Speaking & Teaching
Speaking
I’m an experienced speaker, and deliver keynote talks, seminars and workshops for organisations with global audiences. Previous events include talks at The Reuters Institute for Journalism Studies, the World Editors’ Forum, the Public Interest News Foundation and the European Journalism Centre.
Moderating
I chair and host numerous panels and events, with high-profile guests and large global audiences. Drawing on my counselling and facilitation training, I bring an inclusive, collaborative and thoughtful approach to hosting conversations.
Teaching
I have spoken and taught at a number of universities, sharing insights on journalism, innovation and storytelling. Drawing on broad experience across a range of journalistic skills, I also help students understand what the industry will look like in the future.
Events
Talks & Seminars
Catch up on my seminars and workshops here, or register for one of the events I have coming up.
International Journalism Festival, Perugia • 10/04/2025
How to sustain independent and inclusive journalism in times of increasing political pressure?
I’ll be speaking at this informal networking lunch focused on the challenges of sustaining inclusive journalism.
Read moreHow to sustain independent and inclusive journalism in times of increasing political pressure?
International Journalism Festival, Perugia • 10/04/2025
Join us for an Informal Networking Lunch at the International Journalism Festival 2025!
Are you worried about the growing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in journalism? In a time when DEI programs are being cut and political pressures are mounting, especially from right-wing parties, powerful donors and media owners, how do we sustain fair, inclusive, and nuanced coverage?
This informal meet-up is an opportunity to share experiences, exchange strategies, and explore new ideas to navigate these challenges. Together we will discuss strategies for maintaining editorial independence, and explore ways to ensure inclusive reporting. The event will start with a short input by Gemma Teres Arilla, Elena Kountidou and Shirish Kulkarni followed by open discussions and networking opportunities.
International Journalism Festival, Perugia • 12/04/2025
Mistakes, setbacks and unfulfilled expectations: an honest f*ck-up session
I’ll be speaking on a panel at the International Journalism Festival looking at failures and setbacks.
Mistakes, setbacks and unfulfilled expectations: an honest f*ck-up session
International Journalism Festival, Perugia • 12/04/2025
I’ll be speaking on a panel at the International Journalism Festival, alongside:
Steffi Dobmeier, Head of digital and Editorial development at STERN
Chris Moran, Head of Editorial Innovation at The Guardian
Anita Zielina, Founder and CEO of Better Leaders Lab
In this discussion, four experienced journalists take an honest look at their own failures and setbacks. Instead of success stories and best practices, this session is about the things that haven’t worked out in recent years – and why. Which projects promised more than they delivered? Which ideas failed due to practical hurdles or were overtaken by reality? This session offers a rare opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and look at what didn’t work with humor and perspective. An honest exchange about setbacks, which often teach more than success.
The Power of Storytelling, Bucharest • 22/03/2025
What would we invent if journalism didn’t exist?
I’ll be asking, “What would we invent if journalism didn’t exist?” and sharing a little bit of my own story.
Read moreWhat would we invent if journalism didn’t exist?
The Power of Storytelling, Bucharest • 22/03/2025
I’ll be speaking at The Power of Storytelling, in Bucharest, Romania – exploring a question I’ve been thinking about for a while. That question is, “What would we invent if journalism didn’t exist?”.
I’ll be asking what it actually is we want and need from journalism, and what we’d create to fulfil those needs if “mainstream”, “legacy” or my new favourite term, “status quo” journalism didn’t exist.
That’s a personal as well as a systemic story, because even though I’ve been a journalist working in mainstream newsrooms for nearly 30 years, it’s never even worked for me. So, I’ll be sharing a little bit of the story of me – and how that’s shaped my thinking and the work that I do.
Publix, Berlin • 12/03/2025
Shaping Tomorrow: Collective Efforts for the Future of European Journalism
I’ll be giving the Keynote Address, and speaking on a panel at this joint event between Publix and the European Press Prize.
Read moreShaping Tomorrow: Collective Efforts for the Future of European Journalism
Publix, Berlin • 12/03/2025
In my opening address, I’ll be setting the scene for the day with a a series of provocations to traditional thinking. I’ll also be pointing the way towards radical answers to some of journalism’s biggest questions.
I’m also delighted to be joining Cristian Lupsa, Veronika Munk, Maria Exner and Juliette Garside in a conversation on the future of journalism – based around a collection of speculative futures.
LinkedIn Live • 24/02/2025
How to pull off a Community Listening project
I took part in a LinkedIn Live with journalism.co.uk, exploring the process and outcomes of our News for All project.
Read moreHow to pull off a Community Listening project
LinkedIn Live • 24/02/2025
Alongside theatre maker Rhiannon White, and community mentor, Abdi Yusuf, I took part in a LinkedIn Live with journalism.co.uk – exploring the process and outcomes of our News for All project.
VVOJ Conference, Rotterdam • 16/11/2024
People-Powered Journalism: The Future of Investigations
How do we build a journalism that better reflects society, provides citizens with the information they need to participate, and inspires trust?
Read morePeople-Powered Journalism: The Future of Investigations
VVOJ Conference, Rotterdam • 16/11/2024
How do we build a journalism that better reflects society, provides citizens with the information they need to participate, and inspires trust?
To help answer that question, I reflected on how new approaches to investigative journalism can help us reconnect with our mission and our audience at the same time.
Drawing on my work as a community organiser at the UK’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and my research at Cardiff University Journalism School, I explored how the future of investigative journalism could, and perhaps should, be people-powered.
