biber
spicy news
Q21 Backstage: "biber" is an Austrian magazine that reports directly from the multi-ethnic community and, doing so, it presents exciting and incisive aspects of Vienna as never seen before in a German-language magazine.
biber reflects a new generation's attitude towards life, without wielding the moral cudgel of integration.
Interview with Amar Rajković, deputy editor-in-chief
Who are you?
I’m the dinosaur in a young editorial team, heading the magazine’s own training programme ’biber Academy‘ and the politics desk. I was born in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and used to live in Croatia and France before coming to Austria, ending up at Vienna’s spiciest magazine. My favourite topics usually revolve around Vienna, youth, Islam, migrants, food or sports.
Since when have the biber offices been at Q21?
Since 2009.
What are your fields of activity?
Editing (deputy editor-in-chief, head of biber Academy and the politics desk).
‘spicy news‘ means…?
…not being afraid of approaching controversial issues, even if you might burn your fingers.
biber aspires to…?
…depict the city of Vienna in all its facets.
What challenges do you face?
Surviving in the ‘concert’ of the big players and pushing biber as a brand.
What is today’s journalism lacking?
More biber journalists, opening up new perspectives. Moreover, independent reporting. Most major media oulets depend on political funding.
What’s unspicy, from biber’s point of view?
…doner kebab with chicken and mayonnaise.
biber – summer edition
available from July
biber is a medium that reflects and represents the lived diversity in Austria. biber not only offers "new Austrians" a media identity and an emotional home, but also represents their cultural and linguistic interests. biber stands for a successful integration of people with a migrant background while maintaining cultural and linguistic diversity. biber writes for pluralistic tolerance in a democratic society and positions itself clearly against extremist currents that threaten this diversity.
