Pulitzer Center Will Participate in International Journalism Festival

The 24th International Journalism Festival (IJF) will take place in Perugia, Italy, April 17-21, 2024. The event attracts journalists, editors, students, scholars, and media professionals from around the world. They get free access to workshops, panels, and discussions about the future of media and its trends. 

The Pulitzer Center will participate in three panels in this edition:

Truth in the Age of Climate Crisis: Journalism's Crucial Role in Exposing Climate Misinformation 

Thursday, April 18, 2024 — 2:00-2:50pm — Sala Raffaello, Hotel Brufani 

In this panel, Pulitzer Center Senior Editor Steve Sapienza will join Ugochi Anyaka-Oluigbo, a freelance reporter; Florencia Ballarino, of Chequeando; and Amy Westervelt, of Critical Frequency, to discuss climate misinformation in Latin America, Africa, the U.S., and Asia. The conversation will center around how journalists play a crucial role in identifying climate misinformation, which has the potential to mislead the public, hinder effective policy-making, and impede efforts to address climate change. 

Pantropical Investigations: Collaborations on Environmental Crime and Destruction 

Friday. April 19, 2024 — 12:00-12:50pm - Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani 

In this panel, Pulitzer Center Director of Environmental Investigations Gustavo Faleiros will join Anton Delgado, Josiane Kouagheu, and Andrés Bermúdez Liévano, all Rainforest Investigations Network Fellows, to discuss controversies around environmental issues such as the carbon credit market, the export of illegal timber, toxic gold mining, and deadly land disputes. These issues are common features for journalists working in tropical countries.

Mis- and Disinformation About Health Is Killing Us. What Should Journalists Be Doing About It? 

Friday, April 19, 2024 — 2:00-2:50pm - Centro Servizi G. Alessi 

In this panel, Pulitzer Center Senior Editor Susan Ferriss will join Will Fitzgibbon, of The Examination; Chrissie Giles, of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism; and Mia Malan, of the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, to discuss how the pervasive spread of mis- and disinformation about health poses a serious threat to public well-being. Mis- and disinformation in the health space isn't just about social media accounts trading in pandemic conspiracy theories. It can be exacerbated by journalists reporting on poor studies or being influenced by bad actors, including Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, and other industries that use everything from front groups and social media campaigns to sway the public narrative in their favor. 

All sessions will be in English, live-streamed, and on-demand.