Short reports about meeting in Tartu, 19 May 2026

 

Focus Group: EUFactCheck + AI and Data Journalism

The combined EUFactCheck + AI and Data Journalism Focus group, covered following topics:

EUFactCheck:

  • Short report of the May 2026 EUFactCheck BIP students at Jade University in Wilhelmshaven, where students from seven EJTA schools met. Call for 2027 EUFactCheck BIP.
  • Overview of eufactcheck.eu website analytics. Conclusion: still going strong, with a run rate of 1,000-2,000 weekly website visits, and peaks of 4,000 visits/week.
  • Call for participants eufactcheck.eu Autumn 2026 – Spring 2027.

AI and Data Journalism:

  • Lively and interesting account on using AI in Journalism and Media History classes.
  • Challenging but doable: How to prepare and give a vibe coding workshop in 4 +/- easy steps.

 

Focus Group: Climate Journalism

  • Nadia Vissers, contact from the EJTA Board for this focus group, introduced the BIFED-Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary as a good practice and Stefaan Anrys presented a personal story about how to still “infect the curriculum” with the topic of Climate when budget cuts and other restraints blocked the courses on Climate Journalism from being (re)introduced at his school, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences. He gave the example of an assignment students must do in International Journalism, whereby they make a podcast story. All focused this year on the Ocean, with topics ranging from nuclear waste in the oceans, corroding ammunition polluting seas to more lifestyle-topics such as the ocean viewed through movies or the “messages in a bottle” still to be found, washed ashore till today.
  • Some participants afterwards signaled they would also try to implement the theme in their courses, and some already have or had for years courses focused on climate issues. In the group discussion, questions were raised about the “activism” journalist should or shouldn’t hold dear; about the importance of giving the students enough knowledge about climate, but also about the discourses circulating (and how they are constructed and who benefits from them) and about the need for mandatory courses.
  • Stefaan will ask all participants present, via mail, to help him make an overview of what the schools affiliated with EJTA already do within the realm of climate journalism. This overview might trigger and inspire others. It will be made available in the coming months, so that all participants can freely contact colleagues mentioned in the document.

 

Focus Group: Inclusive Journalism

  • Create awareness of minority groups (people with addiction, with illness, foreign roots, disability, …).
  • Develop empathy for your interviewee.
  • You can do that by talking and communicating with people from minorities, not about them.

A detailed report with a collection of examples of how to guide your students to thinking and work more inclusively will be sent to all participants.

 

Focus Group: Media Literacy (first meeting)

  • MIL is a broad and multifaceted concept
    When we talk about Media and Information Literacy, we are talking about a wide range of things. This is natural, as media itself is a vast and ever-expanding concept. Different stakeholders also have their own roles in MIL work, and this diversity inevitably shapes how the concept is defined and understood.
  • Journalism education has a significant role to play
    Journalism education has not yet fully engaged with this field – and we have both a lot to offer and a lot of work ahead of us. EJTA now has a Mission Statement on MIL, and this focus group is central to defining what that work looks like in practice and with whom we begin to collaborate. There is much to be gained, and from the perspective of journalism and press freedom, media literacy is an absolutely essential factor.
  • Expanding the understanding of MIL – and moving into action
    Media literacy has often been seen primarily as something audiences need to acquire. As EJTA, we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of broadening this thinking – so that the journalistic process and the journalistic product itself, together with journalism education, can also actively support media literacy, for example by providing more metadata about information and thereby distinguishing quality journalism from other content. We are already moving in this direction: the CERV-funded JEMILE project is underway with EJTA as a partner, and the first BIP focused on MIL is being planned in Cluj-Napoca in October 2026.

 

Focus Group: Research

  • The EJTA Research Focus Group’s third meeting gathered members to discuss current and future research projects and to strengthen international networking and collaboration among EJTA partner. Key presentations focused on news consumption among journalism students in Europe, professional journalistic attitudes and innovative pedagogical approaches, as well as teacher well-being.
  • A preliminary survey on news avoidance among journalism students was presented, and members were invited to contribute to the project. The meeting fostered active discussion, networking, and international collaboration. The results of the joint survey will be presented at the upcoming ECREA Annual Conference.
  • The programme also included a session on teachers’ mental health and well-being, highlighting the importance of supporting educators and promoting sustainable practices in journalism education.

 

Focus Group: Sports Journalism

The Sports Journalism focus group had another great session (only our second at EJTA events) in Tartu with new faces, new perspectives, and new ideas, which was fantastic. There is clearly a healthy and growing appetite for plenty of transnational collaborations across our network.

Our three main takeaways:

  • We are excited to launch our first ever EJTA powered sports journalism project: a 2026 Football World Cup preview podcast. 7 episodes and over 2 hours of student produced content examining a range of issues relating to this summer’s tournament. Six Universities from four different countries took part and you can listen to it on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, by searching for ‘2026 Football World Cup Preview Podcast’. Please share widely.
  • We have already developed a plan to introduce a new project for the new academic year, beginning in September. More details to follow in the next couple of weeks, but it will give more universities from more countries to be involved in developing student content.
  • We are continuing to support colleagues and students who would like to introduce some sports journalism content in their teaching and offer exposure to sporting content by sharing best practice. As ever, anyone wishing to get involved with our group, please contact will.cope@solent.ac.uk for details.