Our societies in Central and Eastern Europe need a healthy media ecosystem and independent journalism. My job is therefore to help develop projects that enable public interest media and journalistic research. Reliable information counters misinformation and strengthens trust in a functioning democracy.

At the beginning of my professional career, I was a cultural journalist myself, in Munich and Paris. Since 1996, I have held senior PR positions for major cultural events such as documenta X in Kassel and the EXPO 2000 world exhibition in Hanover. I was responsible for communications at the ERSTE Foundation for a total of 18 years, starting in 2007. Since 2025, I have been devoting all my energy and attention to the Journalism and Media programme.

In 2019, Timothy Snyder said in his brilliant ‘Speech to Europe’: ‘Journalists are the heroes of our time!’ Indeed. I can only admire the courage with which journalists track down those in power when they act against democratic principles and laws. Through my work, I want to help ensure that their research continues to be read, seen and heard in the future.