Journalism's Future: Insights from Natalí Schejtman

Natalí Schejtman is a journalist, researcher and professor at the UTDT in Argentina. A speaker at this year's GMF, we caught up with her to talk about journalism in Argentina and the challenges in the media landscape.

Symbolbild Medien, Pressefreiheit, Journalismus
Image: Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images

DW: What do you aim to gain from attending this year's conference, and how do you plan to apply any takeaways to your work going forward?

Schejtman: It is truly an honor to be part of a global conversation regarding topics I am passionate about, such as the future of journalism and the industry at this very sensitive moment. We are still processing all the technological challenges, especially those AI has exposed in its intersections with some classic topics in our industry, such as war reporting, hate speech, the role of government in the media and the specificities of professional journalism. I can't wait to integrate these discussions into my lectures and articles, in which I report on the Argentinean media industry and a range of other topics.

How can journalists actively contribute to shaping the future of journalism, rather than simply reacting to external developments?

The human factor is more important than ever in journalism. We must understand what makes us unique as professional journalists, because there is a specific challenge in terms of trust and engagement with the news. We should not abandon nor underestimate these questions of trust and audience engagement — they are crucial to reshaping our careers, agendas and industry.

Natalí Schejtman GMF 2024
Natalí Schejtman is a journalist, researcher and professor at the University of Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina. Image: Alejandro Guyot

How can collaboration and innovation between journalists, technologists and other stakeholders drive positive change in the industry?

Collaboration offers the most promising opportunities for innovation in journalism today — and there is room for growth, as in Argentina, such cooperation has not yet reached a massive scale. There is a growing sector working with a broad definition of what journalism should be, where you can find people from a wide variety of backgrounds working on fact-checking, data visualization and other forms of data-driven journalism.

Given your expertise in digital culture and journalism, can you provide any insights into how journalism in Argentina is responding to digital transformation and societal change? How does this response differ from or align with trends observed in other countries?

Argentinian journalists are not exempt from the general trends observed in other countries. However, there are some unique aspects. A persistent economic crisis has exacerbated the challenging situation of the media business and led to a decrease in media-related wages. Additionally, the new government has adopted a confrontational attitude towards journalism. It is also closing or reducing funding for state-funded media. All these factors create a complex foundation on which journalism is forced to operate and project itself. At the same time, they highlight the crucial need for reliable and innovative media and an informed citizenry.

Find out more about the panel Natalí Schejtman is taking part in at the DW Global Media Forum 2024: