Meeting of the Press Freedom Working Group focused on challenges to press freedom and freedom of expression.
Bertelsmann’s Press Freedom Working Group met on September 15 at the offices of Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe in Munich. Journalist and bestselling author Hasnain Kazim was the guest speaker and exchanged views with representatives from across Bertelsmann. In her welcome, Sonja Schwetje, Chair of the working group, emphasized the enrichment provided by the participants’ diverse perspectives: “The different perspectives in this working group are a great strength,” she said. “They allow us to view challenges in a nuanced way and to learn from one another.”
A house of diversity
Rebecca Prager, Head of Corporate Communications at Penguin Random House in Germany, introduced the global publishing group and highlighted its wide social reach. Penguin Random House sells around 700 million media products annually and comprises more than 300 publishing houses worldwide, nearly 50 of them in Germany. “We develop and sell many and very different titles, and each one gives us a unique opportunity to reach and move people. As a house of diversity, it is both our ambition and our social responsibility to reflect different perspectives and opinions,” said Prager. The discussion underlined the importance of fostering a wide range of creative voices. The individual publishing houses within Penguin Random House operate with editorial independence, offer distinct programmatic profiles for authors, and even compete with one another – all of which strengthens the diversity of the publishing landscape.
International challenges
A look at the United States showed just how severely freedom of expression is under threat there. Penguin Random House has taken on a pioneering role in fighting book bans – the banning of certain titles in public and school libraries. The publisher is actively defending the freedom to read through intensive legal and political work, and with initiatives such as the “Banned Wagon,” a bookmobile that distributes banned titles in front of libraries and bookstores. In July, Penguin Random House was listed among the “Time 100 Most Influential Companies” in recognition of this commitment.
Debating freedom of expression in Germany
One special highlight of the meeting was the discussion with author Hasnain Kazim, who joined via video. In his current book “Deutschlandtour – Auf der Suche nach dem, was unser Land zusammenhält” (Tour of Germany – In Search of What Holds Our Country Together), the former “Spiegel” journalist recounts his bicycle journey along Germany’s major rivers. Seeking to better understand his country, he spoke with people from diverse backgrounds to learn what unites them – and what divides them. In his conversation with the working group, Kazim addressed social divides as well as the rise of hate speech and extremist tendencies – from the far right, but also from Islamist and left-wing groups. He revisited a provocative question that had accompanied him on his journey: “If someone votes for Nazis, does that make them a Nazi?” His approach was not about easy answers, but about grappling with the meaning and practice of freedom of expression. He stressed the importance of giving voice to topics, asking questions without prejudice, and making an effort to understand the other perspective. It was the same approach he followed on his journey, engaging people directly to understand their political viewpoints.
The responsibility of publishers
The discussion also touched on publishing: How can publishers present a broad spectrum of opinions without giving a platform to hate speech or disinformation? What risks arise when authors, given the social climate, are reluctant to be published in certain contexts?
Sabine Niemeier, Publishing Director of Heyne Nonfiction at Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe, summarized it this way: “We operate in a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, we want to reflect society in all its diversity and the views of a broad readership. On the other, it takes passion and conviction to bring books into the world. Personal opinions, preferences, or dislikes cannot be the decisive factor. Our mission is to be internally pluralistic and to reflect a broad spectrum in our books.”
Participants agreed that freedom of expression is not a given but a central prerequisite for democracy – making it a permanent responsibility for media companies and publishers. The Press Freedom Working Group will continue its work with this mission in mind, serving as a platform for exchange, networking, and joint strategies.
