Festival Opening 2025

Welcome Anton Mattle, Governor of TyrolArno Kompatscher, President of Euroregion Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino, local governor of South TyrolJohannes Anzengruber, Mayor of Innsbruck Barbara Plattner, CEO Innsbruck Tourismus Uwe Steger, University of Innsbruck Followed byFollow the Pencil: Can Political Cartoons Decode Today’s Society? In an era of ever more rapid news cycles, deep political divides, and clownish political figures, cartoons remain a […]

Medicine with Equal Opportunities and No Discrimination 

For a long time, gender-specific aspects of disease were overlooked in medical research and education — including in Austria. Due to differing symptoms certain conditions were often identified later in women, but also in men, which resulted in poorer treatment results. The healthcare system still fails to properly consider the needs of people with disabilities, […]

Media Freedom! 

Media freedom is an essential part of democracy. Hence, there should be no state political influence on coverage. When the media are hindered from reporting freely—like at the Washington Post by their owners or in Hungary by the state—this pillar of democracy is at risk of falling to pieces.With the European Media Freedom Act, the EU now […]

Euroregion: 100 Years of Radio. 

100 years after broadcasters in Austria and Italy first went on air, radio still plays a vital role in the media landscape—including analogue radio. At the same time, this medium stands in front of new challenges and opportunities. Podcasts expand the information offer and chime in a renaissance of audio. Regional coverage, however, appears to […]

European Cartoon Award

The European Cartoon Award, one of the world’s most prestigious prizes for illustrated political satire, brings its Traveling Exhibition to the Innsbruck Journalismusfest. This special showcase features a selection of the finest cartoons from the past five editions, tackling some of the most pressing issues of recent years while offering thought-provoking glimpses into the future. […]

How is Independent Editorial Journalism Keeping Up?

Media companies are under big economic pressure. At the same time, independent journalism is a central pillar of democracy. Which are the measures required to ensure independent quality media can persist? What are the strategies publishers put in place? In Berlin, daily newspaper taz will bid farewell to its daily print edition, expand the new weekly newspaper wochentaz and boost […]

In the Name of Wildlife.

After his extensive research on colonial machinations of multinational Heineken in Africa (“Heineken in Africa”, 2019), Dutch investigative journalist Oliver van Beemen delved into new neocolonial practices of Europe’s southern neighbours (“Im Namen der Tiere”, meaning “In the Name of Wildlife”, 2024). Van Beemen labels the business of NGO African Parks as “Green Colonialism”—after all, […]

Wie Straßenzeitungen Leben verändern 

Since the 1990s, street papers have been providing a source of income to people affected by poverty, homelessness and other forms of marginalisation worldwide. They give a voice to these people and add to media diversity of a given city or region. In Tyrol, it is street paper 20er that is sold by some 250 people month […]

“Inside Austria”

Everywhere in Europe right-wing and partly extreme right-wing parties are enjoying rapidly growing popularity. Austria was on the verge of getting its first government led by the FPÖ. In Germany, the AfD doubled their outcome at the last general election. What lessons can Austrian and German media draw from one another in their approach to […]

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has come to stay in the private and professional digital sphere of many people, sometimes without our awareness. Companies are after hundreds of billions, researchers after massive breakthroughs. For people using AI in their personal and professional lives, it is associated on the one hand with the hope of reduced stress, and on […]

Under Pressure. 

Also in Austria and other liberal European countries, increasing pressure is exerted upon journalists: with frivolous Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), hate online, smear campaigns also led by political figures, (party-)political measures or interventions, as well as intimidation and physical violence at public manifestations. Independent journalists enjoy less protection than staff journalists in editorial […]

Reporter Slam

After its Austrian premier at Journalismusfest 2023 Germany’s most entertaining stage show for journalists returns to Innsbruck. Five journalists will report from their reports, five minutes each, each in an engaging approach. But there is only one who can become slampion of the night. And it is up to the audience to decide who that is. At […]

Abuse, Power & Media. 

Journalist Juliane Löffler invites us behind the scenes of her investigative work: She gives an insight into how research on abuse of power and sexualised violence is conducted and shows what it means if you dare to go public with allegations against often powerful men. What becomes evident is the courage that people affected, and […]

1945. The End of the Nazi Dictatorship.

In his book, award-winning journalist and long-standing editor-in-chief of weekly magazine profil Herbert Lackner illustrates the upheaval of 1945—now 80 years in the past. Lackner vividly describes the last months before the end of World War II and before the liberation of the Nazi extermination camps; the shocking experiences of Soviet soldiers during the liberation of Auschwitz; […]

Reportagen Live on Stage: “Jaguarkopf auf Reisen”

