The 13th edition of the International Journalism Festival, held in Perugia, Italy from 3-7 April 2019, featured 600 guest speakers (half of them women) from all over the world and a huge public eager to participate in a rich agenda centered on current topics and information. An increasingly young and cosmopolitan public poured into Perugia for five days: thousands of journalists from national and international newspapers, experts, academics, activists and a flood of local people and tourists who participated en masse in the experience, everyone manifesting a great desire to know, learn, reflect, share their enthusiasm and have their say. The almost-300 events included keynote speeches, round tables, workshops, interviews and theatrical evenings.
The many topics covered included fake news and misinformation, artificial intelligence, media freedom and human rights under attack, conflicts, climate change, humanitarian crises and migration, new journalistic business models and technological innovations. Over 100 young volunteers from 19 different countries contributed to the Festival’s events thanks to the fact that the University of Perugia has a large enrollment of foreign students.