On October 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, Xu Luqing will join us at the Berlin Living Room to discuss:
What does it mean to be a journalist in today’s Chinese institutional media?
Drawing from her professional experience, Xu observes that for this generation of journalists, news organisations are no longer idealistic spaces, but systems defined by shrinking resources and rigid hierarchies.
Young reporters find their creative space constantly compressed; fatigue and emotional burnout have become the norm. They carry the heaviest workloads yet have the least decision-making power. Many are reassigned to commercial or short-video departments, while interviewees themselves have become more hostile toward journalists.
In this talk, Xu will use her experience in cultural reporting as a starting point to explore the following questions:
- Are young people in China still willing to become journalists? Survival and emotional exhaustion.
- Negotiation strategies: Finding space within constraints.
- Reflections: Does working in institutional journalism still carry meaning today? Where can new systems of support be found?
About the Speaker
Xu Luqing is the 2025 Blaues Haus Stiftung & One Way Street Magazine Berlin Residency awardee. Since 2016, she has worked in various institutional media outlets and has also participated in independent reporting projects.
Since 2021, she has been a full-time reporter at an institutional newsroom, mainly covering culture, while also writing social features and cultural commentaries for multiple media platforms. In recent years, she has reported on key moments ranging from the #MeToo movement to Ukraine war, the COVID-pandemic, and the transformations of post-pandemic society.
Event Information
- Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
- Time: 19:00–21:00
- Venue: Berlin Living Room (exact location will be shared upon successful registration)
- Language: Chinese
- Admission: Due to limited capacity, those wishing to participate in this event are kindly requested to scan the QR code below and complete the registration questionnaire. Upon successful registration, we shall send the event details to your email address. Should you not receive a reply, we kindly ask for your understanding.
- Registration closes on October 28 at 15:00.
Notes
- The event is open to adults and participants aged 14 and above.
- If you are unable to attend after registering, please cancel your reservation in advance to allow others to join.
- Registered participants are kindly asked to arrive at least five minutes before the event starts.
- Video recording during the event is not permitted. Thank you for your understanding.
- Photos will be taken during the event for internal use by the Blue House Foundation. Please inform us in advance if you have any concerns.