journalism
In Conversation: Carles Puigdemont
Carles Puigdemont, exiled former Catalan leader and mastermind of the controversial 2017 independence referendum joins us for an hour at the Frontline Cub to explain the Catalan problem and answer press and audience questions.
Ethics in the News 1: Screening: Sea of Pictures + Q&A
Sea of Pictures is a documentary that focuses in on the image of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, who was found drowned on a beach in Turkey while trying to reach Europe with his family. This image went viral and became a symbol of the refugee crisis and the widespread international apathy up until that point. His image was seen on newspapers across the globe. But how as a media outlet do you choose which pictures to show to the public? What are the ethics surrounding taking pictures such as these? Can you really control how these pictures are interpreted and repurposed?
Freelancer on the Frontlines Screening + Q&A Jesse Rosenfeld
Join us for the screening ‘Freelancer on the Frontlines’ which follows the life and work of journalist Jesse Rosenfeld, followed by a Q&A with Jesse himself.
Canadian freelance reporter Jesse Rosenfeld has made the Middle East the focus of his work, and to make a living he has to keep up with constantly moving news targets. Freelancer on the Front Lines follows his journey across the region, showing us thorny geopolitical realities shaped by the events transforming the Middle East and exploring how journalism practices have changed in the age of the internet.
“Post-truth” and fake news: what about the rest of the world?
It is the news media’s major preoccupation – how can journalists best serve audiences in a world riddled with misinformation and ‘alternative facts’, and when the President of the United States makes baseless claims and labels accurate reporting as “fake news”? We will discuss how journalists new to these challenges learn from reporters elsewhere in the world who contend daily with misinformation and state hostility. This event, held to mark World Press Freedom Day 2017, will bring together journalists from a selection of countries to discuss these issues and explain how they are dealing with the “post-truth” environment.
The Editor’s View: Emma Tucker and Roy Greenslade In Conversation
Readers across the political spectrum are calling for new standards of accuracy and impartiality. In a new series of exclusive talks hosted by journalist Roy Greenslade, we are bringing together today’s leading news editors to discuss editorial policies and press freedom in an era of polarising politics.
Eritrea’s Forgotten Journalists
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists Eritrea has the most censored press in the world. Has Eritrea become Africa’s North Korea? With only state communication remaining, contacting the outside world has become nearly impossible. What was once a relatively unknown and underreported country is now at the forefront of the EU’s mind, as Eritreans make up a significant number of those entering Europe on dangerous crossings. Who are Eritrea’s forgotten journalists, and how did this extreme stifling of press freedoms come to be?
The Editor’s View with Roy Greenslade: Tackling Fake News
As the public respond to rapid political changes in Europe and America, a digital-age quandary is emerging around editorial policies of newspapers during times of political transition. In a new series of exclusive talks hosted by journalist Roy Greenslade, we are bringing together today’s leading news editors to discuss, directly with their readers, issues related to editorial policies and press freedom in an era of polarising politics.
Groundtruth: 0% of US TV coverage of the election had to do with policy
Just days before the result of the 2016 US Presidential Election, Boston-based foreign news organisation GroundTruth took part in a panel debate on the question of media credibility. In town for a team meeting, Charles Sennott and Gary Knight, founders of GroundTruth, shared their commitment to training up-and-coming talent in global correspondents in an age when […]
Displacement and demography: Colombia
“Not quite the evening we thought we were going to have”, began Ed Vulliamy, journalist for The Guardian and The Observer. A talk that was expected to celebrate the formal end to 52 years of civil war, ended up examinging why a much celebrated peace deal between the Farc and the Colombian government was rejected in a public referendum.
London Press Club and Index on Censorship Present: Redefining Foreign Correspondence
In the past twenty years budget cuts across the foreign news industry have seen the near-demise of Western foreign correspondents posted abroad. In their place, local-national stringers have become increasingly important providers of foreign news stories. Is the foreign correspondent an endangered species in the news industry? What new models of foreign reporting are emerging alongside new information-gathering technologies? We will be joined by an expert panel to discuss trends in the industry and the future role of the foreign correspondent.
