Media worldwide are in crisis. Journalists were caught off guard when the US withdrew an estimated $268 million from global media support this year, threatening their livelihoods and critical work. This financial shock hit when independent media were already struggling to survive, with ad revenues drying up. Media development organizations worldwide, protecting journalists and advocating for freedom of expression, are equally affected. With authoritarianism on the rise—even in stable democracies within the EU and America—supporting media development is now more crucial than ever to safeguard democracy and ensure societal security.

This DW Freedom Talk takes a close look at the threats facing independent media around the globe. Highlighting key findings from DW Akademie’s new State of Media Development Report, we will discuss what different stakeholders can do to tackle this crisis.

Speakers:
Tamar Kintsurashvili, Executive Director of Media Development Foundation, Georgia, and DW Freedom of Speech Award winner 2025
Christian Mihr, Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany
Ines Drefs, Senior Consultant, DW Akademie 
Moderated by Carsten von Nahmen, Managing Director of DW Akademie

When : June 2, 2025, 5.30pm - 7.30pm 
Where: Publix, Hermannstr. 90, Berlin