How much stance can journalism take, and where does activism begin? This question is at the centre of the discussion forum “Journalism: between objectivity, activism and awards”, taking place on 11 June 2026 at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf. The event is organised by the Grimme Institute and brings together researchers, journalists and other media practitioners in keynotes, talks and panels.
CAIS researcher Prof. Christoph Bieber, head of the CAIS research programme “Digital Democratic Innovations”, will also take part in the event. He will join the panel discussion “When discourses fail – living in irreconcilable times?” (3:45 p.m.), which focuses on public debate culture. Against the backdrop of increasing societal polarisation, the discussion addresses how public discourse can be shaped and facilitated under conditions of growing irreconcilability. It focuses on discourse strategies for dealing with social conflict as well as approaches such as minimal consensus, a renewed debate culture and shared rules for engaging with controversial positions.
Participants in the panel – alongside Christoph Bieber – include:
- Ellen Heinrichs, Managing Director of the Bonn Institute
- Prof. Dr. Lars Rinsdorf, Professor of Communication Studies at TH Köln
- Çiğdem Uzunoğlu, Director and Managing Director of the Grimme Institute
- Torsten Zarges (moderation)
The event takes place on 11 June 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf.
Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Registration is possible via email at info@grimme-institut.de.
The full programme of the event can be found here:
https://www.grimme-diskurs.de/h/news/d/diskursraum-journalismus-zwischen-objektivitaet-aktivismus-und-auszeichnung