People are at the heart of every great story and a new social media campaign from DW, #whereicomefrom, is focusing on the people who make DW unique. Coming from all over the world, each presenter and anchor at DW has been shaped by where they come from and this shapes the work they do at DW.

Months of research and interviews went into compiling each story for #whereicomefrom and in the three weeks since the project was launched, the 12 profiles have already been viewed over 1 million times on Facebook. The stories are as unique as the presenters themselves and touch upon historical events, cultural nuances and personal hardship.

But what all of the faces of DW have in common is the desire to use their experience and background to expand their audiences’ horizons and help them understand the world. And it is this common spirit that brought them to DW.

Lead news anchor Brent Goff came from America to Germany and was inspired by the international atmosphere in Berlin to forge a career in global news. Russian journalist Zhanna Nemstova came to Germany after her father was assassinated in Moscow.

These are only a few of the personalities highlighted by Where I come from and there are also many more people who may be coming next.

Middle East

DW’s talk show for youth in the Arab world, Shababtalk, has been honored as the best Arabic talk show by the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU). It is the third year in a row that Shababtalk has earned this distinction. The ASBU decision was especially motivated by a Shababtalk edition that focused on the role of Arab youth six years after the Arab Spring.

A report produced by DW in Baghdad with the support of Iraqi partner Al Rasheed TV also won a gold award from the ASBU. The emotional report was produced as part of Shababtalk’s tour of the Arab world last year and profiled a developmentally disabled Iraqi girl . Shababtalk is expected to go on tour to six locations in the Arab world in 2017.

Europe

Leading Lithuanian broadcaster INIT TV is providing 500,000 households around the country with the popular DW shows Focus on Europe and Europe in Concert. Focus in Europe will be broadcast with a Lithuanian voice over and Europe in Concert is also being shown on INIT’s music channel, PLAY TV.

North America

The 2017 DW Freedom of Speech award will be given to the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA). The DW Freedom of Speech Award honors a person or initiative that provides an outstanding example for freedom of expression and human rights. DW said the WHCA had established a new benchmark in holding US leadership accountable.

With the award DW recognizes the important work of ensuring clarity and transparency from an increasingly uncooperative US presidential administration and amid accusations of “fake news” and attacks on journalistic integrity. WHCA President Jeff Mason will receive the award at the Global Media Forum on June 19.

Mobile news content is where most readers turn to for their daily intake of information and entertainment. And the rapid-fire mobile news environment has created fertile ground for for fake news and poor-quality content. This is a hugely important topic for producers of digital news.

During a recent conference with media partners in the Moroccan capital Rabat, Peter Limbourg, DW’s director general, joined representatives from Moroccan media and politics and underlined the importance of ensuring quality in digital media. Limbourg showed how the standards of  accuracy, verification and thorough reporting by “traditional” media can set an important example as traditional shifts to mobile. The talk also focused on how to distinguish fake news from bad journalism and how DW ensures a high standard of quality across all outlets.

DW’s international focus means that working with partners around the world is essential to building a foundation for new ideas and cooperation.

Hespress is a Moroccan example of successful digital media that is produced independently with a high standard. Founded ten years ago, today it is the country’s top news website and is one of the most-popular sites in the Maghreb. The success of the website is centered around its digital first strategy and understanding how digital media is becoming the primary source of news and information for audiences everywhere.

DW Akademie is also very active in the region in promoting quality digital media. DW’s center for international media training is currently working with the ISIC, Morocco’s renowned journalism training institute, on creating educational strategies for developing and organizing digital media.

Support from broadcasters like DW sets an international standard for media, which most importantly, is built on a tradition of credibility and professionalism that is true no matter what medium the audience uses.

Asia

DW is providing a wider selection of Russian-language programming in parts of Russia, all of central Asia, the Caucuses, Turkey and the Middle East via broadcasting partner NEXT TV. The partner will rebroadcast DW’s Russian news broadcast, DW Novosti, along with the political talk show Nemtsova.Interview and a subtitled version of the lifestyle program Euromaxx. DW’s Russian-language programming provides the region with a valuable, independent perspective on important global news, something which is lacking in Russian media.

DW will be coproducing the science program Tomorrow Today in Vietnam in cooperation with local partner Vietnam Television (VTV). The show will be broadcast weekly in Vietnamese with DW branding and will be available across the country

A DW livestream is now available on mobile devices via Hong Kong-based partner CMC WiseMe in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The science program Inovator is being broadcast across Indonesia via ICTA-TV, which has a big place in the Indonesian TV market, reaching 2 million households.

Africa

DW’s partnership with South African media conglomerate MultiChoice has taken on a wider scope. DW’s German language channel DW (Deutsch) is now available via MultiChoice in 50 countries throughout the continent. MultiChoice operates the most important DTH platform in Sub-Saharan Africa and will contribute to DW (Deutsch) becoming the primary German-language television channel in Africa.

Latin America

DW has a new programming partner in Argentina. Santa Fe-based RTS is broadcasting the programs Enfoque Europa, Visión futuro and Cuadriga to an estimated 850,000 households.

At MIPTV 2017 in Cannes, storytelling is taking center stage. At the core is content that connects with audiences using timeless elements that draw audiences in and capture their interest and imagination.

DW Transtel is sharing the best in factual entertainment covering a variety of topics. For example, Railway Stories shares a tradition of travel and adventure and looks at the meaning of place in connection with legendary railways around the world. In six videos it invites anyone with wanderlust to get lost for a few hours and immerse themselves in a journey.

Coming from a more serious angle, Migration Millennium examines how migration is changing the world with stories that uncover ugly truths and bitter challenges faced by migrants struggling to improve their lives. By using storytelling to personalize a broad issue, the series can shed a unique light on the issue.

Everyone should look for these highlights and more from DW Transtel, on display at this year’s MIPTV, which is the world’s premiere global entertainment event.