B Future Festival, Bonn • 04/10/2024
Community-led design. The Future of Journalism?
In this session, I talked about how prioritising connection, collaboration and care for communities is pointing the way to a reimagination of journalism for everyone.
Read moreCommunity-led design. The Future of Journalism?
B Future Festival, Bonn • 04/10/2024
Journalism can’t continue to be the only industry where the customer is always wrong! If people aren’t engaging with news, then that’s a problem with the product rather than the people. So how do we understand what people and communities want and need? The simple answer is “ask them” – but who you ask, what you ask and how you ask are critical if we want to build relationships, trust and the kind of journalism that meets the needs of everyone, not just a privileged few. “News for All” is a radical collaboration between BBC News and the Media Cymru innovation consortium. By putting marginalised people and communities at the centre of the design process, rather than on the outside, it’s uncovered startling insights about who and what journalism should be for. In this session, Mattia Peretti and I talked about how, as journalists, researchers and community facilitators, we put connection, collaboration and care at the centre of “News for All” – and what it tells us about how we might reimagine journalism for everyone.
iMEdD International Journalism Forum, Athens • 28/09/2024
Community-led Design, the Future of Journalism
To understand what people and communities want and need from journalism, who you ask, what you ask and how you ask are critical if we want to build relationships and trust.
Read moreCommunity-led Design, the Future of Journalism
iMEdD International Journalism Forum, Athens • 28/09/2024
Journalism can’t continue to be the only industry where the customer is always wrong! If people aren’t engaging with news, then that’s a problem with the product rather than the people. So how do we understand what people and communities want and need? The simple answer is “ask them” – but who you ask, what you ask and how you ask are critical if we want to build relationships, trust and the kind of journalism that meets the needs of everyone, not just a privileged few.
In this session, we talked about how, as journalists, researchers and community facilitators, we put connection, collaboration and care at the centre of our work, and what this tells us about how we might reimagine journalism for everyone.
The Gate, Cardiff • 05/09/2024
Creative Cuppa
I led a session, for Creative Cardiff in partnership with NTW TEAM, exploring why so many of us find it difficult to think of ourselves as creative.
Creative Cuppa
The Gate, Cardiff • 05/09/2024
For September’s Creative Cuppa, in partnership with NTW TEAM, I was joined by Alun Llwyd from creative platform AM, Carys Bradley-Roberts from Creative Cardiff and poet, writer and activist, Amira Hayat to explore why so many of us find it difficult to call ourselves a ‘creative’.
If even creatives don’t feel comfortable calling themselves ‘creative’, how can we expect anyone else to do that? And if we can’t think of ourselves as creative, then how does that influence the bigger questions we’re asking, about how we might build the kind of future for society that we might want to be part of?
In this interactive session, we also introduced a collaboration between Creative Cardiff, NTW TEAM* and AM which we hope will get everyone thinking about their relationship with creativity and maybe even calling themself a ‘creative’!
*Supported by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is being administered by Cardiff Council.
Tbilisi • 21/06/2024
Zeg Storytelling Festival
I spoke at the Zeg Storytelling Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia
Read moreZeg Storytelling Festival
Tbilisi • 21/06/2024
I spoke about my work exploring new, more effective, more engaging and more inclusive journalistic storytelling at the Zeg Festival in Tbilisi.
Wales Millennium Centre • 07/11/2023
Creative Crossroads: Well-being and Sustainability in the Creative Industries
I chaired a panel discussion entitled “Well-being, Workers and the creative economy” at this Institute of Welsh Affairs event.
Read moreCreative Crossroads: Well-being and Sustainability in the Creative Industries
Wales Millennium Centre • 07/11/2023
The growth and vitality of the creative industries in Wales has led Welsh Government to identify them as one of three priority sectors for growth, with success stories in the film and gaming industries hailed as evidence of a thriving Welsh creativity.
But while ‘Made in Wales’ projects of major scale have been significant contributors to the economy, persisting issues impact the sector. Precarity, with an overreliance on funding, demanding working conditions and temporary contracts, still affects a large portion of its freelance workforce. Sustainability rears its head as another challenge for the sector, as the imperatives of net zero have led the creative industries to find innovative solutions to reduce carbon footprint.
This event was an opportunity for policymakers, employers, freelancers and practitioners to crowdsource solutions to the shared challenges of well-being and sustainability in the creative industries. The discussions aimed to celebrate innovations native to the sector, and highlight success stories that might yield transferable and transformative benefits in other areas.
I chaired a panel discussion entitled “Well-being, Workers and the creative economy” at this Institute of Welsh Affairs event.
Service Design Days, Cardiff • 24/10/2023
Why should I care? – Driving civic engagement through the power of design
Exploring the role of design in enabling people to shape their communities, government and society at large
Read moreWhy should I care? – Driving civic engagement through the power of design
Service Design Days, Cardiff • 24/10/2023
From voting in elections to running a local community event, there are many ways people can actively take part in shaping society. This civic engagement involves many actors (from individuals to governments) and happens on many scales (from hyper-local to nationwide).
This is undergoing a lot of change. Shifting cultural norms and emerging technologies are upsetting the status quo. As society becomes increasingly divided by misinformation, polarisation and isolation, the issue of engaging people with society is more important than ever.
As a public service media provider, the BBC is at the core of this struggle. That’s why we want to start an informative dialogue among (service) designers, policy makers, researchers and community engagement professionals to find communication opportunities and yield innovative solutions to improve civic engagement. People who are fully engaged in their cities, neighbourhoods or communities are motivated to vote, contribute to their local environment, shape politics, advocate, and act as stewards of public spaces and activities.
