Exile Talks: Journalism, Art, and the Power of Storytelling June 24, 2025

A Talk at the Crossroads of (Pop) Culture and Journalism

📍 June 24, 2025, 19h
📍 Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin
as part of the exhibition “NO” by Meduza

🕒 TIMETABLE

6:00 – 6:45 pm – Curated Exhibition Tour (optional, per registration only)
6:30 – 7:00 pm – Doors Open & Check-In
7:00 – 8:30 pm – EXILE TALKS: Journalism, Art, and the Power of Storytelling
Afterwards: Snacks + drinks

When truth is trapped in a doom loop of fake news, propaganda, and censorship, journalism needs to cut through the noise. For exiled media, this challenge is even sharper. Far away from their home audiences and forced to navigate hostile environments, they must get creative. To reach people in new and unexpected ways, journalists are rethinking formats, exploring alternative platforms, and breaking out of the hard-news mold – turning to culture, art, satire or performance.
This EXILE TALK is a one-night-only talk show that dives into the hybrid zones between (pop) culture and hard news – where news meets art, headlines meet hype, and storytelling crosses borders into pop culture, performance, and subversion. Together with a diverse lineup of guests, we’ll explore how journalistic content can take on new forms – and where the lines blur (or clash) between pop culture, artistic expression, and (exiled) journalism.

Moderation:
Mina Jawad is a writer and journalist exploring prose, satire, political commentary, and performance-based discourse. She challenges the boundaries between academia, journalism, and art. In addition to her writing, she teaches in a variety of academic and non-academic settings. A former columnist for dis:orient Magazine, her play Shar-e-Naw in Berlin (New Evil in Berlin) is part of her work in theater.

Speakers:
Jean Peters is a senior reporter at CORRECTIV, where he develops new forms of investigative research and creative approaches to journalism. His most well-known investigation is likely "The Secret Plan Against Germany", which he led as the responsible editor and co-wrote the accompanying theater play. Previously, he worked both as a performance artist and as a writer for Jan Böhmermann’s satirical TV show.
Maria Savushkina is a Belarusian journalist living in exile. She was a project manager for the satirical media outlet Chin Chin Channel, which creates parody shows, sketches, and music videos that critique Belarusian authorities and propaganda.
Ivan Kolpakov is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Meduza, the largest independent Russian news outlet in exile. Despite censorship, exile, and a government ban, Meduza continues to reach millions and push the boundaries of storytelling. In 2025, Kolpakov co-curated NO, an exhibition combining journalism and contemporary art to reflect on a decade of resistance and the role of independent media in dark times.

The event is free, but registration is required. To join the exhibition tour “NO”, which takes place before the event, please check the corresponding box on the registration form.

This event is part of the monthly “Exile Talks” series, which brings the expertise and experiences of exiled journalists and media professionals to the stage. The discussion is organized by CORRECTIV.Exile with the support of JX Fund. It was made possible by funding of the German Ministry of Culture and the Media.
The event takes place in the context of the exhibition “NO” by the exiled Russian media outlet Meduza.