Tuesday 10 July 2018

Two of South Africa’s promising young journalists, Eva Lutendo Chipa and Mishka Ismail-Wazar, were awarded a place at this year’s Future News Worldwide international media conference which took place in Edinburgh, Scotland from 4 to 6 July 2018.

Eva and Mishka were successfully selected from approximately 2,500 highly competitive worldwide applicants and were joined by fellow aspiring reporters from 50 countries for an intensive three-day learning programme. Developed by the British Council, working in partnership with some of the world's leading media organizations, the conference identifies, trains and connects the next generation of international journalists by giving them rare access to insights from leading global media professionals.

The conference welcomed an array of media specialists which included;  BBC News Presenter and former China Editor, Carrie Gracie; Reuters Global News Editor, Alessandra Galloni; and veteran Kenyan Editor and Open-data Champion Catherine Gicheru.

Taking place at the Scottish Parliament, Future News Worldwide made an international contribution to Scotland’s Year of Young People through active engagement which paved the way  for the next generation of top journalists.

With the media itself increasingly being the subject of news headlines, the event presented a timely opportunity to focus on the universal values of objectivity, balance and evidence that underpin the profession. Topics under the lens included storytelling and the challenges facing journalism in the digital age.

Mark Wood, former Editor-in-Chief of Reuters and Chair of the Future News Advisory Board said,: "Future News Worldwide 2018 is a unique event which gives young journalists from 50 countries the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the most outstanding media figures of our time. As well as focusing on high-quality, reliable journalism, the delegates took part in workshops which equip them to deal with all forms of digital communication. At a time when the demand for trustworthy news has never been greater, this conference will help plant the roots of dependable, quality journalism in countries around the world."

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Notes to Editor

Future News Worldwide is delivered through a partnership between the British Council and the Future News Worldwide Advisory Committee, comprising of British Council, BBC, CNN, Facebook, Google News Lab, Reuters, Newsquest Scotland, STV, The Economist, The Scottish Parliament, Tinopolis and UK Schools of Journalism.

Delegates for Future News Worldwide were selected after a worldwide open application process allowed eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students from selected countries, aged between 18 and 25 years old (on 1 July 2018). Delegates did not have to be studying journalism but should rather be able to demonstrate their passion for following a career in the field.

The full list of countries represented by Future News Worldwide 2018 delegates included: Australia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Republic of Lebanon, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 65 million people directly and 731 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.