Today, 14 October 2024, press freedom week opened in the free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg at the City Hall .

It has become a good tradition to hold a press freedom forum in Hamburg in autumn, during which journalists, public figures and government representatives discuss the relationship between the authorities and the journalistic community in the world.

Whereas last year the main guest of the forum was Dmitry Muratov, winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, this year's key topic was a speech by Mr Glauton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders USA.

Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator of the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media, addressed the event with a welcoming speech.

He was followed by dialogue speeches by Dr. Lothar Dittmer, Chairman of the Board of the Körber Foundation and Prof. Manuel J. Hartung, Chairman of the Board of the Time Bucerius Foundation.

This was followed by a presentation by Glauton Weimers.

The forum concluded with a discussion on the role and challenges of the modern press, in which, in addition to the American guest, Mrs Grit Baldauf, Regional Manager for Central Saxony, Free Press and Dr Christian-Mathias Welbrock, Head of Innovation and Research at the Hamburg Media School, took part.

After the official part of the event was over, the forum participants had the opportunity to socialise amongst themselves in an informal setting.

Galina and I really enjoyed meeting and talking to Ilya Politkovsky.

Ilya flew to Hamburg to attend the opening ceremony of the Anna Politkovskaya Square  named after his mother and, at the invitation of the event organisers, took part in the opening of the Hamburg Free Press Week.

Photo 1: Hamburg Free Press Week;

Photo 2. Town Hall Hall where the forum was held;

Photo 3. Hamburg's Senator for Culture and Media, Dr Carsten Brosda;

Photo 4. From left to right: Professor Manuel J. Hartung and Dr Lothar Dittmer;

Photo 5. Glauton Wymers' presentation;

Photo 6. From left to right: Dr Christian-Mathias Welbrock, Mrs Grit Baldauf and Glauton Weimers;

Photo 7. From left to right: Galina Goncharenko, Ilya Politkovsky and Alexander Goncharenko.

Alexander Goncharenko, Russian political émigré