Improvisation & Creative Dialogue
With Nicholas "Nick" Mockridge
What happens when spontaneity meets deep listening? In this Deep Dive, we explore how improvisation can unlock new ways of thinking, connecting and creating together.
Rebuilding Trust – How to Use the Power of Dialogue
With Peter Lindner and Anja von Cysewski
Hateful debates and media distrust challenge journalism. In this Deep Dive, Peter Lindner and Anja von Cysewski show how active listening, better questions, and mediation-inspired techniques can help journalists foster trust, deepen insights, and moderate meaningful public conversations.
Reporting Europe: Journalism, Democracy, and the Authoritarian Challenge
With Joanna Krawczyk, Sandra Fiene, Philipp Wissing, Irma Dimitradze, Thomas S. Leatherbury and Ute Lange
Across Europe, the space for independent journalism is shrinking. How can media professionals respond to increasing threats while upholding democratic values?
Constructive Transformation – Insights from Deutsche Welle
With Michael Oti, Elke Sandtner, Mara Bierbach, Özge Artunç, Melis Yüksel, Çağrı Özdemir, Elena Isayenko, Ingo Felscher, Jennifer Holleis and Fabian Lang
How can media organizations, newsrooms and individual journalists produce more and better constructive reporting? This Deep Dive offers insights from different teams at DW, Germany’s international public broadcaster. You will hear from news journalists on how to produce more constructive reports in a time crunch and from the team that created a new constructive newsletter. The session includes a behind-the-scenes tour through Deutsche Welle.
Listen, Don't Assume: Driving Innovation Through Real Conversations With Your Audience
With Willemijn Dekker, Fabienne Meijer, Robin Keeris, Joost Bos and Sophie van Oostvoorn
Discover how to truly connect with your audience! In this workshop you’ll learn participatory methods, gain tools to test assumptions and design journalism that reflects people’s values.
Transforming Newsrooms: From Change to True Transformation
With Claus Pakleppa and Lisa Stroetmann
A hands-on session for those ready to rethink newsroom culture and lead lasting change from within.
Welcome Night
With Ellen Heinrichs, Markus Beckedahl and Katja Dörner
Come by, join the festival community, and enjoy some snacks and a drink!
Journalism is a Profession of Care and Connection
With Nina Fasciaux
What if journalism was less about problems and more about care? Nina Fasciaux shows how compassion can reshape reporting, spark better debates, and bring people together.
Global Journalism, Global Voices: A Practical Guide to Participatory Cross-Border Reporting
With Roli Mahajan, Eva-Maria Verfürth, Katharina Otieno, Alba Nakuwa and Maren van Treel
Global stories need global voices. D+C shows how collaboration with journalists from the Global South leads to more balanced, inclusive reporting – and why that’s key for constructive journalism.
How to Build a Media Brand That Feels Like a Group Chat
With Emilio Doménech
Beyond the Newsroom: How to Involve Citizens in Your Investigations
With Neus Vidal and Sabrina Faramarzi
What if investigations went beyond the newsroom? In this hands-on workshop, journalists and citizens team up to tackle cross-border issues and turn local knowledge into impactful stories.
Ghosts, Friends, Lovers, Zombies and Stormtroopers: Audience Development Lessons From Journalists Working in Autocracies
With Fabienne Meijer, Kevin Anderson and Ali Mahmood
What happens when social media becomes a threat instead of a tool? Learn from global reporters how to build trust and impact when platforms are compromised and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
America's Free Press in Shackles
With Astrid Maier, Keri Mitchell, Kimberly Spencer, Moritz Döbler and Thomas S. Leatherbury
The U.S., birthplace of democracy, now faces threats to press freedom: public media defunding, silencing critical newsrooms, and rolling back journalist protections. Will democracy’s guardrails hold? The world is watching.
Connecting with Communities
With Lucas Batt, Rhiannon J Davies and Lucy Brisbane McKay
How can journalism rebuild trust and truly connect with communities? Discover fresh ideas from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Greater Govanhill on making media more inclusive, local, and people-powered.
Showing Them What’s Cooking: A Recipe for Radical Transparency and Ethical Guidelines
With Wytse Vellinga
Learn how journalism can earn trust in the age of social media and AI by practicing radical transparency and showing the public how facts are verified.
Represent 2025: A Hands-On Approach to Youth Representation in Journalism
With Sid Moeyersoms and Margot Vervloessem
In this workshop, you’ll explore what young people really want from the media, work with StampMedia’s latest research, and learn practical ways to make journalism more relevant and engaging for youth.
Making Solutions Climate Journalism Work: A Participatory Workshop
With Alice Fleerackers, Andreas Schuck and Lucas Verhoeven
How can we make climate journalism more effective—and more engaging? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore new research on audience reactions to solutions stories and co-create practical tools for better storytelling.
Where Art Meets Truth: An In-Depth Study of Artistic Journalism
With Jakub Górnicki
What happens when journalism turns into art? Jakub Górnicki shows how immersive storytelling and performative formats can transform news into shared experiences that connect and inspire.