We invite you to join this series of talks to explore the role of design in enabling people to shape their communities, government and society at large.
You’ll dive into rethinking the design processes to help citizens take action on behalf of themselves and their communities, shaping public policy and highlighting the connecting factors and strengthening forces between policy and service design, designing ways to increase democratic participation amongst (young) people, and collaborating with organisations to combat misinformation around the world.
Would you like to join the conversation about transforming the way citizens can maximise their own opportunities and choices? Let’s find ways to use the power of design to make it more likely that people will play active civic roles, and codesign tools and methodologies that encourage public participation, constructive communication and collaborative behaviours.
FIPP World Media Congress • 06/06/2023
Why Inclusion Drives Innovation
I spoke at the FIPP World Media Congress in Cascais, Portugal, about how and why inclusion drives innovation
Read moreWhy Inclusion Drives Innovation
FIPP World Media Congress • 06/06/2023
Building on themes first explored at the Guldörat conference in Stockholm, I talked about how inclusion drives innovation. Those of us who are marginalised or excluded by journalism have to think “outside the box”, precisely because we’re often not allowed inside the box.
Hay Festival • 02/06/2023
Recounting the Cost of Living
I spoke about the process behind the National Theatre Wales production, “The Cost of Living” at the Hay Festival.
Read moreRecounting the Cost of Living
Hay Festival • 02/06/2023
The Cost of Living was a ground-breaking three-part production at National Theatre Wales, which included a bold adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial. Combining conversation, theatre and music, it was unashamedly about the moment we’re living in. I spoke alongside co-director Kel Matsena, National Theatre Wales’ producer Glesni Price-Jones and cast member Sara Beer as we reunited for a discussion about the show, reflecting on our rights and the many current attacks on them.
You can read my reflections on Counting the Cost of Living here.
IPI World Congress – Vienna • 25/05/2023
Walking in the shoes of others
I spoke on a panel at the International Press Institute World Congress and Media Innovation Festival
Read moreWalking in the shoes of others
IPI World Congress – Vienna • 25/05/2023
How can innovation make journalism more inclusive, engaging and impactful for groups too often ignored: How do we talk to—and for—diverse audiences?
Newsrewired • 23/05/2023
Solutions to news avoidance
I spoke on a panel at the Newsrewired conference in London, looking at solutions to news avoidance
Read moreSolutions to news avoidance
Newsrewired • 23/05/2023
Trust in news is at an all-time low. A polarising news cycle is one of the reasons but there are many other factors: negative news topics, poor website experience, aggressive media commentators, social media platforms, the value of news and audiences’ understanding of how the industry operates and is regulated.
The “coronabump” of trust in 2021 reminded us that there is no substitute for quality journalism at a time of need. But newsrooms need longer-term strategies to foster industry-wide improvement.
I spoke alongside Benjamin Toff from the Reuters Institute, Mark St Andrew from Tortoise and Mary Walter Brown from the News Revenue Hub.
International Journalism Festival – Perugia • 22/04/2023
New storytelling formats for decolonised journalism
I moderated a panel entitled, “New storytelling formats for decolonised journalism: when innovation and inclusion come together”
Read moreNew storytelling formats for decolonised journalism
International Journalism Festival – Perugia • 22/04/2023
Revamping the way we work to create journalism with and for the people we cover, not just about them, means reinventing the tools and formats of old-school extractive reporting. New story formats can help bring the public into the process and deliver content more seamlessly to the communities where the coverage originated. Inventing a more inclusive and impactful journalism is something all newsrooms can take on — large or small, mainstream(ish) or niche.
The New Humanitarian created Whatsapp, Lebanon?, an illustrated timeline of Lebanon’s collapse told through the Whatsapp conversations of five Lebanese people, and is now handing the microphone to Yemeni people to tell the story of that war. Vice built the Unfiltered History Tour, an alternative tour of the most disputed objects at the British Museum, told by people from the countries they were taken from. The Bureau Local and the People’s Newsroom are shifting the power balance in local journalism. Editors and reporters from these newsrooms shared how they made these projects happen, the challenges and rewards along the way, and lessons they can offer to other newsrooms.
The panel featured:
Rachel Hamada, Community Organiser at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Annie Slemrod, Middle East Editor at The New Humanitarian
Zing Tsjeng, Editor in Chief at Vice
Organised in association with The New Humanitarian.
International Journalism Festival – Perugia • 21/04/2023
Future-oriented newsrooms
I spoke on a panel titled “Future-oriented newsrooms: Who, When, How?”
Read moreFuture-oriented newsrooms
International Journalism Festival – Perugia • 21/04/2023
If digital transformation used to be the key paradigm of the past 20 years, the transformation of digital itself is likely going to be the one for the next 20. A whole host of new technologies (web3, AI, mixed reality) are on the verge of breaking through and changing the beacons of how reality is experienced and captured.
To make sense of these transformative technologies, newsrooms need to adopt both a future mindset as well as a prototyping approach turning words into actions that help audiences understand the potential as well as the consequences of upcoming technologies.
In this panel we shared examples and engaged in a conversation about possible and plausible news futures. Mindful of structural inequalities in the industry, we also highlighted how innovation capabilities (and the resources to capture the great potential now in front of us!) are unevenly distributed across organisations and regions and engaged in a discussion about how we could mitigate this.
