Conference for Young Journalists and Media Researchers

„Tweeting the War - Social Media and War Coverage in Ukraine“
November 17 – 20, 2015 in Berlin
Program
Working language: English
Location of the conference: International Center for Journalism
Otto-von-Simson-Str. 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany (near U3 Dahlem-Dorf)
Tuesday, November 17
13.00 – 14.00
Registration of participants
14.00 – 14.30
Opening
Prof. Dr. Klaus Beck, Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)
Presentation of participants
14.30 – 15.00
Anna Litvinenko, PhD, FU Berlin
Challenges for journalists and media researchers dealing with conflict coverage: Summarizing the
results of the workshop in Kiev (October 5-7).
15.00 – 16.00
1st Panel
Media coverage of the Ukrainian conflict: Research results
Dariya Orlova, PhD, Vice Director Mohyla School of Journalism, Ukraine
Dilemmas of covering ‘our war’: evidence from media content and Ukrainian journalists’ first-hand
accounts.
Marcus Kreutler, PhD Fellow, TU Dortmund / Erich-Brost-Institut for International Journalism
Coverage of Ukrainian events in European media in spring 2014. Results of a study of newspaper
content conducted by the European Journalism Observatory.
16.00 – 16.30 Coffee break 

16.30 – 18.00
2nd Panel
Journalists covering war: Professional standards vs. propaganda
Andreas Umland, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, Kiev
Rhetorical and linguistic strategies of Russian propaganda‘s misrepresentation of the ‚Ukraine crisis‘
in international mass and social media.
Anna Smolyarova, PhD, Associate Professor, St. Petersburg State University
Military censorship vs. press freedom: Case of Israel.
Moderation: Florian Töpfl, PhD, Emmy Noether young research group leader, FU Berlin
18.00 Welcome dinner,
Restaurant Alter Krug Dahlem, Königin-Luise-Str. 52, 14195 Berlin

Wednesday, November 18
9.30 – 11.00
3rd Panel
Audiences and freedom of speech in the post-Soviet states
Florian Töpfl, PhD, Emmy Noether young research group leader, FU Berlin
Four facets of critical news literacy: What knowledge do audiences need to critically evaluate political
news?
Irina Kharuk, PhD-Student, FU Berlin
Current changes in the perception of Internet freedom in Russia: New regulations and new challenges.
Anastasia Magazova, Journalist, Deutsche Welle
New media in Ukrainian war: How the freedom of speech and media regulation changed.
11.00 - 11.30 Coffee break
11.30 - 13.00
4th Panel
Social media and social change: Challenges for journalists in zones of conflict
Viktoriia Nazaruk, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, National University of Ostroh Academy,
journalist
Journalistic ethics in Ukrainian new media.
Anton Udovenko, MA student of media communication department, Freelance Research Writer/
Ukrainian Catholic University
Social media impact on identity changes in Ukraine.
Aliaksandr Herasimenka, Journalist, researcher
Digital activists and communication technologies during and after the Euromaidan in Ukraine. 

Moderation: Anna Litvinenko, PhD, FU Berlin
13.00 – 14.30 Lunch, Cafeteria, Otto-von-Simson-Straße 26, 14195 Berlin
14.30 – 16.00
5th Panel
Coverage of the Ukrainian conflict: Reflections of journalists
Vitalii Moroz, Head of new media, NGO Internews Ukraine
The evolving role of Twitter in Ukraine in the period of 2010-2015: From a "closed club" for
journalist community to the tool in countering propaganda and conducting advocacy campaigns.
Shtekel Michael, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, correspondent
Special role of Ukrainian correspondents during first phase of conflict in the eastern Ukraine.
Modification of professional standards in new conditions.
Artyom Shraibman, Political correspondent/analyst. Belarusian portal TUT.BY
Forced neutrality. How to remain unbiased on the war tearing your audience apart.
16.00 – 16.30 Coffee break
16.30 – 18.00
6th Panel
Conflict coverage without borders: Crossroads of information flows in the age of internet
Diana Imamgaiazova, Master student, freelance journalist / SU, SI News
Contra-flow in global news: Strategies for social media platforms.
Veronika Vishnyakova, Correspondent, Information agency Interfax, foreign affairs desk
The global public sphere and the Ukrainian crisis 2014: How world media covered the tragedy in
Odessa.
Natalya Steblyna, Assistant professor at Journalism, Advertising and Publishing Faculty / Odessa
I.I.Mechnikov National University, journalist / site Happymisto.od.ua
Ukrainian soldiers in internet-media of Odessa: heroes, defeated fighters or threat to society?
Moderation:
Florian Töpfl, PhD, Emmy Noether young research group leader, FU Berlin
18.30 Dinner

Thursday, November 19
9.30 Meeting point: hotel lobby
ibis hotel Kurfürstendamm, Bayreuther Str. 39-41, 10787 Berlin, (near U3 Wittenbergplatz)
Excursions:
10.30-12.00 Meeting with Steffen Dobbert, Meike Düllfer und Carsten Luther, journalists,

Zeit Online 

Challenges of reporting on Ukraine and Russia.
Address: Askanischer Platz 1, 10963 Berlin, Tel.: +49 173 6182149,
13.30-15.00 Meeting with Reinhard Hönighaus, Spokesperson and Head of Press Office, European
Commission Representation in Germany
Objectives and target groups of the EU Action Plan for Strategic Communication (East).
Address: Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin, Tel.: +49 (30) 2280-2300
16.00-17.30 Meeting at Federal Foreign Office with Sebastian Fischer, Head of Internet- and Social
Media Editorial Staff (tbc)
Communication Strategy of the Federal Foreign in the context of Ukraine crisis.
Address: Am Werderschen Markt 1, 10117 Berlin
Evening program: visit TV tower and „Winter worlds“ at Potsdamer Platz

Friday, November 20
9.30 – 11.00
7th Panel
Ongoing research projects on conflict coverage
Prof. Dr. Anke Fiedler, LMU München, FU Berlin
Media and conflicts in the African Great Lakes region: A summary of preliminary results from the
EU-funded research project INFOCORE.
Roman Schell, EJF, Freelance correspondent for German Media (ARTE, WDR, DPA)
New kind of war reporting in the propaganda battles in the internet age, the example of the "hybrid
warfare" in Ukraine conflict 2014/2015.
Isabell Pohlmann, Student, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
„Tweeting the war“–The potential of social media and new media as mirrored in the conflict between
Ukraine and Russia.
Discussion
11.00 – 11.15 Coffee break
11.15 – 12.00 Feedback session
Moderation:
Anna Litvinenko, PhD, FU Berlin
12.30 Lunch, Cafeteria, Otto-von-Simson-Straße 26, 14195 Berlin
Conference is organized by Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Media and Communication Studies /
International Center for Journalism.
Supported by Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt)
Contact:
Dr. Edith Spielhagen, Managing Director, International Center for Journalism
mobil: +49 (0) 179 5053686