• Video message from Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations
• Ukrainian Government representative (tba)
• Sven Mikser, Foreign Minister, Republic of Estonia
• Katariná Mathernová, Deputy Director General, European Commissio

Dunja Mijatovic, the former OSCE Representative on Freedom of Media

In search for economic sustainability in news and story production (“Unless you pay for it, you will pay for it…”)
Moderator: Leon Willems, Director, Free Press Unlimited (NL)
Rapporteur: Kateryna Myasnykova, Independent Association of Broadcasters (UA)
Frederic Karen, Editor-in-Chief, Svenska Dagbladet (SE)
Attila Mong, Consultant, Deutche Welle Akademie (DE)
Daniel Ioannesyan, Program-coordinator, Union of Informed Citizens (AR)
Lasha Tugushi, Director, Liberal Academy – Tbilisi (GE)
Alina Radu, Director, Ziarul de Garda (MD)

1. Journalist in the modern media landscape - redefining audience engagement and ending old rivalries (SAN FRANCISCO ROOM)
Moderator: Rita Ruduša, Director, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (LV)
Rapporteur: Jeff Lovitt, Founder and Chair, New Diplomacy (CZ)
Kristoffer Egeberg, Editor-in-Chief, Faktisk.no (NO)
Sanita Jemberga, Journalist, Re:Baltica (LV)
Hamid Hamidov, journalists, blogger (AZ)
Jussi Niemeläinen, Correspondent, Helsingin Sanomat (FI)

2. Local media, how to survive in modern times (NEW-YORK ROOM)

3. The challenge posed by fake news and propaganda on strategically communicating modernisation of the partner countries in the European neighbourhood (East) (DALLAS ROOM)
Moderator: Jakub Janda, Deputy Director, European Values Think Tank (CZ)
Rapporteur: Anneli Kimber, Expert, East Stratcom Task Force, EEAS
Roman Shutov, Program Director, Detektor Media (UA)
Natalia Popovych, co-founder of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center (UA)
Silvio Gonzato, Director, General Affairs and Strategic Communications, EEAS
Nino Bolkvadze, Director, Information Center on NATO and EU (GE)
Alina Frolova, Adviser to the Minister of Information Policy (UA)

4. Critical thinking and social media space (ISTANBUL ROOM)
Moderator: Nouneh Sarkissian, Managing Director, Media Initiatives Center (AM)
Rapporteur: Susanne Kiefer, Expert, East Stratcom Task Force, EEAS
Oleksandr Gorohovskiy, Editor-in-Chief, FactCheck (UA)
Dr Andrei Vardomatski, Sociologist, Belarusian Analytical Workroom (BY)
Louis Brook, Managing Director, Breakthrough Media (UK)
Tero Koskinen, Chief of Preparedness, Finnish Mediapool (FI)
Vitaliy Moroz, Head of New Media Department, Internews (UA)

Media in service to public – Public Service Broadcasting and beyond
Moderator: Mike de Villiers, Director, IREX-Europe (FR)
Rapporteur: Rita Ruduša, Director, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (LV)
Yevhen Hlibovytsky, Member of Supervisory Board of UA:PBC (UA)
Nino Danelia, Professor, Ilia State University (GE)
Katya Gorchinskaya, CEO, Hromadske (UA)
Tarmu Tammerk, Media Ombudsman, Estonian Public Broadcasting (EE)
Kenan Aliyev, Executive Editor, Current Time (CZ)

Chair: Katariná Mathernová, Deputy Director General, European Commission
Reports from the working sessions: issues and recommendations.
Conclusions from the Chair.

18:00-20:00

Abusing media freedom, through propaganda or disinformation, has long been a useful means to manipulate public opinion to achieve political goals. However, while previously the attention has focused on non-democratic regimes these phenomena are no longer a stranger to democratic systems. As many world events demonstrate democratic governments do not shy away from resorting to – arguably on a lesser scale – dubious techniques and tools of influencing the way people think and act, which ultimately leads to an erosion of trust in public institutions and democratic systems.

But how to insulate societies from various forms of manipulation in the public media space? An important part of the response is independent media. More than ever independent media has become an indispensable tool in protecting societies from manipulation, and thus preserving media freedom as a central component of democracy. Can independent media from the Eastern Partnership countries – cash-strapped and increasingly limited in its operations by a restrictive environment – stand up to this challenge? How could the donor community best support independent media to help them fulfil the important role they play in relation to their societies? Given their public mission, what is the role of international public broadcasters and how could they contribute to the development of independent media? These and other related questions will be examined and debated at the event.

The first part of the event will focus on framing the nexus between democracy and propaganda, not least from non-democratic states, the importance of the media freedom as a central component of democracy, and the role of independent media as a response to propaganda. The second panel will look at the role of donors in assisting independent media, including showcasing select success stories of donor-supported media initiatives.

Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director, EED (BE)

Independent media as a response to propaganda
Chair: Andriy Kulykov, CEO, Hromadske Radio (UA)
Presentations followed by Q and A:
Nataliia Lygachova, Founder and Chief-Editor of the Internet edition Detector. Media, Head of the NGO Detector Media, Head of the Independent Media Council (UA)
Natalia Antelava, CEO and Editor in Chief, Coda Story (GE)
Zhanna Nemtsova, Journalist, Deutsche Welle, Founder of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom (DE)

How donor community can best assist independent media?
Chair: Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director, EED (BE)
Presentations by select donors:
Katariná Mathernová, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, European Commission (tbc)
Andy Pryce, Head of Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK)
Martin Hagström, Ambassador, Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine (SE)
Presentations of case studies followed by Q and A:
Natalia Morari, Editor in Chief, TV8 (MD)
Oleksiy Mazuka, Editor in Chief, Donbas Institute of Information (UA)

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