Over three days of discussions, interviews and public debates, the festival examined the growing challenges facing journalism worldwide — particularly press freedom, the safety of journalists and the role of independent reporting in times of war, disinformation and political pressure.
Among the speakers was UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who warned that journalism carries a particular responsibility in an increasingly polarised information environment.
“The international press must be responsible, avoid acting as a megaphone for Israeli propaganda and report the facts,” she said, highlighting what she described as “a very serious double standard” in the credibility often granted to Palestinian sources and journalists reporting on their own communities.
The risks faced by journalists reporting from conflict zones were a central theme throughout the festival.
Mortaza Behboudi, an Afghan-French journalist who has reported extensively from the region, stressed the indispensable role of local reporters in understanding conflicts.
“Without local reporters and local voices, we simply cannot understand what is really happening in Iran, Afghanistan or Gaza.”
Eman Alhaj Ali, a Palestinian journalist reporting from Gaza, described how war shapes the lives of journalists on the ground.
“I always say ‘I am seven wars old’ as a kind of dark joke — in Gaza we count time differently. We measure time based on how many times we have survived an aggression,” she said. “As a journalist in Gaza, you never know if the article you’re writing will be the last one.”
Israeli investigative journalist Meron Rapoport reflected on the responsibilities of reporters covering the conflict from within Israel.
“When I think about reporters in Gaza, I definitely cannot define myself brave,” he said, acknowledging the risks faced by Palestinian journalists. “Regarding Israeli journalists, I have to say that we failed the Palestinian people.”
Photojournalist Yousef Habache called for stronger international engagement in defending human rights and independent reporting.
“We need Europe to act. We need the voice of Europe, we need the people of Europe to stand up for us, to fight for us as defenders of human rights.”
The festival also addressed the transformation of journalism in the digital era and the challenges of reporting in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
Sky News UK anchor Barbara Serra highlighted the continued importance of on-the-ground reporting and investigative work.
“We are in the middle of a radical media transformation. Some things are being lost, but the things that remain most valuable to traditional journalism are reporting from the field, investigations and context. Those are the things AI cannot really do.”
She also urged audiences to seek multiple perspectives when consuming news.
“My advice is to build a puzzle: choose different sources, all reliable and anchored in facts, but with different perspectives. That’s the only way to understand a world with many points of view.”
Voices for Justice: the festival’s final declaration
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.
Find the declaration here.
Press kits and materials
Find the pictures of the festival here.
And highlights from the main sessions and dedicated interviews on Voices' YouTube channel here.