Insights from Ellen Heinrichs of the Bonn Institute
In our new series Career Bites, we ask experienced journalists, media professionals and experts about the biggest challenges and the greatest strengths of young journalists today. If they had to choose again, would they still choose journalism?
For the first edition, we spoke to Ellen Heinrichs, founder and CEO of the Bonn Institute, which promotes constructive and solution-oriented journalism.
As an advocate of constructive journalism and an innovator, Ellen Heinrichs actively seeks dialogue in her work and places great value on a diversity of perspectives—an attitude she also considers essential for aspiring journalists.
If you were choosing your career again today, would you still pursue journalism? Why or why not?
Ellen Heinrichs: Yes, I would still choose journalism – but only if I could choose it as a practice of listening rather than just telling. Journalism remains one of the most important democratic infrastructures we have, especially in a world of noise and polarization. But its future depends on whether we are willing to truly listen to society, not just speak about it.
If you could give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be — and why?
I would tell my younger self: Don't confuse distance with strength. Real journalistic quality does not come from standing above people, but from listening deeply and staying close to lived realities. The most powerful stories emerge when we create spaces where many voices can be heard – something I now try to embody with formats like "One Hour, Many Voices."
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing young journalists today?
Young journalists face enormous pressure from speed, platform logic, and constant visibility metrics. At the same time, they work in a moment of declining trust and rising complexity, shaped by AI and fragmentation. The challenge is to protect journalism's core value: creating orientation through careful listening, context, and responsibility.
In your view, what strengths do young journalists have compared to previous generations?
Many young journalists bring a different mindset: they are more collaborative, more aware of inclusion and representation, and more open to experimenting with formats. Many of them understand intuitively that journalism is not only about authority, but about relationships and participation. That is a huge strength for rebuilding trust.
At the DW Global Media Forum, Ellen Heinrichs will join the panel "Ask a Journalist" to discuss how to establish and market yourself as a journalist today — and what it takes to cover major crises and sensitive stories responsibly.