Project
For the first time since World War II, a far-right political party has a realistic chance of winning a governing majority in a state election in Germany, a scenario long considered unthinkable. But this is not just a political story. It is also a story about the forces reshaping public discourse: platform algorithms, disinformation networks, fragmented audiences and political actors willing to exploit all three.
Hosted in Berlin on 2–3 October, just weeks after pivotal local elections, this n-counter brings together journalists from Germany and across Central and Eastern Europe to examine this moment together. What can Germany learn from journalists in countries that have spent years grappling with media capture and authoritarian pressure? What is the media sector still failing to see? And what does it take, professionally and personally, to navigate this fast-changing reality with integrity and purpose?
Part conference, part reunion, this is a gathering of the wider n-ost community: members, partners, friends, and colleagues from across Europe. Through conversations, workshops and shared reflection, we will draw on our different experiences and perspectives to challenge assumptions, learn from one another and make sense of a rapidly changing landscape.
Ahead of the main gathering in Berlin, a select cohort of journalists from Central and Eastern Europe will spend three days on the ground in Saxony-Anhalt in the immediate aftermath of the state elections. Exploring local sociopolitical dynamics, rising illiberalism, and civil society responses, their field observations will directly inform the n-counter conversations.
Applications for this research trip are now closed. · Read details
How does journalism reclaim reality in a shifting information ecosystem?
A series of satellite events across six Berlin newsrooms will examine this central question. Each session explores a different front line in the fight for reliable information.
11:00 AM
Die Zeit | Multiperspectivity and depolarisation
with Katrin Scheib, News Editor
Reporters Without Borders Germany | Algorithms and big platforms
with Christian Mihr, Managing Director
Krautreporter | Community-driven journalism
with Isolde Ruhdorfer, Foreign Affairs Editor, and Anna Pointinger, Executive Board Member
03:00 PM
PULSE | Cross-border collaboration
with PULSE Collaborative Desk Members
taz | Confronting far-right narrative capture
with Gareth Joswig, Domestic Editor, Konrad Litschko, Reporter
Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) | Climate reporting
with Clemens Schöll and Boris Schneider, Program Managers
NOTE: Registration is required for each individual session. You can mark your preference in our registration form.
Speakers: Anne Rabe, Michal Hvorecký
Moderation: Katrin Rönicke
How did unresolved histories and polarised media ecosystems pave the way for today’s far-right drift? Authors Anne Rabe (Die Möglichkeit von Glück) and Michal Hvorecký (Troll, Dissident) examine the fragile state of public discourse across East Germany and Central Eastern Europe. From historical silences to the weaponization of modern media, this opening conversation sets the stage for a critical reflection on independent journalism and democracy in an age of rising authoritarianism. A keynote dialogue between two writers, followed by a collective activation and networking session.
Speakers: Attila Mong, Matthew Moore, Antonie Rietzschel
Moderation: Tamina Kutscher
What questions would journalists from countries with years of experience reporting on illiberal politics ask Germany today? This panel brings together political reporters from Germany, Hungary, and the UK to examine the seminal rightward shift in German politics.
The session will be paired with a targeted spotlight on the German press dilemma, i.e. navigating editorial firewalls, neutralizing fringe messaging, and avoiding normalisation before concluding with an interactive audience Q&A.
Speakers: Karolin Schwartz, Pia Sombetzki, Marc Tawadrous
Moderation: Tong-Jin Smith
Four speakers. Four visions for the future of journalism. In a media environment shaped by algorithms, disinformation, polarisation and platform power, what needs to change, and what is still worth holding on to? Each speaker pitches one approach to making journalism more effective and relevant in agenda-setting under today's conditions. The audience is then invited to challenge and build on these ideas together.
Speakers: Lorraine Blumenthal, Boroka Paraszka
Moderation: Emma Thomasson
This facilitated conversation creates space to reflect on what it means to be a journalist at a moment when many of the profession's old certainties no longer hold. As political realities shift and media environments fragment, what assumptions, habits and identities are becoming harder to sustain, and what do we want to carry forward?
Location: Ciao Ciao Bar
Falckensteinstraße 47/48
10997 Berlin
Join us to wrap up n-counter with drinks, music, and informal networking to celebrate the end of the conference.
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