New German Media Makers

Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen (NdM; 'New German Media Makers') is a German non-governmental organisation and nationwide association of media professionals with and without a migration background. Founded at the end of 2008, it is registered as an eingetragener Verein (registered association) and is based in Berlin. Its stated central goal is to give the diversity of German society and of Germany as an immigration country an adequate voice and to make that diversity more visible in media coverage. The network is independent and crosses nationalities and confessions; its members work across all German media forms — print, television, radio and online — at both regional and national levels. The association describes its main areas of activity as advocacy for media professionals with a migration background; implementing projects and initiatives for more diversity in media, both in content and in staffing; acting as a contact point for intercultural journalism; providing a forum for information, exchange and mutual support; publicising the network's concerns and positions, especially to decision-makers in media and politics; and promoting media integration. Concrete larger projects have included founding local and regional networks of media professionals, a mentoring programme to support young journalists with a migration background, the free research database Vielfaltfinder.de listing experts with a migration background across a broad range of topics, a glossary with formulation aids for differentiated reporting, regular media training sessions under the project title 'Wir bleiben im Gespräch', and the information platform for refugees Handbook Germany. The organisation has also coordinated the national implementation of the No Hate Speech Movement, funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth within the federal programme Demokratie leben, as well as by various foundations. NdM attracted wider attention in 2021 with its Wetterberichtigung ('weather correction') campaign. To highlight a lack of diversity in the media, it bought 13 sponsorships for high- and low-pressure weather systems from the Institute for Meteorology and gave the weather in January 2021 migrant names. The campaign trended on social media and drew attention in international media as well. Since 2009, the association's chairs have taken part in the annual integration summit at the Federal Chancellery on the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Since 31 March 2025 the association has been entered in the Lobby Register of the German Bundestag as an interest representation. The organisation is financed through membership fees, donations and earmarked funding for non-profit projects. Its funders include various foundations and federal ministries, such as the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the Federal Government Commissioner for Integration. In March 2021 an article in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung summarised that in 2020 the organisation had received about 1.892 million euros in private and public funding for its projects, while income from donations, membership fees and prize money in the same period amounted to about 43,000 euros. In its 2023 activity report, the organisation put its income from state financing (public authorities) at 93.61% (around 5.475 million euros), while income from donations, membership fees, the so-called 'tertiary sector' and other income amounted to 6.39%. From 2018 to 2022 NdM awarded a negative prize, the Goldene Kartoffel ('Golden Potato'), for particularly one-sided or ill-judged reporting on aspects of the immigration society. The first recipient in 2018 was Julian Reichelt, then editor-in-chief of Bild-Zeitung, who appeared at the award ceremony and declined the prize.

Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen was founded at the end of 2008 as an association of media professionals with and without a migration background. The founding attracted attention in the German media, with extensive reports appearing in outlets including the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, die taz and the Frankfurter Rundschau. The organisation was initially named Neue deutsche Medienmacher; in March 2021 it adopted the gender-inclusive spelling Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen, pronounced with a gender pause. In the early years the association grew steadily. At the beginning of 2014 it reported more than 160 association members and 670 network members. By 2018, according to its homepage, the number of network members had reached 1,250. The association's website later reported more than 750 members, 48 implemented projects, 430 supported young talents and more than 70 statements. A central concern from the outset was the underrepresentation of people with a migration background in German journalism. In 2013 around 19% of Germany's residents had a migration background, while the share among journalists was assumed to be much lower; a 2009 estimate put the share at daily newspapers at 2%. The network presents itself as an independent, cross-nationality and cross-confessional association whose members work in all German media forms — print, TV, radio and online — both regionally and nationally. Over the years NdM developed a range of concrete projects. These include the founding of local and regional networks of media professionals, a mentoring programme to support young journalists with a migration background, the free research database Vielfaltfinder.de with experts with a migration background on a broad range of topics, a glossary with formulation aids for differentiated reporting, regular media training sessions under the project title 'Wir bleiben im Gespräch', and the information platform for refugees Handbook Germany. The organisation also coordinated the national implementation of the No Hate Speech Movement, funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth within the federal programme Demokratie leben and by various foundations. In 2021 the association drew wider public and international attention with the Wetterberichtigung campaign. To highlight a lack of diversity in the media, it bought 13 sponsorships for high- and low-pressure weather systems from the Institute for Meteorology and gave the weather in January 2021 migrant names. The campaign trended on social media and was covered by international media. From 2018 to 2022 NdM awarded the negative prize Goldene Kartoffel for particularly one-sided or ill-judged reporting on aspects of the immigration society. The first recipient in 2018 was Julian Reichelt, then editor-in-chief of Bild-Zeitung, who appeared at the award ceremony and declined the prize, arguing that 'Kartoffel' was a term used on German schoolyards with reference to ethnic origin. On stage Reichelt spoke together with Mohammad Rabie, a refugee journalist from Syria; Sibel Schick criticised in the taz that Reichelt had instrumentalised him as a token. Since 2009 the association's chairs have taken part in the annual integration summit at the Federal Chancellery on the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Since 31 March 2025 the association has been entered in the Lobby Register of the German Bundestag as an interest representation. The organisation is financed through membership fees, donations and earmarked funding for non-profit projects. Funders include various foundations and federal ministries, such as the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the Federal Government Commissioner for Integration. In March 2021 an article in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung summarised that in 2020 the organisation had received about 1.892 million euros in private and public funding for its projects, while income from donations, membership fees and prize money in the same period amounted to about 43,000 euros. In its 2023 activity report, the organisation put its income from state financing (public authorities) at 93.61% (around 5.475 million euros), while income from donations, membership fees, the so-called 'tertiary sector' and other income amounted to 6.39%. The board consists of two chairs, a treasurer and two to six assessors. As of August 2026 the chairs were Ella Schindler and Natalie Sablowski (succeeding Thembi Wolf), with Daniel Bax as treasurer (succeeding Sheila Mysorekar) and Polo Türk as assessor. Elena Kountidou is the managing director, succeeding Konstantina Vassiliou-Enz.

• 2025

  Entered in the Lobby Register of the German Bundestag as an interest representation on 31 March 2025.

• 2022

  Last edition of the Goldene Kartoffel negative prize.

• 2021

  Renamed Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen in March; Wetterberichtigung campaign draws international attention.

• 2018

  Network membership reaches 1,250 according to the homepage; first Goldene Kartoffel negative prize awarded to Julian Reichelt.

• 2014

  Association reports more than 160 members and 670 network members.

• 2009

  Chairs begin participating in the annual integration summit at the Federal Chancellery on the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

• 2008

  Association founded at the end of 2008.

Non-profit advocacy organisation and network for diversity, accurate language and anti-discrimination in German journalism and media.

• Vielfaltfinder.de

  Free research database with experts with a migration background on a broad range of topics.

• Glossary

  Glossary with formulation aids for differentiated reporting; the website describes over 350 terms for precise and respectful language in a diverse society.

• Mentoring programme

  Programme to support young journalists with a migration background.

• Media training 'Wir bleiben im Gespräch'

  Regularly held media training sessions.

• Handbook Germany

  Information platform for refugees.

• No Hate Speech Movement national coordination

  Coordination of the national implementation of the No Hate Speech Movement.

• 2021Wetterberichtigung
• Goldene Kartoffel

1. 1Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen e.V. – Für Vielfalt im Journalismusneuemedienmacher.de
2. 2New German media makers – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org