The Frontline Club and Bertha DocHouse Present: Jim – The James Foley Story
Seen through the lens of filmmaker Brian Oakes, Foley’s close childhood friend, Jim: The James Foley Story takes us from small-town New England to the adrenaline-fuelled front lines of Libya and Syria, where photojournalist James (Jim) Foley pushed the limits of danger to report on the plight of civilians impacted by war. Brilliantly constructed with unparalleled access, Jim is a harrowing chronicle of bravery, compassion, and pain at the dawn of a new World War against ISIS.
Dissent and Censorship in a Changing Turkey
As unrest escalates in Turkey – a country that once prided itself as a pro-western beacon of stability in the Middle East – writers and journalists are experiencing a crackdown on freedom of expression, including jailing, blackmail and the forceful takeover of major news platforms. While Erdoğan maintains that the press in Turkey is among the most free in the world, human rights organisations warn that freedom of expression is under ever growing threat. We will be joined by prominent Turkish writers, along with media monitoring experts, to discuss their work in the context of the risks faced by writers and journalists in Turkey today.
VICE News and English PEN Present: Ethics of News Gathering – Safeguarding Fixers & Translators
The Frontline Club, VICE News and English PEN present a panel discussion on the role of local fixers and translators in foreign news gathering and the responsibility of news organisations. An expert panel reveals how international news gathering really works, considers the risks in getting the story out and assesses the role of international news organisations in safeguarding the unsung heroes of foreign reporting.
The Kidnapping of Journalists: Reporting from High-Risk Conflict Zones
This event is organised by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the International News Safety Institute (INSI).
The vulnerability of journalists to kidnappings was starkly illustrated by the killing of James Foley and Steven Sotloff by Islamic militants in 2014. Their murder underscored the risks taken by journalists and news organisations trying to cover developments in dangerous regions of the world and has forced news enterprises to more clearly prepare for and confront issues of safety.
We will be discussing how news organisations prepare for and respond to the risk of kidnap, and how insurers, victim recovery firms, journalists’ families, and governments influence the actions of news enterprises – and why freelancers are particularly at risk.
Framing the Future of Water
The future of water is uncertain. More than 650 million of the world’s poorest people are living without access to an ‘improved’ source of drinking water, according to a WaterAid briefing.
Two Minutes with Molly Crabapple
Heenali Patel sat down with artist and journalist Molly Crabapple to discuss ‘Scenes from the Syrian War’, her collection of illustrations made in collaboration with Syrian writer Marwan Hisham. Using photos sent via cell phone, Molly recreated rare glimpses of daily life in ISIS-occupied areas of Syria. Filmed by Adam Barr.
Tim Hetherington: Visionary
The Hetherington family and the Tim Hetherington Trust invite friends, colleagues and everyone interested in Tim’s extraordinary life to spend an evening at The Frontline Club exploring his dynamic legacy through the work of artists and journalists who continue to expand his innovative approach to visual media. The evening will introduce new work by some familiar friends, as well as some hitherto unknown voices who are bringing fresh energy to today’s media.
Dispatches from Syria: Insight with Janine di Giovanni
A full house convened at the Frontline Club on Wednesday 17 February for an audience with journalist Janine di Giovanni to mark the launch of her new book, The Morning They Came For Us: Dispatches from Syria. Di Giovanni, who first travelled to Syria in 2012, was joined by BBC HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur to discuss […]
War Zone Freelance Exhibition – in Pictures
Photos by Tolly Robinson Thursday 28 January 2016 – panel discussion with journalists Benjamin Hiller, Osie Greenway, Jeffry Ruigendijk and Anne Alling on the subject of freelance conflict reporting and the War Zone Freelance Exhibition.