What are you supposed to do when you stumble upon a taxidermized jaguar’s head whilst clearing out your late auntie’s apartment? What are the origins of this stuffed animal? What is possible, necessary, and pointless in case of a private discovery of colonial flotsam? This text tells the story of a quest for the origins […]

“Land der Töchter zukunftsreich” 

Doris Schmidauer likes to describe herself as “First Volunteer” and as part of a big group of dedicated women. Thanks to their courage and willingness to shape, it is women who make our “Land of Daughters” a better place. Some of these pioneers also get a chance to tell their story in this book.This is […]

Chicos y Mendez

Chicos y Mendez represents the essence of Latino sounds, acoustic reggae and world music: Like the children of Manu Chao with whom they have shared a stage on multiple accounts. And just like their mentor they reinvent Latin-American music. They combine militance and happiness. Their lyrics—partly in Spanish, partly in French—convey a dedicated message and […]

Newspaper Breakfast 

Have you always wanted to know why a certain topic made it to Austrian daily newspaper Standard’s cover page? At the newspaper breakfast the editorial office will provide their answers to questions by Rebecca Sandbichler and the interested audience. With the members of Standard’s editorial office Rainer Schüller, Nana Siebert, and Petra Stuiber.

Must-See Places in Tyrol.

With her book “111 Orte in Innsbruck, die man gesehen haben muss” (111 Must-See Spots of Innsbruck), Innsbruck-based journalist Susanne Gurschler will guide the audience through the gems of the city centre. On this walk, she will highlight the historic ground attendees walk on when they enter the tourism info point at Burggraben; the first […]

Lee

Elisabeth “Lee” Miller had been working as a US photo model and fashion photographer, before, starting in 1942, she documented the war in Europe as a photo reporter for different outlets, including for Vogue. Miller witnessed the liberation of Paris and Alsace firsthand. In April 1945, she was among the first to document the Nazi crimes […]

The Dark Side of the Black Powder. 

Phosphate rock, rich in phosphorus, is one of the key primary materials for fertilizers. The black powder is also irreplaceable for electrical cars and batteries. Most recently, the EU added phosphorous to the list of 20 “critical raw materials”. Tunisia has the world’s fourth largest phosphate rock reserves. Mining this rock, however, leaves deep marks […]

Armenia: The Ongoing Effects of the 1915/16 Genocide. 

The eviction of Armenian intellectuals from Constantinople/Istanbul on the 24th April 1915, 110 years ago, marked the beginning of a crime that, to this day, remains largely forgotten: the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Massacres and deportations led to the death of over 1.5 million Armenians. In Turkey, the government still denies the genocide.A few […]

Newspaper Brunch 

Over a cup of coffee, the Editors-in-Chief of Austrian regional daily newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung Matthias Krapf and Marco Witting will engage in a discussion about the TT Saturday’s issue with Rebecca Sandbichler and the audience and give an insight into their day-to-day editorial work.

Good News From All Over the World

In Europe, we often hear bad news about Africa or Asia. But who would have guessed that Rwanda is the country with the highest number of women in parliament worldwide? Or that the oldest oil paintings on the globe were painted in Afghanistan. A lot can be reported about each and every country; everywhere on […]

Romania: TikTok, Election Interference, Putin’s Influence

Serious allegations of gigantic manipulation of the presidential elections in November 2024 in favour of the far-right candidate Călin Georgescu by a Russian network of fake accounts were initially described by the Chinese online company TikTok as “misleading and false”. Only once the EU took initiated proceedings against TikTok under the EU Digital Service Act, […]

The Bases of Life Are at Stake 

She, a renowned marine biologist, has been fascinated by the mysterious underwater world within our endangered oceans—that are supposed to be “less explored than Mars”. He, a climate researcher with international standing, is convinced that climate neutrality can only be reached with a reduction of energy consumption—that is a systemic change. And he, a leading […]

Checker Tobi und die Reise zu den fliegenden Flüssen 

Tobi (Tobias Krell) finds a mysterious treasure chest, but only one person has the right key: Marina, circumnavigator and Tobi’s best friend from kindergarten. But where is she? Tobi’s new adventure begins when he starts looking for her. On his journey, he reaches the world’s biggest cave in Vietnam, he braves the stormy waves of […]

Wie Straßenzeitungen Leben verändern

This special exhibition celebrates the idea of street papers: Who are the people that sell street magazines worldwide? What do these magazines look like in Korea, Australia, or in Switzerland? Curated by Rebecka Domig, this exhibition first opened in Kornhausforum in Bern and was realised as a collaboration with Swiss street paper Surprise. The updated version […]

The New World Order

Women’s rights are human rights. But when the law of the strongest undermines the strongest rights and democratic values gradually lose their significance, girls, women and marginalised groups are on the losing end. Whether it is the Trumpists in the US, right-wing extremists in Europe, autocrats in the Kremlin or socialist dictators—they all strive for […]

Invisible Waves.

