Going direct to consumer: redefining media in the age of constant disruption
Thu 10 April 2025
10:30 - 11:20
Free
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The days of legacy media as the sole gatekeepers of news and information are over. Social media shattered the traditional model, paving the way for a new era where sports leagues, content creators, and even intergovernmental organizations bypass intermediaries to engage directly with their audiences.
Join us for an insightful conversation with Ian Phillips, a former AP executive who is now transforming how the United Nations is directly sharing news and information around the globe, independent journalist Carole Cadwalladr, who has written for the Guardian for over 20 years and is now building a direct audience on Substack, and Sophia Smith Galer, a former BBC reporter, now creating social content for more than 800,000 followers around the world.
This candid discussion will explore how this powerful trend is challenging the status quo and creating opportunities for innovation in content delivery, audience engagement, and revenue generation. This session is essential for anyone looking to understand and adapt to the future of media.
Moderated by Mary Walter-Brown.
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Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo
Il Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo di Perugia è un evento annuale che riunisce professionisti dei media, esperti di comunicazione e appassionati di informazione da tutto il mondo. Si svolge nel centro storico di Perugia e offre conferenze, dibattiti, workshop e opportunità di networking sui temi più rilevanti del giornalismo contemporaneo.
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Ian Phillips
Ian Phillips is leading an ambitious project at the United Nations to create an innovative news platform that would draw on the organization’s knowledge of global crises, its humanitarian work in the field and the geopolitics of the Security Council and General Assembly. Previously, Ian was vice president of international news at The Associated Press, leading a multi-year effort to bring text, video and photo teams under one streamlined leadership structure. He has interviewed world leaders, including Syria’s Bashar Assad, Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko and Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and worked on strategic projects ranging from crisis management to journalist safety.
Sophia Smith Galer
Sophia Smith Galer is a journalist, author and content creator based in London. She is the co-host of the BBC World Service's Where To Be A Woman podcast and is a pioneer of TikTok journalism, winning the British Journalism Award for Innovation of the Year in 2021 as well as spots on the Forbes Under 30 and British Vogue's 25 Most Influential UK Women lists in 2022. She has more than 140 million TikTok views and a combined following of 700,000 followers between TikTok and Instagram. She is now freelance following working as a reporter for VICE News and the BBC.
Mary Walter-Brown
Mary Walter-Brown is the founder and CEO of the News Revenue Hub, a mission-driven media firm that helps news organizations successfully develop and manage membership programs. Formerly the publisher and COO at Voice of San Diego, Mary is a trailblazer in the nonprofit news sector leading the charge for news outlets to build diverse and sustainable revenue through audience engagement and relationship building. Working with dozens of news organizations around the United States, including The Intercept, The Center for Public Integrity and Politifact, the News Revenue Hub provides a collaborative environment where digital news innovators can experiment, solve problems and trade best practices. Mary is a 2016 graduate of the Punch Sulzberger executive leadership fellowship at Columbia University. She lives in San Diego with her husband and two children.