At the beginning of June 2025, six students from the Journalism & Media Management study area at FHWien der WKW participated in the international media project Europe On Air in Madrid. This initiative, co-financed by the EU program Creative Europe, brings together aspiring journalists from across Europe every year to produce audio features on socially relevant topics.
Humanism in the Digital Age
The content preparation had already begun in Vienna in March. Under the guidance of Karina Schwann, Academic Expert & Lecturer for Radio, the students developed a 17-minute radio feature on the topic “Humanism in a Digital World”. The focus was on the growing loneliness of young adults, a phenomenon that often stands in stark contrast to the promise of constant connectivity through social media.
You can listen to the radio feature on Radio Radieschen, the training station of FHWien der WKW: Digital Lonenliness – About Reconnecting with the Real World
Media Practice in Madrid
On-site in Madrid, the Austrian participants met students from Belgium, Georgia, Finland, Spain, and Bulgaria. The intercultural teams worked in small groups over four days to produce radio features. Topics ranged from online dating and cyberbullying to journalistic diligence in the era of social media.
“The week was definitely intense and at the same time inspiring. In Madrid, all students were challenged to create a journalistic product in English under time pressure. At the same time, Europe On Air gave us the chance to grow journalistically and to better understand and appreciate the diversity of European journalism.”
Clemens Schreiber, MA Journalism & New Media
Learning beyond borders
Alongside the intensive project work, the program also offered numerous opportunities for cultural exchange: an invitation to a tapas bar, an evening on a rooftop terrace, a visit to a Spanish radio station, or a scavenger hunt through downtown Madrid. The goal of Europe On Air is not only to foster journalistic skills but also to promote an understanding of Europe’s thematic diversity and the value of international teamwork. The project also demonstrates how journalism education across borders can sensitize young media professionals to key societal issues.
Special thanks to our students Clemens Schreiber and Emily Patek for reporting on Europe On Air 2025.