Who We Are

HEIST is a worker-owned online magazine, founded by writers and editors who after years working across Berlin's media landscape believed something essential was missing.

Anyone living here has felt a growing gap between the city as it actually is and the version being served up by mainstream outlets. We experienced that disconnect firsthand. We saw political censorship shape coverage decisions and felt the weight of billionaire ownership land directly on our work. It reached a point where we could either keep going along with it, or try to build something better.

That's why we created HEIST.

Worker-owned media

Our bet is that worker ownership can be the antidote to a media that isn’t truly serving the community. At HEIST, no one can kill a story out of personal bias, water down an investigation, or suppress a topic because it doesn't suit their interests. We're transparent about our methods, accountable to our readers, and committed to paying contributors fairly.

HEIST wants to steal the media back from the people who've bought it up. We want to speak to the new generations of workers, writers and artists who are making their home here, and who are changing Berlin  to reflect the shape of their own lives.

The future of this city is still in the balance. We intend to be part of that struggle.

We hope that you'll join us.

To donate and support HEIST, follow this link.