Programme Highlights for the Kick-Off Day

As the main partner of re:publica 2021, MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin will kick off the event on 20 May with a day dedicated to media, highlighting trends in the media world, discussing developments and backgrounds in the film, TV and streaming business, as well as political and social developments to secure media diversity.

Find all information about the programme and the speakers here.

Programme Highlights

Nachgefragt beim Deutschen Fernsehen: Qualitätsoffensive – Eintagsfliege oder Paradigmenwechsel? | 11:30 – 12:05
For a long time, the streaming wars were top of the news: Who will prevail on the non-linear streaming market? Now the conventional television programme is once again on everyone's lips, especially in connection with a large-scale quality offensive by the private broadcasters. What is the background to the quality and information offensive? Based on what strategic decisions for the future orientation of the broadcasters? What social developments have led to this? And what do attitude and public value mean today in the context of the dual broadcasting system? How does public service broadcasting react?
Daniel Rosemann (Head of Broadcasting, ProSieben), Stephan Schmitter (Managing Director, RTL NEWS) and Jörg Schönenborn (Programme Director, WDR) answer these and other questions in their talk. Moderation: Salwa Houmsi (ZDF & WDR/COSMO)

Check it once, then (we) check it twice – Journalistische Sorgfaltspflicht auf dem Prüfstand | 14:10 – 14:35
Everyone is talking about an "infodemie". Fake news circulates undisturbed all the time. Then there are cases that question the credibility of supposedly serious journalistic work, such as most recently in connection with the documentary film "Lovemobil". How is one supposed to distinguish between such cases? In Germany, journalistic due diligence applies. Wolfgang Kreißig (President of the Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Würtemberg) gives an insight into the theory. Dietmar Schiffermüller (Editorial Director STRG_F) talks about the practical handling of the topic in editorial offices. Moderation: Torben Klausa (Tagesspiegel Background)

Medial, lokal, egal? – Lokaljournalistische Inhalte zwischen Förderung und Forderungen | 12:40 – 13:05
An informed civil society is needed to strengthen democracy. Journalism and a thriving local media play a key role in this. But why do we need well-researched local journalistic offerings, equally in rural areas as in big cities? Eva Flecken (Director, Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg - mabb) and Benjamin Grimm (State Secretary and Commissioner for Media and Digitalisation, State Chancellery of Brandenburg) provide answers and explain why local journalism urgently needs to be promoted and demanded. Mona Rübsamen and Katia Berg from FluxFM present the podcast "Luckenkien", which informs about developments in the Teltow-Fläming region and the district town of Luckenwalde. Dr. Andreas Trunschke (webfischerei) presents the projects "Fläming 365 kompakt" and "Zauche 365 kompakt", which offer users local news in a compact form.  Moderation: Torben Klausa (Tagesspiegel Background)

Strukturen (ab)schaffen: Für mehr Vielfalt im Film! | 15:55 – 16:20
With the publication of the #ActOut manifesto in February, 185 actors and actresses committed themselves to the socio-political initiative, which advocates for more recognition of LGBTQI persons both in society and within the German-speaking film, television and theatre industry. Shortly after, in March, the Initiative "Vielfalt im Film" published results of its survey on diversity and equality in the German-speaking film and television industry. The data collected between July and November 2020 shows: Discrimination and abuse of power continue to be a systemic problem. UFA is taking the lead and committing to more diversity in front of and behind the camera. Katja Bäuerle (Creative Responsibility Manager, UFA) summarises how this came about and how the process is going in a statement. Skadi Loist (Junior Professor for Production Cultures in Audiovisual Media Industries, Babelsberg Film University), Konrad Wolf, (Initiative Vielfalt im Film) and Raquel Kishori Dukpa (Producer and Writer, Jünglinge Film) talk about what has happened in their work in the past year, what we should definitely take away as practical lessons from the findings of the past months and what structures are needed to sustainably anchor diversity in front of and behind the camera. Moderation: Louis Klamroth ("Klamroths Konter", n-tv)

Information is power – Freie Meinungsbildung zwischen Desinformation, Social Bots und Algorithmen | 17:25 – 17:50
The digital space is becoming increasingly confusing. In an environment where there is increasingly deliberately placed disinformation, for example by means of social bots and hate speech, it is difficult to keep track. But how do young people in Germany inform themselves at all in the digital age — and what actually sticks with them in the end? Anna-Katharina Meßmer (Project Manager Digital News and Information Literacy at the Stiftung Neue Verantwortung) and Meinolf Ellers (dpa and initiator #UseTheNews) talk about what insights can be drawn from the study "Quelle Internet" by Stiftung Neue Verantwortung and the #UseTheNews project and what consequences arise for journalistic practice. Moderation: Torben Klausa (Tagesspiegel Background)


Click here for the complete programme.