Does journalism truly belong on social media? When @dariovereb asked this in the latest episode of our Reelcast series, @wengerkarin was quite surprised. It was a question she had never actually posed to herself. Which begs the question is it a silly thing to ask, or is it something we need to be asking ourselves a lot more?
We used to get our news delivered straight to our living rooms every evening. Today, our reality has shifted online. While social media is exactly where the audience is, relying on algorithms to dictate which complex stories from places like the Middle East get pushed or hidden is a serious challenge. The power these big platforms hold over photojournalism and reporting is not always healthy for the public. Still, the primary responsibility of authentic storytelling is to reach people wherever they are.
What do you think about algorithms controlling the news you see? Should we find new ways to share important stories? Comment your questions or opinions on journalism below!
Please like this Reel and follow us to not miss the next episode. Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#Journalism #Photojournalism #MediaIndustry #Storytelling #Reporting
Are you an idealist or just a little crazy to be a freelance journalist today?
In the newest episode of our ongoing Reelcast series, @wengerkarin and @dariovereb explore what keeps the media industry alive. With the disappearance of old industry perks and traditional support structures, the people out in the field covering complex stories in places like the Middle East are there because they truly believe in their work. It takes a deep sense of responsibility and behind the scenes dedication to continue nuanced photojournalism and reporting.
But as legacy media struggles, a massive shift is on the horizon. If traditional outlets can no longer sustain in depth storytelling, the future might rely entirely on personal brands. Imagine a world where audiences directly fund the journalists they trust to uncover the truth.
Will legacy media survive or is direct audience support the future of independent journalism? Drop your questions and opinions on journalism in the comments below!
Please like this Reel and follow us to not miss the next episode. Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#Journalism #FreelanceJournalist #Photojournalism #MediaIndustry #Storytelling
The golden ages of journalism is officially over, but will the industry ever die?
In this episode of our ongoing Reelcast series, @dariovereb and @wengerkarin dive deep into the changing reality of media.
There was a time when a magazine could fund a stay of four months just for a photographer to capture one city. Today, newsrooms face tighter budgets and increasing automation for basic reporting.
Yet, the heart of authentic storytelling remains unchanged. Whether navigating nuanced photojournalism assignments in the Middle East or covering local communities, there is no substitute for human connection. We will always need dedicated professionals out in the field talking to people. The pressing question now is simply who is going to pay for it.
What are your thoughts on the current state of journalism? Do you think the human element of reporting will always survive industry changes? Drop your questions and opinions on journalism in the comments below!
Please like this Reel and make sure to follow us so you do not miss the next episode. Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#Journalism #Photojournalism #Reporting #Storytelling #MediaIndustry
How do you become a freelance journalist in the Middle East?
Many aspiring journalists think the hardest part is finding the story. But in reality, there is something even more important.
In this episode of our Reelcast, freelance journalist Karin A. Wenger (@wengerkarin ) and photo editor Dario Veréb (@dariovereb ) talk about what it really takes to start out as a freelancer in the Middle East.
For Karin, the key asset is not just curiosity or courage. It is connections.
Connections to newsrooms, editors, and media outlets. Because even the strongest story will not go far if you do not have the right people to pitch it to.
A common mistake is heading out into the field first and hoping the story will find its way into the media later. But without clients or contacts in place, getting published becomes much harder.
So if you are thinking about freelance journalism, maybe the first step is not the story itself, but who you are already in touch with.
What do you think.
Would you start with the story or with building connections first?
Like this Reel if you want more insights into journalism, drop your questions in the comments, and follow @wengerkarin and @dariovereb so you do not miss the next episode.
Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#freelancejournalism #journalism #photojournalism #middleeast #mediaindustry
What’s the perfect photographer to work with?
Sometimes you can feel it instantly: A photographer gets pulled into a story, fully immersed, almost losing themselves in the process. That energy can elevate a story, but it also raises a bigger question.
What actually matters most when journalists and photographers work together?
In this episode of our Reelcast, photo editor Dario Veréb (@dariovereb ) asks freelance journalist Karin A. Wenger (@wengerkarin ) what makes the perfect photographer in her opinion.
For Karin, one of the most important factors is whether you vibe on a personal level. Because in the end, journalism and especially photojournalism is a people business. Trust, communication, and mutual understanding shape how stories are told.
Of course, instinct, curiosity, and the ability to engage deeply with a topic all matter. But without that human connection, even the strongest visuals can fall short.
So, what’s your experience in this? Did you always vibe with the journalist/ photographer?
Share this Reel with others if you enjoy our conversations about journalism and let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments. Don’t forget to follow @wengerkarin and @dariovereb so you do not miss the next episode!
Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#photojournalism #journalism #visualstorytelling #collaboration #storytelling
When is a story finished?
For many journalists, that is one of the hardest questions in the entire reporting process.
In this episode of our Reelcast, freelance journalist Karin A. Wenger (@wengerkarin ) and photo editor Dario Veréb (@dariovereb ) talk about the moment when you have to decide to cut the story. To end the interview. To stop reporting.
Is a story ever really complete?
