Truth Tellers
Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit
Hosted by Tina Brown, Reuters and Durham University
Livestream 7 May 2025 | London
sirharrysummit.org
- Mark your calendar. Truth Tellers 2026 takes place at Vision Hall, London on Wed 6 May. Co-hosted by @tinabrownlm.bsky.social @durham.ac.uk @reuters.com, the summit convenes an invitation-only audience of 400 editors, reporters, broadcasters + media leaders. Livestreamed worldwide sirharrysummit.org
- In a message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, Pope Leo XIV warned of AI’s impact on information ecosystems, and stressed journalism’s vital role in building public trust. A message that speaks directly to the mission of the Truth Tellers Summit. Read in full: tinyurl.com/y4peejh6
- "Rupert Murdoch is the media world’s great white shark, with a slight trail of blood at the corner of his thin mouth.” More on Gabriel Sherman’s book Bonfire of the Murdochs in @tinabrownlm.bsky.social's Fresh Hell on Substack. tinabrown.substack.com/p/rupert-mur...
- Today, that insight feels painfully current. According to the @pressfreedom.bsky.social 2025 prison census, 330 journalists were imprisoned worldwide as of December 1, 2025 - the fifth year in a row that more than 300 media workers have been jailed for their work: tinyurl.com/43cc7j35
- “My heart is broken.” Footage from Truth Tellers 2023, where Iranian journalist and campaigner @masihalinejad.bsky.social warned of gender apartheid, repression and the cost of silence. With reports that thousands have now been killed in the protests, her words feel painfully current.
- "I feel guilty that I don't name the rest, the list of names goes on and on." Masih Alinejad broke down in tears at the United Nations on Thursday, as she read out the names of people killed during protests in Iran. www.reuters.com/video/watch/...
- The words of Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, urging the international community to support the anti-government protesters in Iran. Masih shared that same rallying cry at Truth Tellers in 2023. Listen to the conversation on an @observeruk.bsky.social podcast episode: tinyurl.com/5bb6zhu6
- At Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit, investigative journalist @christogrozev.bsky.social spoke about paywalls - and the resulting bubblisation of society in the US and Western Europe - as one of the greatest threats facing journalism, something he has already seen play out in Russia.
- “There are journalists who have shifted to YouTube for independence.” Indian YouTube sensation Dhruv Rathee has more than 30 million subscribers - more than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once a Modi supporter, Rathee is now one of his most outspoken critics: tinyurl.com/yc3tkk3r
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- Anyone who cares about press freedom should be outraged by today’s guilty verdict in the trial of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, who now faces a life sentence. His attorney @caoilfhionn.bsky.social rallied support for him on the Truth Tellers stage. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWycS7G75Uc
- Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and media mogul Jimmy Lai’s 156-day trial is set to end with a verdict on Monday. At #TruthTellers last year, exiled human rights lawyer Dennis Kwok said Lai could have left Hong Kong at any time, but chose instead to give the rest of his life to its people.
- "In the vast majority of cases in which a journalist is killed, whether in peacetime, or in a democracy, or in a dictatorship, in the middle of conflict, wherever in the world — in nine out of ten cases they’re killed with total impunity.” @caoilfhionn.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/life-style/c...
- “Independent media is making a huge dent in meaning-making.” At Truth Tellers, writer @anandwrites.bsky.social reflected on the rise of independent voices - Substack writers, podcasters, small commentary platforms - and what this shift means for journalism. Watch in full: tinyurl.com/4nj29n8n
- “I knew photography was only a word. I was journeying through another depth of humanity.” At Truth Tellers 2024, Sir Don McCullin spoke about the moment he turned his lens toward people living on the margins for The Sunday Times. Revisit this extraordinary conversation: tinyurl.com/ye26veyx
- At Truth Tellers this year, @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social laid out what he sees as the biggest threats to press freedom today from journalists being killed with impunity to the industrial politicisation of journalism. It’s a stark picture, and a reminder of why gatherings like Truth Tellers matter.
- "They’re so disrespectful of our business. [...] That is my major beef with the digital barons." @tinabrownlm.bsky.social talks about the relationship between the uber-rich and media organisations in The Interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro for @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/m...
