Education

Prague Media Point

With the rise of internet and social media, the media industry has undergone a substantial transformation in the past several years. What challenges does it face as it adapts to the world in which communication has changed dramatically? What is the impact of new technologies on the public access to information? What is the relationship between media and politics? How does media ownership influence the content of the news? In an effort to discuss these pertinent questions, as well as other aspects of the transformation, the Prague Media Point will offer a series of annual academic conferences in Prague, which will bring together the relevant actors involved in the process, including academics, media practitioners, political analysts, and representatives of NGOs. This fall’s edition will look at how media industries are affected by authoritarianism and populism.

The Prague Media Point project evolved from the 25 Years After conference, which took place in 2014 and focused on the transformation of the media industries in Central and Eastern Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Around 15 panels, which combined top Central European journalists with media academics, looked at all aspects of the transition, including post-communist media reforms, role of new media, and so forth.

The project is organized by and is a result of cooperation between Transitions (TOL) and KEYNOTE:

Transitions (TOL) was founded in 1999 and is a leading online newsmagazine and media development organization with a mission of actively championing democracy, pluralism, and freedom of expression. We do this by strengthening the professionalism, independence, and impact of media and civil society organizations, with a special focus on Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union.

Over the past 16 years has built up a reputation as one of Central Europe’s leading journalism educators. To date, over 5,500 journalists and student-journalists from around the world have passed through TOL’s training programs, which have specialized in journalism and new media instruction. Throughout the year, TOL offers courses focused on a number of beats and methods of reporting. The courses include initial online sessions before students arrive in Prague and then at least a week of lectures and reporting experience in the Czech Republic, led by top-notch journalists working for either international (the BBC, AP, NPR, The Economist, The New York Times, etc.) or Czech media. The TOL study abroad programs are reporting-based, which means that after morning lectures, students get out of the classroom and report real stories under the guidance of their instructors. At TOL we believe in close, personalized attention to each student, and instructors provide individualized assistance and guidance for every student as they pitch, develop, report and write their stories.

Through its experienced team, KEYNOTE deploys unique conference design capabilities and organizational acumen. We can develop each event from an initial concept, through a thorough planning and preparation period, to a successful execution. We are aware of the importance of event follow-up and sharing outcomes – like conference reports, executive summaries, or media reports – with guests.

The KEYNOTE team and our pool of highly qualified and experienced collaborators focus principally on politics, international relations, security, civil society, new social trends, and business. We regularly cooperate with a number of highly respected speakers in these areas.

We have implemented or are currently implementing projects in cooperation with notable partners that include the Aspen Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Brookings Institution, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Bata Shoe Foundation, European Commission, European Parliament, Deloitte, and the University of Pittsburgh. We permanently operate in close cooperation with the Forum 2000 Foundation.