ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 CONTENTS ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 02 PREFACE 04 DIRECTOR’S REPORT 06 JOURNALIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME 12 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES 14 RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS RISJ AT A GLANCE 2018-2019 17 EVENTS JOURNALIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMMES 22 ABOUT US Number of Journalist Fellows 21 Number of Summer School Participants 34 Front Cover: A photojournalist raises a placard in a rally for press freedom in Quezon City, Philippines, February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES Number of Forum (Invitation-only) Participants 51 Number of Open-Admission Participants 38 RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS Number of RISJ Publications 20 Number of Outside Publications 21 Previous page: A photographer takes photos of a wildfire near the Paranoa neighbourhood in Brasilia, Brazil, July 20, 2018. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino Above: Photographers are pictured during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir 01 Reuters Institute Annual Report 2018-19 PREFACE ALAN RUSBRIDGER CHAIR . RISJ STEERING COMMITTEE ANTONIO ZAPPULLA CEO . THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION On some level, people can feel all this: At a time when freedoms across the world and there are some signs of a dawning are being eroded, when news and news recognition that journalism, at its best, is consumption is being manipulated to needed – perhaps more than ever before. As meet specific agendas, and when industry the oceans and quagmires of social media business models are being disrupted, the are mapped, so there is some comfort in importance of independent, fair, trusted, and the known methods and outcomes of good accurate journalism has never been greater. reporters and editors. The Reuters Institute for the Study of But how does journalism rise to the Journalism is part of our contribution to this challenge? How good do we have to be to vital ecosystem. As one of the world’s most win back trust? How do we make journalism powerful and respected centres producing better… and then ‘at its best?’ high-impact, current, and actionable research, the Institute equips journalists Those were the questions that led to the with the tools they need to navigate an It may be that the penny is creation of an Oxford-based institute a little As the newly appointed CEO of the increasingly complex and disrupted dropping. A world of information over ten years ago. The Reuters Institute Thomson Reuters Foundation, I am media landscape. chaos turns out to be a rather exists to find answers. And, where there proud to be part of an organisation are no easy solutions (as so often in the In a ‘digital-first’ environment where scary place. If people struggle to that, for three decades, has been middle of revolutions), to convene debates, information is produced, shared, and recognise what is true and what listen to first-hand experience, and conduct deeply involved in strengthening consumed faster, but trusted and isn’t, the only people to benefit are important and meaningful research. the ecosystem of free and understood less, it is essential that journalists understand the ever-changing liars, crooks, and tyrants. If you Every year brings dozens of practitioners to independent media globally. dynamics at play in order to continue to fulfil have no agreed facts to work on, Norham Gardens to think, share knowledge, their mission of truth-telling and to engage and learn from the research of others. From then nothing in a good with their respective audiences. Oxford, we travel the world – it could be a society works. bar in Manchester or a gathering of media I look forward to working ever more closely executives in Tokyo or New York. Together, with RISJ Director Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, we work to solve some of the problems and strengthening a partnership that will opportunities this age has thrown up. continue to drive journalism excellence. By protecting and promoting free, independent, This report is a record of just some of that. and impartial media, we are safeguarding We hope you enjoy it. the true cornerstone of every healthy democracy. Our mission has never been more critical. 02 03 Reuters Institute Annual Report 2018-19 DIRECTOR’S REPORT RASMUS KLEIS NIELSEN At the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, we are dedicated to exploring the future of journalism worldwide through debate, engagement, and research. We pursue this mission because we believe in the value of independent journalism, because we believe journalism needs to change to adapt to a changing world, and because we believe that connecting practice and research help accomplish this. As new Director of the Institute, I am proud of how in the last year we have worked with our worldwide network of friends and ‘Enemies of the people’. The partners in the profession, the industry, and beyond to pursue that mission. We have journalists and editors from all tripled the number of journalists we host over the world that we work with at in Oxford, greatly expanding our leadership the Reuters