The second edition of the Voices Festival took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb from February 27 to March 1, 2025. Over the course of three days, the festival explored key issues shaping society’s relationship with information and the media through talks, interactive workshops, exhibitions, and networking opportunities.
The Voices Festival was first launched in Florence in March 2024. As a traveling initiative across European cities, its goal is to engage with diverse communities while emphasizing media freedom and media literacy as essential pillars of democratic societies. Voices is not just another festival — it’s a pioneering platform to reshape how society relates to information. From addressing the evolution of journalism in a fast-changing media landscape to empowering citizens with tools to navigate those changes, the festival aims to spark a collective conversation toward a better-informed future.
The festival brings together citizens, journalists, and media professionals, fostering dialogue and collaboration. As the organizers put it:
“We want to celebrate the vital role journalism and an informed public play in society, while also encouraging critical thinking about disinformation.”
This year, teaching assistants, as well as second- and third-year students of the Communication and Media program, took part in the event. The three-day program included discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence in journalism, combating disinformation, journalist safety, the challenges of media business models, media literacy, election integrity, European media legislation, digital parenting, and digital well-being.
Participants had the opportunity to attend panel discussions, interactive workshops, exhibitions, a theatre performance, and various networking events. Noteworthy segments included the Connecting Voices platform — a discussion space led by students, journalists, and media professionals from across Europe — and the play “They Blew Her Up”, which dealt with the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Our student Rita Aničić stood out for her active participation. On the festival's opening day, she moderated the panel “Protecting Media Freedom in Europe”, which focused on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) — legislation aimed at safeguarding journalists, protecting journalistic sources, and supporting a pluralistic media environment. In a twenty-minute bilingual conversation, panelists Wouter Gekiere (European Broadcasting Union), Melisa Skender (Croatian Journalists’ Association), and Paško Bilić (Institute for Development and International Relations) discussed the opportunities and challenges of EMFA implementation in Croatia and other EU member states.
In addition to moderating the panel, Rita Aničić also participated in the talk “Meet Us: We Are the Future of Media in Croatia”, alongside fellow students from Osijek, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik. The session, focusing on young female journalists’ perspectives, was moderated by Marina Sapia, journalist at RAI Italy. Rita and her colleague Karla Sabljić from Dubrovnik also presented their media-related expectations and insights on Radio 808 in Zagreb.
Rita continued her engagement the following day, and together with student Marijeta Babik, she participated in the Connecting Voices corner, along with peers from universities in Zagreb, Osijek, and Dubrovnik. Connecting Voices is an open forum for students, journalists, and media professionals from all over Europe. Discussions addressed topics ranging from media freedom and disinformation to the impact of AI and digital platforms, bringing together the next generation of media professionals to exchange ideas, challenge norms, and drive change.
The Communication and Media students also presented their student project “New Media Possibilities: The Bearded Auction”, focused on media literacy as a tool for digital activism, while also promoting the Split-based humanitarian campaign Bradata aukcija (The Bearded Auction).
The Voices Festival provided our Communication and Media students with valuable experience through interactive discussions on media literacy, digital security, and journalism ethics. Participating in panels and workshops enabled them to deepen their knowledge and connect with renowned European and Croatian experts from the media sector.Ako ti treba verzija za službeni izvještaj, brošuru, web objavu ili promotivne materijale, mogu je dodatno prilagoditi tonu i formatu.
Marijeta Babik
The Voices Festival was first launched in Florence in March 2024. As a traveling initiative across European cities, its goal is to engage with diverse communities while emphasizing media freedom and media literacy as essential pillars of democratic societies. Voices is not just another festival — it’s a pioneering platform to reshape how society relates to information. From addressing the evolution of journalism in a fast-changing media landscape to empowering citizens with tools to navigate those changes, the festival aims to spark a collective conversation toward a better-informed future.
The festival brings together citizens, journalists, and media professionals, fostering dialogue and collaboration. As the organizers put it:
“We want to celebrate the vital role journalism and an informed public play in society, while also encouraging critical thinking about disinformation.”
This year, teaching assistants, as well as second- and third-year students of the Communication and Media program, took part in the event. The three-day program included discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence in journalism, combating disinformation, journalist safety, the challenges of media business models, media literacy, election integrity, European media legislation, digital parenting, and digital well-being.
Participants had the opportunity to attend panel discussions, interactive workshops, exhibitions, a theatre performance, and various networking events. Noteworthy segments included the Connecting Voices platform — a discussion space led by students, journalists, and media professionals from across Europe — and the play “They Blew Her Up”, which dealt with the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Our student Rita Aničić stood out for her active participation. On the festival's opening day, she moderated the panel “Protecting Media Freedom in Europe”, which focused on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) — legislation aimed at safeguarding journalists, protecting journalistic sources, and supporting a pluralistic media environment. In a twenty-minute bilingual conversation, panelists Wouter Gekiere (European Broadcasting Union), Melisa Skender (Croatian Journalists’ Association), and Paško Bilić (Institute for Development and International Relations) discussed the opportunities and challenges of EMFA implementation in Croatia and other EU member states.
In addition to moderating the panel, Rita Aničić also participated in the talk “Meet Us: We Are the Future of Media in Croatia”, alongside fellow students from Osijek, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik. The session, focusing on young female journalists’ perspectives, was moderated by Marina Sapia, journalist at RAI Italy. Rita and her colleague Karla Sabljić from Dubrovnik also presented their media-related expectations and insights on Radio 808 in Zagreb.
Rita continued her engagement the following day, and together with student Marijeta Babik, she participated in the Connecting Voices corner, along with peers from universities in Zagreb, Osijek, and Dubrovnik. Connecting Voices is an open forum for students, journalists, and media professionals from all over Europe. Discussions addressed topics ranging from media freedom and disinformation to the impact of AI and digital platforms, bringing together the next generation of media professionals to exchange ideas, challenge norms, and drive change.
The Communication and Media students also presented their student project “New Media Possibilities: The Bearded Auction”, focused on media literacy as a tool for digital activism, while also promoting the Split-based humanitarian campaign Bradata aukcija (The Bearded Auction).
The Voices Festival provided our Communication and Media students with valuable experience through interactive discussions on media literacy, digital security, and journalism ethics. Participating in panels and workshops enabled them to deepen their knowledge and connect with renowned European and Croatian experts from the media sector.Ako ti treba verzija za službeni izvještaj, brošuru, web objavu ili promotivne materijale, mogu je dodatno prilagoditi tonu i formatu.
Marijeta Babik
