“Never Gonna Give You Up”: Bavarian Media Innovation at the re:publica
From May 18 to 20, 2026, we and many other media representatives will be attending re:publica in Berlin. XPLR: MEDIA in Bavaria will be there with a stand and showcase best cases from the Bavarian media industry.
In May, Berlin will once again become the epicenter of the digital society: from 18 to 20 May 2026, we and many other media representatives will be heading to Berlin for re:publica. Under this year’s motto “Never Gonna Give You Up”, the conference for society and media is sending a clear signal for perseverance, digital sovereignty and a strong civil society online. XPLR: MEDIA in Bavaria will be on site with a stand and showcase best cases from the Bavarian media industry.
re:publica – A meeting place for everyone in the German media scene
At re:publica, net activists meet scientists, creatives meet politicians and hackers meet bloggers. It is the place where the future of the internet is not only discussed, but actively shaped. This year, visitors can expect a program with over 1,000 speakers on several stages – a colorful mix of knowledge, pop culture and political discourse.
Media for the common good: XPLR: MEDIA in Bavaria brings best cases from Bavaria
As we did last year under the banner “AI for Good”, we are presenting ourselves in 2026 as a Bavarian initiative that wants to show that artificial intelligence and technological progress must serve people and that disinformation must be resolutely combated. Our aim is to showcase Bavaria as a media location with its creative minds – innovative, responsible and close to social benefit.
This year, we have brought two strong partners on board who share our vision and will be presenting themselves at our stand:
Helmit – A new approach to digital child protection
The founders of the Munich-based start-up Helmit, Leonardo Benini and Alexander Wolters, are tackling one of the most pressing problems of our time: protecting children from cyberbullying, paedophile abuse and harmful content on social media. Helmit uses a highly developed AI that analyzes chats on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok in real time. The special feature here is the uncompromising focus on data protection: the analysis is carried out 100% locally on the parents’ device, without a cloud connection or server storage. Parents are only alerted if there is an actual danger, which ensures that children’s privacy is protected.
People’s snitch – The “truth press” against fake news
Our second stand partner is the People’s Squealer. The well-known anti-fake news blog around founder Thomas Laschyk has been a strong authority in the fight against disinformation for years. The Volksverpetzer is characterized by a special strategy: Instead of dry fact checks, they focus on emotional enlightenment. They fill the gaps that traditional media often leave open and use the dynamics of social media – from TikTok reels to striking sharepics – to give facts a voice again. Their aim is not just to refute individual myths, but to break down entire disinformation narratives. At re:publica, they will be giving insights into their work at the XPLR: MEDIA in Bavaria stand.
Visit us at STATION Berlin
We cordially invite you to come by our stand, discuss the future of the media world with us or talk directly to the Helmit and Volksverpetzer teams. You will also find our new insert, in which we present the Bavarian film industry, and our wheel of fortune, where you can put your knowledge of Bavaria as a media location to the test.
Bannerbild: XPLR: MEDIA in Bavaria
