Satire and media: Zapovednik | DW Global Media Forum 2019

Welcome to Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum 2021: Disruption and Innovation

2020 was an extraordinary and challenging year, which the Global Media Forum met head-on with digital solutions. The 2021 Global Media Forum will explore further ways to help us address such disruptions with innovation.

Telling the whole story: The constructive journalism challenge

With the media increasingly being accused of a negativity bias, more journalists are turning to constructive journalism. The final GMF digital session of 2020 discussed the possibilities and challenges of this approach.

GMF digital session: Solving the media funding puzzle

In a rapidly changing digital world, media companies are facing unprecedented challenges. In a bid to secure funding in an unpredictable environment, some are exploring innovative solutions to sustain them in the future. Go to article

Watch video 02:21

Global Media Forum 2020 and the digital revolution

Due to COVID, Deutsche Welle's Global Media Forum went digital in 2020, offering different virtual formats and hosting various online sessions to all friends of the GMF. Here are some highlights.

Global Media Forum 2020 and the digital revolution

Keynote: Michelle Müntefering (German Federal Foreign Office, State Minister, Germany)

Michelle Müntefering holds a keynote ahead of the final digital session of 2020

Armin Laschet's keynote on diversity in the media

Watch video 02:57

GMF compact: Hate speech online and violence offline

Everyone's talking about hate speech online like it is merely a novel concept or a cyber-age idea. How does hate speech materialize in real life - and what can you do to fight it? This is GMF compact.

GMF compact: Hate speech online and violence offline

GMF compact: How 'social' is social media during a pandemic?

GMF compact: Spy games and trade wars - is China really stealing your data?

GMF compact: populist parties attract disproportionate attention on social media

GMF compact: Black Lives Matter, but why do statues?

GMF compact: debunking conspiracies about 5G and COVID-19

A protester wears a face mask reading Give Gates (referring to Bill Gates) no Chance

GMF compact: Rumors about Bill Gates, COVID-19

Watch video 09:35

GMF talk with Lord Michael Dobbbs

Lord Dobbs navigates through the minefield of British politics like a seasoned pro. The author of House of Cards spoke to GMF talk about the relationship between Brexit and populism, and what this means for the media.

GMF talk with Lord Michael Dobbbs

GMF talk: science and sensibility with Dr. Andreas Kappes

GMF talk: talking revenue models with Prof. Charlie Beckett

GMF talk: The age of the influencer - or not? A cheerful chat with Nas Daily

GMF talk: Can Dündar's hopeful message for press freedom in Turkey

GMF talk: Cas Mudde on the importance of media independence

GMF talk: DW Cybersecurity expert on internet freedom

GMF talk: Internet pioneer predicts new era of social media

Watch video 09:58

GMF talk Africa: working for the greater good - creative minds coming together in Kenya

DW's Edith Kimani speaks to Asha Mwilu from Debunk Media Kenya about how digital news can support democratic processes and pluralism through storytelling, data mining and collaboration.

GMF talk Africa: working for the greater good - creative minds coming together in Kenya

GMF talk Africa: Spaces for media networking and pluralism in Africa

GMF talk Africa: the importance of colonial-age libraries as community spaces in 2020

Constructive journalism: Why and how journalists want to change the rules

Are you sick of hearing bad news? Well here's some good news: More and more journalists are turning to constructive reporting – an approach that aims to restore balance by looking at solutions as well as problems.

Alain Bieber: The Internet as the artist's digital workplace

The internet should be a basic right, according to the artistic director of NRW Forum, Alain Bieber. Young artists in particular work on digital platforms, where they use images and memes in their work.

What you need to know about funding a digital media startup

So you have a great idea for a media startup? How do you plan to fund it? Here's a guide to the dos and don'ts of revenue streams, with useful tips from DW Akademie's Handbook for Digital Media Entrepreneurs.

Kenza Ait Si Abbou Lyadini: How to use AI properly

Engineer, author and robotics expert Kenza Ait Si Abbou Lyadini spoke to DW about ethics and algorithms in AI. She says that there are big challenges lying ahead in informing the public about potentials and risks of AI.

Deutschland | Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger | Chefredakteur Carsten Fiedler

Carsten Fiedler: Quality comes first — especially online

Distributing content on digital platforms helps news organizations understand the needs of their audiences, says the editor-in-chief of the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. And he rules out eschewing investigations for click-bait.

