We look back on a challenging year in which a lot happened. The Corona pandemic continued to cause great uncertainty among the population and fueled discussions about conspiracies and finger-pointing. It was a super election year with federal and state elections and a lot of online election advertising, but also fake news. Telekom was also active in 2021 #TAKEPART – no hate speech, reached many people and made them aware of the darker side of the internet - also on unexpected platforms such as gaming.
Media sure! But secure. How can I defend myself online against hate and incitement? What is digital civil courage? How does the Internet influence the way we form our opinions? On the "Media sure! But secure!" website, interested parties can find our Teachtoday, #TAKEPART-stories and Scroller initiatives, which answer these and many other questions on topics from the digital world. Prepared appropriately for every target group. Our focus in 2021: "Gaming - where the fun stops". Because what many people don't know: The world of online games is also misused for hate and agitation. But we can do something about it!
When words become weapons: In six podcast episodes of "Digital Crime" we have looked at hate on the internet from different perspectives and show: the internet is not a lawless space. Whether it's hate against minorities, in local politics or in customer service - in each episode, those affected share their personal experiences with hate and hostility in the digital world. Reporting, persecution, deterrence, and information about the legal situation: In each episode, experts give a professional classification of the protagonists' experiences. Missed an episode? No problem - you can listen to the entire season here.
Commitment is catching on: This year, we reached around 5.3 million people directly or via multipliers with the aim of encouraging them to think, try out new behaviors, and ideally adopt them directly afterwards. For example, through workshops for parents or educators, which we implemented alone or together with our partners such as the esports player foundation. Missed a workshop? Here you can find a small selection of our workshops (German only).
CR-Reports: Just facts and figures? No way! Our report this year was once again exciting and interactive. So was the front page of the CR-Report with "Game On". We look at what makes games so fascinating, what values they convey, and also why hate and manipulation in gaming should not be underestimated. Ever fight hate with digital love arrows? No, then catch up: here's our latest CR report.
From quizzes to project weeks: Our Teachtoday toolbox offers educators and parents more than 120 different materials and formats on topics from the digital world to help them teach young people aged 9-16 how to use digital media. There is a wide range of material on offer: For example, there is an online simulation for filter bubbles to find out what they actually are and how they work. Your best friend experiences hate online and the perpetrator is your friend? What should you do? There's an exercise for this dilemma, too. And anyone planning a project week with a class or group, e.g. on racism, will also find what they are looking for in the toolbox.
Take a stand and get noticed: TV spots, radio features, social media postings, print ads - the media diversity of our #TAKEPART – no hate speech campaign is huge. We have been able to reach over 700 million media contacts since the campaign was launched in June 2020. A great confirmation: The recognition value of the campaign among the population is over 60%. And, in a customer survey, over 70% say they find it important that Telekom is involved in this topic area. In addition, we were able to reach over 130,000 readers in 2021 with our Special #TAKEPART – No hate speech on Telekom's responsibility webpages.
Commitment worthy of an award: "TAKEPART – No hate speech” is awarded the German Media Prize 2021 as "Best Media Strategy 2021”. In the laudatory speech, the jury particularly appreciated the fact that Telekom is tackling this socially difficult and important issue with such commitment and passion. And even more awards were added in 2021. For example, gold at the Radio Advertising Award and silver at the German Digital Award. In this interview, Barbara Costanzo and Christian Hahn explain why the commitment is more than just a campaign for Telekom. (Image: ©W+V)
Stronger together: Along with 44 partners and initiatives, Telekom is fighting for a internet free from hate. One of the partners is the "Digitale Helden”. They train students in grades 8-10 to become digital heroes in online courses. They become mentors for younger students to raise their awareness of issues such as cyberbullying, sexting and hate on the internet. The training team supports students, parents and teachers in using digital communication competently and consciously. Through our cooperation, various webinars for parents and educators could be offered.
More diversity in gaming: With Equal eSports, Telekom is setting an example for more diversity in eSports. But it's more than that: #equalesports becomes the umbrella of a culture that offers all gamers a home regardless of gender, origin, culture or social status and gives them the opportunity to live out their dream of a professional career in eSports. Workshops also pick up parents, some of whom are concerned about what their own kids are doing there for hours every day. This creates an across-the-board understanding and know-how. The #equalesports initiative will be continued in 2022.
Discuss with me! For Deutsche Telekom, constructive discourse on the Internet is important - even within the company. On the Day Against Racism, there was a heated discussion under a post published within the company. The response ranged from express applause to critical comments. The opinions of the discussants seemed to be deadlocked. In a pilot event, the concept of our partner "Diskutier Mit Mir!" came into play: Using their specially developed online platform, two participants who explicitly disagreed with each other were always brought together anonymously in a chat. The aim was to conduct objective dialogs without an audience and at eye level. The response was consistently positive. Almost 100 participants took part in the event.
