(Subject to change)

HOW THE WISSENSWERTE PROGRAM IS CREATED

The WISSENSWERTE program is planned in cooperation between the Chair of Science Journalism at TU Dortmund and the Association of Science Journalists in Germany Wissenschaftspressekonferenz (WPK): Program planner Holger Hettwer from the WPK collects topic ideas throughout the winter – also in dialogue with the science journalism associations WPK and VMWJ. For example, in January/February there are WPK get-togethers where ideas for the conference are discussed. (Incidentally, this is the best time to submit your own topic suggestions – you are also welcome to contact the program planner directly.)

By March/April, a list of topics around 15 pages long has been compiled, which the WISSENSWERTE program advisory board discusses in detail and prioritizes at its annual meeting. The program advisory board is made up mainly of experienced staff and freelance science journalists from all media sectors and science journalism departments, but also includes communicators from research institutions, foundations, and companies that are involved in sponsoring the conference. The final decision on the topics is made by the program planners.

This complex process guarantees maximum independence in program planning. At the same time, our diverse contacts in various target groups ensure that program planning remains closely linked to current challenges and developments that are essential to science journalism.

We are convinced that both intensive content preparation and continuous professional observation of science journalism are central prerequisites for being able to make high-quality program proposals that reflect in depth and breadth what the WISSENSWERTE target groups expect from this industry platform, which is unique in Europe. Since its premiere in 2004, the program office has attracted well over 1,000 speakers from all over the world to WISSENSWERTE – a unique international network dedicated to science journalism.

HOW THE ECSJ2026 PROGRAM IS CREATED

The program of the European Conference of Science Journalism (ECSJ) is developed through an open and collaborative process coordinated by the European Federation for Science Journalism (EFSJ) together with its partner organizations. For ECSJ2026, the conference will take place from 14–16 October 2026 in Hanover, Germany, jointly with the annual Wissenswerte conference of the WPK.

Planning began with an open call for session proposals, inviting science journalists and members of the science journalism community from across Europe and beyond to contribute ideas. The call for ECSJ2026 ran from 5 January to 15 February 2026. During this period, individuals and teams were invited to submit proposals for panels, workshops, and other session formats via the official submission form.

Proposals were expected to fit within the overall conference theme “Science Journalism for a World in Crisis” and to align with one of the three conference tracks:

• Trust & Accountability – exploring how science journalists can maintain trust, counter disinformation, and hold power to account.
• Connections & Communities – focusing on cross-border collaboration, community engagement, and shared approaches to global challenges.
• Craft & Change – examining the evolving craft of science journalism, from core reporting skills to innovation in storytelling and media formats.

After the submission deadline, the proposals are assessed with the support of a team of reviewers, all experienced science journalists. They will help identify the strongest and most relevant proposals. In May, a selection of sessions will be compiled based on these assessments.

The final decision on the program will then be taken by the program committee of ECSJ2026, which considers the reviewers’ recommendations and ensures that the resulting program is balanced, diverse, and representative of the key challenges and developments in science journalism.

If there are any questions about the submission process, the EFSJ team can be reached at info@efsj.eu.