The Annual Congress of Stichting Forum for European Journalism Students International in Poland has been a great success. In Krakow, 43 students from all over Europe enjoyed the beautiful city and the sessions around the theme LET US SPEAK. Activist journalism in times of crisis and change.
FEJS International thanks the sponsors who made the event possible:
- Kraków Convention Bureau
- Fundacja “Bratniak”
- Rada Kół Naukowych UJ
- Samorząd Studentów UJ
The first official day of the event started with presentations from the Executive Board of FEJS International, from Dr. Sławomir Doległo from the Jagiellonian University and from the Organising Committee. Followed by the session ‘Journalism and activism – similarities and differences’ by Anna Mikulska and Bartek Rumieńczyk.
The afternoon had two lectures. Joanna Grzymała-Moszczyńska, PhD started with ‘What motivates people to engage in activism? Psychological perspective’, followed by the President of the European Journalism Training Association Anne Leppäjärvi with a presentation on ‘Empathy in Journalism: What, why and how?’
Saturday had a lecture by Małgorzata Lisowska-Magdziarz, PhD of the Jagiellonian University, with ‘Looking for the eye-opening stories. Towards the semiotic, pragmatic, and ethical definition of socially conscious journalism’. After came the personal story of Shafi Karimi with his lecture ‘From Kabul to Paris: A Journalist’s Fight for Truth and Free Press’.
Before the renowned FEJS action came a workshop by Google Teaching Fellow Natalia Żaba with ‘Nail it down with Pinpoint & Notebook LM’. The auction was followed by the very ‘coincidental’ final of the Eurovision Song festival which was followed with great enthusiasm by the participants. Those who did not feel the Eurovision fever went for the city and a true bite of Kraków food culture: Zapiekanki!
Sunday started with a interesting lecture by Anna Plaszczyk, who gave the participants the lecture ‘From headlines to justice – How investigative journalism became investigative activism’. As an activist for the Viva! Foundation, Anna used her journalistic experience to perform interventions that saved animals during Europe’s largest wild animal rescue operation. After the lecture, participants engaged in workshops at the TV and radio studios of UJOT, the university media brand.
During the afternoon, participants followed a guided tour around the old city of Krakow with a visit to the citadel and the town square, just in time for the famous trumpet signal from the cathedral’s tower.
Monday was filled with another tour around the former Jewish quartier of the city which ended at the well-known former factory of Oskar Schindler. In the afternoon, the group visited the site of the former concentration camp KL Płaszów just outside Kraków. Although only little has remained of the structure, the horrors and injustice lived through by the victims of the Nazi oppressors could be felt until this day.
On Tuesday the day ended with saying our goodbyes to each other. FEJS International is glad it could bring all the students together to form a community with a passion for journalism. We would like to once again thank everybody who has made this event possible – our wonderful sponsors, the amazing Organising Comittee of the Annual Conference 2025 and, of course, all of our participants. Events like ours would not be possible without you!