Karin explains that it can be surprisingly difficult to stop. Good conversations often open new doors, new perspectives, and new questions. The instinct as a journalist is often to keep going.
But journalism also lives within real world limits. Time, budgets, and editorial deadlines often determine when a story has to end, even if you feel there is still more to explore.
So where do you draw the line between thorough reporting and knowing when it is time to publish?
If you are interested in journalism, this is a question that comes up again and again in the field.
What do you think. Can a story ever truly be finished?
Like this Reel if you enjoy conversations about journalism, drop your questions about reporting in the comments, and follow @wengerkarin and @dariovereb so you do not miss the next Reelcast episode.
Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#journalism #reporting #storytelling #photojournalism #foreigncorrespondent
Who gets to report on the Middle East (and to photograph it)?
After the first episode of our Reelcast sparked some thoughtful debates in the comments, we decided to publish this part of our conversation sooner than planned.
In this episode, photo editor Dario Veréb (@dariovereb ) asks freelance journalist Karin A. Wenger (@wengerkarin ) about working with local journalists and photographers. When reporting from the Middle East, whose perspective should be part of the story?
For Karin, working with local journalists and photographers is essential. It is a way to engage more deeply with a place and to ensure that the people directly affected by events have the chance to tell their own stories. Their knowledge, context, and lived experience bring perspectives that international reporters simply cannot replicate.
At the same time, the conversation around foreign reporting often raises the question of parachuting in. What role should international journalists play and how do they approach that responsibility?
As Karin says, good journalism starts long before reporting begins. It requires knowledge of the region, its history, and its realities.
What do you think about these issues? We are curious to hear your perspective.
Like this Reel if you value conversations about journalism, drop your questions in the comments, and follow @wengerkarin and @dariovereb so you do not miss the next episode.
Thank you to @danielkuenzli for recording and editing this Reelcast.
#journalism #photojournalism #middleeast #foreignreporting #journalismethics
Ein Jahr nach dem Sturz von Assad
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Vor einem Jahr fiel in Syrien die Assad-Diktatur, ein historischer Moment nach über 13 Jahren Bürgerkrieg. Doch im Land bleibt die Lage angespannt. Bashar al-Assad lebt seit dem Umsturz in Syrien im Dezember 2024 mit seiner Familie in Moskau. Während Übergangspräsident Ahmed al-Sharaa von nationaler Einheit spricht, kommt es in mehreren Regionen weiterhin zu Übergriffen und Machtkämpfen alter Regime-Anhänger. Auch religiöse Minderheiten stehen unter Druck. Im «TalkTäglich» ordnen wir ein, was sich seit dem Sturz des syrischen Diktators Bashar al-Assad verändert hat und ob Hoffnung für echte Stabilität besteht.
#talktäglich #talk #gespräch #syrien #assad #assaddiktatur #sturz #bilanz #zwischenbilanz #basharalassad #nzz
For the past 20 months, much of what the world has seen of the Middle East has been characterized by war, bombs and deaths. While those photos are important, it might also distort the image of the region for people who have never been there. (Fully aware of my privileges) I share some impressions of the past months from Lebanon, Iraq and Syria, as a reminder that these countries are home and homeland for millions of people; that everyday life can be full of small and big beautiful moments.
Over a week ago, this used to be a residential building in the middle of Beirut. It was a Thursday evening, Oct. 10, when the whole building was razed to the ground. 22 people were killed by the Israeli airstrike. Neighboring houses are damaged, entire walls missing, lost lives and lost dreams.
There were no evacuation warnings prior to the airstrike that targeted, according go the Israeli military, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, who reportedly survived.
An older man living in the opposite building stood next to the rubble this Saturday afternoon. The windwos of his flat are broken, he told me, adding that he still couldn't believe how the building broke down while he was in a tiny grocery store next door.
Some floors below him the owners started to rebuild and repaint their balcony walls. It might be a sign of the resilience Lebanese people are being praised for, of their strength to raise up crisis after crisis. But resilience, I've been hearing these days, is something Lebanese have also grown tired of. "If this war is over, how will we be able to overcome it?", a friend of me asked, "how will we be able to carry on?"
The south of Lebanon has been a war zone for over nine months. And every time Hezbollah and the Israeli army fire a particularly large number of rockets across the border, analysts speculate whether a major war will break out. In the capital Beirut, a few dozen kilometers to the north, everyday life goes on. The restaurants and bars are full of people who would rather spend their money on a great night out with friends than lose it in the next bank crash. People dance at parties at the weekend and get stuck in traffic jams on their way to work on Monday. They worry about rising prices, they sweat in the summer heat and stroll along the Corniche at sunset. Almost business as usual, you might think. But the threat of war is there in people's minds, rarely completely gone, causing underlying stress and anxiety, although many try not to give it too much headspace. “We've somehow got used to it”, said a friend of mine, "it's been like this all our lives". It's a reality that people who have the privilege of living in safety and stability all their lives find hard to imagine: War zone and a seemingly normal everyday life are often not far apart.
Sharing some impressions from the past weeks in Lebanon while hoping the region may be more peaceful soon.
