Under pressure? Media and Antisemitism under National Socialism & Today
© Doerthe Boxberg
© Doerthe Boxberg
Spiegel, Stern, Henri Nannen or the inventor of Tagesthemen [German daily news program] - all of them have a National Socialist background. Nevertheless, antisemitism was not born out of nowhere in 1933 and did not disappear in 1945. Whether before, during or after the National Socialist era, mass media had an important part in the spread of antisemitic images and narratives. Have they been under pressure, or did they exert pressure? And what lessons can we learn from history? In our new project, we will look at these and many other questions.
The project focuses on the development of four blended learning formats: a traveling exhibition, a digital learning tool, workshops and a symposium. Based on the role of the media in the National Socialist state as a voice of the National Socialist regime and an instrument for spreading antisemitic propaganda, the media professionals (the project’s target group) will deal with the continuities of antisemitic ideologies and their dissemination via the media on the one hand, and with antidemocratic and (structurally) antisemitic attacks on the media on the other. On this basis, the aim is to develop and expand the professional group's competence when dealing with current antisemitism and the strategies of antidemocratic players, as well as to strengthen their professional self-image in a key social position and the corresponding responsibility.
The "Kölnische Gesellschaft für Christlich-Jüdische Zusammenarbeit e.V.", (Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation), which was founded in 1958, has become an integral part of North Rhine-Westphalia's political education scene which is critical of antisemitism and racism.
Cooperation partner: TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences (Prof. Petra Werner – Study Program "Digital Journalism and Media"), Nürnberger Nachrichten (Nuremberg News) (Ella Schindler – Volunteer Representative NN/Chairperson of the Neue deutsche Medienmacher (New German Media Creators)), Stadtanzeiger Köln (Cologne City Gazette)/DuMont Verlag (Publisher) (Joachim Frank - Chief Correspondent DuMont Verlag/ Editor-in-Chief Kölner Stadtanzeiger)
Funding country: Germany
Duration: 01.02.2024 until 31.12.2025