JCU Students Participate in International Journalism Festival in Perugia
On April 18-21, six students from John Cabot University attended the 2024 International Journalism Festival in Perugia (IJF), Italy.
For the third year in a row, JCU students including members of the student-run newspaper, The Matthew, were able to immerse themselves in the world of journalism and connect with industry professionals. Founded in 2006, IJF is an independent organization that welcomes journalists and media professionals from all around the world to Perugia, the capital city of Umbria. IJF sessions are free and recorded for those who cannot attend, making the festival accessible and inclusive.
The JCU group was comprised of five members of The Matthew – Annalucia Scotto Di Clemente (Treasurer & Events Coordinator), Vishwa Parmar (Layout Designer), Amber Alexander (Social Media Manager), Francesca Rapisarda (Staff Writer), Nicolette Alexandra Brito-Cruz (Staff Writer) – and JCU Communication and Media Studies major Marya Polovinkina. The group was chaperoned by JCU Assistant Director of Student Services Federica Bocco, who organized the delegation’s trip as part of the Student Leadership Program.
With a wide range of speakers and attendees from the United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine, India, Kenya, and other countries, the five-day festival gave The Matthew members a one-of-a-kind experience.
“I attended the Journalism Festival for the second time, and for the second time, I fell in love with it,” said Annalucia Scotto Di Clemente. Annalucia attended IJF the previous year in April with other members of The Matthew. She also attended the International Journalism Festival in Ferrara in 2023, also organized by Student Services. “IJF was once again an incredible experience where I was able to connect with numerous journalists, and better understand their work and experiences.”
The students attended sessions focusing on AI and the newsroom, news avoidance, diversity, equity, and inclusion in journalism, and much more. “I’ve met so many interesting people who are ready to share their experiences. Coming to IJF inspired me to do what I like and gave me hope for my career,” said Marya Polovinkina.
“It’s something we, as Student Services, want to keep promoting, and we want to create more and more connections at these festivals and bring the experts to JCU to continue those conversations so that more people in the community can learn from them,” said Bocco.
According to IJF’s website, the next festival is scheduled for April 9-13, 2025.
Read the article about IJF on The Matthew.
(Amber Alexander)
