At the ARIJ Annual Forum, we believe that a stage is more than a platform. It is an engine for industry progress.
To make the most of our collective impact, we need the ideas we amplify to be as diverse and dynamic as the challenges we face.
We prioritize speakers who haven't appeared recently to keep the program at the frontier of the field.
Note to Alumni:
If you joined us on stage in 2025, your contribution helped build what we have today. This year, we invite you to step into a new role, a mentor. Help us pass the microphone to the new voice you’ve helped inspire.
True impact cannot happen in an echo chamber. We are committed to diversity by design, ensuring our program reflects the full community we serve; across gender, generation, and geography. We strive to provide visible proof that expertise knows no boundaries.
Impact is diminished by repetition. Therefore, we stay away from recycled pitches and encourage first-look work. Every activity submitted should be tailored specifically for ARIJ’s community, offering fresh insights and data, so that ARIJ Forum can be a source of new thinking and inspiration, rather than an echo.
We invite our partners and donors to submit proposals for contributions for the Forum program. Whether you have a masterclass to lead, a tool to demonstrate, a story to tell, or an idea that doesn't fit neatly into any box, we want to hear from you.
Whatever shape your contribution takes, it should speak to what matters most to our community: holding power to account, advancing investigative craft, navigating press freedom and safety, embracing innovation in storytelling and verification, and building a more resilient independent media across the Arab region that is open to other regions. What matters is that it offers real value to the journalists, fact-checkers and media professionals who make up the Forum's audience.
Hover over the cards to see which format best fits your idea.
A panel brings together a group of experts for an engaging in-depth discussion on a specific topic. This dynamic format is designed to surface diverse perspectives and spark meaningful dialogue.
Each panel is steered by a moderator and features up to three speakers. Panels can be both on the main stage and as a side event. A limited number of slots are available on the main stage.
Duration: 50 minutes
An extended, full day deep-dive format ideal for technical training, advanced methodology, or certification-level skills.
Sessions are small and intensive, scheduled the day before the Forum on Thursday December 3, 2026. Each workshop accommodates up to 15 participants by invitation only. Simultaneous interpretation may be available in Arabic and English depending on the trainer's selection.
Duration: 7 hours
A focused session addressing a specific tool, platform, or technique, offering knowledge that participants can apply straight away.
Open to all registered Forum participants. Simultaneous interpretation may be available depending on the speaker's preference and room availability.
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
A lightning talk is a short, high-impact format, perfect for showcasing innovative projects, introducing new services or tools at short, or sharing key insights. The brief format keeps things focused, capturing attention quickly and attracting further questions for afterwards.
Lightning talks feature up to two speakers on the main stage. Simultaneous interpretation will be available.
Duration: 10 - 15 minutes
Clinics are one-on-one where an expert offers personalized guidance on a specific challenge or question. Think of it as a consultancy slot; practical, targeted, and tailored to whoever is in the room.
Simultaneous interpretation will not be available for this format.
Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
A fireside chat is an intimate conversation between a moderator and a guest; no slides, no script, just honest dialogue. This format gives the audience a chance to hear frank reflections, personal experiences, and genuine perspectives in a relaxed setting.
Fireside chats are side events that are open to all Forum participants. Simultaneous interpretation may be provided depending on room assignment and availability.
Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
A roundtable is a peer-driven conversation where everyone at the table has an equal voice on sensitive topics, strategic challenges, and collective priorities facing journalism and media. It is structured enough to stay focused, but open enough to go where the conversation needs to go. We provide the space; you bring the people and the agenda, as long as all attendees are registered to the Forum.
Each roundtable accommodates up to 30 participants and is facilitated by a designated moderator. Simultaneous interpretation may be provided depending on room assignment and availability.
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
A closed meeting is a private, invitation-only session designed to foster frank and open dialogue among a select group of participants; could be stakeholder meetings, meeting with beneficiaries or internal organizational meetings. The format is flexible and the duration can be tailored to your needs. We provide the space; you bring the people and the agenda, as long as all attendees are registered to the Forum.
Duration: Flexible
A booth is a dedicated physical space within the Forum venue where an organization, project, or initiative can showcase its work, tools, or services directly to Forum participants. It is ideal for organizations looking to maximize visibility and one-on-one engagement beyond a single session slot. It brings conversation to the attendees, creating an open, drop-in environment where people can engage at their own pace, ask questions, request demonstrations, and pick up materials throughout the Forum days.
Duration: TBD
None of the above feeling right? No problem. We've got you covered. Tell us more about your concept.
The sky is the limit. If it is bold, creative, and pushes the boundaries of how journalism can be experienced, throw in your wildest idea without hesitation. After all, the best ideas are usually the ones nobody has tried yet.
Deadline: June 30, 2026.
Help us build a richer program. Nominate a journalist, expert, or topic that the field urgently needs to discuss.
Deadline: June 30, 2026.
Invest in a newsroom, a community, and the kind of cross-border collaboration that only happens when the right people are finally in the same room. Your support can be as flexible as you need; covering registration fees, flights, accommodation, or a full package.
You can choose to sponsor a specific group you already have in mind, or let us connect your support with a deserving team from our network. We would love to work with you to make it happen.
Deadline: September 15, 2026