War Zone Freelance Exhibition – The Story Behind the News
By Thomas Colson A panel of freelance journalists and photographers joined an audience at the Frontline Club on Thursday 28 January 2016 to discuss the story behind a new exhibition of freelance war photography. Osie Greenway, Anne Alling, Benjamin Hiller and Jeffry Ruigendijk introduced photography and footage from their time in the Middle East – particularly Iraq, Syria and Lebanon […]
Frame by Frame: Photojournalism in Afghanistan
By Anna Speyart On Tuesday 20 November 2015, the Frontline Club hosted a packed screening of the documentary Frame by Frame, followed by a discussion with filmmakers Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli. The film follows four Afghan photojournalists who have the challenging task of helping to establish a free and diverse media landscape after years of repressive Taliban […]
The Challenges and Impact of Cross-Border Journalism
By Isabel Gonzalez-Prendergast On Monday 19 October, the Frontline Club was joined by a panel of experts to discuss the increasingly necessary journalism model of cross-border collaboration. Gavin MacFadyen, director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism and visiting professor at City University, moderated the event, which was held in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Centre in […]
Mohamed Fahmy and Amal Clooney: #FreedAJStaff
By Charlotte Beale On Wednesday 7 October, former Al Jazeera English bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy joined a packed audience at the Frontline Club in his first public appearance since his release from a Cairo prison on 23 September. Fahmy was joined in conversation by his lawyer Amal Clooney and BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet. […]
Theatre of War
Theatre of War is an innovative project that presents readings of ancient Greek plays to members of the armed services, veterans, and their families to help them initiate conversations about the visible and invisible wounds of war. We are delighted to welcome the project to the Frontline Club for a special performance for journalists who cover conflict.
With a dramatic reading of Sophocles’ Ajax by actors Jason Isaacs, Lesley Sharp and Aidan Kelly. Followed by a panel discussion with journalists Matthew Green, Emma Beals and Safa Al Ahmad. Chaired by writer, director, translator and Theatre of War founder, Bryan Doerries.
Cross-Border Journalism: Europe and Beyond
When money, politics, abuse of power and corruption reach across borders, transnational networks of journalists become key to an open, accountable and democratic society. Cross-border investigations such as Swiss Leaks and Tobacco Underground have caused public outcry, and in many instances have led to legislative changes and the prosecution of those under investigation.
In an event in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Centre (RCC) and Frontline Club Bucharest, a panel of experts will be discussing what it takes to expose stories that spill across borders.
Screening: The Sound Man + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Chip Duncan, protagonist Abdul Rahman Ramadhan, photojournalist/producer Patrick Muiruri and photojournalist/producer Salim Amin.
The Sound Man tells the story of Abdul Rahman Ramadhan, a 62-year-old professional soundman who has lived in Nairobi’s Kibera slum since he was born. For the past 35 years, Abdul has worked side-by-side with the best photojournalists from Kenya while recording sound for news reports featuring crisis, war, famine and genocide.
Foreign Reporting: Past, Present & Future
As part of marking 60 years this autumn of Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent, the Frontline Club will host an event on reporting foreign news. A panel, including Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, and Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4’s international editor, will discuss how reporting in Britain about international news and current affairs – particularly but not only by broadcast journalists – has developed over the last six decades and explore what the future holds in a world of social media and digital correspondents.
Screening: Chameleon + Q&A
He’s a household name in Ghana, but few have seen his face. Investigative journalist Anas Aremewaw Anas is on a mission to ferret out corruption in every corner of his country. Despite his notoriety, Anas’ vigilante methods warrant criticism from some local police, who believe his investigations go too far in luring and catching suspected criminals to achieve sensationalist stories.
Protecting Your Sources: Is it Possible to Keep Sources Confidential in the Digital Age?
Acts of journalism should be shielded from targeted surveillance, data retention and handover of material connected to confidential sources. This is a key early finding from a recent study commissioned by UNESCO on the state of journalistic source protection in 121 countries. In an event in partnership with the Foreign Press Association, we will be joined by the author of the study, Australian journalist and journalism academic Julie Posetti, and other experts to discuss the implications of the findings and what needs to be done to ensure journalists can fully protect their sources.
News Reporting and Navigating Risk: Is Gender a Factor?
This event is organised by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and the Frontline Freelance Register (FFR).
News Reporting and Navigating Risk will be a moderated discussion with accomplished journalists who have reported from hostile environments around the world about their experiences with a focus on best practices for security, emotional self care, and access to medical, mental health, and emergency resources.