Dr. Carlo Berti: Challenges of and Solutions for European Journalism Under Siege
Date :
2025-11-24
Department :
International Master's Program in International Communication Studies
【Article by College of Communication】
On November 17, 2025, the College of Communication, NCCU, was honored to host a distinguished researcher, Dr. Carlo Berti, from the Department of Journalism at Charles University, the Czech Republic.
Dr. Carlo Berti's lecture offered an in-depth analysis of many challenges currently facing European journalism under siege. He delved into the structural difficulties that make it hard for traditional journalism to survive, exposed the various crises and acts of violence endured by frontline journalists, and highlighted the critical trend of the dwindling interest among the younger generation in pursuing a career in reporting amid the harsh environment. The presentation provided attendees with useful insights into understanding the threats faced by traditional journalism as the bedrock of European democracy.
Drawing on real-life experiences of frontline European journalists, Dr. Berti detailed the various forms of verbal threats, social exclusion, and even brutal physical violence inflicted upon reporters. He also pointed out that some segments of society view the threats journalists face as "part of the job." This suggests an apparent lack of preventive measures and protection initiatives to safeguard journalists. The resulting chilling effect from these alarming threats is not just an infringement on personal dignity, but is directly leading to a sharp decrease in the willingness of young journalists across the industry to remain in the profession.
In the question and answer session, Dr Berti and the audience focused on questions such as: How can we effectively safeguard journalists reporting the truth to the public? How can we reshape public perception regarding the trustworthiness of the news? And specifically, what practical improvements can be made to the current state of journalism education across various countries to counter the severe challenges facing the industry today?
Through diverse cases from Italy, Spain, and Hungary, Dr. Berti not only allowed participants to recognize the vulnerabilities of the journalism industry under different political and social contexts, but also reminded us that only by continuously paying attention to and collectively safeguarding the conditions of journalists can a democratic society maintain its resilience in the face of external pressures.
On November 17, 2025, the College of Communication, NCCU, was honored to host a distinguished researcher, Dr. Carlo Berti, from the Department of Journalism at Charles University, the Czech Republic.
Dr. Carlo Berti's lecture offered an in-depth analysis of many challenges currently facing European journalism under siege. He delved into the structural difficulties that make it hard for traditional journalism to survive, exposed the various crises and acts of violence endured by frontline journalists, and highlighted the critical trend of the dwindling interest among the younger generation in pursuing a career in reporting amid the harsh environment. The presentation provided attendees with useful insights into understanding the threats faced by traditional journalism as the bedrock of European democracy.
Drawing on real-life experiences of frontline European journalists, Dr. Berti detailed the various forms of verbal threats, social exclusion, and even brutal physical violence inflicted upon reporters. He also pointed out that some segments of society view the threats journalists face as "part of the job." This suggests an apparent lack of preventive measures and protection initiatives to safeguard journalists. The resulting chilling effect from these alarming threats is not just an infringement on personal dignity, but is directly leading to a sharp decrease in the willingness of young journalists across the industry to remain in the profession.
In the question and answer session, Dr Berti and the audience focused on questions such as: How can we effectively safeguard journalists reporting the truth to the public? How can we reshape public perception regarding the trustworthiness of the news? And specifically, what practical improvements can be made to the current state of journalism education across various countries to counter the severe challenges facing the industry today?
Through diverse cases from Italy, Spain, and Hungary, Dr. Berti not only allowed participants to recognize the vulnerabilities of the journalism industry under different political and social contexts, but also reminded us that only by continuously paying attention to and collectively safeguarding the conditions of journalists can a democratic society maintain its resilience in the face of external pressures.