Not everywhere is free and independent journalism a matter of course. futur eins is involved in the promotion of democracy abroad and works with journalists and civil society on strategies to strengthen media freedom and pluralism, as for example in Eastern Europe.
»I fear three newspapers more than a hundred bayonets. « (Napoleon)
Functioning, resilient democracies consist of more than democratic institutions and procedures. They are also based on dialogue, debate and democratic participation. Key competencies and challenges in connection with public communication and journalism under often difficult conditions are at the center of our capacity building activities - which have so far focused on Eastern Europe. In cooperation with local partner organizations, the projects focus on strengthening quality and diversity in the media, promoting transparency, aloofness and independence in journalism or dealing with fake news and propaganda. The focus of the workshops is less on conventional formats such as lectures etc., but rather on a process characterized by the reflection, consolidation and context-related application of current research developments from various disciplines, strong practical relevance and mutual learning. In 2018, young journalists from Russia and Ukraine were able to exchange views on the challenges of journalism in the context of digitalization and propaganda (project #verify).
The first age of social networks was a gigantic global success with a new form of human interconnectivity and communication, but also dark underbellies of destructive disinformation and propaganda. What can we learn from the first age, about business models, blueprints, algorithms, and echo chambers, and do better in the next?
Digitization offers completely new opportunities for knowledge processing and networking that we as a society can use. This also means leaving the attention economy behind and, for example, placing strategic social megatopics on resubmission. To achieve this, science and journalism need to move closer together to think in terms of joint information platforms.
With the digital age, two pillars of media financing have collapsed: advertising revenues and sales figures. The financing of journalism must therefore take new paths today. Non-profit status and platform economy can not only be two options, they can also be thought of together.