Honourable Lord Weidenfeld, Mayor Jakobs, Lord Owen, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Potsdam for the presentation of this year’s M100 Media Award as part of the Sanssouci Colloquium.
The city of Potsdam stands for openness and tolerance, which makes it the ideal location for such a prominent international media conference. Indeed, this productive atmosphere of cooperation, exchange and, of course, argumentation, provides the perfect backdrop for a conference such as this, especially considering the fact that we have with us today media representatives from countries currently at conflict with one another in the Caucasus.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
During the last couple of weeks, three themes have dominated the worldwide news: the Olympic Games in Beijing, the US presidential campaign and, above all, the war in the Caucasus. Winning and losing at the Olympic Games; death, destruction and devastation in the Caucasus; candidates and campaign speeches in the United States: We’ve all seen the pictures and heard the reports, many of which – to put it bluntly – have provoked reactions that could not be more different from one another. All three events have also proven one thing in particular, i.e. the extent to which countries such as China, the USA and Russia can and will continue to exert influence on the world and that these efforts will by no means leave central Europe untouched.

Among the many questions and uncertainties caused by often contradictory reports, one issue became certain: For the vast majority of those of us who are not able to be at these locations ourselves, the media continue to be the primary source of information shaping our image of these regions. As the reporting becomes incongruous, and when the information we receive is unclear, this image becomes blurred and leaves us with doubts about the actual situation. The result of such a predicament is that we are left with more questions than answers.

The images that we have seen in the past several days and weeks lead us to wonder exactly what truth can be found beneath the surface. We are experiencing a war of propaganda, in particular with respect to deciding which side is responsible for the Caucasus conflict. As so often in times of war, it is incredibly difficult to answer such questions. It is therefore important to maintain dialogue among participants and to make sure that doors remain as open as possible. At its special summit in Brussels last Monday, the European Union correctly decided to emphasize this open approach and responded to the crisis accordingly.
So what can we do to prevent public opinion from becoming a football tossed around by opposing interests? Taken in the context of this pressing question, the statements and opinions expressed by the young journalists participating in the M100 Youth Media Workshop – which was held last week in Potsdam as a type of prequel to today’s events – were particularly impressive. During the workshop, participants discussed how news coverage often glosses over domestic conditions and is frequently under state influence. Indeed, at this workshop, we heard that the true causes and factors involved in conflicts are often concealed or covered up.
Ladies and gentlemen, this unfortunate situation is not a foreign experience to those of us born here in Potsdam. I am from this city and experienced first-hand what it’s like to grow up in a dictatorship where freedom of expression was suppressed. The leaders of the SED regime in the former GDR used an idealised picture of their own state, and also of their “brother nations” such as the Soviet Union, to maintain power and justify their existence. In the same way, the Soviet Union portrayed an image of deep-rooted friendship among the socialist states. Only by travelling through these countries could one discover the true circumstances, facts and emotions. What we’re seeing at the moment in the Caucasus is that people are once again questioning the nature of power and regions of influence, and I am certain that the answer can only be found in civilised dialogue.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests, I believe that even Western media are not immune to instrumentalisation. Indeed, this is exactly why you all carry a special responsibility on your shoulders. Perhaps we can sum it up in the following way: One must stick to one’s own principles and focus on the core of the problem. In an increasingly complex and fast-paced world, we need accurate and critical reporting that is consistently guided by facts and solid research and which, as a result, contributes to reasoned views and opinions. This, of course, also leads to the question of the pressures to which journalism is subjected to today. How can one maintain one’s independence and therefore ensure quality coverage? What capacity do journalists have to control political decision-making in their function as the “fourth power” in the state?
The role of the media in the Caucasus conflict; the question of reporting according to the facts or not; and the instrumentalisation of news – these are all of central importance to how our image of reality appears and how we will behave and act in the future. In my view, one issue stands out: We must, as we have done here today, take advantage of opportunities for dialogue – no matter how small. I believe that today’s colloquium has successfully achieved this, because it has given those among us who are currently at conflict with one another a chance to talk. It was possible to question statements; voices from the region were raised; and different portrayals and points of view were exchanged. This allows us to get considerably closer to the fundamental truth of the situation. And this is why I’m sure that this year’s meeting will once again send important signals out to the rest of the media world.
I am delighted that we were able to attract such a prominent speaker as Lord Owen to join us tonight, and I am very eager to hear his words. Indeed, it is a great honour to be able to welcome Lord Owen to Potsdam.
We are also very much looking forward to the presentation of this year’s M100 award. In Ingrid Betancourt, we honour a strong defender of democracy who has gained our overwhelming respect and acknowledgement for her courageous struggle on behalf of freedom of expression. She stands for a particular culture of responsibility in the way we deal with power and freedom. We are extremely glad that she has agreed to accept the award and that she will be speaking to us tonight via video message.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for coming to Potsdam, the state capital of Brandenburg. I hope that you will consider your time here as having been beneficial for your work and we hope to see you again soon. Thank you.