In this episode of the Eurovision News Podcast, host Giles Gibson brings you a snapshot of the first few days of the US-Israeli War with Iran, from the perspective of three foreign correspondents who were in Israel when the conflict started.

Veteran BBC foreign correspondent and presenter Clive Myrie explains how he presents the news from a hotel balcony as air raid sirens ring out; SBS News correspondent Ben Lewis talks about the challenges of working solo in a warzone; and ARD radio reporter Jan-Christoph Kitzler, who’s based in Tel Aviv, also breaks down how the initial hours of the war played out in Israel.

Alex Cadier and Eric Feijten describe how they stay safe, try to cover the story with empathy and how they have developed a personal connection with Ukraine.

We also hear about the crucial role of “fixers” and the increasingly heavy burden on local journalists, who have been living with the conflict, day in, day out, for four years now.

He visits the BBC's headquarters in London to dig into cutting-edge research on the growing use of AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity for news related questions. Experts warn these assistants are "still not a reliable way to access and consume news."

We find out how AI companies "scrape" news content from publishers online and learn about the "Facts In : Facts Out" campaign backed by the European Broadcasting Union and WAN-IFRA.

EBU Spotlight report on Bondi Beach attack: Debunking Bondi attack misinformation: Edward Crabtree lie

🕵️ Investigative & hybrid warfare

Playing with fire: Investigating Russia’s hybrid war – A chilling look at how low-level sabotage and digital tactics are being used to destabilize Europe.

Inside the investigation of Russia’s covert operations – Learn how journalists tracked “ghost ships” and underwater activity to uncover threats to Europe’s energy and data infrastructure.

🤖 The battle for truth & AI

The rise of Japan’s ‘impression zombies’ – How NHK is fighting a bizarre new wave of AI-driven misinformation that clogs social feeds for profit.

The fight for truth: How C2PA is fixing our broken media landscape – A technical but vital look at the new “nutrition labels” for digital content that help us prove what is real.

Truth in the age of chaos – A deep dive into how the EBU Social Newswire verifies raw eyewitness footage from conflict zones in real-time.

Beyond fact-checking: Why media literacy is a human right – Moving beyond just debunking to empower audiences to think critically about everything they consume.

🧠 Mental health & newsroom culture

Beating burnout in the newsroom – John Crowley discusses the “Headlines Network” and how we can protect the mental health of those on the front lines.

Ethical strategies for reporting on violence – A thoughtful episode on how to report on trauma and tragedy without causing further harm to the subjects—or the journalists.

🎙️ Inspiration & craft

The journalist the Taliban couldn’t silence – The powerful story of Zahra Joya and her relentless fight to report on the lives of Afghan women from exile.

Beyond the microphone: Eric Nuzum’s masterclass – Whether you’re a creator or a listener, this episode on what makes a podcast truly stand out is a must-listen for media enthusiasts.

Stream the Eurovision News Podcast on all major platforms — including Spotify, Apple, or catch us at spotlight.ebu.ch. Subscribe now and never miss a beat.

In Season 2 of the Eurovision News Podcast, Eurovision News Field Producer Giles Gibson pulls back the curtain on how major news events are captured and broadcast to audiences worldwide.

In Episode 1, we learn about how Giles got his start in journalism before travelling with him to Belem, Brazil. There we meet Anne Herrberg and George Lee, two correspondents covering the marathon UN climate negotiations.

We dive into the insights and practical steps in the report -- from the tech advances, industry trends and public adoption of AI to the benefits and risks of integrating AI into newsgathering. Our conversation highlights the importance of quality journalism, human creativity and collaboration by public service media in navigating this new information age while protecting the integrity and reliability of the news. 

This cross-border project, carried out by EBU Members in ten countries, reveals how low-level agents, often recruited via social media, are orchestrating cyberattacks, arson, vandalism, sabotage, and election interference campaigns. 

Join Belen Lopez Garrido, the IJN editorial manager, as she sits down with two of the collaborating journalists, Indre Makaraityté from Lithuanian Broadcaster LRT and Luc Van Bakel from VRT in Belgium.

Together, they share first-hand experiences and insights into the reporting of the story and the challenges of attributing these covert operations to the Russian state. This episode offers an in-depth look at the investigation that presents how these attacks aim to destabilize European societies and undermine support for Ukraine.

Read the full investigation

EBU Academy

In this episode, Emilio San Pedro speaks with Kaori, about the unique concept of 'Impression Zombies,' a new phenomenon emerging in Japan's media landscape.

Their discussion covers how these zombies amplify disinformation and their wide-ranging impacts which have even included delaying disaster response efforts. 
Emilio and Kaori also discuss NHK's pre-bunking strategies, their social listening team, and the vital role of human oversight in combating digital misinformation.

Valeria shares insights on the importance of psychological resilience and personal agency in combating disinformation. The discussion highlights how long-term propaganda strategies, such as rewriting history and fostering distrust, have affected Ukrainian society. They also explore contemporary methods of spreading propaganda, including AI-generated content, and the challenges faced by the Ukrainian government and media in addressing these issues.
Valeria Kovtun on LinkedIn

They discuss how generative AI is widely believed to be a game-changer for media accessibility and inclusiveness; however, it may also present a significant challenge to the media sector by diminishing the visibility of journalism. 

The conversation also touches on the growing reliance on the services of large tech conglomerates and the broader societal and environmental repercussions. 

Acknowledging the challenges that AI can also bring, their exchange concludes with some advice on the role that journalists and media organizations have to play.

- Read the report here: https://www.ebu.ch/guides/open/report/news-report-2024-trusted-journalism-in-the-age-of-generative-aiNews Report 2024: Trusted Journalism in the Age of AI
- Watch Alexandra and Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, provide insights and share findings from the Reuters and EBU news reports in this webinar. https://www.ebu.ch/events/2024/06/webinar--trusted-journalism-in-the-age-of-genailink