San Francisco

Journalism Mixer

In this invite-only event for Swiss and US journalists, we foster a cross-cultural dialogue on the future of journalism. As part of our event series "Layers", this event explores shared challenges, from disinformation to declining trust, and discusses how reporters can shape meaning-making in our fast-changing world.

Join us

On August 13, Swiss and US journalists get together for an honest cross-cultural conversation about the state of journalism today and what the future of the profession looks like. In a time of disinformation, polarization, and declining public trust, what role can journalists still play in helping society make sense of itself?

As part of our event series “Layers”, this invite-only mixer will bring together Swiss and US journalists to explore shared challenges facing the profession, from financial pressures to algorithmic bubbles, and examine how different media systems and professional cultures are responding. Through a panel discussion featuring Swiss and local Bay Area journalists, followed by an open group discussion and networking, we’ll dive into the threats shaping our respective media landscapes and discuss the opportunities we have to shape journalism’s future.

The Bay Area’s innovative storytelling ecosystem, amid advances in AI, data-driven reporting, and new technologies, provides the perfect backdrop for this transatlantic dialogue. Together, we’ll explore how journalists can harness new tools while maintaining the critical perspective that drives rigorous, ethical reporting.

Layers - an exploration in science communication

This event is part of LAYERS, an event series by Swissnex in San Francisco focusing on Science Communication, taking place from August to December 2025.

Related Events:

From Prototype to Publication – AI Initiatives for Newsrooms
August 7, 2025
Pier 17, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94111

Program

  • 5:30pm – Doors open
  • 6:00pm – Opening Remarks
  • 6:10pm – Panel Discussion/Q&A
  • 6:45pm – Open Group Discussion
  • 7:15pm – Mixer & Networking
  • 8:00pm – Event ends
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Event start time

  • San Francisco

    5:30PM

Speakers

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    Speaker

    Alexandra Ulmer

    National Affairs Correspondent at Thomson Reuters in San Francisco

    Alexandra is a U.S. National Affairs Correspondent for Reuters in San Francisco. She is currently a member of the political investigations team, digging into the Trump administration and Elon Musk. She previously spent two years covering Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign with a focus on money, including donors and business deals. Alexandra has also investigated the far-right and Trump allies breaching voting systems, work which earned her a Sidney Award in 2022.

    Alexandra was previously a Special Correspondent for Reuters in India, where she reported on everything from COVID-19 in Mumbai slums to the growing role of money in Indian politics.

    Between 2014 and 2018, she lived in Caracas and covered Venezuela’s dire crisis, with a particular focus on investigating the country’s opaque and corrupt state oil company. Alexandra also reported on violent street protests, mass migration, and the health crisis that swept the country. During nine days, she traveled with Venezuelan migrants on a bus from Caracas to Chile.

    Alexandra was a leading member of the Reuters team that won an Overseas Press Club’s award for best coverage of Latin America in 2018. Reuters named Alexandra Reporter of the Year in 2015, “for breaking through the iron-clad offices of Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA, and for a series of smart stories on how the economic crisis and food shortages have battered support for the socialist ruling party and hit the legacy of Hugo Chavez.”

    Born and raised in Switzerland, Alexandra speaks native-level English, French, and Spanish, as well as basic Hindi and German. In 2011, she graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations.

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    Moderator

    Cathy Dogon

    Video Journalist at Le Temps

    Cathy is a videomaker for the Swiss newspaper Le Temps. She is obsessed with truth, science, and facts, aiming to make in-depth information accessible and appealing to people of all ages and social classes, even those who have turned away from mainstream media.

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    Speaker

    Grant Marek

    Editor-in-Chief at SFGATE

    Since taking over as SFGATE’s editor-in-chief in 2019, Grant Marek has helped the digital news site triple the size of its staff from 21 to 63. In 2024, SFGATE overtook LATimes.com as the most read site on the entire West Coast and now drives more than 28 million visits per month. Prior to SFGATE, Marek held various editorial roles at Thrillist, Yahoo Sports, the San Francisco Examiner, the Desert Sun, the Santa Clarita Valley Signal and Sports Illustrated, among others. He’s a graduate of UC Berkeley and has lived in the Bay Area since 2001.

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