Education

Prague Media Point

Prague Media Point is a series of annual international conferences, dedicated to discussing the changing media landscape in a professional, political, economic, and social context. These events gather leading academics, journalists, media executives, and experts from around the world to exchange experiences, establish new relationships, and debate challenges facing both traditional and new media. The issues are presented in an international context with a focus on the Central and Eastern European region with its particular challenges. #PragueMediaPoint

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. The 2015 edition, Populism, Authoritarianism, and the Media: The Age of Mediocracy and Mediacracy, addressed the influence of authoritarianism and populism on the development of the media and communication industries. The 2016 edition: Media and Migration, addressed  broad topic of media and migration, focusing on topics such as the role of the media in refugee crisis; media depictions of immigrant and migrant communities; and the media’s influence on belonging and identity – especially in the context of transnationalism, multiculturalism, and a globalized world. In November 2016 Prague Media Point was organized as an ECREA pre-conference. The 2017 edition: Media in the Post-Truth World that was held on Nov. 2-4 covered questions about what affects people’s political choices and overall local and worldviews, the sources that are now most trusted, and if people are even searching for the “truth” or simply what fits their already pre-defined opinions. The 2018 installment will focus on how technological advancement can assist or undermine media in fulfilling their democratic role. Come participate in this much anticipated conference in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world whose center is on the UNESCO list. In addition, you will have the opportunity to join in the city’s famous, lively street festivities occurring on November 17, 2018 – the day Czechs celebrate the Velvet Revolution of 1989.

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

Transitions (TOL), founded in 1999, 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 19 years we have built up a reputation as one of Central Europe’s leading journalism educators. To date, over 7,000 journalists and student-journalists from around the world have passed through TOL’s training programs, which specialize in journalism and new media instruction. Throughout the years, TOL offers courses focused on a number of beats and methods of reporting. The courses include initial online sessions prior to students arrival 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 to 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.