The Missing Voices: Why Animals Deserve a Place in Mainstream Media
With Prya Bisambhar
Why are animals nearly invisible in the news – and why should that change? Prya Bisambhar shows how animal journalism can spark empathy, shift perspectives, and give non-human lives a place in the headlines.
Update Your Audience's Worldview – And Your Newsroom's Too
Think you know the world? Gapminder’s Ola Rosling challenges old stereotypes and shows how constructive journalism can reveal the truths your newsroom hasn’t yet discovered.
Designing a Platform for Deep Listening [cancelled]
What happens when your audience doesn’t just read – but listens back? Morten Ro from Zetland shares how deep audience listening fuels loyalty, impact and growth. With insights, numbers – and a business model inspired by human anatomy and the magic of singing together. Curious? Come listen!
Bridging Past and Future: How Media Archives and Cultural Heritage Offer New Perspectives on Journalism
With Laura Postma and Jill van Remundt
Explore how Sound & Visions’ archives empower journalists and citizens to tell richer, more informed stories.
From Newsroom to Courtroom: Repression of Georgian Journalists
With Irma Dimitradze, Mamuka Andguladze and Mariam Nikuradze
In just six months, Georgia’s press faces attacks, repression, and political jailing. This panel dives into how independent media resists and fights for press freedom against the odds.
Embracing Influencers: A New Era for Newsrooms
With Adriana Lacy
Discover how newsrooms can engage young audiences through social media, influencers, and authentic video content.
When Choral Music Meets Journalism: Crafting Stories That Reach New Audiences
With Keri Mitchell and Sam Brukhman
Sam Brukhman and Keri Mitchell teamed up to tell West Dallas’ story of environmental injustice through music, film, and storytelling. In this session, they share how their unique collaboration created a powerful, bilingual narrative that connected communities and sparked new awareness and action.
Mapping and Mending Ukraine’s News Deserts
With Tetiana Gordiienko and Valeria Shemshuchenko
The MDF presents “News Deserts 2.0,” a nationwide study on access to vital information in Ukraine. Discover key findings and practical strategies with local media to combat information inequality and support fragile media ecosystems.
Rethinking Conflict Coverage: Lessons from the Middle East and Beyond
With Alina Živanović, Yasmina Al-Gannabi, Konstantinos Antonopoulos and Derek Bowler
This panel explores fresh ways to cover conflicts that connect with young audiences amid digital overload—shifting focus from violence to empathy, resilience, and community stories for a new kind of conflict reporting.
What Does the Public Think of Generative AI (in the News)?
With Dr. Felix M. Simon and Richard Fletcher
AI in journalism affects us all. This talk shares fresh insights on how audiences use, trust, and feel about AI—and what it means for news and policy.
From Observers to Enablers: How Solutions Journalism Sparks Real-World Impact
With Olena Prikhno and Anhelina Tiokhta
What if journalism could spark dialogue and real change instead of ending with the story? Rubryka shows how solutions journalism builds trust, inspires action, and redefines impact.
Building an Independent Cultural Platform: Lessons From Agelast
With Galeb Nikačević Hasci-Jare
How do you build independent media in a polarized region? Agelast, the Balkans’ leading podcast, shares its journey: from authentic storytelling to community-building and creative survival. A session for media makers who believe in impact beyond the mainstream.
Get Out of Your Bubble and Into the Circle!
With Joost Bos and Ilse Louise van der Woude
Step outside and experience The Circle Method — a playful, powerful way for journalists to connect with their audience and turn the streets into a canvas for stories.
Women of Color in Leadership
With Vivienne Francis, Katie Mark and Debarati Guha
As DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) fades, who tells the untold stories? Join the Bureau’s women-of-colour leaders as they unpack trust, bias, and the challenges of a still male, white-dominated newsroom.
The Future of Journalism? Rebuilding Trust Through Representation
With Esmat Jeraj, Georgina Quach and Matt Pearce
Whose stories get told – and whose don’t? Journalism that lacks diversity risks losing trust. This panel explores how newsrooms can drive real, systemic change to reflect the society they serve – and win back audiences by making everyone truly visible.
Beyond the Scroll: Combatting News Fatigue in Crisis Reporting Through Audience Engagement
With Borja Díaz-Merry, Yasmina Al-Gannabi, Alina Živanović and Sebastian Katthöver
News fatigue is real – especially in times of crisis. This session explores how journalism can cut through the noise, engage younger audiences, and stay ethical under pressure. With hands-on strategies to fight overload and build lasting trust.
Europe Close Up: Local Stories, Shared Futures
With Sascha Devigne and Sandra Fiene
How does Europe shape our daily lives? Discover how regional journalism brings the EU closer to its citizens: with powerful local stories that cross borders, connect people, and show Europe in action
Constructive Dialogue in the Pub District of Bonn
With Achim Kettemer
How can constructive dialogue be achieved in Bonn’s pub district? Join the Night Mayor on a tour of the Old Town to experience the variety of pubs and discover how the city, its gastronomy and its guests come together!
