Sohiel Partoshoar: "Journalism is relationship building"

For Partoshoar, community management is more than just moderating comment columns on social media. It's about getting in touch with the audience and getting a feel for the topics, concerns and problems of society. "Journalism is relationship building", says Partoshoar, who himself came to journalism in a roundabout way. He would like to see a new self-image for journalism. The direct connection to the community means you can no longer decide over their heads which topics are interesting. Instead of being a gatekeeper, journalism needs to be a gatewatcher and gateadvisor: taking an observational position, but also acting as an advisor. This is particularly important in times of general uncertainty, news fatigue and polarization: "We have to make crises manageable", says Partoshoar.

Sohiel Partoshoar sees a particular challenge for public broadcasters when it comes to engaging with their audience. "There is an increasingly fierce battle for reality formation" - not only by commercial media offerings, but also increasingly by private individuals on social media platforms. To counter fake news and hate speech, we need content that creates trust. For Sohiel Partoshoar, this is best achieved with community-oriented journalism. But the mills grind slowly: "ARD needs patience - and trust."

Partoshoar therefore believes it is important to include people with unusual CVs in public service media. He advises newcomers not to underestimate the difficulties of the job: "Community management is stressful work." However, due to the omnipresence of social media, it is also a profession with a future. "We are in constant communication. Networks determine the effectiveness of communication", he explains.

In the lecture series "Die Medienmacher:innen", communication professionals will report on their professional practice every Wednesday in the winter semester 2023/24 under the direction of Tanja Köhler, Professor of Digital Journalism and Audiovisual Media at H-BRS. The event is not only aimed at students, but at anyone interested in media professions and how they are changing as a result of digitalization.