Media Foundation of the Sparkasse Leipzig
In democratic societes the media is often called the "fourth estate". They inform their users about social, political, economic or cultural events and help shape opinion. In order to fulfill these tasks, the media must be free and independent in their reporting. In 1999, Sparkasse Leipzig founded the Media Foundation, aware of the outstanding role that media plays in educating people and participating in society. In addition to supporting training and further education for media professionals, Media Foundation awards various prizes such as the "Prize for the Freedom and Future of the Media". In addition to the EIJC, the projects largely initiated by the foundation include the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).
The European Institute for Journalism and Communication Research (EIJC)
The EIJC goes back to the "Institute for Practical Journalism and Communication Research" (IPJ), founded in 2003 as a joint project of the University of Leipzig and Media Foundation of the Sparkasse Leipzig with the support of the Sparkasse Insurance Saxony. Its scientific director is Professor Michael Haller. The research focus of the EIJC includes media information structures and communication processes under questions of democracy theory. With theory-driven empirical studies and practice-oriented projects, media skills and quality in journalism are to be promoted. (www.eijc.de).
The Buzzard UG
The start-up The Buzzard UG, which moved its headquarters from Leipzig to Berlin in 2020, relies on a variety of perspectives. Various articles from different media are curated, journalistically classified and summarized in an app every day. This is intended to give users the opportunity to get to know different perspectives on individual political and social issues. The project is financed exclusively through membership fees. The pilot project in Saxony is also intended to make a contribution to getting young people enthusiastic about the diversity of information. (www.buzzard.org).