The Media4Europe Summit on Wednesday 3rd March 2021 is the launching event of the second edition of the Stars4Media exchange and training programme, co-funded by the European Commission. It follows the Media4Europe conference in October 2020, which gathered key MEPs and media stakeholders supporting a NEWS action in the framework of the Media Action Plan. This virtual event will be articulated in two parts:

9:30 – 11:30 Stars4Media session (online)

9:30 Short presentation of the Stars4Media Second Edition and of the Media4Europe event, and testimonials of award-winning initiatives

9:45 Panel 1: How startups and incubators can be involved in Stars4Media?

Lina Timm (Media Lab Bayern, Germany); Trees De Bruyne (Startup Coordinator, VRT). Moderated by Stephen Fozard of WAN-IFRA.

10:10 Panel 2: Tech and product development for trust

Denis Teyssou (MediaLab Agence France Presse, WeVerify / InVid); Sebastiaan Van Der Lans (WordProof and Trusted Web initiative); Agnes Stenbom (Responsible Data and AI Specialist, Schibsted); Andreas Marckmann Andreassen (Digital Editor and Head of News at the Danish magazine+news site Journalisten). Moderated by Stephen Fozard of WAN-IFRA.

11:00 Announcement of application process & deadlines, and tips & tricks on cross-border cooperation

11:15 Q&A

12:00 – 13:30 Policy debate: “Towards a healthy European News Media sector?” (online)

Following a keynote speech given by Věra Jourová, the European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency, the panellists of the policy debate will address two main issues:

Media sector’s needs

Introduction & moderation: Christophe Leclercq, EURACTIV Media Network & Europe’s MediaLab

Fernando de Yarza López-Madrazo, President of WAN-IFRA

Mogens Bjerregård, President of the European Federation of Journalists

José Manuel Sanz Mingote, Director, EFE news agency

Helping the media sector’s health: private & public support

Lucia Recalde Langarica, Head of Unit Audiovisual Industry and Media Support Programmes, DG CONNECT, European Commission

MEP Margarida Marques (S&D, MFF Rapporteur)

Helga Trüpel, former MEP (Greens)

Miguel Castro, Global Media Partnerships, Gates Foundation

The debate will also address the Media Action Plan, the digital and technological transformation of the media sector, and solutions to accompany news media’s capacity to innovate. There will be a short Q&A session with the participants.