karla Magazin

With knowledge of political processes and local elections participation dwindling, karla Magazin aims to reach the entire democratic spectrum by providing enough information for people to choose their form of political engagement.

Its mission is the promotion of arts, culture and the "formation of people and opinion". As such, karla wants to act as an example of how non-profit journalism can work locally, whilst still paying its staff fairly and fulfilling its role as the fourth estate.

To do so, it offers journalism and media literacy training for schools, universities, and other organisations. Furthermore, open debate formats and panel discussions bring people of varied political affiliations together to discuss and build their city's future. Ultimately, it aims to strengthen the urban social fabric and bring more transparency and legitimacy to local political processes.

The well-founded, constructive, and sometimes entertaining formats focus on topical debates rather than daily news. They maintain a solid editorial value set focused on humanity, justice, and non-discrimination. During the year, the audience can choose several topics, such as the energy crisis, to be discussed.

Besides that, karla has also begun experimenting with crowdsourcing.

Grants and paid subscriptions sustain karla's work. The decision to implement a subscription-based model - including a subsidised rate - to access the podcast, the website and the newsletter is part of its mission to emphasise the importance of valuing quality, well-researched journalism. Karla Magazin's initial crowdfunding raised over 100,000 euros, the highest sum for a German local journalism initiative.

It also offers a detailed event calendar to which the public can actively contribute.

In December 2023, karla Magazin released a statement about ceasing its operations, saying "Our financing model is not sustainable for 2024 and we see no chance of keeping karla alive".

Last updated: December 2023