DW Akademie Report 2023/24

DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Our projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information.

Free media. Free expression. Free societies.

DW Akademie empowers people worldwide to make independent decisions based on reliable facts and constructive dialogue. It is a strategic partner of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and is also active with funding from the Foreign Office and the European Union.

Our vision: Media for a just and peaceful future

Together for media freedom: Political actors, non-governmental organizations and media professionals from around the world gathered in Santiago de Chile to celebrate World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2024. DW Akademie and partner organizations also contributed to the UNESCO conference with discussion panels and workshops. The topics included environmental journalism, countering disinformation in this super election year and the question of how media development organizations can ensure the economic survival of quality media. One maxim prevails – that the human right to freedom of expression and access to information can only be defended together.

Our Work: Action with impact

Afghan refugees have been living in northern Pakistan since the 1970s. There, refugees face restrictions and discrimination and often live in poverty. DW Akademie and the news agency Tribal News Network (TNN) are working together to train Afghan community reporters. Together with Pakistani professional journalists, they learn how to use constructive journalism to effectively report on Afghan refugees and the issues they face. They have since produced online and video reports about the refugee community, focusing on solidarity and resilience.

Viable media

Independent journalism needs sustainable business models and an effective editorial strategy. Yet other aspects also influence the economic success of media, such as legal and political framework conditions, technological innovations and the economies of networks. Media viability is crucial to ensuring that citizens trust independent media and have access to reliable information – especially in times of crisis. 

"When you are in exile, you are not in a good psychological place. Writing is somehow difficult, but I still try. If I stop writing, I stop existing."

Participant of the Space for Freedom project, a part of the Hannah Arendt Initiative, aimed at supporting and training media professionals in exile.

Changing perspectives: A world in transition

African filmmakers Akuol de Mabior (center left), Ike Nnaebue (center right) and their crews have a lot to celebrate. Films from Generation Africa, a project of DW Akademie and the South African organization STEPS, deal with the future of Africa’s youth, the pressing issues of migration as well as climate justice. DW Akademie works to train filmmakers from the Global South and supports them in producing and screening internationally competitive films and series. The project makes an important contribution to freedom of expression and acts as a driver for social change and dialogue.

Migration and the media

DW Akademie works to ensure that refugees and migrants can exercise their right to access information and freedom of expression while promoting dialogue with host societies. In Bangladesh, for example, we have been supporting Rohingya refugees and locals through our partner organizations since 2018. Working together, they produce a weekly radio show on how to better cope with everyday problems. In Latin America and the Caribbean, we encourage journalism that spotlights the challenges migrants face along dangerous routes to the US.

Informed and competent: Youth and media

Jordan’s population is overwhelmingly young, with more than half of Jordanians under the age of 24. Digital technologies and social media play a central role in Jordan – for better or worse. The trend toward polarization and radicalization is worsened by the spread of disinformation, which first became apparent during the pandemic and, more recently, since the Israel-Hamas war. Institutional media literacy education remains limited in Jordan - especially in regions far from the capital. Over three months, the bus from Jordan Media Institute and DW Akademie has already traveled across the country, including visiting universities. The project has informed more than 1,200 interested citizens about media literacy and its role in responsible internet use.

Navigating the media: Competence as a compass

Media and information literacy (MIL) is the ability to access, analyze and critically reflect on media, as well as to create media content oneself. It is a prerequisite for citizens to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Our innovative projects promote these rights and empower people to understand and use media responsibly.

Empowering media makers

The Armenian word “hetq” means “to trace,” and that’s exactly what the journalists at the online news site Hetq do. With their fact-checks, they examine news reports and government public statements, for example. Hetq is one of 13 independent media outlets in Armenia that has worked closely with DW Akademie since 2021.

Journalism: Credible quality

DW Akademie supports media professionals in shaping the future of journalism with training and continuing education programs. We support schools for journalists because they play a leading role in the further development of the sector. They are drivers of innovation for journalism whose work benefits both the public and media companies.

Our numbers: We set the standards

Close cooperation with local partner organizations in nearly 70 developing and emerging countries is our strength. To enable us to work even more closely together, we are continuously opening or expanding DW Akademie's field and regional offices. For example, a new regional office was opened in Mexico in 2023. Our 16 field offices complement our ten regional offices to form a global network of media development experts. Our decentralized organizational structure guarantees that we are where we are needed most.

68

emerging economies and developing countries where we have projects (as of April 2024)

84

DW Akademie projects in 2023

365

people around the world whom we employ on a full or part-time basis (as of May 2024)  

187

partner organizations around the world with which we work closely 

40.7 million euros

in project funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Foreign Office, the European Union and other donors (2023 budget)  

3.3 million euros

in funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, for work we do on behalf of Deutsche Welle (2023 budget)