Media Diversity Institute

24/04/2025

Our Executive Director, Milica Pesic, served on the jury at the Fetisov Journalism Awards 2025, a proud moment for journalism and a promising step towards future collaboration.

⚡️The winners for the 2024 have been announced!
Learn more: https://fjawards.com/events/awards-ceremony-22-April-2025
Huge congratulations to all the awardees!👏🏆💐

23/04/2025

🎙 New Podcast Episode Out Now

Why did international media stay silent during one of Serbia’s largest-ever protests?

In this episode of Diversity Matters, MDI explores the media silence around the student-led demonstrations in Belgrade following a tragic railway station collapse.

Host Tanya Sakzewski is joined by:
🎧 Vladimir Paskaljevic – filmmaker and activist
🎧 Anja Anđušić – from Media Diversity Institute Western Balkans

Together, they discuss media responsibility, the dangers of ignoring youth voices, and why international coverage can amplify demands for justice.

💬 “When the world has an eye on a situation, it puts more pressure on governments to act.”

🔗 Listen now:

Serbia received widespread international news coverage in March, as protests converged on the capital in what was believed to be Belgrade’s largest protest e...

16/04/2025

🎙️ How can journalism thrive in the age of algorithms? 🤖📰

At the IQ Media Conference in Athens, our very own Professor Verica Rupar, Head of the Media Diversity Research Centre (MDRC), delivered a 🔥 keynote titled “Diversity in the News and Algorithm.”

Speaking at The Future of Digital Journalism: Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, and Integrity — a timely event hosted by the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens — Verica explored the growing challenges journalism faces in a world shaped by algorithms and AI. 🌐📉

Drawing from MDRC’s research, she showed how digital platforms can fuel division and disinformation 💥 and made a powerful call: journalism must step up, break old patterns, and embed diversity, transparency, and responsibility at every level. 🛠️🌍

👏 Big thanks to the IQ Media consortium and all the brilliant partners from Greece, Cyprus, France, and Portugal for creating space for this crucial conversation.

At MDI, we’re proud to support MDRC’s efforts and to keep pushing for inclusive journalism — across countries, communities, and cultures. 💪🗞️🌐

🎥 Watch Verica Rupar’s keynote here (starts at 1:29): https://lnkd.in/giWamUBY

Verica Rupar

11/04/2025

📺 We’re LIVE from the International Journalism Festival in Perugia!

📣 In the name of free speech, Big Tech platforms like Meta claim to foster public debate—but are instead fuelling polarisation and sidelining marginalised voices.

Our panel dives into the complex relationship between digital platforms, freedom of expression, and the survival of diversity in today’s media landscape.

💥 Why has diversity become a dirty word?
🎯 What role can journalists play in reclaiming inclusive narratives from algorithmic curation?

🎙️ Panel:
• Milica Pesicic (Media Diversity Institute) – Moderator
• Verica Ruparupar (Auckland University of Technology)
• Miazia Schueler (AI Forensics)
• Gary Younge (University of Manchester)

Watch our panel now on YouTube:

In the name of freedom of speech, Big Tech—especially META and other social media platforms—appears increasingly inclined to amplify polarisation, often at t...

11/04/2025

Join us today at 11:30 CEST at Teatro del Pavone for "Open season on the oppressed: can diversity survive?" 🎤✨

Hear from our brilliant speakers: Milica Pesic

In the name of freedom of speech, Big Tech—especially META and other social media platforms—appears increasingly inclined to amplify polarisation, often at the expense of marginalised voices. While these platforms claim to foster public conversation, their algorithms and business models frequent...

01/04/2025

Join us at as MDI hosts a session on the global challenges of diversity in media—and how we can protect it.

Speakers: Younge Milica Pesic Verica Rupar Schueler

Date & Time: 11th April, 2025, 11:30 – 12:20

Location: Teatro del Pavone, Perugia, Italy

📍 More info: https://shorturl.at/6RYjP

25/03/2025

Online gender-based hate speech isn’t just about hurtful comments—it can escalate into real-world harm.

That’s why the CHASE project is working across Europe to help online media recognise and respond to hate more effectively, especially where gender and identity are targeted.

From new tools to training and advocacy, CHASE supports safer, more inclusive spaces for all.

🎥 Discover more in CHASE's video:
https://youtu.be/voK88334Mrs?si=0ZprS94drMMqX3PN

24/03/2025

Can diversity survive in the age of Big Tech?

At in Perugia, the Media Diversity Institute (MDI) hosts an open session exploring the impact of social media platforms on marginalised voices. As algorithms prioritise polarisation and clickbait, how can we ensure that diverse perspectives aren’t drowned out?

🎙️ Speakers: Milica Pesic, Verica Rupar, Miazia Schueler and Gary Younge.

📍 Join us in Perugia! Register now & attend in person. (Link in Bio)



Milica Pesic Gary Younge Verica Rupari Schueler

21/03/2025

🌍📰 Can diversity survive in today’s media landscape?
Join us at the International Journalism Festival 2025 in Perugia for an open discussion on how marginalized voices are being silenced—and what we can do about it.
📅 April 11, 2025
📍 Teatro del Pavone, Perugia
🎙️ Featuring Milica Pesic , Verica Rupar, Miazia Schueler, and Gary Younge

https://www.journalismfestival.com/programme/2025/open-session-on-oppressed-can-diversity-survive

Big tech, media bias, and the fight for representation—this panel will dive deep into the challenges and solutions. Don’t miss it!

