Roundtable: The State of Music Journalism

Aida Baghernejad, Dalia Ahmed, Daria Challah

Registration is required for this programme. Applications are open until 16 August 2026 via https://musicboard.typeform.com/to/wFSwUeDa.

Music journalism is changing. As editorial teams shrink and long-established publications disappear, platforms and algorithms increasingly determine which music is seen and heard. At the same time, new formats are reaching different audiences and challenging traditional forms of music journalism. But what does music journalism mean in 2026? What role do criticism, context, and cultural analysis still play in a public sphere that is becoming ever faster and more fragmented?

Aida Baghernejad, Daria Challah, and Dalia Ahmed discuss the present and future of writing and speaking about music. The roundtable is conceived as an open conversation, inviting Berlin-based musicians, journalists, and music industry professionals to contribute their own perspectives. Places are limited and registration is required.

Aida Baghernejad is a journalist working at the intersection of pop culture, media, and society. After studying in Berlin, Barcelona, and London, she has been writing for publications including Kaput – Magazin für Insolvenz & Pop, The Guardian, ZEIT Online, Der Tagesspiegel and Missy Magazine. Her work explores what music, film, and digital culture reveal about political and social developments, always with a focus on power structures, representation, and the social conditions of cultural production.

Dalia Ahmed is a music journalist, radio presenter, and DJ from Vienna. She works for the Austrian broadcaster FM4, where she hosts the programme »Dalia’s Late Night Lemonade«, blending global club sounds with guest mixes while exploring trends in club culture. She is also part of the FM4 Morning Show team and presents the pop culture programme FM4 Hot.

Daria Challah is part of a new generation of music communicators who have built their audiences primarily through social media. Through her Herbert Music channels on TikTok and Instagram, she has inspired more than 100,000 people to engage with classical music. Her short videos combine in-depth musical knowledge with a contemporary approach to communication, demonstrating how digital platforms can create new ways into musical traditions and reach audiences that have previously remained untapped.