Participants
- Sofie Hvitved, Futurist and Head of Media at the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies (Sofie Hvitved – Futurist | Metaverse | Media | Technology | The Nordic Way)
- Agnes Stenbom, Head of IN/LAB at Schibsted. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnes-stenbom/)
- Shirish Kulkarni, journalist & innovator (https://shirishkulkarni.co.uk/)
- Ezra Eeman, Change Director, Mediahuis. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezra-eeman-8a5ba64/)
Media Democracy Festival • 02/03/2023
The Personal & Political – Journalism from a point of view
I’ll be speaking with Hamza Syed, co-host of The Trojan Horse Affair, about journalism, truth and objectivity.
Read moreThe Personal & Political – Journalism from a point of view
Media Democracy Festival • 02/03/2023
As part of the Media Reform Coalition’s Media Democracy Festival 2023, I’l be in conversation with Hamza Syed – co-host of the The Trojan Horse Affair podcast. The event is titled, “The Personal & Political – Journalism from a point of view” and we’ll be talking about how different approaches to journalism open up important questions about truth and objectivity – questions which many find uncomfortable and challenging, but questions which it’s increasingly important to ask.
The event will be streamed live on YouTube
Institute of Welsh Affairs • 17/11/2022
Citizens’ Voices, People’s News: Making the Media Work for Wales
I gave a keynote and appeared on a panel at this IWA event on how the Welsh media might serve people better.
Read moreCitizens’ Voices, People’s News: Making the Media Work for Wales
Institute of Welsh Affairs • 17/11/2022
At this event, the IWA presented the work of a Citizens Panel that met this summer to discuss the question: ‘How well does the news help you understand politics?’. I appeared on a panel discussing how the Welsh media might better meet the needs of people and communities, and reactions to their recommendations from industry professionals and politicians. I also gave a keynote talk around those themes.
Audiodays, Denmark • 28/10/2022
News for All: Telling Inclusive Stories
I spoke about how we inspire trust, build inclusion and engage young audiences.
Read moreNews for All: Telling Inclusive Stories
Audiodays, Denmark • 28/10/2022
Big problems require radical solutions. “Business as usual” isn’t going to help us solve these issues, and until we better reflect all our people and communities, then we’re doomed to repeat the failures of the past.
So how do we reimagine journalism to better reflect the world we live in? In this session, I set out a framework for telling more inclusive stories, engaging with communities and building a more representative journalism that’s truly fit for the future.
Guldörat 22, Stockholm • 20/10/2022
How Inclusion Drives Innovation
I spoke at Guldörat in Stockholm, on how inclusion drives innovation and excellence.
Read moreHow Inclusion Drives Innovation
Guldörat 22, Stockholm • 20/10/2022
I spoke at the Guldörat conference about how inclusion drives innovation. Those of us who are marginalised or excluded by journalism have to think “outside the box”, precisely because we’re often not allowed inside the box.
Beyond Conference, Cardiff • 18/10/2022
Beyond World Building
I hosted a conversation about the World Building behind GALWAD.
Read moreBeyond World Building
Beyond Conference, Cardiff • 18/10/2022
I hosted a discussion with Alex McDowell (production designer of Minority Report) and Claire Doherty (Creative Director of GALWAD) about the World Building process, and what they’ve both learnt from working deeply with communities from across Wales.
iMEdD A Matter of Trust, Athens • 06/10/2022
Do we still need journalism?
I spoke at the iMEdD’s International Journalism Week.
Read moreDo we still need journalism?
iMEdD A Matter of Trust, Athens • 06/10/2022
I spoke at the Incubator for Media Education and Development’s conference, “A Matter of Trust” in Athens. I’ appeared alongside Catherine Gicheru and Chris Peters on a panel entitled, “Do we still need journalism?”.
World News Media Congress, Zaragoza • 28/09/2022
Can We Win Over Journalism’s Critics?
I spoke on a panel at the World News Media Congress in Zaragoza.
Can We Win Over Journalism’s Critics?
World News Media Congress, Zaragoza • 28/09/2022
On World News Day, I spoke on a panel alongside the Washington Post’s Phoebe Connolly and moderated by Kathy English.
In an age of news avoidance and polarisation, how do we convince detractors, and young people, of journalism’s value?
ClwstwrVerse Cardiff • 04/07/2022
Reimagining Journalism
We discussed how we reimagine journalism to be more effective, engaging and inclusive.
Read moreReimagining Journalism
ClwstwrVerse Cardiff • 04/07/2022
How do we rethink journalism so that it better reflects the world, provides more useful information, inspires trust and helps us all live better lives?
In this session, Clwstwr projects set out how they’ve addressed these fundamental questions for journalism and society, by reimagining how and why we tell stories
BBC Radio 4 / BBC News Channel • 29/06/2022
The Media Show
Appearance on The Media Show in a discussion about the lack of transparency in public authorities.
Read moreThe Media Show
BBC Radio 4 / BBC News Channel • 29/06/2022
I appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Media Show, on a panel discussing, “Why Bristol’s mayor is facing a boycott of his press briefings by journalists.” Other guests included: Martin Booth, Editor, Bristol 24/7, Charlotte Green, Local Democracy Reporter, Manchester Evening News and Keren Haynes, Co-founder, Shout! Communications.
Media City Bergen Future Week • 08/06/2022
Host: MCB FACT
I was privileged to host MCB FACT – a global conference on the fight against disinformation.
Read moreHost: MCB FACT
Media City Bergen Future Week • 08/06/2022
I hosted MCB FACT, Media City Bergen’s new conference on the fight against disinformation. The conference was a mix of presentations, fireside chats and panel discussions all addressing one of the key issues facing journalism.