DW Asia: Creating Dialogue on YouTube
With Faisal Ahmed, Shabnam Surita and Tanjir Mehedi
How do you spark dialogue across borders and break through distrust? Join the team behind Amader Kotha, Amra Boli , DW’s YouTube talk show for Bengali audiences in India and Bangladesh, as they reveal the challenges, triumphs, and secrets of connecting with communities while navigating tense diplomatic waters.
Zetland: How to Launch Two (Three?) Successful Publications by Putting Them in the Hands of Citizens
With Jakob Moll and Ellen Heinrichs
What makes Zetland so successful? The Danish membership-driven newsroom is redefining journalism through deep listening, dialogue, and transparency. Learn how their model took off in Finland.
Philippines: From Online Trolling to Real-Life Hate
With Andy Peñafuerte III, Jay-vee Marasigan Pangan and Mariz Umali
Discover how Filipino diaspora journalists covered Duterte’s arrest amid online hate and real-world attacks, and learn how constructive journalism can bridge divides and foster cross-border dialogue.
Newsletter Meet-Up: Sharing Ideas on How to Succeed With a Constructive Newsletter
With Jennifer Holleis, Ingo Felscher, Mara Bierbach and Cristina Burack
Join our meet-up for newsletter creators and readers: a space to share successes, failures, and lessons learned. Together we explore how newsletters can grow audiences and bring constructive journalism straight to the inbox.
DW Freedom Talk: Rethinking Media’s Role in Cultivating Conversations
With David Schneider, Roslyn Kratochvil Moore and Francisca Belén Valenzuela Ortega
How can media help bridge divides and rebuild trust? DW Akademie shares global insights on creating meaningful dialogue that truly connects with communities.
Europe Close Up: Local Stories, Shared Futures
With Sascha Devigne and Sandra Fiene
How does Europe shape our daily lives? Discover how regional journalism brings the EU closer to its citizens: with powerful local stories that cross borders, connect people, and show Europe in action
Networking as an Infrastructure of Trust: How 130+ Partners United to Rebuild Ukraine During the War
With Anhelina Tiokhta
How can media aid wartime recovery? This session explores how journalism, knowledge, and civic action create impact and trust.
Immer nur USA und Ukraine? Auslandsberichterstattung vom Rest der Welt
With Astrid Prange de Oliveira, Ninja Charbonneau, Seth Onyango and Charlotte Horn
Warum kommen Afrika, Lateinamerika oder Südasien so selten in unseren Medien vor? Diese Session zeigt, wie das unseren Blick verzerrt und was wir dagegen tun können.
Learnings From 14 Years of Digital News Report
With Astrid Maier and Nic Newman
Want to know where global journalism is headed? Nic Newman and Astrid Maier dig into shifting habits, AI, and the platforms transforming how we find and trust the news.
Information Overload: Media Literacy in the Age of Disinformation
With Nicola Bruno, Elli Narewska and Ashifa Kassam
In an age of misinformation and declining trust, how can media literacy protect democracy? This panel explores practical strategies journalists and educators can use to equip audiences against false information.
Die EU als Labor für konstruktiven Dialog – wie geht es weiter? [abgesagt]
With Jens Flosdorff and Markus Beckedahl
Die schwierige Balance zwischen Dialog, Interessen, Rechten und Regulierung in der Europäischen Union: Ein Blick hinter die Kulissen der EU-Kommunikation.
Breaking Free: Reimagining Social Media Strategies for Public Service Media
With Yasmina Al-Gannabi, Steven Oldengarm and Derek Bowler
Get expert tips from Deutsche Welle, Tagesschau & NPO on social media success for public broadcasters. Learn from real case studies, join dynamic talks on the future of social media, and leave with practical strategies — all with a broad European perspective.
Rebuilding Syria with Truth: How Journalism Fuels Hope, Healing, and Change
With Ghias Aljundi
Can journalism build peace? In this session, we explore how constructive storytelling and solutions journalism can turn media into a force for dignity and hope – even in regions like Syria.
Impact and Audiences First: Driving Change in Journalism in a Changing
With Flora Pereira
Flora Pereira shows how journalism can spark real-world change by connecting stories with audiences who act. Learn how the Pulitzer Center turns reporting into impact and civic engagement.
Constructive Construction: Reporting the Future of Sustainable Building
With Carolina Kyllmann
Buildings are a hidden climate culprit, but solutions are within reach. Carolina Kyllmann shows how journalism can spotlight circular construction and inspire change in one of the world’s most polluting industries.
What We (Don’t) Know About German Colonialism in Tanzania
With Mariam Gichan Athman and Ramona Seitz
Join to explore Germany’s colonial legacy through the stories of ancestral remains in collections. Tanzanian journalist Mariam Gichan and German journalist Ramona Seitz invite you to listen, reflect, and engage with descendants’ voices and institutional perspectives.