b° future festival - laif foundation for independent photojournalism

With the b° future festival, the Bonn Institute brought together all
those who are committed to future-oriented journalism for the second time in October.

Important issues are discussed over three days:

In times of war and climate change, how can journalism report in a way that resonates and counteracts
hate speech, fake news and polarization? How can we make journalism as diverse as our societies already are?

laif was on site as a partner of the b° future festival with several events!

Visions for change!

Science consultant Dr. Ulrike Heine and laif photographers Maximilian Mann, Daniel Etter and Jan Richard Heinicke spoke about the power of photography in climate journalism and used examples to show how photos can be used effectively.

They explained why certain stereotypical images keep reappearing when it comes to communicating the climate crisis. And they discussed how photojournalism can not only help to make climate change a global problem that can be experienced and understood individually, but also bridge the gap between knowledge and action – from shaping public opinion to political and economic decision-making processes.

Moderation:
Jens Schröder, science journalist and former GEO editor-in-chief.

Focus on Mobile (Workshop)

Smartphone cameras are democratizing visual reporting. You no longer need an expensive professional camera to take high-quality documentary shots, and you don’t need a university degree to be visually literate.

The compact and immersive workshop by laif photographer Erol Gurian offers a deep dive into visual storytelling with the smartphone at the start of the festival.

Picture perfect! - Rethinking images in constructive journalism

As part of the festival, laif photographer Patricia Kühfuss spoke about her work as a photographer in medicine and care. She is convinced that we cannot afford to rely on stock photography and AI-generated images when reporting on complex topics.

Using examples, she took the audience on a journey to the paradigms of photojournalism: How are photos created, selected and perceived in everyday editorial work? What aesthetic mechanisms need to be considered and what stumbling blocks are there?