Annika Eller on creating your own journalistic practice by being freelance

_{By Fleur R. Lendemar}

_{Annika Eller is a Swedish-German journalist working in Bavaria. Image: Annika Eller (left) and Wikipedia (right)}

Annika Eller is a Swedish-German journalist based in Bavaria, where she works both as a freelancer and in a permanent role as a radio station manager. Her interest in journalism started with a natural curiosity about the world, influenced by growing up in a multicultural household. Born to German parents who moved to Sweden after World War II, she was surrounded by both cultures from an early age. This unique background helped her easily connect with both Swedish and German cultures, a skill that has shaped her work as a journalist.

Started writing from a young age

Annika’s love for writing started early. In school, she excelled in Swedish and was comfortable expressing herself through words.

— In school, I liked to write and read, and I excelled well in school. One of my favorite subjects was Swedish, where I could write, Annika Eller says.

By the time she was in her early teens, she put her interest in writing into practice. Together with a friend, Annika started a small magazine called Us, Animal Friends, which focused on facts about animals and different species.

— We loved animals, so it was mostly about animals, Annika Eller explains.

They handed out the magazine in their neighborhood, with Annika’s father helping to print it at work. Her passion for journalism continued to grow. By the age of 14, Annika was writing for a Donald Duck column, and later, she hosted a local radio station in her hometown.

— It became my playground where I was learning how to broadcast radio, Annika Eller says.

This opportunity also allowed her to step up and manage the entire station during her high school years. These formative experiences laid the foundation for a career that would later encourage her to work as a journalist and take her across borders.

From Sweden to Germany: freelancing and building a career

Annika’s path to becoming a professional journalist began after she graduated from the Journalism School in Stockholm in 1987. Since then, she has worked as a freelance journalist in Sweden and later in Germany as well.

— I have never really had anything I wanted to do more than be a journalist, but I was also interested in law and studied a few courses within that field, Annika Eller says.

Following her graduation, Annika moved to Cologne, Germany, to start her freelance career. The move was, in one way, a natural extension of her early interest in cross-cultural communication with Germany, a country she had grown up hearing about from her family and visited during summer holidays. But it was also thanks to German journalists she had met during her early career, who suggested she should work in Germany as well.

After her time in Cologne, Annika Eller returned to Sweden to expand her network and gain experience with a wider range of media outlets. Once she achieved that, she made her way back to Germany, this time settling in her family’s hometown in Bavaria.

— Bavaria is where my fathers family is from, and I visited it often as a child, Annika Eller says.

Her fluency in both German and Swedish and her personal connection to the country paved a natural path for a freelance career in Germany, even though she was still working with Swedish outlets. Annika’s bilingual upbringing allowed her to quickly adapt to life in Germany, but even she acknowledges that cultural differences can affect the way journalism is practiced in both countries.

Differences in journalistic practices

— The difference is that in Sweden, the payment as a freelancer is much better compared with Germany. It’s appreciated in a different way. And I believe the Swedish Journalist Association has done more for its members, Annika Eller explains.

In Sweden, journalists are also paid per written article or project. In contrast, German journalists are typically paid per printed sentence or per broadcasted minute, making the work structure more transactional.

— Permanent employees in Germany do receive better salaries, Annika adds, reflecting on the differences in the freelance landscape between the two countries. But the different conditions seem like a perfect work environment for Annika Eller.

— My German friends ask me how I can survive, but because I have a permanent assignment in Germany and work freelance for Sweden, I manage, Annika Eller explains.

Today, Annika Eller works with both Swedish and German outlets. In Germany, she manages a local radio station in Bavaria. In Sweden, she covers a range of topics, including news, church affairs, politics, genetic engineering, EU matters, and security issues. She is also writing for a Swedish magazine focused on water infrastructure.

Balancing the journalistic systems of both countries has been a valuable learning experience for Annika, but the freedom of freelancing has always been rewarding for her career.