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DW's 19th Global Media Forum (GMF26) brings together more than 1,400 participants from over 100 countries at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) in Bonn, Germany.
As AI reshapes the flow of information and public discourse, the forum examines how media, policy and technology leaders can respond to the challenges and opportunities it presents.
"Our theme this year is 'Journalism out loud.' Because journalism needs to remain audible in a world that is becoming increasingly noisy," Deutsche Welle (DW) Director General Barbara Massing said.
She emphasized: "The good news is that established media brands remain the most widely used sources of information, even in Social Media and AI, which people use most to inform themselves. That gives us a strong foundation. Credibility, factual accuracy, context, and long-term journalistic commitment pay off. [...] Digital platforms and AI systems benefit enormously from journalistic content – content created by others; something we would never accept in other areas. That is why we need sustainable business models that reward quality journalism and ensure that content creators share in the value they generate. This is how we can get the most out of technological innovation and journalistic expertise in the service of democracy and security."
She stressed the importance of independent journalism in safeguarding democratic societies and ensuring that citizens have access to reliable information.
Today, DW Akademie published the meta-study "The Value of Journalism" at the GMF, which demonstrates that independent journalism generates significant public value for society. "The study shows that every U.S. dollar invested in independent journalism can generate more than one hundred dollars in public value through recovered funds, better public services and reduced corruption. By contrast, disinformation is estimated to cost societies worldwide between 350 and 500 billion dollars each year," said Massing.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister for Federal, European and Media Affairs Nathanael Liminski highlighted the importance of supporting journalism and maintaining economically sustainable media organizations in his welcome remarks: "Those who create diversity of information and opinion are finding it increasingly difficult to finance their work in Europe, in Germany, not just around the world, but also here. That is why we must continue to value journalistic work. And media companies must remain economically viable. Otherwise, we risk losing media diversity and diversity of perspectives. And with that we would weaken one of the very foundations of our democracies."
He added: "Platforms that earn good money in Europe should also contribute fairly to the media ecosystem, from which they benefit."
The annual DW Global Media Forum provides a unique interdisciplinary platform for media professionals and decision-makers from politics, civil society, culture, education, business, and science worldwide to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The Global Media Forum is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Foundation for International Dialogue of the Sparkasse in Bonn, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Culture and Media, and the City of Bonn, according to DW.
Over two days, participants will examine questions at the heart of today’s media landscape: how to withstand political pressure and censorship, stay relevant in the face of AI and Big Tech, protect trusted information, engage new audiences and strengthen investigative reporting in a fragmented media landscape.