ZDF joins ranks of newsrooms investing in media literacy

German broadcaster ZDF launched its “ZDF goes Schule” project on 9 October at the ZDF Hauptstadtstudio in Berlin.

The project aims to provide “education for all”, with a focus on political education, media literacy and history.

In cooperation with Lie Detectors, ZDF journalists will visit schools in East Germany from the beginning of 2025. This places ZDF among the ranks of newsrooms such as the UK’s BBC, Guardian newspaper as well as newsrooms of the European Broadcasting Union, AFP, RTL and others who have committed to adding media education to the offering journalists provide in addition to reporting news.

Lie Detectors CEO and founder Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck, said: “Congratulations to all at ZDF who are part of this important project. In an age of increasingly independent and fragmented news consumption, the public service mandate of a journalist must go beyond the practice of newsgathering. Journalists today must work also to transmit their own newsgathering tools, and news judgment, to young and old.”

Dr. Florian Kumb, head of Program Planning and responsible for “ZDF goes Schule”, stated: “Our education study has shown that ZDF’s contribution to education is highly valued by the German public. The results have encouraged us to significantly expand our existing efforts in the coming months. With this new initiative, we support teachers in imparting knowledge and students on their educational journey. This is part of our public service mandate: educational content for all.”

Roman Luckscheiter, Secretary General of the German UNESCO Commission, and Annkatrin Kaiser, Program Director Germany and Switzerland for Lie Detectors participated directly in the discussions on the “ZDF goes Schule” stage, alongside ZDF education expert Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim.

The keynote address was delivered by Anke Rehlinger, Minister-President of Saarland and chair of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Culture. She thanked ZDF for its commitment to education, stating, “Education policy sets the course for our future. Kindergartens and schools impart language and knowledge, laying the foundation for every professional career. Children develop social skills here and learn to deal critically with information. Good education policy is the basis for economic growth, an open and democratic society, and social cohesion. However, there is still room for improvement. I am therefore very grateful that ZDF is making a significant contribution with high-quality educational offerings and is actively involved in promoting civic education and media literacy.”