It was almost exactly 100 years ago, on the 1st October 2024, when the first Austrian broadcasting company RAVAG first went on air. Since then, a lot has changed in terms of radio and audio media. DIY devices and expensive furniture radios have been replaced with compact home-based devices, then followed portable radios and convenient Walkmans […]

Concert: Choir of Diversity

They perform as a group of eighty or with more than 100 singers; whoever wants to be part of them, can simply join the rehearsals. No obligation, but a lot of closeness. The choir often performs at charity events for projects in Africa, South America, Asia and Europe. The deeply experienced and dedicated choirmaster and conductor Bernhard […]

Why Journalism for Children Matters

Principia kids in Spain, Young Post in Hong Kong, Spick in Switzerland, or Internazionale Kids in Italy: Media outlets worldwide deliver good journalism for children. However, it is often underestimated. Are offers for children just nice to have? What does journalism contribute to strengthen children on their path toward a self-determined life? And what content does the young audience want to listen to, […]

REMEMBERING 2015

A discussion about the role of the media in covering migration since summer 2015: How do the media shape our perception, knowledge and acceptance of migration and migrants? How do the media mediate between the realms of politics and society? What is the media’s share in the shaping of public opinion, in the shifts and […]

Protecting Journalists.

This panel is dedicated to the significance of initiatives that provide protection to persecuted and endangered journalists. It will shed light upon the question why it is essential that the media and the public report about this persecution to keep journalists safe and exert pressure on an international level. Marcela Turati, a renowned journalist from […]

„Wir haben Krieg. Die Probe fällt aus.“

In April 2022, the renowned Kyiv Symphony Orchestra set out for their Western-Europe tour. Two months prior to that, Putin’s army had invaded Ukraine. Pretty soon, it was clear that the orchestra’s members would not be able to return to their home country. In the embattled capital city, performances would be unimaginable. Showcasing and defending […]

Tracing the Money

WithJoseph GeppEconomics Editor of Austrian daily newspaper Der StandardandMax StrozziEconomics Editor of Austrian regional daily newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung

Still on Air? 

For a long time, music journalism and pop culture called radio their shared home. Music programmes, interviews with artists and a critical analysis of current developments in pop music reached way more than just a niche audience on the radio. Is that still true nowadays? Or has music journalism largely withdrawn from this medium—or has […]

Der automobile Mensch 

In his gripping, at times ironic documentary, urban planner and filmmaker Reinhard Seiß pleads for a fundamental transport revolution. According to him, that is key if we are to tackle the climate crisis, and reduce the consumption of land and resources. This film depicts the world of transportation dominated by motorised vehicles in all its […]

Joke Consultation: How Much Does Laughing Give Away? 

With Georg CadeggianiniJournalist, daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), Weekend Department, SZ for Kids

A New World Order. 

Under Trump, the US set their tracks for a democratic limbo. Nobody knows where this – will actually lead. Trump hazards the threats to the global economy caused by his tariff policy, backs out from the Paris Climate Agreement, the WHO, the United Nations Human Rights Council. He dismantles the agency for international development, USAID; […]

Trusting the Machines.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism is a hotly debated topic evoking both enthusiasm and concern. Some see the dawn of an age with a new medium, others warn of the death of the media. A closer look at this issue, however, reveals that, so far, AI’s role for investigative data research has been largely overlooked […]

Of Caravan and the Dogs

How can you cover your own government’s war if the word “war” is forbidden in public? This film follows Russian journalists of Novaya Gazeta, Radio Echo of Moscow, and Rain TV during their fight for press freedom. Since the start of the war, 130 media organisations have been banned in Russia; and since the beginning of the war in […]

The Fast-Fashion Giant— in the Headquarters of Shein.

Thanks to the support of its readers magazine Reportagen, Bern, conducted a global research project about the ultra-fast-fashion industry. Reporters headed to Bern, Copenhagen, Haiti, India, Ghana, and China. These texts have just been published in the XXL edition of Reportagen #82 / April 2025.Journalist Yinmi Yao has travelled from Peking to Innsbruck. She managed to conduct her […]

Science Notes Magazine.

Conveying stories about people working in research via elaborate design is the core concept of German science magazine Science Notes. This idea emerged in 2018 at the Research Centre for Science Communication of the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen—originally as a spin-off of the event series sharing the same name, a science slam where the realm […]

Covering: Gaza

Doctors Without Borders says “Our mission will continue.” The aid agency will stay put. Although at least 327 aid workers have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. For the Palestinian population, the situation remains persistently catastrophic. A report of Doctors Without Borders from December 2024 is labelled “Life in a death […]

Georgia: Concern About the Independence 

After the legally contested general elections in October, the pro-Russian government was able to assert power. The EU-oriented opposition boycotted the parliament and the subsequent presidential elections—due to unresolved allegations of election rigging. Every evening, for weeks and weeks, hundreds of thousands kept going to protests. Many of them were holding EU flags, because the […]

Nature is Right. Does She Have Rights too?

