join the global
Live journalism network
Live journalism attracts and engages audiences at sold-out events both in Europe and in the United States. At live journalism events, carefully edited and rehearsed journalistic content is presented to a live audience.
Live Journalism Network brings together people from all over the world who are interested in journalistic live storytelling.
The network was established during the first-ever international conference on live journalism that was held in May 2022 in Helsinki, Finland. Please join our Facebook group for updates and news on live journalism events!
To our knowledge, live journalism shows are produced both in the US as well as in Europe:
Pop-Up Magazine, US:
Founded in 2009, Pop-Up Magazine first premiered for an audience of 300 people. Since then, the production has quickly gained popularity and scaled in size, having reached tens of thousands of spectators. The shows consist of original stories by journalists, brought to life with art, music and performances. The content of each performance is not disclosed before the opening night and nothing is recorded either: It is an immersive and intimate experience, all in the moment.
The production team includes various professionals from different fields, such as editors, producers, art and photo directors, music directors, tech professionals, and an events team. In addition to the performances, the team has published The California Sunday Magazine, an award-winning magazine covering stories from the Western America, Asia, and Latin America. They have also arranged performances and co-operation with other organizations and media companies.
Live Magazine, France, Belgium (+others):
The France-based production, Live Magazine, has held over a hundred shows since their launch in 2014. The shows bring on stage award-winning professionals from different fields of journalism and other creative fields. Over the years the production has also grown internationally, now organizing shows in many cities across Europe and gathering performers from all over the world.
The Black Box (Musta Laatikko), Finland:
The Black Box shows, inspired by Pop-Up Magazine in the US, started in early 2016 at the Finnish National Theatre in Helsinki. The shows are produced by the newsroom of Helsingin Sanomat, the largest daily newspaper in Finland. Since the beginning, the 17 unique live shows have reached 40,000 people and welcomed over 100 staff writers from the newsroom on stage to share their stories. Together with a group of media scholars, the Black Box production team launched a research project on live journalism in 2019 and jointly organised the first-ever live journalism conference in Helsinki in the spring of 2022.
Diario Vivo, Spain:
Originally inspired by other live journalism projects, Diario Vivo was founded in 2017, premiering for an audience of 250 people in a local nightclub. Since then numerous shows have been sold out and reached a total audience of over 10,000 people. The shows take place in theaters, which has been especially important to the production team. One of the founders and editor-in-chief of Diario Vivo, François Musseau, has described theaters as “the last oasis of undivided attention”, which captures the uniqueness and intimacy of the show. Behind the show is a production team with a strong background and expertise in journalism. The performers, however, can come from any background – as long as they come with a story. The stories are carefully edited and rehearsed with the production team to bring out the unique and intriguing details that can truly catch the attention of the audience.
DoR Live, Romania:
DOR live was founded in 2017 in Romania, and the shows have since reached thousands of people. The shows consist of various performances by not only journalists but also artists from different fields. The project has been successful in amplifying emotional impact, deepening the connection with the community and offering creative training for the staff.
Zetland Live, Denmark
Reporter Slam, Germany:
Reporter Slam, which first started in 2016, has developed a unique twist on live journalism, combining stand up comedy, journalism, and a friendly competition. The idea behind the Reporter Slam is to have journalists compete with their stories and to let the live audience choose their favorite by cheering for them. Different from many other productions, the performers are not coached or scripts edited by the production team, resulting in a spontaneous and laid-back atmosphere. After the success in Berlin, the slams are now organized in various cities across Germany and also in other countries.
News on Stage, UK:
The News on Stage project started in 2020 with successful events both online and face-to-face. The team consists of academics and writers all interested in interaction between journalism and theater. The shows include journalists who bring their news and stories to life with a variety of means, such as actors, live guests, audience participation, stage-lighting, audio, music, photography and video clips. The project also focuses strongly on interaction with the audience, inciting discussions on the topics.
stiched!, Canada
Journalistikk LIVE, Norway
De Balie, The Netherlands
MES | Live Journalism, Fontys Academy for Journalism, The Netherlands
Sunday Papers Live, UK
Is your show missing from the list? Please inform us!
Live journalism has been already studied by the academia in the UK, Canada, Finland, and in the Netherlands. This is a list of recent publications on live journalism. Please inform us about the newest, published studies or projecst!