Opinion/ Comment

Podcasting becomes the primary strategy, not an afterthought 

The Podglomerate recently brought together some of the brightest minds in audio — from the founder of Lemonada to the president of iHeartPodcasts — to reflect on podcasting in 2024. While observations ranged from the transformative rise of AI to the importance of robust attribution tracking and analytics, there was a clear takeaway from the group: the impact and influence of podcasting during the recent presidential election. 

Stories

“Unwrapping” Stories That Matter from 2024

In a year dominated by breaking news and viral moments, many journalistic projects stood out for their quality, insight, and relevance. As 2024 concludes, the iMEdD team reflects on pieces of journalism that left a meaningful impression on them, even if they have yet to dominate the journalism awards circuit. What follows is a list of stories, podcasts, documentaries, and initiatives—a celebration of exceptional projects that are must-reads, must-watches, and must-listens—reminding us of journalism’s enduring power to inform, provoke, and inspire. 

Stories

“Through food, you can see where the power lies”: Lessons from investigating the food industry

How can journalists use creative formats more strategically to educate the public and combat food industry misinformation? Isaac Pollock, a University of Pennsylvania student, highlights key points on the importance of transparency, collaboration, and innovative storytelling in investigating journalism about the food industry from a panel of investigative journalists during the 2024 iMEdD International Journalism Forum for the Forum’s Pop-up Newsroom.

Stories

News Avoidance: Ideas for reconnecting the public with journalism

Can public trust in the media be restored? What kinds of content make investigative journalism more accessible? Can broader representation of social groups help reverse news avoidance? Elli Petraki, a second-year journalism student at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, noted the innovative solutions that four journalists – with different perspectives from each other – proposed to combat news avoidance.

Multimedia

Meet four attendees of the 2024 iMEdD International Journalism Forum

University of Pennsylvania student Anna Vazhaeparambil photographs and talks to young journalists about their expectations as they take their first steps in the industry. What do journalists hope to get out of an international media conference? What do journalism students seek to learn from their seasoned colleagues’ experiences? And what are journalists most concerned about today? University of Pennsylvania student Anna Vazhaeparambil reports on the hopes and fears of journalists attending the 2024 iMEdD International Journalism Forum in Athens.