For a half-century DW has delivered quality news and information to Hausa speaking audiences in West Africa. To celebrate the occasion, a delegation of directors and editors from DW traveled to Niamey, Niger and Abuja, Nigeria to meet with local leaders and media representatives. Highlights of the events included keynote speeches and discussions centered on the role of international media in Africa and what can be done to assist with human rights and conflict resolution.  DW has been praised for providing a voice of freedom in times of political struggle as well as providing an example for the local media to follow. “We can’t always trust our own media,” said a representative from Dallol FM, a local radio station.

As one of the few international broadcasters with Hausa content tailored for local populations, DW plays a unique role in helping people improve their lives by providing them with a world-class news service alongside programming that advocates learning. A new part of this mission is Crossroads Generation, the latest series from the successful educational radio program, Learning by Ear. The new series was presented at both locations and received much acclaim. “With its educational programming and informative broadcasting, DW makes an essential contribution to education in Niger,” said Brigi Rafini, Prime Minsiter of Niger at the meeting in Niamey.

DW will also be seeking to expand its services for African audiences that comprise more than half of DW’s total global audience of 100 million.  “Deutsche Welle has been a large part of the media landscape in Africa for decades where we are seen as a reliable source of information” said DW Director General, Peter Limbourg, “Africa is a successful market for DW with excellent prospects.”

DW’s Kick off! scored big at the world’s largest sports film festival in Milan. The DW documentary, “50 years of Bundesliga”, won an “Infront award” and a “mention d’honneur” at Sport Movies and TV – The 31st annual FICTS fest. The contest in Milan is the final round featuring the best films out of the year-long FICTS world challenge ­­– a 15 round circuit of film competitions held in different member countries all over the world. There were nearly 1,000 entries for the 2013 FICTS world challenge. The Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs (International federation of sports cinema and television) is based in Milan and has 113 member countries from every part of the world. The contest is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

The five-part documentary series follows the German national soccer league through five decades of hard fought contests, rivalries, defeats and triumphs which turned it into the beloved institution it is today. That two German teams squared off in the final of the 2013 Champions league is a testament to the current superior status of the German national league on the world stage. The documentary has already been acquired by broadcasters in 30 countries and is a must-see for every fan of German soccer.

 

 

Asia

The Sydney-based culture channel Ovation is now a DW partner in Australia.  The 15-year-old television channel is carried by all major providers and has a large fan base with programs that feature art, film, opera, history, culture and drama. Ovation will be adding Euromaxx, Arts 21, Europe in Concert, Discover Germany and Treasures of the World.

DW is also being broadcast now on the business and finance news channel, Business Plus, in Pakistan. It is the only channel of its kind in the country with a focus on business and economic issues. Euromaxx, DW’s lifestyle magazine will be aired daily during the evening program as an addition to the lifestyle segment. There are plans for more cooperation with DW in the future. The channel is broadcast nationwide via the Paksat-1 satellite and is carried by all major cable providers allowing for a potential audience of 12 million households in Pakistan. Outside of Pakistan, the channel is available in 52 countries. Business Plus belongs to the MTL media group.

The Vietnamese news channel VNews will be providing a monthly contribution to DW’s World Stories starting in January 2014. VNews is the television broadcaster of the Vietnam News Agency.

Europe

DW has added a new online partner in Greece. Since the beginning of October, DW has been providing full reports on Greek political and business news that are being featured on the popular business website capital.gr. The website covers finance, business and investment news while providing political analysis and background information. Capital.gr attracts a young audience with an average age of 35 who also have a high level of education and interest in socio-economic issues. The site is visited by around 1,250,000 users in Greece each month.

 

 

It is becoming a dangerous digital world out there with everything from hackers phishing for passwords to governments spying on communications. Journalists are often in possession of very sensitive information and there is the persistent danger of it falling into the wrong hands. Learning how to securely save and transfer information has therefore become vital to the skill set of modern journalists.

DW is on the front line in the fight for digital security. This week, DW Akademie is hosting free online workshops about Digital Safety for Journalists, in cooperation with Reporters Without Borders. The seminar is open to everyone interested in learning more about Internet security and consists of six sessions held by digital safety experts and journalists.

Some of the experts include Ala’a Shehabi an activist and journalist based in Bahrain, Anne Roth from Tactical Tech, an NGO that works on digital security for activists and Morgan Marquis-Boire, a digital security researcher and technical advisor. You can explore the issues on the community page which will be continuously updated and you can follow the sessions on Twitter at @dw_akademie and #digisafe. Don’t miss out, register now for the seminar and learn how to protect yourself online.

What will the future look like for the silicon savannah?

DW Akademie is also currently accepting proposals for papers to be presented at the fifth Deutsche Welle Media Dialogue in May. The topic this year addresses different social and structural challenges affecting the media in Kenya.  Media academics, political scientists, economists, academic lawyers and journalists can register online to join the symposium and upload their proposals. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2014.

The symposium will be held in two parts. The first session will cover media legislation and media ownership in Kenya with a look at the current media landscape and what developments are to be expected. The second session will look at journalistic standards and ethical practices with an extra focus on election coverage. The development of communication technology in Kenya has been seen as an African success story. The next step will be to ensure that the information being shared on the new networks meets journalistic standards. The symposium and presentations will be in English.

At the height of the 2011 Egyptian revolution there was hope that Egypt would emerge with increased freedom for journalists. But as the wave receded, a reconstruction of the same oppression was all that was left behind. On November 29, DW-Akademie and ARD will be hosting an expert discussion at the ARD studios in Berlin to address the power struggle on the Nile that is affecting and polarizing the Egyptian media.

There is an acute problem for journalists in Egypt. The country ranks 158 out of 179 on the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters without Borders. Egyptian journalists are under constant threat of arrest and imprisonment. In August 2013, Al-Jazeera’s Egyptian TV station was raided and shut down by security forces under the pretense of “posing a threat to national security” and “fabricating allegations and rumors”. After the 2013 coup d’état which effectively placed the military in control of the country, the Egyptian constitution was suspended and the situation for journalists has become progressively worse.

DW has always been a global advocate for democracy and freedom of the press. By increasing awareness it can give hope to journalists in oppressive countries who are suffering just for doing their jobs. Shedding light on these issues during the discussion will be Raniah Salloum, Mideast reporter for Spiegel Online, Jürgen Stryjak a Cairo correspondent for ARD and Mazen Hassan, Germany correspondent for the Egyptian newspaper, Al-Ahram. Moderating the panel will be Jaafar Abdul-Karim, host of Shababtalk, DW’s talk show for the Arab world.