With the election just around the corner, the newsroom is in high gear. Markus Hurek, Head of Politics at Focus, gives a behind-the-scenes look at how political journalists work – and explains why the days that follow a…
Around 11,000 people work for Hubert Burda Media - many of them for a long time, some for life. For them, Burda is a little piece of home that has grown close to their hearts. In this new series we introduce you to colleagues who have been working for the family business for at least 10 years. Alexandra Rinecker first worked for Meine Familie & ich as a trainee in the editorial department. She was there from 1998 to 2000. Alexendra has been editor at Meine Familie & ich since 2000 and has also been working for Mein Buffet and the Eatbetter initiative for several years. She has worked for the Competence Centre Food (CCF) since May.
I started working for Meine Familie & ich back in 1994 when I was studying home economics. I did a four-month internship in the test kitchen, which is now the cooking studio. I received a very warm welcome from my colleagues. It was an easy start and couldn't have been better. I continued to work at Meine Familie & ich during my studies, filling in for people on holiday, and was accepted as a volunteer right after I graduated in 1998. In 2000, I was even luckier: a job as an editor became available in the Besser Leben department - that's exactly where I wanted to go! There are a lot of different topics in the department. My favourites are food and health, but I also love beauty. There is also a family section, a travel section and, more recently, a green section with sustainable topics.
If you boil it down to a common denominator, I have been an editor for food magazines at Burda for over 20 years. That may sound boring to young media people, but for me, it's very straightforward. A lot has happened over the years. New magazines have been added all the time, such as Einfach gut kochen or Das Kochrezept. There have also been new, exciting projects, such as the blog Mamas Meal, which I started with some colleagues to introduce young mothers to healthy recipes and nutrition tips for young children. Or Gute Wahl, where the editorial team tested household and beauty products such as thermos flasks, blenders and hairdryers. Unfortunately, it was discontinued after a while. In between, I also worked for Meine Familie & ich Books and Lisa Kochen & Backen. But the main editorial office was always Meine Familie & ich. I backed the right horse. Meine Familie & ich is also something of a home for me. Many of my colleagues have been there for many, many years, as have I. I am currently responsible for nutrition and health issues at Mein Buffet and I'm part of the team at Eatbetter, an online initiative for healthy eating. There are always new challenges here, be it with topics around expert advice, recipe guidelines or the development of product news pages and an Eatbetter Check.
Since May this year, there have been some changes in my working environment: I have been assigned to the Competence Centre Food (CCF). Our team is currently embarking on an exciting professional journey with many new responsibilities and interesting projects.
As a trainee, I have had many opportunities. For example, I was able to join Elle for three months as an assistant editor in the correspondent's office in New York. I had my own office right next to the Rockefeller Center. I didn't really want to go home anymore.... I also got to go on a few press trips. The highlight was a trip to Disneyland Paris, where I rode the same rollercoaster as actor David Hasselhoff and took a photo with the TV host Thomas Gottschalk.
Basically, I still work as a print editor. But I also do radio interviews and write online articles. I have also worked at the copy desk for a while. Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest have no doubt also influenced our media world. But for me, these are more time-consuming. What is really valuable are the new workflow programmes that make work more transparent and efficient. And of course, MS Teams. The hybrid way of working is ideal for me. I can be flexible both in the editorial office and in the home office.
Use your elbows sometimes and be assertive. I was often too nice, reserved and considerate.
When my boys (14 and 17) have finished their A-levels, I would love to take a trip around the world with my husband - without any time pressure. Japan, Australia and New Zealand are high on my list, followed by Hawaii, Argentina, the Galapagos Islands and Namibia.