I'm a journalist, author, and founder with one goal: helping people make sense of a complicated world. That means rigorous research, sharp interviews, vivid storytelling — and the context to understand why a story matters.

I learned my craft at the German School of Journalism in Munich, then deepened it studying biology and earning a Master's in Science from the University of Reading. From 1997 to 2012, I worked as a staff correspondent for Berliner Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Der Spiegel. Since going freelance in 2012, my work has appeared in FAZ, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, GEO, PM, RiffReporter, IP – Zeitschrift für Internationale Politik, and Yale E360, Mother Jones and others.

Independence isn't a buzzword for me. I helped establish RiffReporter's code of conduct and hold my work to the same standard: no PR, no AI slop, no favoritism toward parties or NGOs. Just journalism you can trust, recognized most recently with the 2024 Hofschneider Award for Science and Medical Journalism and the 2025 Neumarkt Sustainability Award.

Always happy to talk about new projects.

I've written three books: Anthropocene; 11 Looming Wars (with Andreas Rinke), on the risks of global conflict; and Die Analoge Revolution, on where digital technology is headed. Anthropocene sparked two major cultural projects I helped lead: the "Anthropocene Project" at Berlin's House of World Cultures (2012–2014) and the special exhibition "Welcome to the Anthropocene" at the Deutsches Museum.

Founder and mentor

From 2014 to 2022, I ran the Masterclass Science Journalism, funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung – giving more than 50 mid-career journalists room to develop ambitious projects alongside top colleagues and innovators.

In 2013, I founded the Riff Initiative to strengthen quality journalism. With my co-founders, it grew into two independent organizations: RiffReporter Cooperative (eG), a publishing and revenue platform for freelance journalists, and the non-profit Riff freie Medien, which funds investigations, fact-checking, and media education. "Riff" – as in coral reef – stands for diversity, cooperation, and depth. I served as Co-CEO of the cooperative from 2017 to 2022 and have led the non-profit as managing partner since 2015.

Contact me

I look forward to hearing from you. The best way to reach me is by e-mail.

I will get back to you as soon as possible.