Thinking with Top Media Experts: My Insights from the Ditchley Conference

Natalia Zhdanova, WHT scholar 2024-2025

I am Natalia Zhdanova, a journalist and researcher focusing on political affairs in Russia and Eastern Europe. Recently, thanks to the support of WHT, I had the privilege of participating in the Ditchley Conference, The Role of the Fourth Estate in Democracies. I’d like to share some key insights from the event that are relevant not only for the media industry but for other fields as well.

First, a few words about the Ditchley Foundation. Founded in the late 1950s by the philanthropist Sir David Wills, Ditchley has brought  together senior participants from different countries to discuss global issues for almost 70 years. The topics at Ditchley vary widely, from demography and education to climate change and AI.

These discussions take place at Ditchley Park, a beautiful estate with a rich history in Oxfordshire. Notably, Winston Churchill used it as a secret base during the early years of World War II.

 Natalia Zhdanova (on the right) at the Ditchley foundation

Ditchley Foundation

The conference I attended brought together top media managers, journalists, and experts to discuss the challenges facing the media industry, including the decline in news consumption, audience polarization, the impact of AI on media production, disinformation, and repressive practices against journalists in authoritarian and hybrid regimes.

As an independent journalist from Russia, I am well aware of how authorities can suppress and dismantle media organizations using a wide range of tools, including criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Similar approaches are used against journalists worldwide, as autocrats learn from and support one another.

For instance, Georgia recently adopted a "foreign agent" law, following Russia's example, to restrict the operations of NGOs and potentially media organizations. A similar law has been in effect in Russia for over a decade, gradually dismantling independent journalism and democratic initiatives.

At the Ditchley Conference, participants shared various examples of how autocrats use lawfare to suppress media freedom, such as the use of anti-terror laws and tax investigations in India to silence critical voices. We discussed the limited but viable ways to resist these trends, primarily through collaboration and mutual support within the media industry. This is a difficult time for democracy and journalism, but despite the challenges, many opportunities remain. I returned from Ditchley with insights that can be applied across industries.

Key Takeaways

1. Value and Develop Community

In an era overflowing with information and online communication, it is crucial to establish and nurture a meaningful, personal connection with your audience (or clients). A strong community can provide emotional and financial support, especially during crises. At the same time, authentic engagement makes you more accountable, pushes you to work harder, and ultimately improves the quality of your product or service.

Speaking from my experience, I can say that community support has been vital for the media projects I have worked on. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many newsrooms have been forced to leave Russia and are now operating from abroad, facing not only political but also financial difficulties. The community of subscribers, through their donations, makes independent journalism possible. At the same time, I see that people need us. They say that independent media helps them feel they are not alone in these turbulent times.

2. Be Flexible and Creative

A major concern in the media industry is that people are consuming less news. Does this mean we should reduce news production? That is one option, but a better approach is to meet the audience where they are. This could mean adapting "serious" content for social media formats (e.g., shorts, reels) or strategically "seed" high-quality journalism alongside entertainment content like sports or lifestyle topics. As pointed out in the summary of the Ditchley Conference, "People still want the news, but it is up to media organizations to find and adapt to their audiences."

I know how important it is not only to create high-quality content but also to find the right format and delivery method. While editing and producing a podcast based on long-form investigative journalism, I had to think innovatively about how to attract  younger audiences to the content. The solution was to have celebrities read parts of our articles for the podcast and to create original sound design.

3. Embrace Technology

Instead of demonising AI and other digital tools, it is better to find ethical and efficient ways to use them. Technological advancement is inevitable, and the best approach is to stay informed and adapt these tools to enhance your work.

These basic but valuable insights are what I took away from the Ditchley Conference. In many ways, they are about maintaining a positive mindset. And in my opinion, positive thinking is not just optimistic—it is a rational and driving force for progress.

This is not about illusions but rather about focusing on opportunities, which may be limited but are not nonexistent. This approach has supported me throughout my career, especially now that I am forced to live and work from abroad.