Steffen Seibert, Sprecher der Bundesregierung

Steffen Seibert: 'When free press is stifled, society is robbed of truth'

Steffen Seibert is Germany's federal government spokesman. He talked with DW about the responsibilities of that job, the role of the free press in democracies, good journalism and the challenges or the COVID pandemic.

From street protests to digital strikes: What's next for Fridays for Future?

COVID has changed protest movements worldwide. Fridays for Future, which used to take place on the streets, is now happening mostly on digital platforms – presenting opportunities as well as challenges for activists.

Julian Jaursch - Projektleiter bei der Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (

Julian Jaursch: 'Lack of digital transparency puts free elections in danger'

Scientist Julian Jaursch calls for governments to invest more in promoting the digital news literacy of their citizens. He shares his doubts on microtargeting in campaigns and highlights the dangers of "dark ads.”

Kroatien | Tag der Medienkompetenz | UNICEF

Empowering young people - and adults - to tell fake news from facts

Children who are taught media literacy in the classroom develop better resistance to misinformation online. Sharing tips via Instagram or Twitter could prove to be just as effective - and adults could also benefit.

How the long arm of the foreign media extends into the Balkans

As Russia and others continue ramping up their influence in the Western Balkans, the goal of EU membership is becoming more distant than ever. What should Europe be doing to prevent the death of democracy in the region?

Johannes Hillje Europäische Grüne Partei

Johannes Hillje: 'Press freedom does not mean freedom to spread lies'

Political strategist Johannes Hillje criticises the lack of a common European public sphere — especially in the media landscape. Hillje believes that the EU will sorely lose out without a united European front.

Aborigines protesting outside Parliament in Canberra

Why Australian TV news fails to reflect nation's diversity

Australia is a country of huge diversity, but nearly all its TV news journalists are white. A new report has shown that Australia lags behind other countries in representation of diversity in the news media.

Navigating worlds: Isabel Schayani's journey in diversity

From Teheran to Cologne to New York and back: Isabel Schayani's career inspires many young journalists in Germany. Many consider her a role model - especially those who also have a diverse background.

African news media stuck between a rock and a hard place

Ntibinyane Ntibinyane says that African local news outlets need innovation — and money. The founder of the INK Centre for Investigative Journalism highlights that journalism in Africa is facing increasing threats.

Amitabh Sinha: the future of news is digital - and dangerous

Amitabh Sinha, editor at The Indian Express in Pune speaks to DW on how his local news outlet dealt with the corona-crisis, and how journalists gained respect during the pandemic through digitization.

Index's deputy editor-in-chief: History can go backwards, even in the EU

Veronika Munk, deputy editor-in-chief of Hungary’s largest news site Index.hu, discusses the difficulties that journalists have recently had to go through, and assess the overall state of the country's media landscape.

Twitter and QAnon: when should freedom of speech be free?

Twitter has blocked thousands of QAnon accounts. But is that not a ban on free speech? Matthias Kettemann from the Leibniz Institute for media research discusses the complex domain of rights and freedoms online.

WHCA president: 'Journalism is widely appreciated right now'

In 2017, the White House Correspondents' Association received the DW Freedom of Speech Award. Current WHCA president Jonathan Karl tells DW how the latest developments in the US affect journalists.

The state of press freedom in Tajikistan: Going from bad to worse

Journalist and Tajikistan expert Marat Mamadshoev explains why there is an effective media blackout on COVID19 reporting in the country. The Central Asian nation has for years been at the bottom of press freedom indexes.

Frank Überall - Vorsitzender des Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) und Dozent an der HMKW Köln

Frank Überall: 'Publishers have to secure trust in local journalism'

Frank Überall is the chairman of Germany's biggest journalist organization. The head of the German Journalists' Association shares his thoughts and insights on local journalism during the corona crisis and fake news.

Niegarianischer Schriftsteller - Richard Ali

Opinion: 'There's a growing dictatorship of disinformation in Nigeria'

The coronavirus lockdown in Nigeria has let the genie out of the bottle, writer Richard Ali told DW. He thinks the rise in ethnic populism in the digital space has to be confronted by journalists and artists alike.

Rajdeep Sardesai: 'Corona has reminded us what news is supposed to be'

"Journalists should do fact-checking, and question their leaders," says Indian journalist Sardesai. "Rather than getting caught up in debates, we should ask: are you right or wrong?"

Julius von Bismarck: The threat level for artists and journalists is the same

The Berlin-based artist and master student of Olafur Eliasson talks about politics, provocation in art and the rights of artists and journalists. He says he is concerned about the rise of populism.