- Congratulations to Nandhini Srinivasan, the 2026 Sir Harry Evans Global Fellow. Chosen from 850+ applicants, Srinivasan will spend 9 months in a @reuters.com newsroom pursuing a high-impact investigative project: tinyurl.com/3hjz2n9n @durham.ac.uk @tinabrownlm.bsky.social
- Reposted by Truth TellersWriting in @thenation.com December issue, @liamjscott.bsky.social writes about our work to #FreeJimmyLai. A renowned publisher, pro-democracy advocate, a husband, a father, a grandfather. As he turns 78, the race is on to free him and save his life. www.thenation.com/article/worl...
- Reposted by Truth TellersWonderful catch-up dinner with the female titans who run London. BBC CEO Deborah Turness, @reuters.com editor in chief Ale Galloni, @financialtimes.com editor in chief Roula Khalaf and the @theguardian.com editor in chief Katharine Viner.
- Congratulations to Sigrid van Aken, CEO of @postcodelottery.bsky.social on being awarded France's Légion d’Honneur. Recognition of her leadership and the Group’s extraordinary contribution to civil society, raising over €15 bn for charities worldwide, including generous support for Truth Tellers.
- Today is International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. According to @UNESCO since 2006, more than 1,800 journalists have been killed worldwide and in 9 out of 10 cases, no one has been held accountable. Without courage, there is no free press. Without justice, there is no truth.
- Appalled to see that the U.S. has revoked the visa of Nigerian Nobel Prize laureate— and Trump critic— Wole Soyinka. Wole has long spoken truth to power, including on the Truth Tellers Summit stage last year: youtu.be/hVFhRCWxTM4?...
- “My crime is just giving voice to women of Iran – that’s it" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
- “Justice is beautiful.” The words of brave Iranian-American journalist and Truth Tellers speaker Masih Alinejad who saw 2 men Iran hired to assassinate her sentenced in a NYC courtroom yesterday. Sharing Masih on our stage: tinyurl.com/3v82fx8c
- “He said, whatever you do, don’t leave me a voicemail.” At the inaugural Truth Tellers in 2023, Guardian journalist Nick Davies shared how the phone hacking story that brought down News of the World began. 🎬 The Hack is streaming now on ITV Player.
- The Times’ 2-part podcast Murder in Cairo revisits one of the great unsolved mysteries of British journalism, the 1977 murder of Sunday Times correspondent David Holden. A story that haunted Harry Evans for life is finally solved. 🎧 tinyurl.com/mr27d25z
- In their Murdoch podcast mini-series, @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social + @michaelwolffnyc.bsky.social discuss Murdoch’s 1981 acquisition of The Times + Sunday Times, the turbulent chapter that followed, and the clash of values that led to Sir Harry Evans’ resignation as editor: tinyurl.com/yn5hy7ee
- Calling all investigative journalists! The Stringer Foundation is launching its inaugural investigative journalism fellowship, which provides multi-year funding to help reporters pursue high-impact investigations globally. Deadline: December 31 2025. You can apply here: tinyurl.com/ybzwhreb
- “The first thing we can do is listen to the populists.” At #TruthTellers, Emily Maitlis reflected on AI and the survival of truth, warning that autocrats are already ahead of the game.
- At #TruthTellers Channel 4 News Presenter and Investigations Editor @cathynewman.bsky.social spoke of the vital importance of investigative journalists holding people in power to account.
- On #WorldNewsDay we honour the journalists writing the “first rough draft of history.” In a world full of noise and misinformation, truth and facts matter more than ever. ▶️ Watch our conversations with the Truth Tellers: sirharrysummit.org/watch
- Congratulations to #SirHarrySummit co-host @durham-university.bsky.social which has been named @thetimes.com University of the Year 2026👏🎓 Sir Harry credited his most formative years as those at Durham, which he attended from 1949-1952, and where he was editor of student newspaper The Palatinate.