RadioDays Europe Malmö • 16/05/2022
The 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
I spoke at RadioDays Europe in Malmö, about the 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism.
Read moreThe 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
RadioDays Europe Malmö • 16/05/2022
How do we build a journalism that better reflects society, provides users with the information they need to participate, and inspires trust? The process starts by reflecting on where journalism’s gone wrong, and the questions we never stopped to ask. Drawing on my work around news storytelling and inclusion in both newsrooms and society, I outlined the difficult questions I think we need to start addressing, and set out a framework on which we can build change.
GALWAD • 25/04/2022
Host: Building Worlds
I hosted a series of conversations led by the Welsh creatives behind the making of GALWAD.
Read moreHost: Building Worlds
GALWAD • 25/04/2022
These online conversations explored breakthrough ideas across a range of creative fields.
First in the series was a conversation between writer and actress Emily Burnett and award-winning screenwriter Abi Morgan – to discuss their breakthrough moments and writing for screen.
In the second episode, I had the pleasure of speaking to Hannah Beachler, the Oscar-winning production designer of Black Panther. We talked about how the future can only be built on the past, and how she sets about telling new stories.
The final conversation featured writer Ciaran Fitzgerald in conversation with playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne. They discussed how you have to “love the note” and how the industry needs to change to reflect a wider range of experiences.
International Journalism Festival – Perugia • 06/04/2022
International Journalism Festival
I spoke on 3 panels – on Impact, Infrastructure and ‘Decolonisation’ – at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia.
Read moreInternational Journalism Festival
International Journalism Festival – Perugia • 06/04/2022
At the International Journalism Festival 2022 in Perugia, I spoke on 3 panels. Together with friends and colleagues, I looked at decolonising the news, the importance of “impact” in our journalism and building infrastructure for the local media ecosystem.
You can watch back the panel on “Why 2022 should be the year of Impact in journalism” here:
You can find out more about “How to decolonise global media coverage” here:
And “Infrastructure for thriving community media” here:
Book-ish Crickhowell • 30/03/2022
Host: An evening with Ben Rawlence
I hosted an event and “in-conversation” with Ben Rawlence, author of “The Treeline”.
Read moreHost: An evening with Ben Rawlence
Book-ish Crickhowell • 30/03/2022
UnWined: Technology in Journalism • 25/03/2022
Storytelling through Modular Journalism
I spoke about how modular journalism can open up new alternatives for storytelling.
Read moreStorytelling through Modular Journalism
UnWined: Technology in Journalism • 25/03/2022
Journalism is failing in its mission to inform and orientate on many levels. Business as usual, or iterative change, are no longer enough. We need to completely transform our storytelling and methods of production to meet a range of existential challenges. Shirish Kulkarni outlines how radical approaches to storytelling, centred on people and communities but utilising new technologies, can provide the answers that journalism and society urgently need.
I spoke about some of the work explored in my research with Clwstwr and the JournalismAI Collab Challenges.
Media Democracy Festival 2022 • 23/03/2022
Creating a ‘Media Commons’
I spoke on a panel looking at the possibilities for creating a ‘Media Commons’.
Read moreCreating a ‘Media Commons’
Media Democracy Festival 2022 • 23/03/2022
A ‘commons’ is a collective resource sustained through the active participation of those who rely on it. In a media commons, our media would be funded through significant public resources, and managed collectively so they serve our needs and help us face the challenges ahead. Come and find out more about creating a ‘media commons’ fit for the coming decade.
I spoke alongside:
- Debs Grayson (Chair), lead researcher of the BBC & Beyond project
- Clive Lewis MP
- Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana, Head of Regulation at IMPRESS
JournalismAI Festival • 29/11/2021
Smaller than articles: defining, extracting, creating and composing the building blocks of modular journalism
I moderated a session featuring work from the JournalismAI Collab Challenge, on which I was also a coach.
Read moreSmaller than articles: defining, extracting, creating and composing the building blocks of modular journalism
JournalismAI Festival • 29/11/2021
The news article can no longer be all things to all people. We need to provide new forms of storytelling that better meet user needs, are informative and engaging, and inspire trust.
Two of the teams in the JournalismAI Collab approached this by breaking down traditional news stories to their constituent parts, and then exploring radical ways to recompose them. Hear from them how this process could help address some of the biggest editorial questions facing the news industry today.
Media City Bergen Future Week • 29/09/2021
Technology and journalism – the future of storytelling
I spoke at Media City Bergen’s Future Week, giving a keynote talk entitled “Journalism is for Citizens, not for Journalists”.
Read moreTechnology and journalism – the future of storytelling
Media City Bergen Future Week • 29/09/2021
I rounded up the key themes of my Clwstwr-funded research into News Storytelling and talked about how we need to use care, collaboration and cutting edge technology to build a new, more inclusive and more effective journalism – rather than simply repeating the mistakes of the past and present.
Future of Journalism Conference 2021 • 22/09/2021
New ways of telling news stories
Alongside fellow Clwstwr cohort members, I presented insights from my research on innovative ways to tell more effective and more inclusive stories.
Read moreNew ways of telling news stories
Future of Journalism Conference 2021 • 22/09/2021
I spoke as part of an innovation showcase panel looking at new ways to make news and public information.
I spoke alongside fellow Clwstwr cohort members and presented my 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism and the results of prototyping and testing work on new formats.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism • 09/09/2021
The People’s Newsroom Initiative
I hosted and moderated the launch event for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s People’s Newsroom Initiative – a project to build community power through journalism.