DW's FOSA honors journalists persecuted for coronavirus reporting

A daring journalist who has spent her career reporting on drug cartels and corruption in Mexico, Anabel Hernández is the fifth person — and first woman — to receive the DW Freedom of Speech Award.

DW Global Media Forum: bringing minds together

Plenary Session: Who’s got the power in the media landscape? Part 1

Global Media Forum 2021

The next Global Media Forum will take place on June 14 and 15, 2021 at the World Conference Center Bonn. In the meantime, we will focus on producing compelling digital content, and create online exchange during 2020.

DW GMF 2019 | Fellows Day | Workshops | Closing Ceremony

The DW Global Media Forum Fellowship

Since 2012, the Global Media Forum has welcomed 200 participants from developing countries, joining the conference as part of our Fellowship Program. This has been made possible with help from the Federal Foreign Office.

DW Global Media Forum 2019 | Impressions

Global Media Forum fellowship goes digital

For eight years, the GMF fellowship program has welcomed a total of over 1,000 people from all around the world. In 2020, the initiative supported by the Federal Foreign Office has to go online because of COVID-19.

Plenary Session: The future of local journalism

The place made for minds

Learn more about the DW Global Media Forum and its history - the international media conference organized by Deutsche Welle (DW). More than 2,000 participants from over 140 countries make this "The place made for minds."

DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"The freedom of the press is facing pressure on a global scale, not just abroad. I want to encourage journalists: Democracy needs you all urgently."

Frank-Walter Steinmeier - President of Germany
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Do governments truly have the capacity to understand emerging technologies? Communication regulations from the 1970s are not going to work for 2019."

Juliana Rotich - tech entrepreneur, Kenya
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Algorithms pick up on negative feelings such as fear and accentuate them. This has led to the creation of fear-based politics all over the world."

Jaron Lanier - computer scientist and author, USA
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"As broadcasters, we should not only focus on what people want to know but also what the should know. Social media should help us more in doing that."

Tanit Koch - director general at N-TV, Germany
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"We have to make clear that Europe has certain principles. Those who violate them will be subject to sanctions. This also applies to press freedom."

Armin Laschet - Premier of the state of North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Pluralism requires that the media are free, diverse, independent and sustainable."

Mariya Gabriel - Commissioner for Digital Economy, European Commission
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"We need to address the daunting challenges to development by engaging with multiple centers seeking balance rather than overreliance on one country."

Hamid Karzai - former President of Afghanistan
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"'Being a digital native means your whole reality id determined by the interconnection between your digital and non-digital realities."

Anne Boyson - researcher, analyst and founder of "After the Millinnials", USA
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Social media has divided us. Instead of listening to the news, people now listen to the echoes of their own prejudices."

Lord Michael Dobbs - politician and author of "House of Cards", UK
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"We use social media in order to control our own narrative."

Carmen Perez - National Co-Chair of Women's March & Executive Director of The Gathering for Justice, USA
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"It's difficult to form a relationship with a politician who's acting like a tyrant. What questions can you ask when this person can put you in jail?"

Can Dündar - former editor-in-chief of "Cumhuriyet", Turkey
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"If we truly believe that journalism is important to our society, we should enlist our fellow citizens and involve them as a community service."

Dr. Ann Hollifield - news and media researcher, USA
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Power must be in the hands of the wealth of the nation."

Noam Chomsky - Linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic and political activist, USA
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"In these times of digital propaganda and disinformation, independent media organizations are a major bastion of liberty and democracy."

Michelle Müntefering - Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"I believe that in the digital age, public broadcasters have a more important role to play than ever before."

Tom Buhrow - Director General of Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Germany
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Artificial intelligence is just computer code. But I'm scared of what certain people's goals and objectives are. What you use it for matters."

Karen Palmer - digital filmmaker, UK
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"The future of journalism is the people."

Jeff Jarvis - American journalist, professor, public speaker and former television critic, USA
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Journalists must see themselves as members of a big family and stick together."

Shirin Ebadi - Lawyer, a former judge and human rights activists and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center, Iran
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"Satire was our weapon to dissect through the lies and rhetoric that were used to control the people."

Bassem Youssef - Political satirist, writer, producer, physician, media critic and television host, Egypt
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"No one's above the law."

Rokhaya Diallo - Journalist and activist in France
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"I hope people in the West can distinguish between the Kremlin and Russia; Putin and Russia."

Mikhail Khodorkovsky - Founder of Open Russia, Russia
DW Global Media Forum: a decade of top speakers

"We should all be protected by the same press freedom."

Sarah Harrison - British journalist and WikiLeaks section editor, UK