In 2022, the salt lagoon Mar Menor was granted legal personhood—as the first European ecosystem. Legal philosopher and environmental activist Teresa Vicente Giménez was substantially involved in this process. In Innsbruck, she will report from this effort and Mar Menor special features. In August 2024, the district court of Erfurt recognised the rights of nature—the […]

How to Build a Truth Engine

The film by Austrian filmmaker Friedrich Moser explores the dangers of disinformation and propaganda, the need for a new type of journalism, and the pressing challenge for democratic societies to establish common ground—both online and offline. Moser captured 15 scientists and people from the realm of media on camera. “Just like in his whistleblower portrait […]

“Today’s Hot Take“

Donald Trump guts the US, puts a system of oligarchs into place and progressively transforms democracy into autocracy. He cozies up to dictators and severs ties with long-standing Western allies. In the Ukraine war, he is quick to position himself on the side of the Russian aggressor and announces to entrust Europe’s security policy to […]

Servus. Grüezi. Hallo. 

After fantastic guest appearances over the last three years, the trans-Alpine trio of German ZEIT once again pays a visit to the international trans-Alpine Journalismusfest Innsbruck. Just like every week, the journalists from Innsbruck / Vienna, Zurich, and Berlin will discuss current affairs. This time, live on the Treibhaus stage. And after that, Matthias Daum, Florian Gasser, and Lenz […]

No Other Land

“Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist from Masafer Yatta on the West Bank, has been fighting the mass expulsion of his community by Israel’s occupation since childhood. He documents the slow-motion eradication of the villages in his home region where soldiers deployed by the Israeli government are gradually demolishing houses and driving out their residents. […]

It’s Hitting-the-Dancefloor O’Clock

DJsSailor Sailer & Mollusque

Newspaper Breakfast 

German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) is one of the major German quality newspapers rich in tradition and with an international standing. Based on the day’s news coverage, SZ’s head of news Alexandra Föderl-Schmid will provide an insight into their editorial shop: in conversation with Benedikt Sauer (Journalismusfest Innsbruck).

Tracing the Money

How René Benko’s Signa Holding Changed the City WithJoseph GeppEconomics Editor of Austrian daily newspaper Der StandardandMax StrozziEconomics Editor of Austrian regional daily newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung

“Free Leonard Peltier”. 

On January 20th 2025, Joe Biden’s last day in office, POTUS released him from prison into house arrest—after almost 50 years of detention. Leonard Peltier, now 80 years old, is a member of the Lakota and Anishinaabe, as well as one of the most famous activists of the American Indian Movement. In 1977, on the grounds […]

A New Order in the Middle East? 

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria and Iraq have returned to the centre of global public attention. Over the last decade, the region endured a tough period. The balance of power between Kurds, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, and Yazidi, as well as women and men keeps shifting on a daily basis. There are also […]

LandRush

Frauke Huber and Uwe H. Martin document the global social and ecological impacts of agriculture—the leading driver of species extinction, climate change, soil erosion, desertification, and water scarcity. In their presentation, they put their Slow Journalism up for discussion. They will demonstrate how stories can be successfully followed for years and presented not only in […]

How Does Science Reach Media and Society?

Conveying scientific insights to a broad interested public is a wide-ranging field. Formats, platforms and kinds of storytelling are becoming more and more varied. Communicating complex learnings in an understandable manner remains a challenge for information mediation institutions at universities, for scientists themselves, and for independent science journalism. After all, in times of fake news […]

“Natürlich kann man hier nicht leben” 

Nilay wants to go from Berlin to Istanbul, ideally tonight. For weeks now, she has been following the news about Taksim Square with her parents: the images, the protests, the cries for freedom. Selim and Hülya have lost their temper. They used to be the children out on the streets of İzmir—that is, before the […]

Wie Straßenzeitungen Leben verändern

This special exhibition celebrates the idea of street papers: Who are the people that sell street magazines worldwide? What do these magazines look like in Korea, Australia, or in Switzerland? Curated by Rebecka Domig, this exhibition first opened in Kornhausforum in Bern and was realised as a collaboration with Swiss street paper Surprise. The updated version […]

Global Networks of Religious and Political Extremists 

For many years, extremist, anti-democratic groups have been expanding their networks and political influence: in the US, in Europe, and beyond. Totalitarian political forces and religious allies unite their efforts against republican achievements, purposefully undermining democracies. They exploit clichés from the Christian faith to support their totalitarian vision of the dominance of the “stronger”. Who […]

The Yenish

The Yenish live in many European countries—France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and also Austria. The “European Yenish Council” estimates that there are approximately 500,000 of them. Yenish, a language primarily transmitted orally, is still in use today. The Yenish have only been officially recognized in Switzerland—since 2016—and that, after facing persecution well into the 1970s: […]

Russian Media in Exile 

Since the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022, independent Russian media in exile have been subject to massive pressure. Besides state repression, a lack of funding makes their work more and more difficult. Formerly existing foreign funding was cut by the Trump administration, further exacerbating the situation. This panel will shed light on the financial […]

Can you Ship a Smile?