Read moreThe People’s Newsroom Initiative
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism • 09/09/2021
We discussed how we can use journalism to help build power for people who’ve historically been marginalised by the media, and stimulate a healthier and more representative journalism ecosystem
We’re piloting this work in collaboration with EYST, Lankelly Chase and Clwstwr – by designing and creating a new, community-based newsroom in Swansea that will inform and inspire a programme to be rolled out across the UK next year.
We were joined by:
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Shazia Ali – EYST Project Worker, “Telling Our Own Stories”
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Rhiannon Davies – Founder, Greater Govanhill Community Magazine
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Dr Francesca Sobande – Clwstwr Co-Investigator and Lecturer in Digital Media Studies, JOMEC at Cardiff University
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The Director of Bureau Local, Megan Lucero
Membership Puzzle Project Summit • 06/08/2021
Maintaining Engagement Beyond The Crisis
I moderated a panel on “Maintaining engagement beyond the crisis” at the Membership Puzzle Project Summit 2021.
Read moreMaintaining Engagement Beyond The Crisis
Membership Puzzle Project Summit • 06/08/2021
We discussed community organising approaches to journalism around the following prompt:
Newsrooms around the world experienced a surge in audience and member support during the pandemic. As we begin to emerge from the crisis, how can we maintain our relevance and connection with these readers and listeners? We’ve invited two community organizers in Wales and the U.S. to share how they maintain engagement and support between the crises that drive surges in support and attention.
Moderator: Shirish Kulkarni (Bureau Local/The Bureau of Investigative Journalism); Panelists: Vanessa Maria Graber (FreePress News Voices), Shazia Ali (Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team Wales)
Public Interest News Foundation • 08/07/2021
Launch Event: Index of Independent News Publishing
I was a guest speaker at the launch of the Public Interest News Foundation’s Index of Independent News Publishing 2021.
Read moreLaunch Event: Index of Independent News Publishing
Public Interest News Foundation • 08/07/2021
The Index of Independent News Publishing is the first ever comprehensive survey of the sector in the UK.
I shared my response alongside Dame Frances Cairncross, author of the Cairncross Review, and Emma Meese, director of the Independent Community News Network.
Key Findings:
- The reach of the sector far outstrips its revenue – the 56 respondents to the Index reach 10m monthly unique users on annual revenues of under £5.4m.
- The sector operates on a shoestring – the median income of publishers was £42,224 and 40% of publishers generated less than £20,000 income.
- Only 7% of publishers received government advertising or public notices
- Only one-sixth of publishers’ revenue came from readers via membership or subscriptions.
- Some 40% of the publishers’ workforce is female but organisations with a higher proportion of women have higher revenues.
- Some 9% of people working in the sector are from ethnic minorities and 70% of publishers have no ethnic minority workers.
- Publishers said their greatest opportunity was the public’s growing awareness of the importance of local journalism following Covid-19.
ABSW Summer School • 08/07/2021
Including diverse voices in science journalism
I was a speaker at the Association of British Science Writers’ Science Journalism Summer School, about my work on Decolonising the News and how we might include more diverse voices in science journalism.
Read moreIncluding diverse voices in science journalism
ABSW Summer School • 08/07/2021
The Science Journalism Summer School is a one-day event for people starting or returning to a science writing or journalism career.
I spoke in a panel discussion, alongside Angela Saini – author of “Superior: The Return of Race Science”.
My contribution drew on my work around Decolonising the News, and the principle of inclusivity in my “7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism”.
Mix 2021 Amplified Publishing • 05/07/2021
Re-shaping Storytelling For Inclusion
This panel explored underrepresented aspects of inclusion in storytelling; trauma-informed working, visual thinking and how we formulate news storytelling as a whole.
Read moreRe-shaping Storytelling For Inclusion
Mix 2021 Amplified Publishing • 05/07/2021
In Trauma-Toggle: Mental Health Informed Media Delivery, Grace Quantock looked at trauma-informed digital delivery and how it can be an essential but all too often overlooked part of publishing inclusion. In Between The Lines: Visual Storytelling for Inclusion, Linus Harrison explored visual thinking as a neurodivergent researcher and why it is designing to include neurodivergent audiences is essential in emerging publishing design. In Telling News Stories Differently, Shirish Kulkarni looked at news storytelling and how neuroscience, anthropology, community and care can help us create newsrooms that are truly inclusive fit for the future.
See the full programme here.
Institute of Welsh Affairs • 01/07/2021
Beyond the BBC: Reimagining Public Service Media in Wales
This event was part of ‘The BBC and Beyond’, a campaign which aims to reimagine public media for the digital age. The event focused on what a reformed public service media landscape within Wales could look like.
Read moreBeyond the BBC: Reimagining Public Service Media in Wales
Institute of Welsh Affairs • 01/07/2021
The BBC has set out its strategic goal to recreate itself as a ‘truly UK wide organisation (…) decentralising power and decision-making across the four nations’. But a healthy media landscape cannot depend on any single organisation, so this event will explore how to embed public service media principles across more of the media ecosystem in Wales and the UK.
All political parties in the Senedd supported the IWA’s call for the Welsh Government to create a new, contestable fund to support independent news. This event will consider the innovative journalistic models and practices this fund could nurture and how to ensure it embeds public service media principles – of independence, accountability, democracy and universality – at its heart.
We will also be talking about digital – what role can technology play in enabling more participatory processes, and does Welsh Government’s digital strategy contain the right policies to maximise this potential? Where does community media sit in this ecology, and how can the rest of the UK learn from the best innovations coming out of Wales?
