German international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW) is ramping up international co-productions with broadcasters from around the world, DW director general Peter Limbourg told delegates at the opening of this year’s DW Global Media Forum in Bonn on Monday (13 June).

“This is a first in international broadcasting. And an important step in recognising the value of the contribution of regional partners,” Limbourg said, highlighting local expertise and perspective.

DW has more than 4,000 partners around the world, including more than 1,000 across all platforms in Asia.

Limbourg said DW’s partners “will be playing a vital part in our new digital strategy. Mobile access of information is a growing factor. We want to grasp the opportunity and make sure that our content is available for our users on all platforms”.

More than 2,000 delegates from 100 countries are in Bonn for the three-day event. This year’s theme is “Media. Freedom. Values.”.

In his opening address at this ninth annual event, Limbourg expressed strong support for freedom of speech and freedom of the press, which he said were increasingly facing limitations all over the world.

“We want freedom of speech to be a universal right... We want journalists to be able to be critical without having to fear retribution,” he said, adding: “Sadly this is being impaired in more and more countries”.

“All of us are working for the advancement of open societies and the free exchange of information.

“But still, limitations on political action, on human rights and the freedom of speech continue to threaten the values we expect to be universal,” he said.

In today’s digital age, “it has become easier to distribute disinformation and to manipulate.

“Therefore, we need to rethink the way in which we perceive, demonstrate and spread our values. Delivering our journalistic content to our audiences is calling for a new approach,” he said.

Reaffirming DW’s commitment to digitisation and multi-screen delivery, Limbourg said a vast number of users was already being reached via mobile and social media. He also said DW would continue to broadcast linear TV, produce radio programmes and make content available in 10 languages online.

“But the most efficient way of contributing to the global debate, is to enable as many of our users as possible to join in directly with solid knowledge of the facts through their preferred social media channels.

“Only when people are able to communicate freely, there will be change. The possibility to share ideas and values with others and the chance to inspire those, who are still under the control of dictatorial regimes.

“Nothing – and I stress – nothing – justifies a limitation of the freedom of expression to be rooted within a democratic constitution,” he said to applause from a packed auditorium.

Limbourg closed by saying that “the end of the freedom of expression is also the beginning of the end of democracy. There are simply no more excuses when this point is reached. Each and every one of us is called upon to stand up and demand the freedom of expression loud and clear.”

Published on 13 June 2016