Journalism does more than report what is happening within a country. At its best, it helps people understand one another across borders.
Truth Across Borders: International Journalism, Democracy and Global Understanding explores the role journalists and news organizations play in strengthening democratic societies, confronting misinformation, and helping audiences understand events, cultures, and perspectives beyond their own communities.
Featuring leaders from the Gabo Foundation and the Poynter Institute, the conversation will bring together international and U.S. perspectives on the challenges facing journalism in an increasingly fragmented global information environment. The Gabo Foundation, led by Jaime Abello Banfi, has spent decades advancing journalism, ethics, and storytelling throughout Ibero-America, while the St. Petersburg-based Poynter Institute works globally to strengthen journalism, fact-checking, media literacy, and public trust.
The discussion will examine what happens when information crosses borders faster than ever, while trust in institutions, shared facts, and traditional news organizations is increasingly under pressure. Panelists will consider the responsibilities journalists face when reporting across cultures, the importance of independent journalism to democratic societies, and the role of fact-checking and media literacy in helping citizens navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
The session will also explore journalism as a form of international connection. Stories can challenge stereotypes, introduce audiences to people and places they may never encounter directly, expose shared challenges, and create a deeper understanding of how events in one part of the world affect communities elsewhere.
At its core, the session asks: In a world overflowing with information but increasingly divided over what to trust, how can journalism continue to build understanding across borders?