Panellists:
- Debs Grayson (Chair) – Campaign Coordinator, Media Reform Coalition
- Emma Meese – Director, Independent Community News Network
- Shirish Kulkarni – News Storytelling Researcher, Clwstwr Creadigol
- Andy Regan – Policy & External Affairs Manager, Institute of Welsh Affairs
This is an hour long panel discussion on Zoom, with an introduction by IWA Director, Auriol Miller.
European Federation of Journalists • 21/05/2021
Reporting on Muslims & Islam
I spoke as part of a series of EFJ webinars on improving media reporting on Muslims & Islam. It focused on how journalists can push for more ethical reporting practices in newsrooms.
Read moreReporting on Muslims & Islam
European Federation of Journalists • 21/05/2021
On 21 May, the third session of the EFJ series of webinars on improving media reporting on Muslims and Islam took place online with contributions from the journalists Jean-Paul Marthoz (Le Soir, Belgium), Shirish Kulkarni (Clwstwr, UK) and Neila Butt, Creative Diversity Lead for programs at Channel 4 in the UK. The webinar focussed on how journalists can push for more ethical reporting practices inside their newsrooms and how diverse newsrooms currently are.
Digital Editors Network • 29/04/2021
Products & Wellbeing
I spoke at the Digital Editors Network Spring Meeting about how we better engage and reflect our diverse audiences through our products, and how we can play a significant role in the wellbeing of staff and audiences.
Read moreProducts & Wellbeing
Digital Editors Network • 29/04/2021
You can read the thoughts on People, Process & Product that I presented at the event here.
News Product Alliance Summit • 31/03/2021
Product: The 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
I presented a session on how we might build news products that embody the 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism.
Read moreProduct: The 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
News Product Alliance Summit • 31/03/2021
How do we build a journalism that better reflects society, provides citizens with the information they need to participate, and inspires trust?
The process starts by reflecting on where journalism’s gone wrong, and the questions we never stopped to ask. New products and formats are meaningless unless we can fix the underlying journalism.
You can find out more about the summit and the programme here >>
European Federation of Journalists • 25/03/2021
Trust in Media
I appeared on an EFJ panel discussing “How to regain trust and improve audience engagement”. That was followed by deep-dive conversations where explored these issues in more detail.
Read moreTrust in Media
European Federation of Journalists • 25/03/2021
How can the media regain trust and improve audience engagement in an age of information overload and disinformation? Has Covid 19 exacerbated the problem or provided us the opportunity? How can PSM and journalists help and engage audiences to navigate the minefield of ‘fake news’. Do our audiences need more media literacy?
Jonas Jungar, Editor-in-chief, YLE
Wiebke Loosen, Senior Researcher, Hans Bredow Institute
Shirish Kulkarni, Journalist and Researcher, Clwstwr
Cédric Motte, Director of Digital Products and Editorial Development, Centre France Group
Moderator: Maja Sever, President, Croatian Trade Union of Journalists
Clwstwr / Media City Bergen • 16/03/2021
Innovation in News and Democracy
I was one of the speakers at the launch of an exciting partnership between Clwstwr and Media City Bergen. The event focused on innovation in news and democracy.
Read moreInnovation in News and Democracy
Clwstwr / Media City Bergen • 16/03/2021
I spoke about my work investigating, creating and testing new and imaginative storytelling techniques with Clwstwr since 2019, resulting in the Seven Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism.
Other speakers at the event were:
Yvonne Murphy of OmiDaze Productions. Her year-long politically neutral and non-party political Clwstwr research and development project, The Democracy Box: New Ways to create democratic participation, aims to produce the prototype of an approach to civic engagement which can be developed and replicated across the UK.
From Bergen, Maria Amelie, co-founder of Factiverse. Factiverse automates the detection of misinformation with cutting-edge AI and NLP. Their patented solution helps journalists and editors to fact-check news and automatically identify fact-check worthy claims, saving time and resources and preventing further spread of misinformation.
And we heard about Web64 from founder Olav Hjertåker. Web64 aims to use data to better understand the world. By monitoring what content is published, who is sharing it, and where it is being shared we can provide tools for media companies, political parties, government organizations, and researchers where they gain insights into how the media landscape is changing and what is causing these changes.
You can read more, and watch the event back here >>
NUJ Cardiff • 09/03/2021
Meet the Expert: 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
Drawing on my work around news storytelling, community engagement and representation, I outlined a framework from which to build change.
Meet the Expert: 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
NUJ Cardiff • 09/03/2021
At this event with NUJ Training Wales, I talked about the difficult questions the journalism industry needs to start addressing. How do we build a journalism that better reflects society, provides users with the information they need to participate, and inspires trust? The process starts by reflecting on where journalism’s gone wrong, and the questions we never stopped to ask.
Reuters Institute • 28/10/2020
The 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
As part of the Reuters Institute’s Global Journalism Seminar series, I spoke about my 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism.
Read moreThe 7 Building Blocks of Reflective Journalism
Reuters Institute • 28/10/2020
You can read the Reuters Institute’s summary of my talk here and watch the seminar back here.
World Association of News Publishers • 23/11/2020
Science in the Newsroom Global Summit
I talked about how newsrooms can skill up to ensure their coverage of science and medicine is accurate and valuable for the citizens they serve.
Read moreScience in the Newsroom Global Summit
World Association of News Publishers • 23/11/2020
The aims of this Science in the Newsroom Conference were to:
- explore expert views on future public health crises,
- showcase best practice journalism that has emerged in 2020
- give ideas on how to elevate your coverage so that you are recognised as a credible provider of science news, and
- suggest how to develop specialist skills in your newsroom.
