The EESC's Connecting EU seminar, which brings together communication professionals from civil society organisations every year, will take place in Brussels on 17 and 18 October 2024. It will focus on journalism and the importance of preserving its independence and relevance in the context of mounting political pressure on the media and the rapid rise of generative AI. 

Under the title 'A bastion of democracy: helping journalism survive and thrive', the seminar will include two panels and a networking session:

• Responsible journalism in the post-truth era - Democracy levels are plummeting across the world and journalists are faced with new challenges, such as the ever-craftier use of AI to spread fake news. On top of that, old challenges, such as the lack of media ownership transparency or insufficient funding, seem set to stay. What will it take for journalism to remain a cornerstone of democracy? Is responsible journalism even viable today? In a world where media outlets are competing with influencers or social media as the sources of news, will journalism have to reinvent itself to stay a public good? Can the latest EU acts help make AI an ally of press freedom? 
• The job of living dangerously – investigative reporting - Investigative journalism has a long history of holding power to account and providing a voice for those seeking to report abuse of position and privilege. What kinds of challenges do investigative reporters have to grapple with to bring the truth to light? What protection do they have at their disposal to shield themselves from threats? Can the new EU legislation secure more freedom and power for them? 
• Working as a press or communication officer in the age of Instagram, TikTok and AI – how to get your message across (networking session and workshops) – Through presentations and hands-on workshops, the session aims to offer a glimpse into the brave new world of communicating to different audiences, including young people. 

The Connecting EU seminar offers a platform where press and communication professionals from civil society organisations can network and discuss current issues of common interest affecting Europe. It brings together EESC members and other EU representatives, partner organisations from Member States, journalists and researchers to debate the hot issues of the day. The full programme and the list of speakers will be available shortly on the EESC's website. For more information, please write to: pressofficers@eesc.europa.eu. (ll)