The Journalist Who Gets Behind the Power

Some journalists report on power. Cherno walks right into it.

Born in Berlin, Cherno moves effortlessly between politics, big business, thinker, philanthropy and pop culture, making decision-makers pause, CEOs rethink, and celebrities say things they didn’t expect to say.

Cool under pressure.
Quick on the comeback.
Always damn entertaining.

Politics, Explained, And Felt

The Washington Post calls Cherno a “very well-known German television personality.” What sets him apart is how the journalist Cherno talks about politics: sharp, informed, and brutally to the point. Think deep analysis, delivered with timing and punchlines closer to stand-up than traditional news shows.
That’s why he’s a regular on talk shows. And why audiences actually stay tuned.

Decades Inside the Corridors of Power

Journalist Cherno has been reporting on politics for decades. He breaks down current events, decodes systems of influence, and pulls back the curtain on the power centers of Berlin, Brussels and Washington.

Not as an observer from afar. As someone who’s been inside the room.

When Power Gets Personal

There are journalists who cover politicians. And then there are journalists who meet them.

Journalist Cherno’s approach is simple: take public figures out of the spotlight, and into real life. Jogging with party leaders. Barbecuing with the Federal President. Cycling with the Vice Chancellor. Playing tennis with a Minister President. Yoga with bestseller authors. Even rocking out to Van Halen’s classic “Jump” on a keyboard with Germany’s Minister of Justice.

The result? Less façade. More truth. Better understanding of how decisions are actually made.

From Berlin Streets to the White House

As a kid, Cherno knew exactly what he wanted: to ask smart people smart questions.

He started early: at RIAS radio, then writing as a journalist for taz, followed by major German newspapers and magazines including Der Spiegel, BILD, Die Welt, DIE ZEIT, WirtschaftsWoche, and more.

While studying politics and business at university, Cherno squeezed his way into ARD-TV’s local newsroom. Soon after, the rookie journalist was on the streets of Berlin with a camera crew, covering politics, pop culture, urban life, environmental crises, and everything in between.

Then Washington.
Working at ARD-TV’s U.S. bureau.
Reporting straight from the White House.

Redefining Morning News

Cherno was the main host of ZDF-TV’s Morning News and shaped it.

Cherno proved something important:
A journalist can be informative and captivating.

The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper credited journalist Cherno with turning an unlikely mix of news, interviews, and service journalism into a ratings success. More than twenty years later, the show, and Cherno, remain fixtures of German television.

Prime Time With Pace

In Germany, journalist Cherno’s name became a brand.

CHERNO! Die RBB-Talkshow wasn’t just another talk format, it moved fast, hit deep, and made room for humor. Political heavyweights, thinkers, artists, athletes, and everyday people shared the stage.

The result? A prime-time hit with up to 24% market share.
Depth without dryness. Humor without fluff.

Journalist in the Digital Age

As media went digital, Cherno went with it, without losing substance.

The journalist’s daily political analysis, JobateyJournal.de, was growing readership fast. With UdLDigital Talk Show, the journalist reimagined the political talk for online audiences, where younger viewers actually watch. This video podcast reaches several hundred thousand.

Politics, but accessible. Serious, but never boring. Yes, even fun.

Huffington Post: Global Perspective

When Cherno ran into Arianna Huffington, well… Cherno became Editorial Director of the Huffington Post helping the platform rise into Germany’s top news portals within a year.

Never forgetting his journalist roots Cherno writes internationally for the Japanese, Greek, and U.S. editions and regularly appears as a correspondent and interview partner on Huffington Post Live.

Cherno!

Journalist Cherno doesn’t just report the news. Cherno translates power into understanding.

Sharp mind. Human curiosity.
And a rare ability to make politics feel relevant, because it is.

Praise for the journalist Cherno

  • ”Cherno combines his extensive knowledge with pure entertainment. And he does so with astonishing ease“ BILD

  • ”With a market share of over20 %, Cherno’s personality show outperforms other talk shows and is the street sweeper“ MAZ

  • ”His unusual conversations create a completely different tangent in high politics. Jobatey negotiates questions of power and the will of politicians beyond the polished and punched-up texts and soundbites. He breaks through political correctness in a pleasant, respectful way.“ The European

  • “Cherno perfectly captures the ironic and relaxed chatty tone … Cherno – in a good mood and as always in white sneakers – always followed up with probing questions” MAZ.

  • ”Television viewers liked the journalist and presenter above all because of his friendly and almost always good-humored manner“, news de

  • ”Cherno is often underestimated: more of a news junkie than a good-humored animator“ WAZ

  • ”Cherno gives deep insights into people. His ZDF portrait series, for example, elicits a confession of personal weaknesses from Berlin’s governing mayor.“ Tagesspiegel

  • “Cherno has incidentally renewed the genre of the politician home story” Sueddeutsche Zeitung

  • ”Hello Cherno, I really liked your questions. Poking your finger in the wound, but always appreciative. Journalistically flawless and unmasking. Thank you!“ Martin Strauß via X