42nd Forum Communication Culture 2025

Don't Panic! Media education for courage and resilience in a changing world

November 14-16 in Oldenburg

What is currently happening in the world is not easy to cope with: Democracies and their institutions are coming under pressure, climate change is progressing steadily and bringing with it serious consequences, artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are developing faster than we can understand them or think about how to use and deal with them competently and responsibly. Sometimes the quantity and scope of the challenges make us feel powerless. However, where challenges are created by people, it is also up to them to find a responsible way of dealing with them.

Forum 2025 would like to show a variety of ways and methods of media education that deal with current developments. The focus is on approaches that not only take challenging topics seriously, but also tackle them confidently and proactively, thus helping to overcome fears and strengthen resilience. The focus is on creative and lifeworld-oriented media education that allows us to look to the future with courage and confidence. Confident and responsible media use opens up opportunities, but should also be critical, as the critical analysis and reflection of digital media, including ethical aspects, is considered a fundamental media-related skill.