From newsroom to screen: turning journalism into documentary films

Documentary filmmaking has become a powerful tool for journalists and media organisations seeking to extend the reach, depth and impact of their reporting. Newsrooms are increasingly investing in documentary storytelling.
But while many news stories have the potential to become documentaries, turning reported journalism into film requires new skills, structures and forms of support. Journalists may have the reporting, access and trust of sources, but often lack the filmmaking experience, funding pathways or networks needed to make the transition. At the same time, newsroom leaders and media managers face strategic questions about how to build documentary capacity while protecting editorial independence and journalistic rigour.
This panel explores how journalists navigate the transition from newsroom reporter to documentary filmmaker, and how media organisations can successfully support that shift. Drawing on personal journeys and senior industry leadership experience, it examines how a story evolves from a reported article into a long-form film, what skills journalists must acquire or unlearn, and how ethical, legal and personal risks change outside traditional newsroom structures.
The discussion will also address practical and editorial challenges: sustaining investigations over years rather than days, securing funding without compromising independence, and balancing cinematic storytelling with journalistic standards. It will also offer newsroom leaders guidance on how to build documentary capacity, from commissioning strategies and funding models to deciding when a story is best told as a short, mid-length or feature documentary.
Moderated by Karl Malakunas.
Organised in association with Agence France-Presse.