Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!🌟 Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. - The publication is the result of a cross-border fellowship that brought together 12 journalists from India and Germany to tackle the erosion of public trust in news
NEW DELHI: The Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, in collaboration with Deutsche Welle, Asian Dispatch, and Seraphim Communications, announces the release of “Journalism Connect: Rewiring Trust in Media” Handbook, a comprehensive resource that collaboratively addresses critical challenges facing journalism in Germany and India.
At a time marked by the rapid evolution of media across the world, from changing business models to digital-first medium of operations, AI-generated content, partisan reporting, and systemic disinformation, the handbook serves as a practical toolkit for media professionals and the public alike. It explores how journalists and media houses can improve reporting to foster transparency, accountability, and renew connection with their audiences.
The Handbook features comparative insights into the media landscapes of India and Germany, highlighting shared challenges and localized solutions. It offers ethical frameworks for integrating Artificial Intelligence into newsrooms without compromising accuracy or human integrity. It also details practical actions to make journalistic storytelling diverse and more inclusive and identifies a roadmap for newsrooms to generate meaningful audience engagement while balancing the speed of digital-first news with the rigorous fact-checking required to maintain public confidence.
Anja Riedeberger, Director, Information Services South Asia at the Goethe-Institut said, “The concept of trust formed the starting point for a broad examination of the fundamentals of information, media, and journalism. The fellowship provided a vital platform for emerging journalists from Germany and India to learn from each other, share diverse perspectives, and collectively forge strategies to address the continuing loss of trust in media.”
“Globally, journalism is facing a growing crisis of credibility. In Germany, too, the media have struggled with a trust deficit. The program Journalism Connect offers a valuable opportunity to address this challenge collaboratively with Indian and German journalists,” read a statement from the project partner Deutsche Welle (DW) Hindi.
“This program has brought together an extraordinary group of talented media professionals working across borders and geographies. Their stories, perspectives, and collaborations are a testament to the power of dialogue in rebuilding faith in journalism,” said Sunanda Rao-Erdem, Founder and CEO of Seraphim Communications.
“At a time when misinformation poses a growing threat to democratic societies, the role of well-trained and ethically minded journalists has never been more important. Trust in journalism depends on accuracy, transparency, and professional integrity, and this Handbook contributes to that effort by offering a practical framework to support informed discussion, responsible reporting, and public confidence in the media,” said Surbhi Pandit Nangia, Group Vice President, Asian Dispatch. “We are honoured to work with the Goethe-Institut on this important initiative.”
The design of the Journalism Connect fellowship enabled the Indian and German participants to engage with each other as a cohort as well as with media experts from the two countries in virtual formats prior to facilitating rigorous in-person interactions within the Indian media landscape and with the public in October and November across Bengaluru, Kolkata, New Delhi, and Pune. These diverse modes of cultural and informational exchange, experience sharing, and research constitute the knowledge presented in the Handbook.
The journalists participating in the project who developed the Journalism Connect Handbook are Aatreyee Dhar (India), Aditya Tiwari (India), Ankita Kishor Deshkar (India), Athithya Balamuraley (Germany), Azeefa Fathima (India), Bo Hyun Kim (Germany), Eliana Berger (Germany), Esra Lale (Germany), Friedrich Steffes-Iay (Germany), Janardan Pandey (India), Kritika Goel (India), and Luisa von Richthofen (Germany). The group will meet again in May 2026 in Germany.
READ AND DOWNLOAD THE HANDBOOK:
https://www.goethe.de/ins/in/en/kul/fmd/jco.html
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
ASIAN DISPATCH
Asian Dispatch is working towards solutions, powered by deeper collaborations, communities of action, and worthwhile conversations that put the spotlight on stories from Asia. Beyond the stereotypes dominating news stories from the Asian region, it aims to empower newsrooms to tell their unique stories in their own compelling voice through a web of newsrooms and journalists across borders. Currently, Asian Dispatch represents a network of 18 award winning newsrooms from 10 countries across Asia.
DEUTSCHE WELLE
Deutsche Welle provides impartial news and information for audiences worldwide. It produces distinctive, regionally relevant and dialogue-based content in 32 languages. As Germany's international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle’s programs reflect Germany as a liberal democracy rooted in European culture.
SERAPHIM STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
Founded in 2018, Seraphim is an experienced strategic communications firm with strong client relationships and broad networks across industry, media, and key decision makers. Seraphim has a proven track record of delivering results for globally diverse clients. It provides holistic strategies customised to suit specific needs rather than use “one-size-fits-all” strategies. Seraphim offers public and media relations, advocacy, and networking services for regulated businesses in India and across borders.
THE GOETHE-INSTITUT
The Goethe-Institut is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with a global presence. We facilitate international cultural exchange, promote access to the German language, and support the unimpeded development of culture and science. In India, the Goethe-Institut is also known as Max Mueller Bhavan and is present in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Chennai, with the regional headquarters located in New Delhi. The institute also has centres in Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, and Chandigarh.