Saturday, 23 August, 2008,
Electronic Media School, Potsdam
02:30 – 06:00 p.m.

Dr. Tobias Dürr, Editor-in-chief of the magazine 'Berliner Republik'

By Jolanta Jasina

“Don’t be objective, be opinionated!” Such are the words of Mr Tobias Dürr, which create, right from the start of this workshop, an atmosphere of a relaxed and open discussion. The theme of the workshop: journalism and politics; what is the relationship? Or, what should be their relationship in the future, in order to strengthen democracy? Silence is the answer – at least for the moment. The question is difficult and one needs time as well as a professional introduction into the subject-matter. Mr Dürr successfully provides the latter.

With reference to two books – firstly, “Nervous Zone” by Lutz Hachmeister and, secondly, “Republic of Panjandrums” by Herlinde Koelbl – Tobias Dürr presents us with a panorama, in which journalists and politicians will form a class with homogeneous interests. However, both groups underestimate the mutual dependency and are, in a way, hostile to each other. Moreover, they will become busybodies who, instead of focussing on content, will provide a sort of ‘vanity fair’.

What is the value of critique, if it isn’t constructive? Hence, as a second step, Mr Dürr asked the young journalists to think about the different ways in which the relationship between politicians and journalists may develop. What should be the proportions of the weighing-up between the questioning and the understanding of the relationship between journalism and politics? How much enmity and how much empathy is there on both sides? These are the questions, which, despite their theoretical ring, are particularly current and concrete. Never before, the image of politicians and journalists has been so bad. This opinion is shared by all participants – be they from Spain or Ukraine. It is this negative development that the young journalists want to change.

“I may not agree with your opinion, but I would be willing to die for the fact that you are able to present your views freely.” (Voltaire)

The international composition of the participants is only fully revealed and emphasised in the following debate. After the introductory remarks, Mr Dürr wants to know more about the relationship between politics and journalism and, how this relationship works out in the various home-countries of the young journalists.

The participants from Poland put the lost illusion of the 1989-revolution at the fore and stress the development of a journalistic-political elite, which does not care about wider social interests. Of course, the discussion only then really takes off, as many of the other journalists begin to think about the circumstances in their respective home-countries. Others, for example Silvia from Bulgaria, describe a situation, whereby journalists criticise politicians in the name of the “simple people”. But it is only when Christina from Belarus and Jelena from Montenegro report their experiences that the gap between definitions of press-freedom in liberal and “semi-liberal” countries becomes obvious. It is around such issues that the discussion continues.

Press-freedom – which for most participants from West- and Central-Europe is a given fact – is, with reference to the countries mentioned above, the most important task for democratic development. Journalists who disappeared, truth as highly risk-intensive activity, and “journalism as a form of activism”; perhaps, these are the main headings, which could be used to summarise the debate. Many questions are posed, some of which remain unanswered: How far can one venture in the struggle against terrorism? Is it because of apathy of the people or the terror of the powerful that press-freedom is sometimes lacking. Is political correctness a more subtle form of censorship? What is the role of the Internet and online journalism, both in underdeveloped and established democracies?

There are so many answers and varying experiences, as there are chairs in the vast conference room! Nevertheless, the international exchange and dialogue are more important than the searching for the final answer. According to Tobias Dürr, no democracy can function without the possibility of a forum for free debate. At the end of the workshop, many of the participants are left with the sense that cross-border dialogue is essential for the strengthening of democracies. In any case, we are looking forward to the next M100 Youth Media Workshop.