Institute are anything programs and significantly increasing the but. They are firmly committed global reach of our research with new projects in India and South Africa. to serving people by holding power to account. ‘Content’: the Through scores of presentations at public events, through countless private news they produce, sometimes conversations and discussions with media at considerable personal risk, is companies, policymakers, technology much more than just stuff floating firms as well as hundreds of reporters, and through thousands of news articles covering Above: Pro-democracy activists lay around the internet, ranked by this sunflowers at a memorial site for our research all over the world, we have or that algorithm. It is journalism anti-extradition bill protester Marco worked together with journalists, editors, Leung, who died after falling from a scaffolding at the Pacific Place complex that helps people all over the world and media executives to ensure they face while protesting, in Hong Kong, China follow and understand the big the opportunities and challenges of a July 11, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu issues of our time. changing media environment from a position of strength. All our activities underline that it is both important and possible to work together to build better and more sustainable journalism for tomorrow. Journalism that can stand up to those who consider the free press their enemies. Journalism that can stand out online and offline. Journalism committed to seeking truth and reporting it. 04 05 Reuters Institute Annual Report 2018-19 JOURNALIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME JOURNALIST FELLOWS 2018-2019 MEERA SELVA DIRECTOR . JOURNALIST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME Chanpreet Arora Country of Origin: India Position and Place of Work: CEO, Vice Media India Sponsor: Self-funded Research Project Title: International Media Companies in India: Synergising Global Business Practice and Local Culture to Create Sustainable Business Models Tomasz Augustyniak Country of Origin: Poland Position and Place of Work: Foreign Correspondent/Freelance South and Southeast Asia Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation Research Project Title: Beyond the Comfort Zone. Western Journalists in the Newsrooms of South and Southeast Asia. © MangoLab/JuliaMasseyStewart Soma Basu Country of Origin: India The Journalist Fellowship This year, the fellows have come from Position and Place of Work: Founder and Investigative Journalist, reporteratlarge.org some of the hardest parts of the world for Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation Programme drives a global Research Project Title: Manufacturing Islamophobia in India on WhatsApp journalists, from Gaza and Egypt to India and conversation on the future of Brazil, as well as from much safer places – news, and this year we have been Finland, Denmark, Spain, and the US. They incredibly lucky to host journalists have learnt a huge amount from each other, Javier Borelli Country of Origin: Argentina and supported each other professionally who have come with new ideas, Position and Place of Work: General Information Editor and Member of the Board, and personally during their time here. All Tiempo Argentino energy, and a clear sense of what go back to their newsrooms with new skills, Sponsor: Thomson Reuters Foundation they want to achieve in their jobs. information, and confidence to take their Research Project Title: Rebooting Journalism: How Media Startups Overcame the Business Model Crisis. What Can Argentinean Journalists Learn From eldiario.es and Mediapart? work to the next level. Our first ever summer schools have brought Murillo Camarotto Country of Origin: Brazil yet more journalists through our doors, for Position and Place of Work: Reporter, Valor Econômico week-long, intensive courses that reflect the Sponsor: Anglo American principles and content of the fellowship. Research Project Title: How Politicians have been Draining the Local Journalism in Brazil End-of-term symposia, in both London and Oxford, have given the fellows a platform to showcase their research and expertise, and Thea Elnan Country of Origin: Norway brought the fellowship to the attention of a Position and Place of Work: Journalist, Aftenposten wider public. Sponsor: Fritt Ord Research Project Title: After #metoo: How the Campaign Influenced the Way Norwegian Senior editors and CEOs including Marty Journalists Write about Sexual Violence Baron of the Washington Post and Mark Thompson of the New York Times gave their Nirvana El Saied time to meet the fellows for closed-door, Country of Origin: Egypt frank discussions on the state of the industry, Position and Place of Work: Broadcast Journalist, BBC Arabic and newsroom visits to the BBC, Reuters, and Sponsor: BBC the Sun added a practical element to Research Project Title: Satire and Protest: The Middle East Through Egyptian Cartoons the programme. 06 07 Reuters Institute Annual Report 2018-19 FELLOWS’ VOICES When I returned to my An extraordinary, newsroom, my editor once-in-a-lifetime noted a difference in my opportunity, which has reporting and writing, opened so many doors and attributed it to my and honed my skills as time in Oxford.