On 16-17 October, some 80 delegates from 50 media partners were welcomed by RTL Deutschland at its recently opened offices in the heart of HafenCity for the Enex (European News Exchange) General Assembly. 

Bringing together media professionals from around the world, the two-day event served as a key platform for global news collaboration – offering both inspiring insights and realistic reflections on the future of journalism. 

Carsten Brosda, Hamburg’s Senator for Culture and Media, opened the General Assembly with a welcome address underlining the media’s critical role in sustaining democracy, telling participants: “Through effective alliances, innovative technologies and the strengthening of media literacy, we can counter the erosion of truth and societal polarisation.”

This year’s agenda spanned a wide range of forward-looking topics – from a session on how AI-assisted journalism is reshaping newsrooms featuring innovators from Moments Lab, Grass Valley, Fonn Group and EVS, to a powerful panel exploring rising threats to journalism, with perspectives from Ukraine, Serbia, Lithuania and Finland.

The day concluded with a behind-the-scenes introduction to Hamburg’s famous Miniatur Wunderland by RTL Nord CEO Sonja Schwetje.

Day two opened with a welcome from Stern’s Editor-in-Chief Gregor Peter Schmitz, who introduced the brand’s new digital media offer, Stern+. He then joined a panel examining what news publishers can teach broadcasters.  

A subsequent session with Tobias Schiwek, CEO of We Are Era, explored digital disruption and creator economy trends. Schiwek highlighted the power of creators and the importance of connecting audiences with authentic personalities, noting that ‘people trust people’ and increasingly seek a sense of belonging. Later discussions focused on the evolution of commercial news models and the rising relevance of creators in shaping the media landscape.

Among the most poignant sessions was “Access Denied: Reporting Gaza”, which featured on-the-ground reflections from journalists in Israel and Gaza, who shared first-hand insights into the challenges they currently face.  

Enex Managing Director Adrian Wells shared an update on the organisation’s strategic developments and news from 2025. He also announced Enex’s new partnership agreement with AnewZ, an English-language news and analysis channel based in Azerbaijan.

_{AnewZ Executive Director Rufat Hamzayev (left) and Enex Managing Director Adrian Wells}

The event closed with a forward-looking session featuring journalism students from ESJ Montpellier and RTL Deutschland’s Cologne-based RTL School of Journalism – offering a hopeful glimpse into the next generation of media professionals. 

Networking highlights included a dinner in the historic Speicherstadt alongside a special tour and concert evening at the Elbphilharmonie. 

With this year’s General Assembly set against a backdrop of global volatility, the event reaffirmed the power of international media collaboration.