EXBERLINER Magazine Reviews

I was employed at the Exberliner for three weeks before I resigned. I’m told I’m the second person to have quit after less than a month, which should already speak for itself. If you’ve spent any time in a professional newsroom, you will almost certainly find this place intolerable. Let’s start with the shady ethics. During the hiring process, I was asked to complete a hefty editorial test, which included line editing a 5,000 word feature (plus creating display and choosing pull quotes). This took me a full work day (or around 8 hours) to complete. A week or two later, a practically verbatim version of my edit—right down to the headline and subhead—was used in their latest issue. I was not told that my work would be published, nor was I compensated. (I’m also told this is not the first time something like this has happened.) The magazine also likes to “upgrade quotes,” which means subjects’ interviews are treated like a game of Mad Libs and edited extensively—sometimes beyond recognition. This is dishonest, unethical, and a betrayal of the most basic principle of journalism. And then, of course, there’s management. It’s a mess: Inefficient, chaotic, disorganized. I’ve never witnessed someone who’s supposed to be a “leader” be so incredibly cruel to their staff (insults, daily verbal tirades), which is a shame, since it is an otherwise talented and lovely group. The three weeks that I worked here were the worst of my entire professional life. If you’re considering employment at the Exberliner, I have one word of advice: run.

The company is not able to pay its people. Free labour interns, extremely low salary, yet, expected to do over hours. Do not expect any benefits. The magazine is not even interesting anymore to read.