2026 Summer School for Journalists and Media Practitioners
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Who is a journalist today, and what is journalism for in the age of AI, platforms, and influencers?
Traditional understandings of who qualifies as a journalist, what journalism is for, and how it should be protected and sustained are increasingly contested. This CMPF Summer School, in its 14th edition, invites journalists and media practitioners to critically examine these shifts and to reflect on what remains essential about journalism in an age dominated by digital platforms, generative AI, and new forms of political and news influence.
At the heart of the programme lies a fundamental question: who is a journalist today, why does this definition matter, and which core elements of journalism must be protected as essential to democracy? The Summer School approaches this question through legal, political, economic, ethical, and practical perspectives, situating journalism within a complex and rapidly evolving information ecosystem.
The programme explores the changing relationships between key actors shaping today’s information environment: journalists and media organisations; big tech platforms and generative AI models; and news and political influencers. Participants will examine whether current transformations represent a process of creative disruption, where new actors and formats improve or complement journalism’s social and democratic role; or creative destruction, with potentially grave consequences for informed citizenship and democratic accountability.
Big tech platforms and AI models increasingly act as architects of information infrastructures that are not compatible with democratic needs as they fragment public discourse, prioritise engagement over accuracy, drive isolated opinion formation, and often fuel harmful content and behaviour. In this context, journalism and other valuable voices face mounting challenges to both its visibility and its economic viability.
The programme will thus also address questions of sustainability and governance: who should pay for journalism, and under what conditions? How effective are current regulatory responses such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the Copyright Directive and the AI Act? How geopolitical tensions, particularly between the EU and the US, shape the regulation of platforms, AI, and media?
By combining critical analysis and academic expertise with practical reflections, the CMPF Summer School aims to equip journalists and media practitioners with the tools to better understand ongoing transformations, reiving the essence of the societal and democratic role of journalism in the age of digital platforms and AI.
- Monday, 15 June 2026 – Practice Day | Big Tech, AI, and journalism: visibility and viability | Creative disruption and shifting news authorities
- Tuesday, 16 June 2026 – Economics Day | Big Tech-media resources redistribution; innovative business models, industrial policy
- Wednesday, 17 June 2026 – Imagining alternative public interest digital news infrastructures | Global experiences
- Thursday, 18 June 2026 – Legal Day | EU Regulatory framework and global standards: focus on the EMFA, the DSA, the AI Act, the Copyright Directive, and key international developments in Internet governance and their potential impact on the future of journalism and the media sector
- Friday, 19 June 2026 – Interactive Lab in collaboration with the EUI’s Max Weber Programme
- Shared knowledge of trends affecting journalism, informed citizenship, and democracy;
- Up-to-date overview of the technology and practice trends, legislative changes and legal principles governing content online;
- Strategies for the development of new business models in journalism;
- Interactive session proceedings;
- Facilitating networking among participants and among participants and speakers.
A Certificate will be awarded to participants who successfully complete the training course.
The CMPF Summer School is primarily designed for mid-career journalists and media practitioners, but it is also open to other stakeholders from the news industry and research community. Our aim is to bring together participants from a wide range of countries and professional backgrounds. Participants will be selected by the CMPF based on the information provided in the application form, with attention to the overall quality of applications as well as diversity criteria. The working language of the Summer School is English, and all participants must be fluent in English in order to fully participate and benefit from the programme.
We offer scholarships with the following categories and conditions:
CMPF Summer School Programme scholarships – 20 scholarships Available to applicants from countries participating in the Creative Europe programme, namely:
§ The EU27;
§ Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates participating in Creative Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine;
§ European Neighbourhood Policy countries participating in Creative Europe: Armenia, Tunisia;
§ EFTA countries which are part of the European Economic Area: Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein.
The CMPF scholarship covers travel expenses up to an established ceiling, accommodation for 5 nights, tuition fees, all course materials, access to the EUI library, Wi-Fi access at the EUI, social activities, lunches, and coffee breaks on lecture days.
Scholarships for nationals of Turkey and Ukraine – 2 scholarships
Funded by the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, these scholarships are primarily intended for applicants from Turkey and Ukraine. Each scholarship provides a €1,000 contribution towards travel costs and accommodation for five nights. In addition, the Programme will cover tuition fees, all course materials, access to the EUI library and Wi-Fi on campus.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be nationals of Turkey or Ukraine. If there are no eligible applicants from Turkey or Ukraine, the scholarships may be awarded to applicants of other nationalities.
Erasmus+ international mobility – up to 3 grants
This initiative supports mobility opportunities from the following partner institutions: Albania (University of Tirana), South Africa (University of Pretoria), Jamaica (University of the West Indies), Montenegro (University of Montenegro), Ghana (University of Ghana), Ukraine (Kyiv National Economic University),
Incoming participants from these Universities are eligible to receive Erasmus+ grants from the EUI. Students receive €79 per day, while faculty staff receive either €160 or €190 per day, depending on the Erasmus+ project in which their institution participates. Participants will also receive a travel grant to cover the costs of travel to Florence, subject to distance-based ceilings between Florence and their place of residence.
The selection of participants will take into account the candidate’s professional profile, language skills and additional competencies, such as having an international profile, work experience, and other career achievements.
Please note that the CMPF can provide an invitation letter to the selected participants but cannot assist with the Visa application process or expenses for travel documents.