An hour of fun, fun, fun: Scolding, riddles and favourite jokes.  Stage Performance by and withGeorg CadeggianiniJournalist, daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), Weekend Department, SZ for Kids

Street Papers

For people facing hardship they provide an opportunity to generate income; and for readers critical and exciting stories: Street papers are both journalistic products and social projects. How do editorial teams of street papers operate? What takes centre stage, the social aspect or journalistic quality standards? Or is this more than just a one-man show? […]

Telling the True Crimes 

Whether in documentaries, podcast series or dedicated magazines: true-crime formats enjoy great popularity. But what is true crime in fact? What does it mean? How do journalists working on true criminal cases operate? What is key? And what might be the impact of the illustration of violent crimes on readers and listeners—on our society? Maike […]

Quality of Life in the Alps 

What defines the quality of life of people living in the Alps? How to safeguard and improve the quality of life in the light of major challenges like climate change and economic as well as political instability? How to turn the protection of quality of life into a basis for political decisions? The 10th Report on […]

Marina Litvinenko

In 2006, her husband, former Russian intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko, died in his exile in London—due to a poisoning with the radioactive substance polonium. Only a few hours before his death, Litvinenko was convinced that it was Kremlin boss Putin who silenced him. Since 1998, Litvinenko had publicly cast criticism on the intelligence service and […]

Die Tagespresse Live

Did you ever wonder what happens behind the scenes of Austrian satire magazine Die Tagespresse? Does a country like Austria still need satire? And how far into a burnout is the lawyer of Tagespresse in fact? Get some insights into the editorial team and listen to some anecdotes from over a decade of Tagespresse. Find out how millions of […]

Atlas of Globalisation

The Atlas of Globalisation by Le Monde diplomatique has been setting standards in journalistic cartography for 20 years. It represents a comprehensive and clear illustration of what globalisation means in the 21st century—for the freedom of movement of people and goods, for political participation, and for social progress. The current Atlas of Globalisation labelled “Ungleiche Welt” (Unequal […]

Remember Werner Vogt (1938 – 2023)

Treibhaus and Gemeindemuseum Absam commemorate the sceptical physician and publicist Werner Vogt from Zams in Tyrol, a pioneer of civil society.

Programme changes

Surprise screening: cancelled on thursday!Police: at Claudiasaal!Martin Thür: additional guided tour, Saturday 10:30am – 11:30amFueling the Invasion: Free Admission!Servus. Grüezi. Hallo.: at Ágnes-Heller-Haus!Werner Bätzing: Please register at daniela.greimel@tyrolia.atArmin Thurnher: new time: 7pm! Please register at literatur@wagnersche.atIsrael-Palästina – im DialogSunday, 2:15pm – 3:15pm at Treibhaus, TowerAhmed Alnaouq in conversation with Inge GüntherSunday, 3:30pm – 4:30pm at Treibhaus, TowerTamar Tsvaigraich in conversation with Hanno Loewy

Tamar Tsvaigraich in conversation with Hanno Loewy

Since the attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7, in which around 1,200 mostly Jewish-Israelis were brutally murdered and 253 people were taken hostage, and according to UN figures, more than 30,000 people have died as a result of the ongoing attacks by the Israeli military on the Gaza Strip (March 2024) and many are threatened with starvation, the region has become the focus of global media coverage. However, journalistic work in the war zone in Gaza remains extremely risky: According to the Committee to Protect Journalists at least 95 journalists, mostly Palestinians, have been killed in Gaza since the war started.

How does a Jewish-Israeli editor see the challenges for reporting now in a new time of war? How does she rate the media landscape(s) in the region? What perspectives does she see for the region?

Ahmed Alnaouq in conversation with Inge Günther

Since the attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7, in which around 1,200 mostly Jewish-Israelis were brutally murdered and 253 people were taken hostage, and according to UN figures, more than 30,000 people have died as a result of the ongoing attacks by the Israeli military on the Gaza Strip (March 2024) and many are threatened with starvation, the region has become the focus of global media coverage. However, journalistic work in the war zone in Gaza remains extremely risky: According to the Committee to Protect Journalists at least 95 journalists, mostly Palestinians, have been killed in Gaza since the war started.
How does a Palestinian journalist from Gaza see the challenges for reporting now in a new time of war? How does he rate the media landscape(s) in the region? What perspectives does he see for the region?

