Christian Schwägerl
Anthropocene - Biosphere -
Climate - Energy - Mobility -
Science -
Technology
About
With my work as a freelance journalist, book author and founder, I want to support the public in forming its own picture of the world. I offer high-quality journalism, rich with reliable information vivid descriptions and important context, based on in-depth research and interviews.
Journalistic independence as a foundation
Whether it's the latest news or essays that set the scene - my aim is always to provide high quality. I received my journalistic training as an editor at the German School of Journalism in Munich, followed by studies in biology and an MSc degree at the University of Reading. Between 1997 and 2012, I worked as a correspondent for the Berliner Zeitung, FAZ and Spiegel. I have been freelancing since 2012. My articles appear, for example, in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, GEO/PM and RiffReporter as well as in
Yale E360 – and I'm happy to discuss assignments for other quality media.
I have received several awards for my articles, most recently the Otto Brenner Prize for Critical Journalism (2nd place with Joachim Budde) and the “German Science Journalist of the Year” Award. I've been invited to serve in many juries in the past. Currently, I'm a member of the jury for the Preussker Medal, Germany's most prestigious library award and the for the German Environmental Award of the German Federal Environment Foundation.
In my work, I follow the strict code of the RiffReporter, which I drafted myself. I do not do PR, attach great importance to journalistic independence and do not favor any parties or organizations.
Global Perspectives
I have written three books: "Anthropocene", "11 looming wars" about global conflict risks (with Andreas Rinke) and "Die Analogue Revolution" about the future of digital technologies. Based on my book "Anthropocene", I initiated the "Anthropocene Project" at the House of World Cultures in Berlin in 2012 and co-led it in the early days. I also worked on the curatorial team for the special exhibition "Welcome to the Anthropocene" at the Deutsches Museum. This work also includes co-authorship in the publication “The Anthropocene biosphere” (The Anthropocene Review, Vol. 2, issue 3, 2015).
Masterclass Science Journalism and Riff initiative
Between 2014 and 2022, I directed the "Masterclass Science Journalism" funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The program gave over 50 mid-career science journalists the opportunity to develop cutting-edge new projects and interact with internationally renowned colleagues and innovators.
In 2013, I launched the "Riff" initiative to strengthen quality journalism. Two companies have emerged from the work of the team of co-founders:
-
RiffReporter cooperative
(eG) as a publication and exploitation platform for freelance journalists.
- Non-profit Riff freie Medien gGmbH for the promotion of research, factchecking and media education.
The companies work separately and support quality journalism with different strategies and methods. "Riff" stands for the diversity, degree of cooperation and depth of coral reefs. I presented the associated concept on the future of journalism in a book article in 2019. At the cooperative, I was Co-CEO from 2017 to 2022. I'm the managing partner of the non-profit since 2015.
For editors
Feel free to contact me if you are interested in contributions or pitches. You can rely on receiving intensively researched, easy-to-understand contributions on time.
The basis for cooperation with editorial offices is mutual respect and reliability in appointments and agreements. Appropriate payment for independent and qualitative journalistic work is also part of this. I don't do PR or public relations.
