The impact/activism question, as seen from different parts of the globe

When does impact become activism? Does an explicit focus on impact skew our objectivity and endanger the integrity of our profession? When donors and grantees have different definitions of impact, how can both parties converge to honour the perspectives of the audiences and communities they serve?
This panel offers practical answers to questions that increasingly arise as newsrooms become more intentional about the impact they seek to have, and in many cases create dedicated impact roles. We'll also explore how anxieties about who defines impact, and at what point impact slips into activism, look very different in different parts of the world. Concerns about slipping into activism are often felt in the Global North, particularly in legacy media outlets with long-standing reputations. Elsewhere in the world, in countries where press freedom is severely curtailed or democracy is in peril, independent journalism can in itself be seen as an act of activism. With perspectives from journalists, jury committee members and grant managers in Africa, Asia and the United States who are currently navigating this middle ground, the panel will discuss journalism’s role in change, and how that role plays out differently in different cultural contexts with different power dynamics at play.
Moderated by Miriam Wells.