Launched in Florence in March 2024, the initiative aims to bring citizens, journalists, and media professionals together to celebrate journalism and its crucial role in fostering an informed public in a healthy democracy.
This week, members of the Voices team gathered in Zagreb for a press conference to unveil the full programme, introduce keynote speakers, and highlight special initiatives planned for this year's edition.
Key topics will include debates on inclusivity in the media and sessions on communicating complex issues such as the environment and climate change. Other discussions will explore the role of storytelling in reducing polarisation, innovative formats for engaging young audiences, and healthy digital habits for parents and children.
The highlight of the opening evening on 27 February will be a conversation between the next generation of journalists and the policymakers shaping the regulations that future media professionals will work under. The day will involve outstanding journalism students from the University of Zagreb, who will moderate debates with policymakers on pressing issues, such as the EU’s response to the growing power of Big Tech and its influence on our online lives and political landscapes, as well as the Union’s efforts to protect freedom of expression. In particular, the discussions will address the fight against SLAPPs—lawsuits designed to intimidate, financially drain, and silence individuals or organisations that challenge powerful interests, posing a serious threat to free expression, EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)
One of last edition's most successful sessions, the Living stories, will return this year, focusing on journalist safety through personal testimonies. Among the speakers will be Georgine Kellermann, a trans journalist from the German Regional Public Service Media whose professional credibility was questioned after coming out, as well as Marc Marginedas and Mortaza Behboudi, who were abducted while on assignment by ISIS and Taliban intelligence, respectively. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to meet them, ask questions, and hear their stories firsthand.
The festival will also feature a diverse cultural programme, including ‘They Blew Her Up’ a play about the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Additionally, attendees will have access to the museum’s permanent collection and four photojournalism exhibitions showcasing marginalised realities, such as the precarious conditions of patients in Moldova’s mental health institutions and the lives of migrant sex workers in Denmark. In the evenings, there will be screenings of impactful documentaries, such as The Social Dilemma and The Click Trap, followed by a discussion with director Peter Porta.
Voices will offer a dynamic lineup of interactive activities, particularly 12 workshops designed for different audiences. Some will focus on journalists’ mental health, covering emotional resilience in hostile environments, stress management, and online harassment. Others will explore EU funding opportunities for media professionals, the use of AI in media storytelling, and collaborative investigative journalism.
Workshops for teachers and educators will provide tools for bringing media literacy into classrooms, while sessions for the general public will cover digital well-being, how we process information, protecting digital footprints, and navigating polarised environments effectively.
Discover more about the festival and get a free ticket.
Voices is the result of a collaboration among seven European partners, led by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the European University Institute.