International Journalism Week 2024

International Journalism Week (IJW) 2024, organised by the School of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University of Sheffield, takes place from 4 November to 7 November 2024. The theme for this year’s IJW is Journalism in the times of global unrest.

With regional wars, political unrests, and increasing number of violent protests across the world, professional and citizen journalists are facing enormous challenges while discharging their news dissemination function. Death threats, assaults, prison sentences, forced or voluntary exile, and even death are some of the risks faced by journalists who dare to hold corrupt powers to account. In addition to physical risk and impunity against media professionals, journalists deal with an avalanche of weaponised disinformation and pressures from corrupt powerful actors who often target journalists because they perceive their coverage as a threat to their objectives. The increasing number of abuses against journalists and failure to hold the culprits accountable prompted the UN General Assembly to declare November 2nd as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. Despite the risks involved, journalism must continue because it plays an integral role in the sustenance of democracy and ensuring an informed citizenry. The questions this raises are: What are the challenges faced by journalists in times of global unrest? How can journalism thrive in the face of these challenges? What should journalists know and do to stay safe while carrying out their duties in times of global unrest? These are some of the questions that will be answered in this year’s International Journalism Week (IJW) which is organised by the School of Journalism, Media and Communication.

This year’s event, which takes place on 4-7 November 2024, will feature engaging and captivating talks, workshops, and panel discussions by speakers from different parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. The speakers include veteran journalists and experts from related fields who will share their wealth of knowledge and experience on the coverage of war, elections, and various forms of investigative journalism. One of the highlights of the IJW event is the Creative Media Competitions. These competitions are open to first year undergraduate and MA Global Journalism students at the University of Sheffield. The students will compete for awards in the production of captivating and original short videos including TikTok and podcasts that would expound on the theme of IJW2024. The competitors will receive training and support for their productions from the University’s Creative Media Team.

Live streamed events:

The following IJW2024 sessions will be live streamed here.  

O4 November 2024

14.00 - 15.50 - Panel Discussion: Covering elections in UK, US and France

Moderator: Tim Hopkinson.

Panellists:

Oksana Vozhdaeva - (former BBC World Service Reporter).

Matthew McGregor - (CEO of the campaigning organisation,

38 Degrees).

Dominic Penna - (Political Correspondent, Telegraph).

Jonathan Wald - (ITN's Washington news editor).

07 November 2024

10.00 – 10.15 - Keynote Address by the UNESCO Chair on Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity, Professor Jackie Harrison (CFOM).

10.15 – 12.00 - CFOM Panel: Three perspectives on journalism in an age of unrest.

Moderator, (CFOM) – William Horsley.

Panellists:

Professor Chris Paterson from the University of Leeds.

Subtopic: Weakening of the global legal order to protect journalists in the age of unrest.

Fiona O'Brien – Reporters Without Borders, London Bureau Director.

Subtopic: The rise of transnational threats and attacks on journalists by authoritarian

governments.

Howard Zhang Former Head of BBC News Chinese

Subtopic: Reporting today’s China: Practical realities and editorial decision-making.