“Inside Austria”

For the second time, the podcast “Inside Austria” by Der Standard and Der Spiegel will be performed live at the Journalismusfest Innsbruck.

Whistleblowing

In recent years, people like former CIA employee Edward Snowden or Australian investigative journalist Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, have put their own safety and freedom at risk to enlighten the public by disclosing secret information about state crimes. For this courage, the whistleblower pay a huge price. In exile in Moscow, Snowden is dependent on the benevolence of autocrat Vladimir Putin, while Assange has been imprisoned in the UK for five years and faces life imprisonment if extradited to the USA. Human rights lawyer Robert Tibbo, who arranged Snowden’s escape, and British whistleblower and former ambassador Craig Murray discuss with Ilja Braun from Reporters Without Borders/Germany how to better protect those who bring the truth to light.

Helena Lea Manhartsberger: IN BETWEEN STATES

In Mexico, thousands of people disappear on their way to the USA, and relatives never stop looking for them. On the Italian island of Lampedusa, tourists encounter hundreds of migrants. In Ukraine, people keep fighting for sovereignty; a fight that extends to borders that traverse the middle of society.
Innsbruck-based photographer Helena Lea Manhartsberger addresses global inequalities in three completely different regions. Her work sheds light on the brutality of existing structures of power and institutionalised racism; but also solidarity, hope and resistance of civil players. Manhartsberger tells the stories of individuals, without losing sight of the big picture.

… and which space do bicycles have in the media?

Bicycles have a hard time not only in public spaces, but also in media coverage. Instead of being seen as part of the solution – for example for traffic, environmental and health problems – it is often presented as a problem. Instead of being recognized as a serious form of mobility, it is dismissed as a toy. How do journalists and experts who have dedicated themselves to the topic deal with this?

How much space do bicycles have in public spaces…?

The streets and roads of Innsbruck belong to all who live here. And yet cars enjoy priority in the public space. The Radlobby Tirol has analysed critical points in the city centre and will explain on the city walk how much space is available for which form of mobility. And we will question if this is really fair. The route is around 1.6 km long and leads to the freight terminal, where the discussion will continue.

Socially Committed Journalism Today

The Claus Gatterer award for Socially Committed Quality Journalism is named after an excellent journalist, historian, writer and documentary filmmaker. Gatterer, who was born in 1924 in Sexten/South Tyrol, has left many traces: with ground breaking contemporary historical and literary works on Austria, Italy and South Tyrol as well as a journalist in Austria’s media landscape, especially with his socially critical ORF television magazine teleobjektiv. Gatterer’s focus on social and ethnic minorities has shaped a generation of journalists.
What can socially committed journalism mean today?

How to cover corrupting Russian influence in Europe

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sparked a major reevaluation of Europe’s business, energy and political ties to Russia, vindicating those investigative journalists who had been raising the alarm about Russia’s corrupting influence in Europe for years. More than two years into the war, which topics are still under-reported, how can journalists approach them, and has the media caught up with the new reality?
Ukrainian and German journalists and civil society experts will share findings from their research and reporting, and discuss what’s next when covering the Kremlin’s influence in Europe.

Between Literature and Journalistic Research

A photo album with 378 passport photos is found at the flea market: Jacob B’chiri photographed himself every day for a year in a photo booth in various disguises and poses. The first-person narrator now follows his tracks, from Paris to Rome and Marseille, to the cemeteries of Djerba and to the edges of the Israeli desert. In doing so, he explores The Lives of Jacob (Hanser 2023) – “the lives” because this word only exists in plural in Hebrew: a clever novel between literature and journalistic research, about the relationship between photography and identity, about the experience of war and exile, Jewish history, faith and the great tragedies of the 20th century.

Newspaper Breakfast 

Matthias Krapf, one of the two editors-in-chief of the daily newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung, discusses the current Saturday and Sunday editions of Tiroler Tageszeitung with the audience over a cup of coffee at the pastry shop Munding.

Tutti Frutti x Lovefoxy

Whether in Berghain’s Panoramabar, at Amsterdam’s DGTL or at Egg London – Berlin’s LOVEFOXY enchants dancefloors worldwide with her carefully selected 90s house. We are all the more delighted that she is celebrating her premiere at project Innsbruck!

Yagódy

The Ensemble Yagódy is one of the most charismatic Ukrainian folk ensembles from Lviv. Founded in the year 2016 at the Theater-Faculty, Yagódy launched their debut album in 2020. The four founding women travelled through several Ukrainian oblasts to track down the musical traditions of the people there. From this inexhaustible number of songs about life, Yagódy create their own exciting and unmistakable sound. The musicians feel at home in the theatre and realize their musical ideas for the stage according to dramaturgical principles. Their songs are love letters from the past, which have not arrived yet.

