Position paper "The Global South in the Media"

Sent to approximately 400 media editorial offices (around 2,400 journalists) in the German-speaking DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and to approximately 1,200 members of the German Bundestag and Bundesrat, the Austrian National Council and Federal Council, and the Swiss National Council and Council of States.
Sent to the German Federal President, Federal Chancellor, and Federal Government, the Austrian Federal President, Federal Chancellor, and Federal Government, and the Swiss Federal Council.
Sent to the German Broadcasting Council, numerous political and cultural organizations and institutions. 

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The network "The Global South in the Media" has set itself the task of drawing attention to the dramatic media and political neglect of the Global South. 

A position paper was drafted and signed by a broad alliance of over 1,300 people from the academic community, including approximately 750 professors. The signatories also include private lecturers, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, research assistants, teaching staff, and other supporters such as media professionals. The supporters represent academic disciplines such as agricultural science, anthropology, ethics, history, geography, health care, climate science, communication and media studies, cultural studies, philosophy, political science, law, sociology, linguistics, theology, economics, and other disciplines.

The paper was also signed by around 150 scientific institutions and non-governmental and aid organizations. 

The signatories of the paper include, for example:

Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Aleida Assmann (Cultural Studies, University of Konstanz / Winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (with Jan Assmann) 2018)

Prof. Dr. Roger Blum (Professor of Media Studies and Director of the Institute for Communication and Media Studies at the University of Bern from 1989 to 2010 / former President of the Swiss Press Council / former President of the Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television in Switzerland / former Ombudsman of SRG Deutschschweiz)

Dr. Daniel Dahm (CEO, United Sustainability Group / Councillor, World Future Council / DIN Standards Committee Finance NaFin / Member, Club of Rome, German Association)

Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Sabine Gabrysch (Professor of Climate Change and Health, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) / Heidelberg Institute for Global Health, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg)

Prof. Dr. Edeltraud Günther (Director, Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), United Nations University, Dresden / Professor of Business Administration, specializing in sustainability management

Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ulrich Hemel (Former Director, Global Ethic Institute Tübingen / Director, Institute for Social Strategy)

Prof. em. Dr. Christoph Heusgen (University of St. Gallen (HSG), Co-Chair of the St. Gallen Symposium, former Chair of the Munich Security Conference, former German Ambassador to the United Nations, former Diplomatic Advisor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel)

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Loske (Witten Lab, University of Witten/Herdecke / Board Member of the Right Livelihood Foundation, Stockholm)

Prof. Dr. Axel Kroeger (Center for Medicine and Society (ZMG), Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg / Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR/WHO), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva)

Dr. Heinz-Rudolf Othmerding (former Head of Foreign Affairs at the German Press Agency (dpa))

Prof. Dr. Thomas Pogge (German Council on Foreign Relations, Yale Philosophy Department, Paris School of Economics)

Prof. Dr. Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger (Rector, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin / Prof. Emeritus, Chair of Early Modern History, History Department, University of Münster)

Herwig Sturm (Former Bishop of the Evangelical Church A.B. in Austria, former Chairman of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria (ÖRKÖ))

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Trabert (Physician, Professor of Social Medicine and Social Psychiatry, 1st Chairman of the Association for Poverty and Health in Germany, candidate for the office of Federal President in 2022)

Ranga Yogeshwar (science journalist, author)

The signatory institutions and organizations include, for example:

Academics Stand Against Poverty ASAP

Bischöfliche Aktion Adveniat e.V.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie e.V.

Evangelische Landeskirche Hessen-Nassau (EKHN)

Evangelische Landeskirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck (EKKW)

Global South Studies Center (GSSC) der Universität zu Köln

Hoffnungszeichen | Sign of Hope e.V.

humedica e.V.

INA – Initiative Nachrichtenaufklärung e.V.

jesuitenweltweit Deutschland (Nürnberg)

KOO – Koordinierungsstelle der Österreichischen Bischofskonferenz für internationale Entwicklung

MISEREOR

Stiftung Menschen für Menschen. Karlheinz Böhms Äthiopienhilfe

VENRO (Verband Entwicklungspolitik und Humanitäre Hilfe deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen e.V.), der als Dachorganisation ca. 140 entwicklungspolitische Nichtregierungsorganisationen (NROs) vertritt. 

VGDH (Verband für Geographie an deutschsprachigen Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen e.V.)

Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

World Future Council 

World Vision Österreich

The position paper, a summary, and the lists of supporters

can be viewed and downloaded here:

All information on the position paper can also be found in the following article:

EJO (European Journalism Observatory)

15. September 2025

Press reviews

Press reviews with articles, reports, and reactions: 

Support the position paper

 It is still possible to support the appeal and to join the network.

Simply send an email to:
[email protected]

In addition, the following posts can also be shared on social media
to ensure wider dissemination of the paper:

The main authors of the position paper are:

Dr. Thorolf Lipp (filmmaker, media anthropologist)
[email protected]

Dr. Ladislaus Ludescher (Institut für deutsche Literatur und ihre Didaktik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main)
[email protected]
Research results: https://de.ejo-online.eu/author/ladislaus-ludescher

Prof. Dr. Hermann Rotermund (sociologist, media scientist)
[email protected]
Website: www.weisses-rauschen.de

German version of the position paper

Deutsche Fassung des Positionspapiers

Information on the position paper in German: