Our fellowship program | DW Global Media Forum | DW | 17.05.2022
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GMF

Our fellowship program

Since 2012, the Global Media Forum fellowship program has welcomed more than 1,000 people, journalists to social entrepreneurs, from all over the world.

DW GMF 2019 | Fellows Day | Workshops | Closing Ceremony

Bringing minds together: The DW Global Media Forum fellowship program

For our upcoming 2023 Global Media Forum Fellowship program, we hope to invite most of our selected participants by the Federal Foreign Office once again to the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany. In addition to attending the two-day conference, the fellowship program will include access to a half-day capacity building event which will be held on June 18, 2023 at the DW headquarters in Bonn. On this day, fellows will be offered various workshops and training opportunities on media topics which are yet to be finalized.

For those participants who may be unable to attend the conference in Bonn due to global restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, we plan to host a couple of digital workshops on June 18, 2023 via online streaming platforms.

The fellowship program 2023 offers:

  • Travel and accommodation to attend the Global Media Forum 2023
  • Full conference pass
  • Access to a half-day capacity building event aimed specifically at the fellows
  • Participation in fellow-only networking events
  • Travel insurance
  • Visa fees
  • Reimbursement for corona-RTPCR test

A look back onto the 2021 fellowship program

Welcoming fellows since 2012

Since 2012, the Global Media Forum has been taking charge in organizing this annual fellowship program, welcoming up to 200 people each year from developing and transition countries with the help of a special grant from the Federal Foreign Office of the German government. Based on the country priority list of the Federal Foreign Office, the program addresses media professionals as well as civil society actors, scientists, NGO representatives, social entrepreneurs and cultural workers and is also aimed at attracting innovators and multipliers from the media. In the spirit of successful public diplomacy, the program serves as a means to communicate the values and social attitudes of Germany.

Early Bird Networking | DW Global Media Forum 2019

Networking is a key part of the fellowship program.

In addition to promoting the country, the fellowship program also raises awareness about Germany's commitment to finding global solutions to global problems. The DW Global Media Forum itself also benefits greatly from these highly motivated and committed actors who enrich the aspect of international dialogue with their knowledge and expertise from their home countries. We regard the fellowship program as a unique opportunity to exchange ideas between countries, nationalities and generations.

Digitally yours: A look into the past

In 2020, the DW Global Media Forum was faced with an extraordinary challenge by the global restrictions introduced in response to COVID-19. The conference turned into a digital event discussing Pluralism, Populism and Journalism in online sessions around the year. The fellowship workshops were consequently held online from July to December 2020. In addition to this, an hour-long networking event with Sabriye Tenberken, co-founder of kanthari, was held at the end.

Impressions from the DW Global Media Forum 2021

In 2021, the Global Media Forum turned hybrid and took place as a live-streamed event from DW headquarters, lending opportunities for participants from around the world to connect despite the many challenges of the ongoing pandemic. The fellowship program, in the same vein, took place as a two-day online conference. The fellows participated in various sessions containing best practice examples, lively discussions and capacity building workshops on topics like public appearance, conflict-sensitive journalism, storytelling, unlocking social media algorithms and constructive journalism. Following the main event in June, we continued the conversation with our 2021 fellows and former participants in offering a series of networking events organized exclusively for our fellows. They received an opportunity to network with renowned journalists and experts of their fields like Sashi Tharoor, Felipe Neto, Dylan Jones, Fatima Bhutto, Barkha Dutt and Leymah Gbowee and to receive out-of-the-box impulses beyond the two-day conference.

Providing relief and opening new perspectives

Maria Umar GMF 2021 fellow

Maria Umar: "An opportunity to meet new people in a more meaningful way."

But let's hear it from the fellows themselves. 2021 fellow Maria Umar from Women’s Digital League in Pakistan for example experienced the Global Media Forum fellowship program as a much-needed break during the pandemic: "[it] came as a welcome relief, giving everyone an opportunity to meet new people in a more meaningful way than the 120 characters social media allows. Workshop content was so engrossing I often time forgot it was happening virtually and not in 3D. Being an advocate for gender inclusion and equality in Pakistan, hearing Elif Shafak speak about giving a voice to the voiceless – "What literature tries to do is to re-humanize people who have been dehumanized" – was the most powerful moment of 2021 for me." 

Munza Mushtaq GMF 2021 fellow

Munza Mushtaq: "A key highlight in my career."

Her fellow participant Munza Mushtaq, a journalist from Colombo in Sri Lanka, agreed and highlighted her learnings during the conference: "It opened me to new areas in journalism such as constructive journalism which is an alien term to many of us in Sri Lanka. The workshop on conflict sensitive journalism also helped me understand why the broader picture always mattered. I am extremely grateful to the German Embassy in Colombo for providing me this, which has been a key highlight in my career."

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