Surprise Screening

In collaboration with the International Film Festival Innsbruck IFFI, we are screening “The Etilaat Roz” on Saturday at Cinematograph.

Life Tellings: Biographies of Refugees. 

In times of heated information dissemination and opinion-forming, the question arises as to whether other methods of “news” formats are needed to keep attention on topics of long-term explosiveness. Public debates about flight and migration in particular show that these topics are both highly polarizing and important “focal points” of remembrance culture and contemporary history. They also often provide an anchor for long-term civic commitment. How can (auto)biographical narratives help to bear witness to reality and reach a broad public? How can we prevent tragedies from becoming the object of sensationalism? Can we do justice to individuals and are biographical approaches a legitimate means of providing information?

Reportagen Live on Stage – “Sushi From the Cage”

“Your arrival in the kitchens of the world was your death sentence”, is how Rocío Puntas Bernet’s report begins, which can be experienced as a staged reading at the Journalismusfest Innsbruck: a report about the coveted bluefin tuna. Within 30 years the former large stocks collapsed. The global boom in sushi has led to massive fishing pressure, particularly in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. In the Turkish part of these seas it is considered extinct. In order to satisfy the global hunger for sushi, the huge animals are fattened in large numbers in the Mediterranean.
A story about the legal grey areas in the food industry and an ode to tuna. The Bühnen Bern and the journal Reportagen present their original stage format for the first time in Austria.

The Fear of the Third World War

Eric Frey, editor of Standard, explains in the podcast “Topic of the Day” how explosive the current world situation is. How the war in Ukraine rewrites the world order. What this means for China/Taiwan and North Korea. And how the USA and Europe fall under pressure. He also analyses how the multiple conflicts are connected to each other and if and how a third world war could come about, that has been taking place virtually for a long time already.

Armin Thurnher in conversation

Armin Thurnher, who turned 75 in February, is one of the most sharp-witted analysts in Austria and an excellent essayist. He shaped the public discourse with his analyses of the political situation and the Media landscapes in Austria and Europe. Thurnher is from Bregenz and co-founded the weekly newspaper Falter in 1977. He is its publisher and still one of the two editors-in-chief. In addition, he is the author of 13 books. His most recent publications are the novel “Fähre nach Manhatten”, the political essay “Anstandslos” and “Preis und Klage. Reden und Nachreden in Versen”. Armin Thurnher received numerous prizes and awards. In March 2024 he received the Austrian State Prize for Cultural Journalism.

Werner Bätzing: “Homo destructor”

In light of the massive environmental destruction that is now affecting the entire planet and challenging human existence, a question urgently arises: Is the human being a Homo destructor who destroys its environment always and everywhere? Or do we have a destructive side that only becomes visible under certain circumstances? Do humans only turn into Homo destructor at a certain point in time?
The well-known geographer and doyen of Alpine research Werner Bätzing gets to the bottom of these questions in a comprehensive history of man and the environment. Cultural self-limitation in earlier times is called into question by the industrial revolution, modern science, enlightenment and the market economy. This is the beginning of a way of thinking and acting that exploits nature and the environment on a short-term basis and destroys the limited earth. Bätzing pleads in his Opus magnum “Homo destructor” (Beck, 2023) for a new cultural self-limitation.

Fuocoammare

Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi spent over a year on the Italian island of Lampedusa, observing how refugees arrive here every day in the hope of a better life and how the people react towards them. Twelve-year-old Samuele, who witnesses a great human tragedy with his family, is at the centre of the film, which also deals with media coverage. Through his everyday observations, Gianfranco Rosi approaches a place that is as real as it is symbolic as well as the emotional world of some of its inhabitants, who are exposed to a permanent state of emergency. And at the same time, the film, which does not need a narration, describes how even in the smallest of spaces, two worlds barely touch.

Eastern Europe: Controlled media in Hungary

Ever since Victor Orbán has been in power in Hungary, the media has gradually been taken under the control of the government. In Reporters Without Borders’ ranking of press freedom, Hungary comes last in the EU. The weekly newspaper HVG remains one of the last independent newspapers and its editor-in-chief is a guest at the Journalismusfest.
Large foundations have recently become involved in Eastern European countries in order to preserve the remaining media diversity and thus strengthen democracies. In 2021, the Dutch Plūrālis Foundation was founded with the aim of investing specifically in Eastern European media. The Austrian ERSTE Foundation is also invested in Plūrālis.

