Ard Weltspiegel

Editorial tone

Reporter-driven, cosmopolitan, substantive. The correspondents on the ground are the face of the programme. Gripping images, personal encounters, contextualizing analysis. Never superficial, but not academic either. Global perspective with a European lens. Empathetic toward protagonists, critical toward the powerful.

What this format covers

• ●Foreign reportage from crisis zones and forgotten regions
• ●Geopolitical conflicts and their impact on people
• ●Human rights, displacement, migration — from the perspective of those affected
• ●Climate change and environmental destruction internationally
• ●Social upheavals and transformations worldwide
• ●Culture and everyday life in foreign countries — beyond the clichés
• ●Global economic and trade relations

What this format does NOT want

• ●Purely domestic political topics without international relevance
• ●Travel reportage without journalistic substance
• ●Entertainment formats or lifestyle topics
• ●Historical documentaries without contemporary relevance
• ●Topics without on-the-ground access

Visual expectations

Authentic reportage footage of high quality. Shooting on location is mandatory. Correspondents as visible reporters on camera. Gripping scenes, encounters with people, everyday observations. Drone shots for contextualization. No studio aesthetic — the world as it is.

Expected exposé structure

1. Title + subtitle (narrative, location-based)
2. Logline (2–3 sentences: location, conflict, access)
3. Expose body text: tell the story on the ground
4. Protagonists and their concrete stories
5. Background information and context
6. Shooting plan / on-location access
7. Correspondent/author, production company, contact

Example productions

• Weltspiegel: Ukraine — Leben im Krieg
• Weltspiegel: Indiens vergessene Kinder
• Weltspiegel: Brasilien — Kampf um den Regenwald
• Weltspiegel: Japan — Die Einsamkeitsepidemie
• Weltspiegel: Tunesien — Demokratie am Abgrund