20/03/2025

🌍📰 Can diversity survive in today’s media landscape?
Join us 2025 in Perugia for an open discussion on how marginalized voices are being silenced—and what we can do about it.
📅 April 11, 2025
📍 Teatro del Pavone, Perugia
🎙️ Featuring Milica Pesic, Verica Rupar, Miazia Schueler, and Gary Younge

Big tech, media bias, and the fight for representation—this panel will dive deep into the challenges and solutions. Don’t miss it!

18/03/2025

Diversity Matters Podcast is LIVE!

🎙 Introducing Diversity Matters – A New Podcast by MDI

What happens when diversity, equity, and inclusion are under attack? What does it mean for how the media reports on inclusion—or how it practices it?

Diversity Matters is a new podcast from the Media Diversity Institute, unpacking the challenges shaping diversity in today’s media landscape.

Our first episode, “Diversity Under Attack,” features award-winning journalist Gary Younge as he breaks down the political and cultural forces behind the rollback of DEI initiatives worldwide.

🔎 Are diversity efforts in the media just “skin-deep”?
🔎 What role does racism play in these attacks?
🔎 Is this a passing trend, or a deeper shift?

🗣 “In terms of coverage, the media needs to make a decision about whether it’s going to go along with this new normal or whether it’s going to call it out.” – Gary Younge

🎧 Listen now! 🔗

President Trump’s swift actions to reshape US policies on everything from foreign policy to the environment are grabbing attention worldwide. One of the key ...

13/03/2025

🎙 Diversity Matters – A New Podcast by MDRC 🎙
A fresh look at all that matters in diversity and media

Diversity Matters is a new podcast from the Media Diversity Research Centre, exploring how media shapes representation, inclusion, and public perception. With diversity under attack globally, these conversations are more urgent than ever.

Each episode will tackle key questions:
🗣 How is diversity represented in the media?
⚡ Why are inclusion efforts facing backlash?
📢 What policies can create real change?
🔎 Where is the future of media and representation headed?

💡 Engaging. Informative. Provocative.

📅 First episode drops next week—stay tuned!

28/02/2025

🌙 Ramadan in the Media: What Stories Are We Telling?

As Ramadan begins, we send our best wishes to all those observing. Beyond fasting, this month is about reflection, connection, and community.

The way faith is covered in the media shapes public understanding. Thoughtful storytelling can foster unity, while one-dimensional narratives risk reinforcing stereotypes.

Across the world, we see interfaith solidarity, shared traditions, and acts of cultural exchange—but do these stories get the attention they deserve?

17/02/2025

When the Mainstream Fails, Who Tells the Truth?

In Serbia, student-led blockades have ignited a nationwide movement demanding justice. Yet, while traditional media hesitate, distort, or downplay the story, young journalists are stepping in—proving that ethical, on-the-ground reporting doesn’t wait for experience.

Journalists from Oradio and Youth Vibes are not just covering events; they are embedded within them. Their unrestricted access to the blockades allows them to capture this moment in ways legacy media cannot—through unfiltered voices, raw moments, and the lived realities of those on the frontlines.

But this raises a bigger question: Why does it take youth media to ensure fair coverage of such a critical movement? When mainstream outlets overlook or misrepresent student protests, what does that say about press freedom and journalistic integrity?

At Media Diversity Institute Western Balkans, Lazar Simić explores how student journalists are pioneering ethical reporting. Their work is not just documenting history—it’s shaping how it will be remembered.

📖 Read the full piece:

Youth media in Serbia provide authentic, ethical coverage of student blockades, offering unique insights into the movement for justice and accountability.

28/01/2025

Standing with Our MDI Colleague Against Intimidation

We stand in full solidarity with our colleague, journalist Danica Ilić, who faced unacceptable behaviour from Serbia’s Finance Minister Siniša Mali. While attempting to interview him in Belgrade, Dasha was met with hostility, including the minister snatching her phone.

This incident is a clear attack on press freedom and highlights the growing challenges journalists face in holding power accountable. Public officials should uphold democratic principles, not undermine them through intimidation and disrespect.

We join the call for Minister Mali to issue a public apology and demand greater protections for journalists who are essential to democratic societies.

Read more about the incident here:

https://n1info.rs/vesti/novinarka-o-susretu-sa-malim-u-restoranu-iznenadjena-sam-silinom-kojom-mi-je-oteo-telefon-srednji-prst-je-prostacko-ponasanje/

21/01/2025

🌟 "The Golden Age of America" or a Divisive Turn? 🧐

Donald Trump’s second term kicks off with bold promises and contentious policies:
🌎 A national emergency at the southern border, with plans for mass deportations.
⚖️ A push to "restore free expression," raising concerns about disinformation.
❌ DEI programs dismantled and replaced by a "merit-based system.

His vision champions traditional values, but what about the impact on marginalised communities, media diversity, and global equity?

Dive deeper into the challenges and implications of Trump's second term in our latest article:
https://www.media-diversity.org/trumps-inauguration/

17/01/2025

Meta’s decision to end its programs raises critical concerns for diversity, equity, and inclusion in media and tech. By halting initiatives like diverse hiring and supplier inclusion, the ripple effects could limit representation, deepen biases, and reduce accountability.

Diversity isn’t just a corporate strategy—it’s essential for creating media that reflects and serves everyone. This move challenges the progress toward equitable representation and risks sidelining voices that matter.

📖 Dive deeper into the implications here: https://www.media-diversity.org/meta-ends-its-dei-programmes

💬 How do you see this decision impacting media and society? Let’s hear your thoughts.

By Alan Martin, freelance writer It has been a dispiriting few days for those concerned with media diversity. As inauguration …