One World Media’s annual Global Reporting Summit was held in Nairobi, London and online
OWM’s Global Reporting Summit 2023: A deep dive into impact storytelling, took place from 26 to 28 September 2023, in two cities and online, focusing on constructive storytelling, newsroom leadership, media ownership and much more.
3 October 2023: The One World Media annual Global Reporting Summit was an opportunity for the international journalism community to come together. For three days, audiences in Nairobi, London and around the world, heard from journalists and filmmakers about solutions focused storytelling and impact in the media. More than 450 guests joined a range of sessions that featured speakers from organisations such as African No Filter, the BBC, The Guardian, Bilan Media, TAP Magazine and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, who discussed their roles in the newsroom, the process of commissioning and provided listeners with tangible tips and advice to apply in a media career.
Tom Odula, an investigative journalist, said in Nairobi, “Be curious and persistent,” while adding that it took 10 years for his first documentary to be commissioned. He was part of a panel on filmmaking with impact with Toni Kamau, Creative Producer and Founder of independent production company in Kenya, We Are Not The Machine. She said the onus is on storytellers to educate themselves, to sharpen their analytical skills, which will help them tell better stories.
The screening of The Caretakers, produced by One World Media alumni, Biswajit Das, was hosted online on Day 2 and attended by 150 people in Assam, India. Speaking about the film, he says, “Assam is my home. I was born here and I live and work here. The daily news of the human elephant conflict is heartbreaking. Elephants are losing their lives. Humans are dying too, mostly while chasing elephants from their farmlands. When I heard of an innovative solution, I decided to tell this story.”
Owen Pinnell, Producer with BBC Arabic, was part of a session on Impact beyond distribution: Navigating the line between journalism and activism, which opened the day in London. “Start with what makes you angry or sad. That’s usually a good place for impact.” The afternoon in London saw One World Media alumni, Elahe Esmaili, screening her film, Can I Hug You?, which was followed by a discussion between Fay Maxted, CEO, The Survivors Trust and Elahe’s husband and producer of the film, Hossein Behboudirad. Commenting on a wider discussion about masculinity and male survivors of violence, Hossein said, “We need to redefine what it means to be a man.” This session was moderated by Tanaka Mhishi, writer, performer and a trustee of SurvivorsUK.
The Summit concluded in London with guest speakers from The Guardian, ITV, The New Humanitarian and BBC Africa Eye who spoke about commissioning, including what they look for in a pitch and what they prioritise. Isabel Choat, Commissioning Editor, Global Development, The Guardian, said when pitching, storytellers need to think about, “Why are we telling this story, what do you bring to it and how will you tell it?”
The One World Media Global Reporting Summit 2023 was supported by The Australian High Commission in Kenya and Plan International. It was hosted at Baraza Media Lab in Nairobi and Rich Mix in London.
The event created a platform for media students and industry professionals to meet and share ideas. Now in its fourth year, it enables access to new talent, media leaders and the wider OWM network of Award winners and nominees working in global news, documentary and current affairs.
For more details about the Global Reporting Summit, please visit:
https://oneworldmedia.org.uk/owm-global-reporting-summit-2023/