Liz Corbin’s closing remarks to delegates at News Xchange 2023 in Dublin. Liz is the EBU's Deputy Director Media and Head of News.

Good afternoon News Xchange.

So. “Closing remarks”. I don’t think I’ve ever stared at a blank page more than for a speech with this title!

And yet, in 10 minutes time, you will either think it would have been better if it had remained blank, or I will have said something which helps you grab that thought which is currently flying around your head refusing to be pinned down. You’ve heard a lot these past two days – your brains are hopefully full. As a native English speaker, to those that aren’t - bravo to you in particular. Thank you for your dedicated attention and participation in our sessions.

You’ve met old friends and hopefully made some new ones.

I certainly have. I’ve been in this job for 3.5 years now and for the first two I barely met anyone in person. But yesterday I had the chance to meet someone very special who has had a real impact on me over the past year and a half. I’ve “known” Angelina Kariakina since February last year. Yesterday we met in person for the first time.

“Inspirational” is a word we use a lot. But for those of you who are or have been a “head of news”, or run a newsroom team, I hope you have never known and never will know what it was like to be in Angelina’s shoes on 24 February last year. She did a job just like many of us, head of news at the public service broadcaster – she was worrying about digital transformation, about young audiences, about independence and investigations. 

For me there was no escaping the thought of “what if it had been me?”, what would I have done? Would I have been so brave, so robust editorially, such a strong leader? Honestly, as we continue to report on this war, we must never lose this feeling:

It could have been us; it could still be one of us, our country, our newsroom. Are we ready?

There are many others I have finally met for the first time and it’s been fantastic. Really, there is nothing like an in-person meeting and if I still haven’t met you – it is very much my loss! Let’s try to fix that before we leave.

Over these two days we have heard from many incredible people.

Generative AI could have made a conference in itself. We scratched that itch of wanting to know what Liz Truss was like in real life. We made the front page of the UK’s Daily Star for all the right reasons – life goal tick!

We heard from amazing journalists about what it is like to do their jobs and their pearls of wisdom for us.

But this is not all. I think we have agreed that we have not worked our entire careers, made personal sacrifices, to watch journalism slowly decline – weakened by our own inability to communicate to younger audiences or to report bravely from any of the frontlines of news.

No. We are fighting for the future of journalism and therefore the future of democracy itself. No less. It’s not just a job, it’s a value, a way of life. And several people have said the journalists of the future will experience it very differently, as we have from the previous generations.

But to be specific: I would like to pose you a challenge… does journalism focus too much on what people say and too little on what they actually do? We obsess over political rhetoric – we lead our websites and news bulletins with who said what to who. And no, I’m not talking about Liz Truss’s assessment of how politicians get treated by the media. I’m asking if you think the climate of this planet cares about what people SAY?? We have to get serious about this. Not just for the climate (as if that weren’t a big enough reason) but because audiences are done with he said/she said journalism.

Audiences are fast believing nobody at all, and when someone believes nothing at all, they will in fact believe anything.

And then, as Matt Shea put it, what is the point of journalism if no one believes you? What happens when proven facts aren’t enough? Sometimes you have to play the long game. In Matt’s case, maybe that long game paid off a little today when Andrew Tate was charged with serious offences. Keep going, keep investigating, keep your focus tight on your principles and values. And collaborate.

No one goes to a frontline without allies. We can’t – and shouldn’t – try to fight all our battles alone. Hopefully the past two days have reminded you that while we might compete fiercely in the market, we are all on the same side when it comes to quality journalism.

Therefore, if you aren’t working for a public service broadcaster, please work WITH them – don’t join the political clammer for cuts and closures, or, even more damaging, please don’t undermine their editorial integrity.

And if you do work for public service media, reach out to your commercial colleagues, seek opportunities to collaborate, it really isn’t the “dark side”! Always remember the privilege which comes with public funding and give back to the industry in your country and beyond. This is at the heart of what News Xchange is. An event organized by Eurovision News but for everyone – just one small part of an effort to reach out and support the journalism industry as a whole. 

So, at this point I’d like to thank our sponsors - thanks for your fantastic support, without which this News Xchange would never have got off the ground. 

Thank you to David and Mark and all the team at News Agenda and C21 Media. They came on board because they believed in News Xchange – they believe in quality journalism, in public service and in all the people who make the news. Thanks to them for their enthusiasm and passion for what we all do and for making the News Xchange possible again.

Thanks to my team at the EBU. I couldn’t ask for better co-pilots. And our member RTE for their invaluable guidance.

Thanks to the Convention Centre here in Dublin who have been wonderful hosts.

And thanks to YOU. For coming on this journey with us. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with colleagues and competitors alike. Thanks for your generosity and openness. The day we think we don’t have anything to learn from each other is the day our industry really will fall into the abyss.

So, the good news is that you don’t have to wait a whole year to keep doing this! News Xchange is an annual in-person event, but not only that. Hopefully you’ve seen and read some of the amazing articles now published on newsxchange.org. They’re not a one-off. We’ll be publishing articles and videos throughout the year so you can keep in touch with what others are up to. Did you forget to grab someone’s number? No worries - you can contact each other through the website by logging in and going to My News Xchange.

And in the coming weeks we’ll be announcing the dates and venue for next year’s News Xchange. So, keep an eye out for that and mark your calendars early! This time next year sees the European Parliament elections and we’ll be less than six months out from the US elections. Who knows what will happen before then! But we can be sure there’ll be no shortage of things to catch up on.

As you head home, whether to the other side of this wonderful city or the other side of the world I hope you are taking with you a new idea, a new contact, a new plan – whatever it is, let us know how it goes! Keep in touch.

But know one thing… you do an AMAZING job. You are ALL inspirational. The future of journalism is safe in your hands and the hands of those people (not robots) that you will bring into this wonderful industry.

In his opening remarks Noel asked how many hundreds of millions will have accessed quality news on Sunday thanks to the organizations represented in this room. Well how many more now? Be proud, be humble, but be THERE. The planet and its inhabitants rely on you.

Thank you all so much.