This year's media conference is dicussing "Overcoming divisions"

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How can journalism help us in overcoming societal divisions? This is the question we will examine during the 16th edition of DW's international media conference, which will take place on June 19 and 20, 2023.

Check out the conference program at dw.com/gmf.

We live in an increasingly fragmented world. The global clash of systems and ideologies, conflicting strategies in response to the climate crisis, and the mounting frustration in the fight for minority rights are just three examples of the many polarizing debates of our day.

At the Global Media Forum, DW brings together media professionals from around the globe

In addition, there's also a growing overload of digitally available information, where more and more voices are trying to dominate each one of these issues.

In this context, diversity and plurality could serve as our greatest strengths and guiding principles in search for solutions. But it has become increasingly difficult to unite people with differing views and opinions. At the same time, there is a growing need for more social cohesion and solidarity. 

Making connections – both in spite of and because of differing opinions

What role does the media play against this backdrop? How can journalism help us overcome societal divisions? Can news do more than just document social grievances that push us apart?

Or does the fundamental duty of media organizations extend to advocating values and to actively fostering civil societies? Furthermore, how do we prevent overreporting from fueling conflicts – even though it might lead to bigger reach?  

These are some of the many issues which the 16th edition of the DW Global Media Forum hopes to explore on June 19 and 20, 2023. The conference will take place both at our well-known historic location, the former German parliament building and today's World Conference Center in Bonn, and online.

Register now and take part in the conference.

In light of current developments in media, politics, and science, "Overcoming divisions" will direct its emphases on the following issues:

• Should media companies be involved in strengthening civil societies?  

• How can unbiased information improve its goals of reaching majority audiences around the globe?

• Where does the current fragmentation of societies around the globe originate from? Have we ignored too many voices for too long? Which voices do we tend to focus on – and why?  

• How do we better reflect the diversity of our world in our newsrooms? 

• How can media outlets find a (profitable) balance in producing news content for various (micro-)target audiences while also supporting solutions that bring differing views together? 

  
  

  Lively discussions across borders: Ukrainian journalist Angelina Kariakina attended the forum in 2022

• Which instruments do we need in order to become truly inclusive and to counter discrimination and exclusion on account of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, or religion? 

• Does the media put enough effort into covering existential topics such as poverty, food distribution and hunger?

• With more and more people being forced to leave their homes around the globe and migration levels reaching new highs, should media outlets broaden their respective focuses concerning their language(s) and topics? 

• How can we best address the issue of improving media literacy around the world now that (deep) fakes are so widespread and sophisticated, especially in digital or social media-only news? 

• How do wars and their coverage affect the work of journalists in the long run – in conflict regions as well as in newsrooms worldwide? 

• How do we go about prioritizing what crises we need to shift our attention to, i.e. what measures do we have to take to reliably report on ad-hoc global news events while making sure to cover constant threats like climate change as well? 

• Does journalism employ the right instruments to counter populism?