Leipzig: 20th DJV Journalism Congress on September 6th – Register now!

Leipzig: 20th DJV Journalism Congress on September 6th – Register now!

The 20th DJV Journalism Congress will take place in Leipzig on September 6, 2025 under the motto “Loud. Courageous. Indispensable.” instead of. This important event will be held at the Villa Ida media campus and aims to emphasize the role and importance of journalism at a time when traditional media are increasingly suffering from attacks and hostility. The congress will cover topics such as politics, Europe, artificial intelligence and the challenges of journalism in the digitalized world. According to Flurfunk Dresden, the event begins at 10 a.m. with an opening keynote by the Austrian publicist and digital expert Ingrid Brodnig.

The congress offers a comprehensive program that includes workshops, discussions and panels. Topics include the influence of artificial intelligence on the media, freedom of the press and the future of Europe. What is particularly noteworthy is the diversity of the speakers, who want to address both experienced journalists and young professionals, thereby promoting cross-generational exchange. Over the last 20 years, this congress has developed from a meeting place for “network nerds” into an important platform for media professionals of all generations.

Program highlights and discussions

After the opening speech, the program continues with a panel on press freedom and concentration of power in the public sphere. The speakers include Dr. Kai Unzicker from the Bertelsmann Foundation and Dr. Julia Reuschenbach from the FU Berlin. This panel will be moderated by Johannes Meyer, a renowned journalist and lecturer.

Particular attention is also paid to the role of social media in local journalism. Johanna Steele and Jördis Fruchter are not invited as speakers, while Luka Spahr will moderate the event. Further workshops offer deeper insights into topics such as the influence of AI on journalism, data-driven research in Europe and the challenges of disinformation in the digital space. In keeping with the current discussions about the media landscape, the growth of the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT will also be discussed, with Jochen Wegner appearing as a speaker.

Conditions of participation and registration

The ticket prices for the event are 49 euros for members of the German Journalists Association (DJV) and 110 euros for guests. Those interested can find out about the full program and register on the official website [Besser Online](https://www.djv.de/veranstaltungen/djv- Veranstaltungsreihe/besser-online/).

The congress not only serves for further training and discussion, but also for networking among media professionals. In the afternoon, participants can take part in various workshops that deal in detail with topics such as authenticity in journalism and the challenges of digital journalism. The congress concludes with a lecture by Dr. Martin Andree on digital sovereignty and media freedom, starting at 5 p.m. and underlining the relevance of such topics today.