DW Akademie in India

India, with its population of 1.2 billion people, is often praised as being the world's largest democracy. Its vast diversity of cultures, languages and ethnic groups is also reflected in its media sector. But quantity does not guarantee quality. On the Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index 2018, India ranks 138th of 180 countries, which is even lower than Afghanistan. The governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is increasingly exerting its influence on news reporting. More and more often, the credibility of the media is called into question, especially when there is evidence that rumors are started to boost ratings, or when published content is paid for.

Our activities
DW Akademie has been active in India in various fields. DW Akademie has supported the TV and radio programming activities of the state broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, and provided guidance in the establishment of a multimedia archive. Lecturers at Indira Ghandi University were provided with training that was tailored to their specific needs. Since 2016, DW Akademie has been organizing an annual media dialogue in cooperation with the German Embassy in New Delhi. This dialogue allows top Indian and German journalists to get together to exchange views and ideas with the aim of correcting the distorted image of each others' countries that is frequently depicted in the Indian and German press.

Funding: German Foreign Office (AA)

Contact person: Priya Esselborn

Location: New Delhi

Local partners: Doordarshan, All India Radio

Main focus: Qualification, professionalism and viability of the media sector