Catching up on #ijf25 - Perugia's big week in media [#184]
+ Upcoming events on fr33lancing and newsletters.
I’ve been catching up on the International Journalism Festival, Europe's biggest annual media event - held every April in Perugia, Italy.
Free entry. No tickets, no bookings. You just rock up and enjoy. They livestream it on YouTube and upload most sessions, so you can follow along from home. Which is great because talks always clash and you can’t get into all of them anyway. Legging it on cobbled streets doesn’t work!
I couldn’t make it this year, so I really appreciate the generosity of spirit and lack of gatekeeping – it helps you feel part of it wherever you are. A shoutout to Arianna Ciccone and Christopher Potter, the IJF directors (there’s no advisory board or exec committee), and the supporters who make it possible.
Despite growing fast, it still feels cosy and casual. The 2024 festival had 220 sessions and 612 speakers over five days - and lots of fringe fun.
I put it down to Perugia magic – a mix of old and new, the ‘Chocolate City’ with the coolest little Minimetrò. Can’t think of a better way to start your day than a Sunrise Smartphone Videography Walk with Rob and Valentina. Coffee and dog spotting in the piazza. Watching the city wake up. The joy of slow mornings!
My friend
was there, so I asked her what it was like and how it compared to last year. I’m curious about which sessions were the most popular - and what was missing.
Really enjoyed reading Amy’s review. She said there wasn’t much for freelancers on the schedule considering work has fallen off a cliff, which is nuts because the industry runs on freelancers.
Very inspiring to see several sessions on creator journalism (full rooms!) and nano newsrooms. In an age of AI, voice is the ultimate currency, unplugging to reconnect with your readers, and my favourite: an honest f*ckup session about what went wrong.
We get so many shiny stories and best practices - but not enough conversations (and laughs) about fuckups, failures and frustrations.
I’m down a rabbit hole with the replays. Takeaways so far:
▶️ Wayfinder Media Trends Report: Navigating tomorrow.
Ezra Eeman: “In the US, AI subscriptions have surpassed news subscriptions among US adults aged 18-54. AI has become a utility in a record time, even if it’s far from perfect.” Because they aren’t just about news - they address a wider range of needs i.e. life!
More than 19% of online content is AI-generated already. This is just the beginning (I saw a report from Europol that said 90% of online content could be AI-generated by 2026).
▶️ All journalists are content creators: it’s time for us to embrace that.
Johnny Harris: “I don’t think I would’ve made it as a journalist in the old way because I wouldn’t have been able to fit within the norms of traditional journalism.”
On making a living: a mix of subscriber-funded + ads is the future. I also found his video on 7 things I’ve learned about journalism in 7 years of being a journalist.
Jane Ferguson: “The biggest flaw in the content creator space for journalists is how siloed we are. We can have independent incomes but bundle with other reporters.”
Be interesting to see how/if this can ever work on Substack. It’s complicated.
▶️ Mistakes, setbacks and unfulfilled expectations: an honest f*uck-up session.
You can do everything right - and it can still fuck up.
I’m too old to waste time trying to persuade people who won’t be persuaded and don’t want to be persuaded. Actually, we need to spend time with people who get it and are open to changing things.
Status quo media is the problem. Media that wants things to stay the same. We’re not in a place where we can afford not to change right now. Spend time with people who understand the need for change. - Shirish Kulkarni 👏
I love what Chris Moran [The Guardian] said about giving people time to reflect and building that into the culture. There needs to be more care and empathy in the industry (and towards ourselves, as soloists - we’re not robots).
None of us has had a linear career path. That ambition can get in the way because we’re fixated on one thing. We need to leave space for organic opportunities and serendipity (why I’m always out walking and idling in coffeeshops :)
There’s no Slido, but here’s my word cloud:
Pivot. Collaborate. Creator-led. Fluid. Responsive. The wild web. Activism. Abundance of opportunities. “Just do the thing.”
So much magic here - thanks to all the speakers. Enjoy the replays!
Whenever I think about Perugia I think about Amanda Knox. She did a talk at Trouble Club this month on her latest memoir, Free: My Search for Meaning. She wrote to the Italian prosecutor who sent her to prison and they started corresponding before meeting up in Perugia. Trying to rewrite her narrative.
Did you go to IJF this year? Which bits stood out for you?
Nika
PS I’m in Blackpool next weekend for the NUJ’s conference (DM25) - the union’s main policy-making body. Big focus on AI this year. There’s a public demo Friday 1 pm outside the conference centre, calling attention to the killing of journalists in Gaza by Israel. I’ll be there. Please share. 🙏
🔗 Link About It
Newsletters: the new journalism? | The Media Society. 30 April, 6pm online. I’ve just rejoined – some good events lined up, a new podcast, and more. Here’s
on all things digital media. [Book now] wages war on traditional media | Write About Now w/ - her origin story and launching her own media company, User Mag. Excellent podcast - love the sign off! [Listen now]Fr33lance: How to (and how not to) approach the business side of freelancing. | St Brides + online, 1 May, 6.15 pm. “Bring your questions and curiosity – we promise you’ll leave feeling a little more in control, and a lot less alone.” [Book now]
Shift+
Notes
Writers’ Café
Buy Me A Coffee
Editorial Services
 | A guest post by
|
Perugia sounds ace and thanks for all the links. And for the plug for the St Bride's event which is on the money for freelance journos in the most literal sense – tho quite how they'll compress that agenda into and evening I don't know! But that quote from Shirish Kulkarni, "I’m too old to waste time trying to persuade people who won’t be persuaded and don’t want to be persuaded" - nah, that approach is about, understandably, being cosy with your mates in one sense or another. We all need some cosy, but refusing to deal with disagreement slows progress. Dunnit? And dunno how old jaded Shirish is, but I'm 77 and still arguing the toss. Oh yes I am. Maybe we should resurrect that Monty Python arguing service sketch and "You're not arguing you're just saying you disagree!" "No, I'm not!" Fraternals, Phil