Founded by Esra Nayeon Karakaya, social media first Karakaya Talks curates topics and produces information for Generation Z and Millennials of color, “centering the voices and experiences of underrepresented communities often overlooked in mainstream German media.” As the only talk show and news format in Germany with a hijab-wearing host, its mission is to "challenge the status quo of one-dimensional reporting and elitist narratives."

Though it was briefly part of a public service broadcaster, the collaboration ended in 2020. The show is now largely financed through sponsorships, memberships and grants.

Its online presence surpasses 90K followers on Instagram and 40K on TikTok; among others, it received the Grimme Online Award for the best format, production and presentation in 2020, and the "Der Lange Atem" prize from the Deutscher Journalisten Verband Berlin (German Journalists Association Berlin) in 2023.

Source: Oasis Europe

Last updated date: November 2025

Location:
Berlin, Germany
Year the organization started publishing:
2018
Languages:
German
Type of coverage:
International
Countries of coverage:
Germany
Other
Other countries of coverage:
US, Africa, Asia, Latin America

Content

Editorial coverage:
Generalist, focused on multiple topics
Type of content produced by theme:
Politics
Technology
Lifestyle
Entertainment and culture
Society and human rights
Gender
Feminism
LGBTIQ+
Ethnic minorities
Religious minorities
DEIA: Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility
Refugees
Migration
War crimes and transitional justice
Journalism genres:
Interviews and reporting
Opinion
Narrative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Crowdsourcing
Solutions or constructive journalism
Engaged, community-driven or participatory journalism
Collaborative journalism
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Website
Social media platforms
YouTube
Instagram
Tiktok
LinkedIn
Primary tech platform or medium used to publish content:
Youtube

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Instagram number of followers:
90,000
YouTube number of followers:
8,340
Tiktok number of followers:
40,000

Management and team

Founders

Female:
1
Male:
0
Founders:
Esra Karakaya
Directors:
Esra Karakaya

Team

Full-time employees:
0
Part-time employees:
3
Freelancers or consultants:
4
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
For-profit
All revenue sources reported by media leaders:
Grants
Advertising
Consultancy services
Audience support / reader revenue
Grants from Google
Grants from local and national government, and other connected governmental institutions or entities
Branded content or native advertising
Services for nonprofit organisations
Training services for journalists
Training services for other clients
Memberships
The primary source of revenue reported by media leaders:
Branded content or native advertising
The second most important revenue source reported:
Audience support / reader revenue

Transparency

Doesn’t publish information about annual revenue
Doesn’t publish the names of donors
Publishes up to date information about its team

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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