More than 500 delegates gathered together in Prague for 2014 News Xchange. They stood in solidarity to show support for media staff silenced in the pursuit of journalism.

In a darkened conference room, delegates raised lighters in the air to cast symbolic light on the perilous situations in which many reporters find themselves.The International News Safety Institute reports 98 journalists and media staff have been killed during 2014 so far. The precise number of those kidnapped or injured is not known.

Earlier, participants engaged in a series of lively debates about innovation, advertising revenue and finding models for public service media (PSM).

In an EBU-led discussion on the ongoing relevance of PSM, an overwhelming 85 per cent of participants agreed with the statement 'we still need PSM'. There was also a majority agreement (71%) that PSM have a positive effect on the commercial media sector by driving creativity, and over three quarters of participants expressed support for a subscription based finance model.

The focus of the remaining two days of the conference includes discussions on news accountability, impartiality, and whether there is a place for 'empathy' in reporting.

The 13th News Xchange is being hosted by EBU Member Czech TV.