine Ambregni, AFP Deputy Head Social Media, France;

Kristin Becker, ARD; Dr. Masato Kajimoto, University of Hong Kong; Satoshi Yamamoto, NHK

It’s not just Donald Trump. It’s heads of state and government around the world who have taken to dismissing stories and investigations with which they disagree as fake news. Aung San Suu Kyi has referred to an "iceberg of misinformation” around events in Rakhine state in Myanmar since August.  Basar al-Assad denounced claims about the sarin gas attack in Khan Sheikoun, saying, "100 percent for us, it’s fabrication.” In France, the presidential candidate Emanuel Macron was accused of receiving campaign funding from Saudi Arabia.  Alongside this, the mainstream media globally is accused of working for a neoliberal conspiracy. The social media companies have still not been able to deal with criticisms re: their ineffectiveness of repressing content on their networks which are false. After the Las Vegas shootings of September 2017, a conspiracy theory video on the recommendations page of YouTube was viewed over 1 million times.  These tensions have led to many organizations setting up initiatives to fight against the misinformation sphere.  CrossCheck in France united over 30 mainstream organizations to report on the French elections.  Buzzfeed reports frequently on the misinformation ecosphere. And these are just two examples.  This session will look at the different types of misinformation circling the news ecosphere, from memes to fakes to broad claims of misinformation.  It will look at how organizations - from mainstream to

�11

start-up - are fighting this problem and tackling the media literacy issue by explaining the misinformation ecosystem to their audiences.  It will look at some of the success and failures of recent initiatives and will ask, ultimately, if any of this is helping and if traditional media can fight the misinformation or should give up trying.

Waad al Kateab• Q&A Moderated by Navine Mabro, Channel 4 News

In an editorial for The Guardian, Channel 4 News’ Editor, Ben de Pear, wrote: “[Waad al Kateab] has done that most important thing in journalism: she humanized the victims, showed us whole families in their worst moments, chronicled their pain and showed the world the horror, without intruding, and with a skill it takes most decades to learn.”

Session: But Where To Get The Dosh: Funding Innovation• Produced by News Xchange• Moderated by Sameer Padania, Macro Scope• Panelists: Madhav Chinnappa, Google; Nienke Venema, director of the

Democracy and Media Foundation

Innovation requires more than creative thinking and more than human ingenuity. It also requires funding. What are some of the funding models out there, how do they work, what are the pitfalls and what are the rewards? How do we begin thinking about funding the innovation we know we need?

Brian Stelter, Senior Media Correspondent for CNN and the host of “Reliable Sources”

• Q&A moderated by Mark Little, Co-Founder, Neva-Labs

�12