0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
%

It rang true. Despite all the pressure on the industry, the energy in Perugia was vibrant, focused, and hopeful.

Musab Subuh, a climate journalist I spent time with during the festival, shared a similar feeling. “IJF was a place of real connection. I found space to collaborate and learned more about misinformation, AI, and fact-checking”, he said.

And finally, a word for the people who helped everything run smoothly, the volunteers. I met a few of the 50 behind the scenes, including Damiano and Marcrer, both just 16, who had come from nearby cities as part of a school project to practice their English. Their excitement was contagious. They were a quiet but powerful reminder, the future of journalism is already taking shape.

Finally, I must mention the unsung heroes behind this extraordinary five-day whirlwind, the volunteers. I met a few of the fifty who kept the gears running. Among them were Damiano and Marcrer, both just sixteen, who had traveled from nearby cities with a school project to gain experience and practice their English in an international setting. Their enthusiasm was infectious. Their presence was a quiet but powerful reminder that journalism’s future is already in motion.