- “The only way to operate in this environment is to refuse to be scared.” @theatlantic.com’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg shared the story behind one of the year’s biggest scoops, and what he learned from the Trump administration’s response. Watch in full: tinyurl.com/2kcjzm2w #sirharrysummit
- “In the long run our biggest competitor is YouTube.” Substack founder + CEO Chris Best joined our Truth Tellers panel of innovators to talk about finding audiences through bold new platforms and building fresh media ecosystems: tinyurl.com/2nybanjk
- “Many people in the US no longer feel that it is a place of sanctuary.” At Truth Tellers, Human Rights Lawyer @caoilfhionn.bsky.social spoke about the new uncertainty many journalists now face in the U.S., and the precautions they now take when entering the country: tinyurl.com/4m7rnexu
- “Thanks, TikTok!” 🙏 At Truth Tellers, filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at described how TikTok allowed him freedom from his Taliban security detail while making Hollywoodgate. The film captured rare access inside Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover: tinyurl.com/3nsr689h
- “Even our Republican readers who support Donald Trump should find our journalism useful and important and authoritative and trustworthy.” Trust is everything for The Economist’s Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes. Watch the conversation in full: tinyurl.com/42epcbz8
- Today we join @avaaz.org @ifjglobal.bsky.social @rsf.org and media organisations around the world to say ENOUGH. 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza in the last two years, while international media has been banned. #ProtectJournalistsInGaza #LetReportersIntoGaza
- "Alex Saab was making millions from Venezuelan hunger." At #SirHarrySummit, @robertodeniz.bsky.social shared his investigation into Saab, who was accused of being a frontman for Nicolás Maduro, and how the case forced him into exile. 🎥 Watch in full: tinyurl.com/4tuae8wr @armandoinfo.bsky.social
- “Sex traffickers use the OnlyFans site to abuse and exploit women.” At Truth Tellers, Linda So spoke about @reuters.com’s 7-part series uncovering the deception and manipulation behind the porn juggernaut. The 🎥 Watch the full conversation: tinyurl.com/48csuz2p
- “You can have sleepless nights because of worry, or you can give other people sleepless nights.” At Truth Tellers, @theatlantic.com editor Jeffrey Goldberg shared a powerful message for journalists: tinyurl.com/3wnr5d69
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- 3 tips for early-career journalists 🎥 At Truth Tellers, we asked @nytimes.com East Africa Correspondent @lattif.bsky.social Abdi Latif Dahir what advice he would give to those starting out and hoping to pursue long-form investigations. #sirharrysummit
- Driven by ‘purpose and hustle’, at Truth Tellers @tbij.bsky.social Editor-in-Chief Rozina Breen spoke of the determination to find every which way financially to keep going. Watch the full Local & Vocal conversation: tinyurl.com/4vrcawx5
- Today, on the day of her funeral in Kyiv, we honour Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity last year. Watch Truth Tellers conversation Putin’s Ghost Prisons: The Life And Death Of Viktoriia Roshchyna: tinyurl.com/mvzhh8th @forbidden-stories.bsky.social
- “She is the bravest person, the bravest journalist, I have ever met in my life. That’s not an exaggeration, it’s a fact,” - Sevgil Musayeva, editor in chief of Ukrainska Pravda tinyurl.com/2jhpv53n
- “There are few cases that encapsulate the power of journalism and the need to challenge those elected into power better than the recent superinjunction granted to the Ministry of Defence after the Afghan data breach.” @piasarma.bsky.social
- “People talk about the women and children and elderly, but what about the youth?” A powerful moment from Truth Tellers 2024, as Palestinian photojournalist @motazazaiza.bsky.social spoke about the unseen toll of conflict on Gaza’s young people, and the responsibility of bearing witness.
- Asked to share his hardest moment during 18 months of covering the war in Gaza, Palestinian photojournalist Mohammed Salem recalled learning of the death of his brother Bilal. Watch the full conversation: tinyurl.com/4ph53dns
- The biggest barrier for young investigative reporters today? 🖥️ “Screens,” said @juliettegarside.bsky.social, Joint Deputy Investigations Editor at @theguardian.com speaking at Truth Tellers in May. A reminder that great journalism still starts with getting out into the world. #SirHarrySummit
- Justin Scheck shares the harrowing story of an Ugandan domestic worker, one of many exploited by the Saudi elite, uncovered in a year-long @nytimes.com investigation exposing abuse, trafficking + political complicity. Watch the full Truth Tellers conversation: tinyurl.com/5753vwvr
- “Truth is expensive, and lies are really cheap and they travel very quickly.” The hardest thing for investigative journalism, said Emily Maitlis at Truth Tellers, is making truth more available to more people by the way we invest in it. #sirharrysummit
- "Trump is trying to destroy journalism and parts of the media industry are helping him by being cowards." Alastair Campbell + James Carville didn’t hold back at Truth Tellers, tackling Trump, the corporate takeover of media organisations, and the urgent need for bold journalism: tinyurl.com/4b7xdbak