Hotspot Méditerranée 

The Mediterranean region is a hotspot in which crises and challenges overlap. The sea is warming up more than the global average, the ecosystem is being severely affected by oil and gas extraction, climate change is having a socio-economic impact on coastal areas and large-scale fishing is robbing traditional fisheries of their livelihoods. But there are also pioneers of sustainability and there is a great deal of commitment to rescuing refugees.
The journalist Stefano Liberti and the photographer Francesco Bellina are travelling throughout the Mediterranean for a large documentary project: The research trip leads them to Murcia and Favignana off Sicily, to Tanger and the Kerkennah Islands off Tunisia, to the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal, to Cyprus, to the islands of Antikythera and Jabuka, all the way to Venice.

Fueling the Invasion 

In November 2022 shocking allegations were made about German oil company Wintershall Dea. German media alleged links between Wintershall and the Russian military, claiming that companies owned jointly by Wintershall and Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom had been drilling for gas in western Siberia and produced fuel used by Russian fighter jets as they attacked Ukrainian civilians.
Wintershall denied these accusations, claiming a lack of evidence. But in April 2023, an investigation led by Global Witness revealed new evidence of the supply chains connecting Wintershall’s Siberian gas fields to Russia’s military supply chains, showing how gas condensate from Wintershall’s fields in Western Siberia feed a refinery which sends diesel to Russian military suppliers.
This short film looks at the human stories behind our investigation. Filmed largely in Ukraine, it includes powerful testimonies from survivors of Russian air attacks. It asks the question: whilst western governments decry the war in Ukraine, how has this been allowed to happen?

Far Away and yet so Close

Following the Hamas massacre on October 7th 2023, war in Israel and Palestine has erupted once more and has also been dominating German speaking media. For the Palestinian and Israeli-Jewish diaspora the war is closer than just an image on the news: They are worried about relatives and friends and facing hostilities and a tense discourse themselves. Jewish Israelis and Palestinians sharing a panel has become an exception by now. Alena Jabarine and Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus will do just that. With Bascha Mika they will talk about their view on the conflict, being seen and being ignored, and the debate in the German-speaking world.

Servus. Grüezi. Hallo.

At a gig in the autumn of 2023, Berlin-based editor for the German weekly newspaper ZEIT Lenz Jacobsen spoke about Austria and Switzerland: “(Sounds like) beautiful countries. If that is the case: Why the hell are we sitting in a grey fairground hall instead of in the Alpine idyll?” This is why the third gig of the three ZEIT editors at Journalismusfest Innsbruck will take place against a unique backdrop for the first time – live at Seegrube cable car station above Innsbruck. Just like every week, the journalists from Innsbruck / Vienna, Zurich, and Berlin will discuss current affairs in their podcast. This time, in the midst of an Alpine idyll.

Migration Routes 

On October 3rd 2013, a boat sinks off the coast of Lampedusa. More than 300 people die and the then mayor Giusi Nicolini knows: something needs to happen. A few days later, she holds an impressive speech at the EU summit. In 2015, one year after the discontinuation of the Italian state-run rescue operation Mare Nostrum, the organisation for the rescue of life at sea SOS Méditerranée was founded. Since then, it saved 38,500 lives and was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 2023 for its operation. By now, civil-operated sea rescue has become a difficult undertaking. Europe is closing down its external borders, at times, resorting to violence. Time and time again, we see reports about EU Border Guard Agency Frontex being involved in pushbacks of migrants on the Greek coast.

Disguised as a Secretary for the Nazi Campaign Newspaper

She was probably the first investigative journalist in the German world. 1923, at the age of 24, Paula Schlier, who had previously published articles against the Nazis as a journalist, sneaked into the party leaflet of the NSDAP, the “Völkischer Beobachter”. Disguised as a secretary she also documented Hitler’s attempted putsch on November 8th/9th 1923. Her diary reports were published in 1926 as a celebrated first work by the Brenner publishing house in Innsbruck: “Petras Aufzeichnungen oder Konzept einer Jugend nach dem Diktat der Zeit” (Petra’s Records or the Concept of Youth under the Dictate of Time) was a statement against a world that was radicalising to the right. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Hitler putsch, Innsbruck-based Germanists Annette Steinsiek and Ursula A. Schneider have published a commentary on Paula Schlier’s report. Based on that, the Bavarian Broadcasting (BR) has produced the documentation “Hitlerputsch 1923. The Diary of Paula Schlier”.

Atlas of Globalisation. 

The Atlas of Globalisation by Le Monde diplomatique has been setting standards in journalistic cartography for 20 years. It represents a comprehensive and clear illustration of what globalisation means in the 21st century: for the freedom of movement of people and goods, for political participation, and for social progress. The current Atlas of Globalisation labelled “Ungleiche Welt” (Unequal World) is showcased as part of a collaboration between Journalismusfest with Le Monde Diplomatique / Berlin.