Display Europe is a coalition of independent and citizen media that aims to shape the European media landscape and enhance the European public space. The media platform displayeurope.eu gives all citizens access to trustworthy information and a broader picture of Europe. Developed in two phases, funded by the European Commission, Display Europe is now a platform capable of connecting the journalism of hundreds of media outlets and supporting their audience growth through an AI-powered translation service in 21 languages.
As part of building up the network, Hostwriter organized a series of in-person events initiated to spotlight diverse narratives, exchange skills, and address the pressing challenges facing media professionals today in 2024-2025 together with Community Media Forum Europe, called the “Display City Sessions”. These sessions brought together European-based media makers and small to mid-size newsroom professionals for in-depth discussions, skill-building, and networking opportunities around topics affecting Europe. Here’s a closer look at our collaborative city sessions and the resulting podcasts:
Athens: Grappling with Cities Under Pressure
Our inaugural Display City Session in Athens, held from November 10 to 13, focused on “Cities under Pressure: Tourism, Housing, and Migration”. This event gathered journalists from across Europe to tackle the urgent pressures facing modern cities, such as housing shortages, rising rents, tourism impacts, and migration challenges. A key aim was to navigate the narratives that shape public perception around these issues. The event was co-organized with ReFocus Media Labs.
Journalists engaged in discussions and networking to address urban pressures and the media’s role in shaping public understanding. The workshop attracted a diverse group, including journalists from various European countries and those with migrant backgrounds from countries like Gambia, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, resulting in a podcast highlighting many different perspectives:
Video podcast “CITIES UNDER PRESSURE. Tourism, Housing and Migration” – spanning questions of (1) migration reporting, (2) tourism pressuring cities and (3) housing:
Berlin: Navigating the Storm – bias and AI
The second Display City Session took place in Berlin from December 8 to 11, centering on the theme “Navigating the storm: Confronting bias and the AI revolution in media”. In an increasingly polarized and overwhelming information landscape, especially on social media, this edition offered a space for journalists and media creators to come together.
Journalists delved into topics like media bias, polarization, the impact of AI on news consumption and creation, and the dwindling trust in institutions. They explored how AI and algorithms shape media narratives and perpetuate biases, brainstorming questions such as the ethics of AI use, potential boycotts, regulatory limits, and how AI can be leveraged for good in community media.
The workshops featured insights from Mercy Abang (Co-Managing Director, Hostwriter), investigative journalist Andrei Petre, and tech expert Safa Ghnaim from Tactical Tech Collective.
Podcast “Confronting Bias and AI Revolution in the Media” EP01-EP03 – spanning questions of (1) implementing AI for good with community media, (2) limits of boycotting AI and (3) AI regulation: https://cba.media/podcast/display-city-sessions-podcast-berlin
Lisbon: Climate Journalism and Local Resilience
The third session journeyed to Lisbon from March 24–27, with a focus on “Climate journalism and local resilience building”. This event provided a platform to explore the intersection of climate change reporting and local organizing, emphasizing how journalists can effectively cover climate impacts at the community level.
The session aimed to equip media professionals with tools to drive meaningful climate conversations by highlighting solutions and amplifying local voices. Workshops and discussions addressed crucial questions like how local journalism can support community adaptation to climate change, the media’s role in amplifying environmental justice issues, and how reporters can engage constructively with policy debates and grassroots organizing.
Key speakers included Dora Santos Silva, Brito Guterres, Frederico Raposo from Mensagem de Lisboa, and Rhiannon Davies from Greater Community Media, offering diverse perspectives on climate reporting and community engagement. The session was organized in partnership with Mensagem de Lisboa.
Podcast Lisbon EP01-EP03 – spanning questions of (1) prioritizing grant funding for young journalism, (2) journalistic impact and (3) journalists` mental health: https://cba.media/podcast/display-city-sessions-podcast-lisbon-2
Belgrade: Europe’s Blind Spot – Media, Power, and Silence
The fourth and final Display City Session took place in Belgrade from May 18–21, titled “Europe’s Blind Spot – Media, Power, and Silence in the EU and Beyond”. This deep-dive brought together media professionals to examine how disinformation and media suppression in the Western Balkans expose deeper contradictions in the EU’s democratic narrative.
Journalists unpacked how fake news fuels Euroscepticism, and the shaky ground of press freedom. Discussions explored how the EU’s approach to candidate countries like Serbia reflects a broader crisis of coherence and credibility, often exploited by far-right narratives across Europe. We also dived into the current local events, and the student-led protest movement and political situation in Serbia.
Key speakers featured Milica Mihajlović, Nemanja Stevanović, and Jovana Tripunović from Podcast.rs; Miloš Milenković from the University of Belgrade; and Professor Snježana Milivojević, providing insights from investigative journalism, EU policy, and regional activism. Organized in partnership with Podcast.rs.
Video podcasts “Europe´s Blind Spot: Media, Power, and Silence in the EU and beyond”:
EP01 https://displayeurope.video/w/mmqzDAXvXv24HrqDjicrNf – on newsroom culture and editorial practice
EP02 https://displayeurope.video/w/oGHQxaKsmPV2p1roWh7wtR – on purpose of the media and trust
EP03 https://displayeurope.video/w/bBvsWj9sbqEtNkcHSQZ2Sn – on media coverage of the student-led mass protests in Serbia
These city sessions were part of Display Europe’s overarching commitment to strengthening public discourse and building a robust, independent media ecosystem. By bringing together media professionals to confront shared challenges, exchange knowledge, and foster cross-border collaborations.
Find ALL the recorded Display City Session podcasts here: https://cba.media/channel/display-city-sessions/podcasts
More about Display Europe:
Display Europe is growing an alternative to corporate big-tech platforms and opaque algorithms, to challenge how the current distribution systems of news affect not only the public, who are often presented with distorted facts that make the algorithms tick, but also that truly serves the interests of media outlets and acts in service of their sustainability.
Display Europe exists to reclaim the digital public space for European journalism. Established as a cooperative, Display Europe also offers a chance for media outlets to truly own the technology they use for growing both journalistic impact and business efficiency.
Display Europe welcomes new outlets, journalists and readers to join the movement, because big numbers are crucial to build something that can counteract the direction that the online platforms for the media landscape is taking.
To become part of the Display Europe project, contact outreach@displayeurope.eu to know more or visit https://displayeurope.eu/en/join