Speaking on a panel entitled: “Innovative Storytelling: Data, tools and techniques for impactful, memorable journalism”, I talked about how new storytelling and community engagement techniques can help newsrooms better connect with citizens and build trust.
Other guests on the panel included:
- John Burn-Murdoch, Financial Times
- Alet Law, News 24, South Africa
- Josephine Ma, South China Morning Post
I also contributed to the newsroom guide: Journalism in the Age of Pandemics
Beyond Conference • 03/12/2020
Towards an Inclusive News Sector
I spoke on a panel discussing how we can build a more inclusive news industry that supports journalists and audiences.
Towards an Inclusive News Sector
Beyond Conference • 03/12/2020
Beyond Conference – “Where creativity meets R&D”
I spoke on a panel discussing the decolonisation of news, the need to recognise audience trauma and how we can make news more neuro-inclusive. The session included audience Q&A’s to debate and discuss these topic areas and challenge the status quo.
- Francesca Sobande, JOMEC
- Grace Quantock, Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Writer and Researcher
- Linus Harrison, R&D Project Lead, Entrepreneur, Support Worker
- Shirish Kulkarni, Bureau of Investigative Journalism
You can watch the session back here.
Bureau Local • 04/12/2020
Is Work Working?
I hosted the launch of Bureau Local’s “Is Work Working?” project looking at the rise of insecure and precarious work.
Read moreIs Work Working?
Bureau Local • 04/12/2020
We discussed the key issues and data underlying the insecure work crisis, areas participant thought needed investigating, and what needs to change.
I was joined by guests:
- Zoe Gardner from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
- Rebecca McDonald from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Ros Wynne-Jones from The Daily Mirror
You can watch the event back here.
Public Interest News Foundation • 24/11/2020
Trust in Journalism Conference
I spoke on a panel discussing “How plural is the independent news sector – really?”. We talked about the lack of diversity in the news industry and the need for change.
Read moreTrust in Journalism Conference
Public Interest News Foundation • 24/11/2020
As part of the Impress Trust in Journalism Conference, I joined a panel convened by the Public Interest News Foundation.
In the context of #BlackLivesMatter, there has been heavy criticism of mainstream media for its lack of diversity. But are things any better in the independent sector? Who gets to speak?
What does true plurality and inclusion of voices look like in terms of editorial content, and what role does representation play?
- Marcus Ryder – Executive Producer, Caixin Media
- Robyn Vinter – Founder and Editor in Chief, The Overtake
- Shirish Kulkarni – Community Organiser, Bureau Local
Society of Editors • 10/11/2020
Mental Health in the Newsroom
As part of the Society of Editors’ Conference, I spoke on a panel about mental health in newsrooms. With the team at Elemental Health, we also produced a mental health resource pack.
Read moreMental Health in the Newsroom
Society of Editors • 10/11/2020
You can watch the session back here and also access resources that me and the team at Elemental Health produced for the Society of Editors here.
EJC News Impact Summit • 06/10/2020
Innovative Storytelling: Audience First
I ran a workshop at the European Journalism Centre’s News Impact Summit, which was dedicated to finding ways for journalists to build a closer relationship with their readers and viewers.
Read moreInnovative Storytelling: Audience First
EJC News Impact Summit • 06/10/2020
My session was called, “Why news storytelling is broken and how we can fix it.”
What are stories for? Why do we need news? Maybe journalism’s broken and we’re doing it all wrong? In this session, we confronted these fundamental questions head-on, and talked about how we can build new journalism that is truly inclusive and helps us all understand the world better. We looked at how neuroscience, anthropology, and user-centered design can help us create newsrooms that are fit for the future.
You can watch the session back here.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism • 03/09/2020
Decolonising News
I hosted the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s online event, Decolonising News: Confronting Journalism’s Role in Systemic Racism.
Read moreDecolonising News
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism • 03/09/2020
I was joined for the event by a brilliant panel:
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Hannah Ajala: Journalist and Founder of We are Black Journos
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Marverine Duffy (née Cole): Journalist, Broadcaster and Director of undergraduate journalism courses at Birmingham City University
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Martin Reynolds: Co-Executive Director at the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education
More than 600 people attended the event, including many senior newsroom leaders, academics and equality campaigners.
You can watch the event back here.
news:rewired Conference • 01/07/2020
Engagement through Storytelling
Drawing on my Clwstwr research and community organising principles, I led a workshop on “Engagement through Storytelling”
Read moreEngagement through Storytelling
news:rewired Conference • 01/07/2020
Speaking at journalism.co.uk‘s news:rewired conference, I brought together the learnings from my news storytelling research and my experience in community organising to talk about how we can drive audience engagement.
We need to tell stories that are genuinely useful to citizens, and help “orientate” them in the world, and we need to (re)build trust. That’s not something that happens overnight, but something that takes time, effort and commitment.
You can listen to a podcast version of my seminar here.
I’ve also written for journalism.co.uk on these subjects and more. You can find those articles here.
Bureau Local • 07/05/2020
Open Newsroom: Climate Change
I hosted a Bureau Local on climate change, the impact it’s having on local communities and how we should be reporting it.
Read moreOpen Newsroom: Climate Change
Bureau Local • 07/05/2020
I was joined by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe, Louise Crow, Development Manager at mySociety and Dr Adam Levy, a Doctor of Atmospheric Physics from Oxford University, but also ClimateAdam on YouTube.
You can replay the event here.
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