The three first days of the 6th International Media Summer Academy (THISAM) are just over. Organized by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications of Aristotle University Thessaloniki (AUTh), Jean Monet of European Union Public Diplomacy, and other partners, each year THISAM brings together an impressive group of people passionate about journalism. Attendees include early-career journalists, students, media entrepreneurs, scholars, leaders of NGOs, and media industry leaders.
The topic of the 6th Thessaloniki International Media Summer Academy is “New Trends in Media and Journalism”.
On the first day of this year’s event, participants from more than 12 countries had the chance to take part in interactive workshops and lectures about the influence of new technologies on journalistic practices, the way that pro-Russian disinformation spreads online during the war, photojournalism and crisis management and communications. The lectures of the first day were held by Christoph Schmidt (Professor of Media Management and Economics, Head of the Academic Department at Deutsche Welle Akademie), Dr. Dimitrios Bouras (Anthropologist photographer and documentarian), Christos Frangonikolopoulos (Professor of International Relations at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University and Holder of the Jean Monnet Chair on European Integration Journalism), Kally Zarali (Ph.D., Researcher- School of Journalism & Mass Media AUTH), Fanis Papathanasiou (ERT anchor/diplomatic correspondent) and Dr. Lopamudra Priyadarshi (General Manager, Hindalco Industries).
The second day’s lectures and workshops were about disinformation, crisis communication, press freedom, photojournalism, and new business models in media organizations and they were held by professors Betty Tsakarestou (Head of ADandPRLAB, Department of Communication, Media and Culture, Panteion University), Mausumi Bhattacharyya (Visva-Bharati University, India), Christoph Schmidt (Professor of Media Management and Economics, Head of the Academic Department at Deutsche Welle Akademie), Leora Kahn (founder and executive director of PROOF: Media for Social Justice) and Maciek Nabrdalik and Ilvy Njiokiktjien (photojournalists, VII Academy).
Disinformation, photojournalism and new journalistic practices in approaching and working with vulnerable populations in the digital age were also discussed on the third day with David J. Simon (Director of the Genocide Studies Program, Yale University) giving lecture about hate speech and media.
More workshops and lectures will follow until the end of this year’s THISAM on the 22nd of July.
THISAM is supported by: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Freedom House, Digital Transformation and Digital Skills Center (DT&S) Cisco, Journalists Union of Macedonia and Thrace, University of Macedonia Press and Xanthi Tech Lab.
THISAM’s partners: Deutsche Welle, Temple University USA, Hallym University, South Korea, Beijing University of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, University of Zagreb, University of Novi-Sad, University of Maribor, Feri, AD&PR Lab of Panteion University, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the organizations iMEdD, Proof organization, VII Academy Bosnia, Digital Communication Network Global.
Learn more about THISAM: http://joursummerschool.org/