Stories you can feel: live journalism spreads as a tool for engagement and trust

This session will begin with a short 10-minute live journalism demonstration. A journalist-performer will take the stage to share a true, reported story using voice, sound, and possibly visuals or music. The goal is to let the audience experience what live journalism is, before we talk about it.
In an age of news fatigue, distrust, and disengagement, live journalism offers a compelling alternative. It brings journalism off the screen and onto the stage: into theatres, neighbourhoods, and public spaces, turning factual reporting into shared human experiences.
But increasingly, it’s not just an editorial experiment; it’s also part of emerging business and audience strategies. Whether through ticketed events, community partnerships, or hybrid formats, live journalism is emerging as a growth model for outlets seeking to reconnect with the public.
This session explores how diverse European practitioners are using live journalism to rebuild trust, reach new and underserved audiences, and reimagine journalism as both a civic practice and a sustainable model. It features three contrasting approaches: local, performative, and investigative, each offering viable and replicable formats.
We’ll discuss:
> Why more newsrooms are experimenting with live formats
> What it takes to produce them
> How they can generate engagement, loyalty and revenue
> What editorial and civic functions they uniquely serve
> Whether live journalism can be a viable business model
> How it can advance editorial missions, community connection, and democratic resilience
This session builds on insights from the Live Journalism Map curated by the European Journalism Centre, a resource highlighting innovative, participatory storytelling formats across Europe. The audience will leave with concrete examples, creative inspiration, and ideas for adapting these formats in their own contexts.
Moderated by Vera Peneda.
Organised in association with the European Journalism Centre.