Hamburg Press Freedom Week

Awareness Week on Freedom of the Press from 2 to 8 November 2025

Press freedom is a cornerstone of our free society. It is essential for ensuring that different perspectives are heard, that people can form their own opinions and that those in power are held accountable. Democracy needs free media and diverse reporting. But press freedom is under threat – not only in many countries around the world, but also here in Germany. Protecting press freedom is a responsibility we all share. That is why Körber-Stiftung and the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS are joining forces with a strong alliance to raise awareness of this important issue.

From 2 to 8 November 2025, the Hamburg Press Freedom Week will take place once again. More than 40 partners – including Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR Info) and STRÖER Media as strategic founding partners – are participating in the awareness week, which will offer a wide-ranging programme for all age groups across the city of Hamburg. This year’s focus is on activities that promote news and media literacy by educating people about disinformation and showing them how to recognise trustworthy sources and media.

After all, misinformation, manipulated content and AI-generated images influence our perception. Intentionally false or misleading news is deliberately spread, especially on social networks. This is often done to influence discussions or undermine trust in reputable media. Today, there is also more information available than ever before, which can be overwhelming and cause uncertainty. This makes it increasingly difficult to determine which information is genuine and verified.

A strong democracy needs well-informed citizens. Only those who question information and evaluate it critically can develop their own informed opinions. On the initiative of Körber-Stiftung and the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS, the 2025 Hamburg Press Freedom Week is taking place for the third time. With the Exile Media Forum from 4 to 5 November, Körber-Stiftung is hosting Germany’s largest conference on exile journalism.

The week’s programme is currently being planned and will be published after the summer holidays.