Media freedom cannot be taken for granted. The 7th iteration of Journey is starting

Prague, March 10, 2022 - According to the latest statistics from the international NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in the last two years, world press freedom has worsened dramatically due to the covid-19 pandemic, political changes, and what is called alternative media that spread disinformation. RSF classifies the state of journalism as “very bad”, “bad”, or “problematic” in 73 % out of 180 examined countries. The increase in disinformation in recent years is alarming, be it in connection with the covid-19 pandemic or, more recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The cure for disinformation is free media that ensure public debate based on a wide range of serious knowledge and facts. That is one of the reasons for the Bakala Foundation to organize Journey: Journalism Bootcamp, international summer school of journalism, for the seventh time this year,” says the foundation’s director Václav Pecha. “Participants of Journey are students of journalism and related fields from 12 countries of the world. These include Central and Eastern Europe where media freedom faces major challenges as well as Western democracies such as Britain and the USA which offer a completely different perspective and experience.” In light of current events, more places will be reserved for students from Ukraine this year. Another novelty is the involvement of students and lecturers from South Africa. This summer event is a traditional occasion for Prague to welcome aces of world journalism. These include lecturers from renown media and agencies such as CNN, Reuters, Bloomberg, and The New Yorker, as well as laureates of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. “International reach is what makes the Journey journalism school so special. The students have the opportunity to learn from world’s top journalists, to share perspectives with participants from different countries, and also to build valuable professional contacts across borders,” explains Václav Pecha. “We know from graduates of previous years that they continue to collaborate with their Journey fellows many years after the summer school has ended.” The students can look forward to a busy program during the ten-day training in Prague's Villa Grébovka. During their lectures, workshops, newsroom simulations, and field reporting, they will look into topics such as journalism ethics, working with sources, investigative journalism, using the most recent information channels, and a lot more. Practical information for participants: