Aspiring Novice Makes Waves

Media startup, Table, turns heads with the recruitment of Michael Bröcker and Helene Bubrowski. Founder and proprietor, Sebastian Turner, envisions monumental accomplishments for the fledgling media company, with aspirations not only to redefine the media terrain in Berlin, but to revolutionize...

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2025 September 16 . 10:22 PM

2 min read

Aspiring Newcomer Makes a Grand Entrance

Aspiring Novice Makes Waves

Table Media: A New Approach to Journalism in Berlin

In the vibrant city of Berlin, a new kind of journalism is taking shape. Table Media, a media startup near the North Station, has been making waves in the industry with its unique business model and focus on in-depth reporting.

Founded by Sebastian Turner, Table Media stands for "Deep Journalism" and "Domain Competence." Turner, who previously took over the furnishings from Café Einstein, has invested strategically in building a team with journalistic experience, specific expertise, and excellent networks. The team currently consists of 80 employees, including some very well-paid top journalists.

The business model of Table Media is based on the sale of licenses to customers. One customer can potentially purchase between one and several hundred licenses. The startup has already exceeded the threshold of 1,000 paying institutions, although the exact number of sold licenses remains unclear.

At the heart of Table Media's offerings is the China.Table, a professional briefing focusing on in-depth reporting on Chinese politics, economy, and culture. Given the high demand among German-speaking decision-makers for information on China, Turner believes that information asymmetry in exploring new topic areas, particularly in the case of China reporting, is crucial.

Michael Bröcker, the new editor-in-chief at Table Media, brings experience in building a newsroom, podcasts, newsletters, and journalism for decision-makers from his time at "The Pioneer." Bröcker, along with his deputy Helene Bubrowski, who comes from the "FAZ" and has worked in the parliamentary department in Berlin, each coordinate five tables at Table Media. However, they are not the driving force behind the content.

Table Media currently has eleven professional briefings, three of which appear daily: Berlin.Table, 100 Headlines, and China.Table, which is the journalistic flagship with twelve China experts. The other briefings cover political areas such as security, agriculture, education, and climate with their own briefings appearing once or twice a week.

The podcast studio at Table Media, once the kitchen of Sarah Wiener, is perfect for audio recordings. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has also concluded licenses for two relevant tables at Table Media.

However, the sustainability of Table Media's business model has been questioned by some, with a political editor of a large daily newspaper expressing doubts about the high cost of financing the editorial team. Despite this, Table Media reaches 200,000 recipients daily with its professional briefings and free products Berlin.Table, 100 Headlines, and Podcast.

Bröcker and Bubrowski have been on popular TV shows multiple times last year and occasionally appear on "Doppelpass." Their presence, along with the high-quality journalism produced by Table Media, continues to attract attention and support in the industry.