As of March 2026, DW is once again a member of the German Culture Council. DW’s admission to the Council’s Media Section was unanimously approved during the section’s meeting.
As Germany’s international broadcaster, DW contributes its distinct perspective and its special public-service mandate to the positions developed by the German Media Council. This cooperation helps highlight the role of DW within Germany’s media landscape and underscores its commitment to artistic, publishing, and informational freedom.
As a member, DW can once again strengthen its institutional ties with public and private media organizations as well as with representatives of creative and journalistic professions. Its participation ensures early involvement in relevant media policy discussions and promotes cross-sector exchange.
Director General Barbara Massing stated: “With its membership in the German Culture Council, DW wishes to express its deep appreciation for the Council and the essential work it does within Germany’s cultural and media sectors. Topics such as media freedom, digital transformation, and the promotion of media literacy are areas in which we can contribute valuable insights from our work in international media markets. I am delighted that we can now enhance our institutional commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression worldwide.”
The German Media Council (Deutscher Medienrat) is an alliance of associations, umbrella organizations, and other bodies from the fields of film, broadcasting, and audiovisual media. It forms one of the sections of the German Cultural Council (Deutscher Kulturrat e.V.), the umbrella organization of Germany’s federal cultural associations. The Council serves as a central point of contact for political and administrative bodies at the federal, state, and EU levels on all matters of cultural policy. Its mission is to stimulate cultural policy debates and advocate for artistic, publishing, and informational freedom.
