What could you teach a young journalist in one hour that they could use on their next assignment?
Media Matters for Democracy invites journalists, editors, producers, audience specialists, independent publishers, educators and students to lead one-hour breakout sessions at Sahafi Summit 2026.
This year’s theme is Youth in Journalism, with a focus on the skills, editorial judgement and professional opportunities young journalists need as they enter the industry. Hosts of selected sessions will receive support for travel and accommodation, along with on-site logistical assistance to run their sessions at Punjab University, Lahore.
We will give preference to hands-on sessions that teach a specific journalism skill. Do keep the following points in mind:
- 1. Choose one task that participants can practise during the hour.
- 2. Bring something they can work with: a dataset, an audience report, a rough draft, an interview recording or a set of video clips.
- 3. Ideally, build in time for them to try the task themselves, discuss their choices and get feedback.
What could a one-hour breakout look like?
Data journalism: Give participants a small district education budget. Show them how to calculate the change in one spending category, then ask each group to write a story pitch around what they found and identify the first person they would call to check their interpretation.
Audience analytics: Bring an anonymised retention chart from a published news video. Help participants read where viewers dropped off, compare that moment with the script and propose one edit they would test in the next video.
Storytelling: Give the room a set of reporting notes and an interview excerpt. Ask participants to find the strongest angle, write an opening and explain which detail earned its place in the first paragraph.
Editing: Run a live copy desk. Working in pairs, participants edit a short news story for clarity, check whether the headline is supported, and flag one claim they would send back to the reporter before publication.
Mobile and visual journalism: Using a small set of clips on their phones, participants edit a 30-second news sequence, write captions and compare how the order of the shots changes what a viewer understands.
Verification and responsible AI use: Give participants a short Urdu interview and an AI-generated transcript. Have them check names, figures and quotations against the recording, then decide which lines are accurate enough to publish.
Interviewing: Run a short mock interview around a local story. Participants listen back, identify where an answer needed a follow-up and get a second chance to ask the question.
We also welcome sessions on specific industry challenges facing young journalists. A freelancer and a commissioning editor could use a sample assignment to work through fees, expenses and payment terms. A young woman reporter and a desk editor could examine a week’s assignment roster with participants and develop a fairer way to allocate field reporting opportunities. For these sessions, identify a decision people in the room can work through and a practical outcome they can take back to work.
We especially encourage young journalists and young women to lead or co-lead sessions. Pitches should connect with one of the Summit’s three subthemes: From Digital Confidence to Editorial Judgement, Young Women and the Future of Newsrooms, or Building Careers in a Profession Being Reshaped. Discussions take place under the Chatham House Rule.
Deadline for submission: 15th November, 2026