„The course for the future of journalism is set today"
Journalism is under pressure: loss of trust, disinformation, platform dependency, and a shortage of young talent are shaping the industry. No media organization can tackle these challenges alone. At BEYOND NEWS, a conference for emerging media professionals, space is created for new alliances and fresh ideas to shape the journalism of the future.
Shaping the future requires collaboration. With this conviction, Germany's largest public broadcasting network ARD, on the occasion of its 75th anniversary, is bringing together around 150 young journalists from a wide range of media organisations this November, in cooperation with Publix, the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS, the ZEIT Verlagsgruppe and other partners.
At the two-day conference BEYOND NEWS, participants will exchange ideas on key questions shaping the future of journalism:
- How can trustworthy journalism succeed in polarised times?
- Which formats encourage participation and engage younger audiences?
- How is artificial intelligence transforming journalism – an opportunity, a risk, or both?
- How much personal visibility can journalism sustain?
BEYOND NEWS thrives on the diversity of its participating media organisations: journalists from television and social media newsrooms, radio and podcast teams, print and online outlets, local and national media, publishing houses, private and public service broadcasters, non-profit newsrooms, and independent content creators all come together.
The productivity of this cross-sector collaboration was already evident during the preparations: at a workshop hosted by Publix in June this year, participants jointly developed the thematic priorities and objectives of the event.
"The course for the future of journalism is set today,” says Maria Exner, Director of Publix and moderator of BEYOND NEWS. “I am convinced that we must bridge divides, identify shared interests and initiate change if journalism is to remain relevant, independent and financially sustainable.”
“BEYOND NEWS – Rethinking Journalism” will take place on 7 and 8 November 2025, concluding Hamburg’s Week of Press Freedom and marking the start of a long-term dialogue on collaboration between media organisations.
Invitations to the event are issued through the participating media partners. We will share insights and outcomes on our Publix channels.
For more information and the full programme, visit: www.beyond-news.ard.de
Fotocredit: Paul Probst
