A behind-the-scenes look at how public service media delivers news around the world

Podcasts are an effective way to create a sense of community, share knowledge, and connect with subject matter experts. They are a convenient and flexible way to learn, and stay informed, as you can “tune in” whenever, wherever, and however you want. As someone who likes to stay active, I value podcasts for their ability to digest information while on the move. Despite my love for podcasts and my decade-long experience in public service media (PSM), I failed to find a podcast that could keep me in the loop on best practices in the face of our industry’s challenges.

What is the Eurovision News Podcast?

The Eurovision News Podcast was launched in 2022 to answer a very specific gap in the market – an in-depth and unique look into how PSM organizations across Europe and beyond deliver trustworthy and reliable news to their audiences. In order to thrive in the ever-changing media landscape, the collective force of cooperation is key - not only within our companies, but also among us as public service broadcasters. The podcast was created to facilitate this partnership by showcasing the expertise, innovation, and collaboration of public service media organizations and their journalists, producers, engineers, and strategists that we work with daily here at the EBU. It also explores the most pressing issues facing journalism and public service media today, such as media freedom and safety, misinformation and disinformation, audience engagement and trust, digital transformation and sustainability.

We publish the podcast bi-monthly and each episode features an interview with a guest/s who shares their insights, experiences, and challenges in their area of expertise. 

Why should you listen to it?

The Eurovision News Podcast is not only a source of information and inspiration for journalists and media professionals. It is also a tool to strengthen community and showcase experts in their fields across the vast EBU network.

By listening to this podcast, we can:
•    Learn from the best practices, innovations, and collaborations of public service media organizations around the world.
•    Discover new perspectives and approaches to journalism and public service media that you may not have encountered before.
•    Enhance your media literacy and public service values by learning how news is made and delivered in different contexts.
•    Gain a deeper understanding of the process, challenges, and evolution in delivering trustworthy and reliable news around the world.

What topics have we covered so far?

Some of the fascinating topics we have covered include:
•    How our colleague Mahsa Aminolahi of the Eurovision Social Newswire verifies social media content from inside Iran during Iran’s deadly protests in 2022-23.
•    How Frederick Hugo Ledegaard of DR and his colleagues from Nordic public broadcasters collaborated to expose Russia’s hybrid war in Europe and its covert operations and tactics to destabilize its neighbours and rivals.
•    How public service media can report effectively on climate change and provide their communities with the tools needed to make informed decisions about the impact of human activity on our environment - based on the EBU News Report 2023: Climate Journalism That Works – Between Knowledge and Impact.

These are just a few examples. You can find all our episodes on our website or on your favourite podcast platform.

How can you get involved?

We would love to hear from you! If you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions about our podcast, contact me by email.

We hope you enjoy listening to our podcast as much as we enjoy making it. 

The Eurovision News Podcast is produced by Laurent Frat and presented by Laurent and other Eurovision News colleagues including Emilio San Pedro, Kate de Pury, and Belen Lopez Garrido.