As trust in institutions comes under sustained pressure, the Thomson Reuters Foundation is proud to join global media leaders at Perugia’s 20th International Journalism Festival (IJF) – the largest annual media event in Europe – to examine the forces reshaping how information is produced, verified and shared.
From disinformation and AI to increasing legal intimidation and threats against reporters, Perugia’s IJF convenes journalists, legal experts, policymakers and corporations – from Microsoft to the New York Times – to platform discussions on the risks facing independent journalism.
As long-term participants at Perugia’s historic festival, the Foundation has highlighted the wide-ranging dangers facing journalists and the need to protect media freedom, most recently in last year’s panel on the role of the media in an era of rising authoritarianism, moderated by our CEO, Antonio Zappulla.
This year, using our specific expertise across the media and legal landscapes, we’ll be discussing topics from the impact and risks of AI on today’s media landscape, to media freedom and increasing weaponisation of the law against journalists.
The festival takes place between Wednesday April 15th and Saturday April 18th 2026, with panels available to attend for free both in-person and livestreamed online.
Links to our livestreams can be found below.
Journalism and the law: standing together against rising intimidation
Saturday April 18, 2026. 16:00-16:50 local – Auditorium San Francesco al Prato
From the recent Trump vs BBC clash to legal battles involving The New York Times, journalists are increasingly targeted by powerful figures seeking to silence scrutiny.
This session brings together prominent media and legal voices to examine what these confrontations reveal about the state of press freedom, the legal and political risks journalists face, and how the industry can push back against efforts to erode accountability.
This session will be live-streamed and on-demand.
- Moderator: Rebecca Vincent, Director of Insight and Innovation, Thomson Reuters Foundation.
- Speakers: Caoilfhionn Gallagher – Human Rights Lawyer
- Charlie Holt – European Lead at Global Climate Legal Defense
- David McCraw – Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at The New York Times
- Nevsin Mengu – Journalist and Author
Poisoned chalice or strategic opportunity? Navigating AI for independent newsrooms
Saturday April 18, 2026. 14:00-14:50 local– Sala delle Colonne, Palazzo Graziani.
AI promises productivity and scale, but for smaller newsrooms, that promise comes with real risks. As traditional platforms decline and search relevance fades, how can publishers innovate and embrace AI on their own terms, without handing over control to Big Tech?
This session will be live-streamed and on-demand.
- Moderator: Will Church – Director of Media Freedom Programmes at the Thomson Reuters Foundation
- Speakers: Irene Jay Liu – Director AI, Emerging Tech & Regulation at the International Fund for Public Interest Media
- Paul McNally – Founding Director at Develop AI
- Sannuta Raghu – Head of AI Lab for News and Journalism at Scroll
The power of a cohort: why AI adoption works better together
Friday April 17th, 2026. 14:00-14:50 local – Sala Raffaello, Hotel Brufani.
Learning AI as a team is helping newsrooms move from curiosity to confident use by sharing ideas, supporting each other and learning step-by-step. This session will discuss how this approach saves time, reduces mistakes, and how you can set up a simple, low-cost version in your own newsroom or region.
This session will be live streamed and on-demand
- Moderator: Emily Brown – Journalism Director at Microsoft
- Speakers: Heba Kandil – Head of Media Initiatives at the Thomson Reuters Foundation
- Tristan Loper – Head of National Programs at The Lengfest Institute
- Aldana Vales – Coordinator of AI Journalism Labs at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism CUNY
Coming to Perugia? If you’ll be attending the festival and would like to organise a conversation with our team, please reach out to our Director of Development Natasha Parker at [email protected]
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