Kohero produces journalism by and for people with refugee and migration backgrounds. Around 90 volunteer editorial members write about their own experiences. Founder and editor-in-chief Hussam Al Zaher explained the idea behind it and how Kohero organizes this work in one of the recent beabee Lunchbreaks.

About Kohero:

• Kohero was founded in 2017 as a refugee magazine and renamed in 2020. The name “Kohero” means solidarity in Esperanto.

• The magazine produces journalism by and for people with refugee and migration backgrounds in Germany.

• Kohero is a non-profit GmbH.

• Articles are mainly published online (four to five per week). In addition, there are various newsletters and podcasts, e.g., Multivitamin, covering general migration topics, and Curry On, specifically targeting the South Asian diaspora in Germany.

• Twice a year, a print magazine is published, distributed free of charge in refugee support centers across Germany. Donors also receive the magazine at home as a thank-you.

• Kohero’s core team consists of six people. The full editorial team, however, includes around 90 volunteer authors across Germany, most of whom are not trained journalists.

Let the Community Speak:

• Journalists are no longer the sole gatekeepers deciding what the public receives and what it doesn’t.

• Many people, especially from marginalized groups, have long been telling their own stories, expressing their views, and creating their own public spaces – particularly on social media.

• Many community-centered media also provide people in their community with the opportunity to make their voices heard.

Volunteers tell Their Stories:

• Around 90 volunteers write articles for Kohero more or less regularly.

• The focus is on personal stories and experiences, though some also conduct interviews or write journalistic reports.

• Most volunteer authors do not have formal journalistic training.

• The authors are closely supported: their articles are reviewed and edited, they receive feedback, and can learn through the process.

• Since 2017, Kohero has run the “Schreibtandem project”, helping young refugees write in German. Participants are paired with native German speakers who assist them with their texts.

• This year, Kohero plans to expand the Schreibtandem program and recruit experienced journalists to mentor people with refugee backgrounds on their path into journalism.

• To keep the group connected, Kohero maintains regular contact with all 90 volunteers through a newsletter, events, and a Slack community. According to Hussam, Slack hasn’t worked very well because many volunteers don’t use the tool in their daily lives. This year, Kohero plans to experiment with moving community communication to messaging apps.

Key Learnings:

• New Perspectives: Community journalism is also about giving a voice to people who are rarely heard, opening up new perspectives. Almost everyone can tell their own story well when given the opportunity. This can be a fresh and exciting approach for community-centered media – not as a replacement for journalistic reporting, but as a complement.

• Stay Engaged: Not all 90 Kohero volunteers are always fully active. Many might write one article and then remain inactive for months. Hussam still tries to maintain contact with everyone and motivate them repeatedly. According to him, finding the right communication channel is particularly important. Once he finds it, he keeps everyone informed.

• Volunteers Require Significant Resources: Working with volunteers is complex. Some contribute more, others less; some have journalistic experience, others none; some are unreliable, others overenthusiastic. Articles need editing, and volunteers require lots of feedback and support. All of this consumes considerable resources and should not be underestimated.

This case study was first published in our beabee newsletter, where we share hands-on tips and guidance on community journalism every month. Subscribe here: Sign up

Do you have your own experiences or use cases that we should include? Just send an email to svenja.schilling@correctiv.org.