Tips for journalistic start-ups

From journalistic start-ups to magazine takeovers - at our Journalism Camp, we brought leading innovation drivers from the world of journalism to Hamburg with exciting cases. There we met five exciting women who deal with journalism and start-ups from different perspectives. They shared their experiences with us and gave us tips for founders in journalism.

Olaya Argüeso Pérez, Correctiv

nextMedia: What is the most important experience you have had in journalism or your career?

Olaya Argüeso Pérez: Reporting on the Madrid bombings in 2004, in which more than 200 people died, and everything that happened in the days that followed. To see how the main streets of the Spanish capital were completely empty because the authorities had asked citizens to keep them clear for emergency vehicles. Cab drivers taking people to hospitals in search of their loved ones. Huge demonstrations on the streets. These events marked a before and after in my professional career and in my personal experience.

nextMedia: What does journalism need to remain sustainable?

Olaya Argüeso Pérez: Undoubtedly more diversity, in the broadest sense of the word. This is the only way journalism can remain relevant in a world where our content has to compete with hundreds of stimuli for the audience's attention every day: we need to do journalism at eye level.

nextMedia: Your tip if you want to start up in journalism?

Olaya Argüeso Pérez: Full disclosure - I have not founded a medium. Nevertheless, I believe that Germany offers many opportunities, even if it is not always perceived as such from the inside. A lot of patience!

Pia Frey, Opinary

nextMedia: What is the most important experience you've had in journalism or your career?

Pia Frey : The most important skill in journalism is curiosity. What I learned when I moved in an entrepreneurial direction with Opinary: Curiosity is a muscle that has huge power in building a new business. Curiosity allows you to gather insights about a market with an open mind, understand customers and live this whole wild journey of starting a business as an open-ended experience.

nextMedia: What does journalism need to remain sustainable?

Pia Frey : In my opinion, journalism itself has no problem with sustainability, but many publishers need to position themselves differently in order to remain sustainable. And many are still in the process of spelling out what it means for them to really focus on their readers.

nextMedia: Your tip if you want to start up in journalism?

Pia Frey: Everyone only cooks with water. You can do less wrong than you think. Good ideas can almost always be tested at a low threshold.

Dr. Tina Dingel, Steady

nextMedia: What is the most important experience you have had in journalism or your career?

Tina Dingel: a) There are many good ideas, it's the implementation that counts. b) Through clever (and consistent) work, you can increase the surface area that you need to dust off the bit of luck necessary for success. But you definitely need luck (right time, place, people...). c) You are probably better than you think right now.

nextMedia: What does journalism need to stay sustainable?

Tina Dingel: a) Sustainable financing models. b) A good combination of principles and pragmatism, certainly not easy to keep in balance. c) No fear or conceit of the business side of good journalism.

nextMedia: Your tip if you want to start up in journalism?

Tina Dingel: Think carefully about what your future role as a (co-)founder will look like. Do you want to set up an organization/company, with all that that entails? Or would you rather "just" work as a journalist?

Lena Marbacher, freelance journalist and author

nextMedia: What is the most important experience you have had in journalism or your career?

Lena Marbacher: Team up with others, ask as many questions as necessary, be persistent, trust your gut feeling, but above all: Do it!

nextMedia: What does journalism need to remain fit for the future?

Lena Marbacher : As an essential pillar of democracy, journalism must reflect the society it works for within its own ranks. Only then will people be prepared to pay for journalism. Journalism that is mainly driven by clicks is, in my opinion, bad journalism.

nextMedia: Your tip if you want to start up in journalism?

Lena Marbacher: People are ready for new, clever formats and business models. They can be thought of in a niche way and serve a very specific target group. This makes it easier to build a loyal community. Journalists who start a business have to take on a more entrepreneurial role. This is often unfamiliar, but it won't work without it.

Celia Parbey, ZEIT ONLINE & RosaMag

nextMedia: What is the most important experience you have had in journalism or your career?

Celia Parbey: Our society has a problem with structural inequality that does not stop at journalism. It is therefore often twice as difficult for people who are affected by discrimination to find their way into traditional journalism.

nextMedia: What does journalism need to remain fit for the future?

Celia Parbey: Adaptability! Young people are reading less and less traditional news. That doesn't mean that they are less inquisitive than previous generations. On the contrary! Instead of demonizing them, media professionals need to look at how they can reach young target groups via other channels in the age of social media.

nextMedia: Your tip if you want to start up in journalism?

Celia Parbey: Perseverance! There will be ups and downs, moments of despair and frustration that you have to fight your way through. It helps not to start up alone. Being able to discuss your ideas, worries and fears with someone is incredibly valuable.