Dear readers,
It is no news that journalism is going through difficult times. Along with the economic crisis all media organizations have been experiencing since the advent of the internet and the collapse of advertising, newsrooms now have to find ways to compete with the GAFAM and find themselves confronted with increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns coming from private or state entities. Across the world, journalists are also having a hard time simply doing their jobs of holding the powerful accountable and reporting on the news. The fact that the war in Gaza has been going on for six months behind almost-closed doors, with no foreign media allowed to enter the territory, not to mention the deaths of many Palestinian journalists, is one of many damning examples.
I realize this is a rather grim picture to paint. But the fact remains that, although some publications are more impacted than others, none are unaffected. All need to take these risks into account in order to survive. These are upsetting, but also crucial issues to dissect. Which is why Le Monde in English invites you to take part in a series of events on Journalism and Crisis in partnership with Columbia University's Global Center Paris in New York City from April 15 to 17. During this three-day event series, journalists working all over the world – including Le Monde's Sylvie Kauffman, Gilles Paris, Asia Baluffier and yours truly – will reflect on the threats and challenges they face and how to best tackle them.
The series, which is taking place just a few days after the second anniversary of Le Monde's English edition, will also be the opportunity to look into the role our news site can play by covering global news from a different perspective – French and European. For two years, Le Monde in English has been presenting Le Monde's award-winning journalism to a new readership, including exclusive investigations, on-the-ground reporting, news analysis, long-form features and videos. Le Monde in English has an undeniably French slant, providing important insights into both French politics and French life. Its editorial line mirrors that of Le Monde. We report on all international issues with our 500 plus team of journalists based in France and all around the world. Our content is published on our website, our mobile app and on social media platforms.
The New York events will take place on April 15, 16 and 17, 2024 on the campus of Columbia University and at Villa Albertine at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The main event on Tuesday, April 16 will be held at The Forum at Columbia University and will address the theme through three panels:
- Ethical Responsibilities and Personal Risk, moderated by Lydia Polgreen, New York Times and Committee to Protect Journalists
- Collaborating Across Borders, moderated by Bruce Shapiro, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
- Trust and Transparency, moderated by Jelani Cobb, The New Yorker and Columbia Journalism School
All events are free and open to the public. You can find the detailed program for the three-day Journalism and Crisis series and register for the different events here. If you want to attend the main panel event on April 16, you can register here.
See you there! We can't wait to meet you and discuss this together.
Elvire Camus (Editor in chief, Le Monde in English)
