Now in its sixth year, the German Canadian Media Symposium (GCMS), organized by the German Consulate General in Toronto in cooperation with Massey College and the University of Toronto, brings outstanding media professionals from Germany and Canada together to discuss a pressing issue confronting journalists each year.

The Middle East in the Media

In the Western media, few subjects entail as many competing pressures and layers of complexity as coverage of the Middle East. At this transnational symposium, journalists from Canada and Germany will discuss the opportunities and limits of their respective approaches, and what it would take to offer the fullest, most accurate reflection of the current, widening conflict. What does this mean for journalists on the ground? Holding down an international bureau is a tricky prospect at the best of times, but what are the challenges and responsibilities inherent in reporting on an especially divisive conflict? What goes into collaborating with local journalists and “fixers,” and what should those relationships look like when they’re healthy?

We will be joined by a panel of experts: journalists Konstantin Nowotny, Justin Olivier Salhani and Professor Sonya Fatah. The panel will be moderated by William Southam Journalism Fellow Jonathan Goldsbie.

We will also hear from Ian Williams, Mostafa Al-A’sar and German Consul General Kristina Thony.