A Roundtable

Editors Meet Up

A roundtable where editors, journalists, and media professionals come together to discuss the realities of humanitarian reporting — the challenges, the responsibilities and the way forward.

Our Editors Meet Up is a closed, candid space for media professionals working in or covering humanitarian contexts. Convened in partnership with the ICRC, these sessions bring together editors and reporters to examine how conflict, displacement and crises are covered and how coverage can be more accurate, ethical, and impactful.

Discussions are grounded in real challenges from the field: access barriers, disinformation, editorial pressures, and the need for stronger foundations in International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Every city, a different story

What makes these meet ups truly distinctive is that no two are alike. Each city brings its own media landscape, its own access challenges, and its own set of pressures when it comes to covering humanitarian issues. By gathering locally, we ensure conversations are rooted in the specific realities journalists face on the ground — not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Meet ups so far

Karachi

Editors' Roundtable

December 5, 2025
  • Editors, journalists, and ICRC representatives
  • Focus on ICRC mandate, media access challenges, and IHL literacy
  • Led to proposals for a newsroom IHL handbook and media resource hub

Lahore

Editors' Roundtable

May 6, 2026
  • Editors and reporters from across Punjab
  • Building on Karachi conversations, expanding reach to new regions
  • Continued dialogue on training, freelancer support, and field access

What we discuss

1. IHL and humanitarian law

  • Understanding the Geneva Conventions and how they apply to reporting in conflict zones

2. Access and safety

  • Navigating restricted regions, insurgency zones, and government-limited areas

3. Editorial pressures

  • How breaking news cycles and resource constraints push humanitarian stories out of the spotlight

4. Disinformation

  • Tackling WhatsApp-driven misinformation that spreads rapidly during crises

5. Freelancer challenges

  • Supporting independent journalists who can access difficult areas but struggle to publish

6. Resources and tools

  • Building directories, guidelines and handbooks tailored to Pakistan's media context

Outcomes & Impact

What comes out of these sessions

These aren't just conversations, they lead to concrete action. Past meet ups have generated proposals for a newsroom-focused IHL handbook, a central media resource hub with verified contacts and guidelines, an alert system for real-time humanitarian updates during crises, and expanded training programs reaching journalists in remote areas.

"Journalists need thorough training on IHL, conflict-sensitive reporting, safety, fact-checking and verification. Those interested in humanitarian reporting should be prioritised for specialised training."

Express Interest

Want to be part of the next Editors Meet Up? We'd love to have you in the room. Fill out the form below and our team will be in touch when an event is scheduled in your city.