International Engagers Network

Topic: International Engagers Network
Session Host: Cornelia Reichel

1) What’s the quest?
What’s the added value for journalists to get active in an international network – in addition to the work they are doing in their communities? Why should they participate? Why care for global issues?
→ The concern for things that are happening around the world is very limited
→ Actors from the US are very concerned about power struggles, economy etc. in the country > US-specific
→ People live in bubbles specific to their community
Find common issues, a common goal = Global patterns for local issues: migration issues, climate change, mining etc.
Bring people together (not only a virtual network) and work together
Example: “Documenting hate” project (ProPublica)

2) What else?
Goal: How to make global reporting more authentic, more nuanced? > International Network of Engagers in Media
A project about finding solutions
Motivation can also be that you are an endangered species > eco-corridor
OSListserve as a model for a network > motto “a phone call away”
→ Natural trust
→ No competition of the participants
→ Shared value

Not only about solutions for issues, the basic question for the network could also be: What do we do when we don’t know what to do?
→ sharing worries, burdens, stands… the inner life
→ Carry things together, journeying with journalism
→ Voices that are not represented
= International Weavers Network

3) Lessons? What next?
Have a conference in the beginning > learning exchange, cultural competency

Important questions, if for example the topic would be migration: What do the migrants get out of it? What are their needs? Letting them ask their questions, collaboration

Next step: Workshop of the Agora Journalism Center with a partner of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Mediendienst Integration (Media Service Integration) about collaboration of the migrant community and journalists in Germany, in autumn, in Berlin

Learnings will be the basis of a project of the Agora Journalism Center and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, starting with actors from North America and Europe (global approach in a next step)