The festival program includes discussions and conversations of various formats, raising questions about democracy, societal changes, technology, economy, health, relationships, life choices, and the world we live in. The festival invites not only to listen to experts but also to engage, ask questions, disagree, hear other opinions, and look at current topics from different perspectives.
In the festival spaces, visitors will find not only discussions but also interactive activities and unexpected conversation formats. The festival organizers announce that they expect no less than 25 thousand visitors – that many people attended the events last year.
On both days of the festival, the “15min forum” will also be active, hosting discussions on various topics currently relevant to society. Among them will be conversations about the media, in which 15min journalists will participate and moderate.
On Friday at 3:30 PM, a discussion “What has Facebook done to politics and journalism?” will take place here.
This conversation will be moderated by 15min editor-in-chief Vaidotas Beniušis, and participating in the conversation will be 15min columnist Tadas Ignatavičius, Žinių radijas journalist Aurimas Perednis, and political scientist Rima Urbonaitė.
“Artificial intelligence-driven social media algorithms increasingly determine how people receive news, and people themselves begin to pander to them by choosing their communication style. This fundamentally changes media and politics. The essential question is how this will affect democracy,” says V.Beniušis.
On Friday at 5 PM, a discussion “From reading to listening? How content consumption habits are changing” will take place here.
This conversation will be moderated by 15min deputy editor-in-chief Audrius Ožalas, and participating in the discussion will be 15min editor-in-chief V.Beniušis, “Audioteka” platform manager Aurimas Mikalauskas, VU Faculty of Communication associate professor, journalist Rūta Kupetytė.
“In recent years, we have observed increasingly clear changes in how people receive information and what forms they choose. This is noticeable in both media and books. Video content and podcasts are gaining popularity in the media, and one of the most prominent trends in book publishing is the rise of audiobooks. Why do people choose these formats, what influence do social networks have on these changes, how does this alter the content of narratives and the entire information ecosystem? We will discuss this with media and book publishing specialists in this discussion,” says A.Ožalas.
On Saturday at 2 PM, a discussion “Why is it worth being a journalist’s source?” will take place here.
The conversation will be moderated by Darius Remeika, lecturer at Vilnius University Faculty of Communication, and participating in the discussion will be 15min Research Department editor Jūratė Damulytė, former Kaunas Remand Prison employee Rasa Kazėnienė, “Redakcija” investigative journalist Birutė Davidonytė, lawyer, former VSD officer Tomas Gailius.
“Without journalistic sources, many of the most important stories significant to society would remain untold. However, the decision to speak out can come at a cost – from professional and reputational consequences to real threats to personal safety. In the discussion, we will talk about why people become journalistic sources, how journalists verify and protect them, and what happens after the provided information becomes public,” says J.Damulytė.
