More than 200 participants attended the XVII South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) held in Tirana, Albania, on 14-15 November 2023 under the title “Journalism Will Survive! Risks and Opportunities for the Future”.
Journalists, media experts, politicians, representatives of international organisations and academia debated topical issues for the future of journalism in lively panel discussions. Special focus was given to climate journalism and the need for bridging the communication gap between science and society, which is more and more required in times of intense climate and environmental challenges. The impact of artificial intelligence on modern journalism was discussed with captivating examples and practices while the relationship between media regulation and media freedom was deepened from different angles, with references to the debate at the EU level about setting rules to protect media pluralism and independence. A wake-up talk focused on disinformation in the new digital world.
The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama gave the welcome address and participated in a lively debate with some journalists. Welcome speeches were also delivered by Oliver Vujovic, Secretary General of the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), and Christoph Plate, Director of the Media Programme of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) South East Europe.
CEI Deputy Secretary General Nina Kodelja, in her opening speech, highlighted that activities such as the SEEMF encouraging open discussions and best practice exchange contribute to advancing media pluralism and freedom of expression as pillars of democracy and core elements of the EU integration process. This is in line with our mission: promoting European integration and sustainable development through regional cooperation.
The SEEMF is a valuable opportunity for promoting dialogue and sharing experiences on key topics for media and society, especially in today's world facing multiple and overlapping crises.
The Forum was complemented by the presentation of the CEI SEEMO Award for Outstanding Merits in Investigative Journalism 2023. CEI Senior Executive Officer Barbara Fabro bestowed the honour upon Jure Tepina from Slovenia and Azra Husarić Omerović from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with special mentions for the Ukrainian journalists Taras Zozulinskyy and Anastasiia Stanko, the latter representing the team of Slidstvo.Info.
Thanks to the attendance of Jure Tepina and Anastasiia Stanko, outstanding journalists with extensive experience in war reporting and investigations, a special panel was included in the SEEMF agenda to discuss how the Israel – Hamas conflict influences the reporting on the Russian aggression on Ukraine.
The Annual SEEMF is organised by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), in partnership with the KAS Media Program South East Europe and the Central European Initiative, with the support of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the South East and Central Europe PR Organisation (SECEPRO), the International Institute – International Media Center (II-IMC) and the International Academy.
For more info: fabro@cei.int
