The Spanish version of this article is available here
The Gabo Festival, the largest gathering in Ibero-America dedicated to celebrating journalism, culture, and citizenship, opens its 14th edition in Bogotá on 24 July, uniting journalists, media leaders, and press freedom advocates around a shared conviction: that journalism remains one of the most powerful tools of freedom and democratic life. Through panels, workshops, award ceremonies, and open exchanges, the festival affirms the vital importance of a free and independent press — at a moment when journalists across the globe face mounting threats and increasingly hostile conditions.
GFMD is proud to participate alongside Fundación Gabo with two interactive workshops that examine the current state of journalism funding and technology infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean. Both sessions are designed not for passive listening, but for active problem-solving: identifying critical gaps, surfacing collaborative approaches, and helping participants leave with practical tools and new connections.
Workshop ‘How to finance the journalism of the future in Latin America and the Caribbean’
- Organisers: GFMD and Fundación Gabo
- When: 25 July 2026, 2:30–4:30 PM (Bogotá time)
- Where: Centro Felicidad Chapinero, Bogotá, Colombia
- Language: Spanish/English
Note: Registration for this workshop is closed for external participants, but if you are a GFMD member, we have some spots saved for you: please reach out to Laura (lbecanaball@gfmd.info) to let us know that you are coming before July 7th.
Facilitated by GFMD’s Director of Policy and Insights Ivana Bjelic Vucinic and Advocacy and Policy Coordinator Laura Becana Ball, this participatory session will bring together media leaders, newsroom managers, journalism support organisations, funders, and philanthropy partners to exchange experiences and develop practical solutions.
The session opens with a landscape overview: where funding is concentrated, where significant gaps persist, and how current approaches align (or fail to align) with the needs of local media ecosystems. From there, participants move into facilitated discussion, identifying structural challenges and rethinking strategies beyond traditional donor-driven models. Topics span diversified financing approaches: philanthropy, private-sector partnerships, technology funding, and development finance, as well as opportunities for collective action and shared infrastructure across the region.
Workshop ‘Technological Independence and Infrastructure for Journalism’
- Organisers: GFMD, OCCRP and Fundación Gabo
- When: 25 July, 4:30–6:00 pm, Bogotá time
- Where: Aula de Artes Plásticas, Centro Felicidad Chapinero (Calle 82 #10-69)
- Language: Spanish/English
- Registration: To attend the session, please register here.
Hosted by GFMD and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), in partnership with the Fundación Gabo, this workshop challenges the journalism sector to stop patching problems and start solving them. Grounded in the “build, not patch” approach, it will explore how shared cloud services, secure data environments, and interoperable tools can give journalism the resilience and autonomy it needs and deserves.
Through guided group discussions, participants will leave with:
- A clear framework for technological independence in journalism and why it matters
- Insight into emerging models such as the Journalism Cloud Alliance and the potential of a journalism technology marketplace
- Practical strategies for building shared infrastructure and tools across organisations
- Concrete opportunities for collaboration, resource-sharing, and collective governance
This workshop follows directly after “How to Finance the Journalism of the Future in Latin America and the Caribbean” (2:30 PM, same venue). Together, the two sessions move from diagnosing the funding crisis to building practical solutions — attendees are encouraged to join both.
Connect with us in Bogotá
We look forward to seeing you in Bogotá and to contributing to the conversation on the future of journalism in the region. For full festival information and venue details, visit the Gabo Festival website.
If you are attending the festival and would like to connect, reach out to Ivana Bjelic Vucinic or Laura Becana Ball.