The Media, Pluralism and Press Freedom Centre’s summer school will provide 24 journalists and media professionals with the opportunity to learn about the future of the information sphere and journalistic intelligence.
The summer school will take place from 15 to 19 June 2026 in Florence, Italy.
The programme focuses on a fundamental question: Who is a journalist today? Why is this definition important? And what essential elements of journalism must be protected as essential to democracy? The Summer School addresses this question from legal, political, economic, ethical and practical perspectives, placing journalism in a complex and rapidly evolving information ecosystem.
The programme explores the changing relationships between the key players shaping today’s information environment: journalists and media outlets; large technology platforms and generative AI models; and news influencers and politicians. Participants will examine whether the current transformations represent a process of creative disruption, where new actors and formats enhance or complement the social and democratic role of journalism; or creative destruction, with potentially serious consequences for informed citizenship and democratic accountability.
Large technology platforms and AI models increasingly act as architects of information infrastructures that are incompatible with democratic needs, as they fragment public discourse, prioritise engagement over accuracy, drive the formation of isolated opinion, and often encourage harmful content and behaviour. In this context, journalism and other valuable voices face growing challenges to both their visibility and economic viability.
The programme will also address issues of sustainability and governance: Who should fund journalism and under what conditions? How effective are current regulatory responses, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Summer School (EMFA), the Copyright Directive, and the AI Act? How do geopolitical tensions, particularly between the EU and the US, influence the regulation of platforms, AI, and the media?
Requirements:
- The CMPF Summer School is primarily designed for mid-career journalists and media professionals, but is also open to other actors in the journalism industry and the research community. We aim to bring together participants from a wide range of countries and professional backgrounds. The CMPF will select participants based on the information provided in the application form, paying particular attention to the overall quality of applications and diversity criteria. The working language of the Summer School is English, and all participants must be proficient in this language in order to participate fully and benefit fully from the programme.
Benefits:
- Monthly scholarships are offered depending on the category, and the CMPF scholarship covers travel expenses up to a set limit, accommodation for 5 nights, tuition fees, all course materials, access to the EUI library, Wi-Fi access at the EUI, social activities, lunches and coffee breaks on conference days.
Deadline:
- 15 March 2026.
More information: Eurodesk.
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