Live from Florence: Students' Newsroom
At Voices, journalism doesn’t just get discussed – it gets done.
An operational student newsroom at the 2026 edition in Florence brings together more than 40 students from five journalism schools across three countries, working side by side in a live, collaborative environment.
This is a space to learn by doing: reporting, producing, experimenting, and reflecting together, while building the foundations for a stronger and more resilient European journalism.
The newsroom is designed as a laboratory for the future of journalism. Students will boldly explore new technologies to enhance reporting and storytelling, while also critically examining how these tools work, who controls them, how they are monetised, and what risks or structural consequences they may pose for journalism and democracy. Innovation and scrutiny go hand in hand.
Equally important, the newsroom creates space for honest self-reflection. It confronts the challenges that have eroded trust in journalism and left many young people feeling disconnected from news media. Rather than avoiding these questions, participants will face them directly, questioning formats, practices, power structures, and assumptions.
To remain relevant and to fulfil its democratic role, journalism needs young people not only as audiences, but as active, committed reporters. This student newsroom places youth at the heart of journalistic renewal, nurturing creativity and courage while grounding every story in ethics, accountability, and a clear commitment to the public interest.
Students come from:
• Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations at Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain.
• Faculty of Media and Public Relations, University of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
• L’Istituto per la formazione al giornalismo di Urbino, Italy.
• Scuola di Giornalismo Lelio Basso, Rome, Italy.
• Scuola di Giornalismo, LUISS, Rome, Italy
Connecting Voices
Connecting Voices is a live podcast series recorded during the festival, where conversations from the stage continue in a more relaxed setting. Across four episodes, five different hosts sit down with festival speakers to talk about the ideas behind their sessions—what sparked them, what didn’t fit into the panel, and what still needs to be said.
Each episode is an informal exchange shaped by curiosity and different perspectives. It’s a chance to go a bit deeper, ask new questions, and reflect on the themes running through the festival—from journalism and media freedom to trust, information, and the role of media in our lives.
Voices for Justice
The festival concluded with the launch of “Voices for Justice,” a declaration calling for stronger international action to protect journalists and end impunity for crimes against the press.
Supported by leading press freedom organisations, the declaration warns that attacks on journalists threaten not only individual reporters but also the public’s right to access information and hold power accountable.
It calls for independent investigations into crimes against journalists, stronger legal safeguards for media workers and greater international cooperation to combat impunity.
The declaration concludes with a message that resonated throughout the festival: Protecting journalists means protecting democracy.
The initiative is supported by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, European Federation of Journalists, International Press Institute, Reporters Without Borders, and the European Broadcasting Union.
Programme
Our cultural programme features a theatre monologue, a music show, photojournalism exhibitions, workshops, high-level debates, and documentaries.
Special thanks
Voices conveners of the student newsroom: Iva Nenadic and Sofia Verza
Newsroom coordinators: Filippo Cicciu, Dario Dalmacija and Marta Vukadin
Tutors: Jaume Suau Martínez, Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain; Elena Yeste Piquer, Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain; Ivana Hladilo, Faculty of Media and Public Relations, University of Dubrovnik, Croatia; Ivana Grkes, Faculty of Media and Public Relations, University of Dubrovnik, Croatia; Paola Anderlucci, IFG Urbino, Italy; Gian Marco Passerini, LUISS, Italy; Giuseppe Putignano, Lelio Basso, Italy
Acknowledgment: The idea for the Voices Student Newsroom was first piloted in Zagreb, under coordination and enthusiasm of Tena Perišin and Televizija Student, Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, with support of the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (SNH), Maja Sever and Zoran Pehar, Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), and the Croatian Journalists’ Association. (HND).