ELENA VON DÖNHOFF | SWEDISH/GERMAN JOURNALIST

Freelance TV journalist, stringer, producer and reporter based in Sweden.

I research and produce news & feature reports for various German TV stations from Sweden since 2018. Before then, I was based in London, Dublin, and South Africa, working for Irish and American news organizations.

ABOUT ME

I have over 10 years of experience in international news coverage. During that time, I have developed excellent research and writing skills and the ability to analyze information from many different sources.

I have produced a wide variety of stories ranging from longer documentaries and features to short news reports.

I work both with local Swedish cameramen and crews from abroad.

Fluent in German, Swedish, English and Spanish.

Freelance TV-Journalistin, Stringer, Produzentin und Reporterin in Schweden

Seit 2018 recherchiere und produziere ich TV Reportagen und Nachrichten für verschiedene deutsche Fernsehsender aus Schweden. Davor habe ich in London, Dublin und Südafrika für irische und amerikanische Nachrichtenorganisationen gearbeitet.

ÜBER MICH

Ich habe über 10 Jahre Erfahrung in Berichterstattung. Dadurch habe ich zuverlässige Recherche- und Schreibfähigkeiten entwickelt und kann Informationen aus verschiedenen Quellen analysieren und auswerten.

Ich habe eine große Bandbreite an Themen recherchiert und produziert, von längeren Dokumentarfilmen und Reportagen bis hin zu kurzen Nachrichtenbeiträgen. Ich arbeite sowohl mit einheimischen Kamerateams wie auch mit Teams aus dem Ausland.

Ich spreche fließend Deutsch, Schwedisch, Englisch und Spanisch

1997-2023

WORK EXPERIENCE

Freelance Journalist, Producer, Stringer, Reporter, Translator

2018-present ARD German TV, ARTE TV, ZDF German TV

Stockholm, Sweden

Freelance Producer, Stringer, Reporter, Translator

▪ Researching and proposing topics for news, current affairs, features, and documentaries from the Nordic and Baltic countries. Organizing approved packages, shooting, conducting interviews, translating, and editing. Preparing material for and assisting correspondents. More recently, also filming and editing short web videos for the online platforms of the above channels.

2011-2018 CAPE YOGA Stockholm, Sweden

Corporate and private yoga studio

Owner and Founder

Founded the company in May 2011, teaching Yoga and Meditation to corporate and private clients around Stockholm. Managing a yoga studio with scheduled group classes for adults and children. Organizing, leading, and teaching lectures, retreats and workshops in Sweden, Europe and Turkey.

2008-2010 HOPE Cape Town, South Africa

German NGO providing outreach, education, and counseling focusing on HIV/AIDS, in the Western Cape.

Project Management & Research

Monitoring and evaluating the Sangoma (Traditional Healer) project, aiming to effect closer cooperation between Traditional Healers and public health clinics.

2006 Prime Time, RTÉ Irish TV Dublin, Ireland

Prime Time is RTÉ’s flagship current affairs program.

Producer & Researcher (replacement maternity leave)

Producing short to medium-length reports. In charge of planning, organization, content, and visual presentation.

2000-2002 Roving Report, APTN London, UK

Roving Report was the world’s longest-running international current affairs program until 2004, broadcast in more than 40 countries.

Reporter and Producer

Researching and proposing topics within current affairs and features. Producing short documentaries, from the organization of crews and locations to filming, editing, and finally, script-writing.

1999 - 2000 Bulletin International London, UK

Specialist international Broadcast PR Agency.

PR/Broadcast Relations Executive

Defining the target audience, developing the message, and creating editorial content to be used in relevant TV programs on behalf of a client. Writing and translating press releases.

1997 - 1998 ZDF German Television London, UK

Germany’s second public broadcasting corporation.

Assistant Producer

Production of short news packages for different programs. Assisting the foreign correspondent by conducting research, interviews, and filming.

1990-2005

EDUCATION

“My work is more mental than medical“

2001 - 2005 University College London London, UK

PhD in Anthropology

Thesis title: "My work is more mental than medical" - about the Mapuche machi (medicine men) of Santiago de Chile”.

1995 - 1997 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany

MA in History and Anthropology

1990 - 1993 Worcester College, University of Oxford Oxford, UK

BA in Modern History.

Other information

FUN FACTS

Fluent in English, German, Swedish, and Spanish.

Various licenses from gliding to hunting to motorcycle, countless certificates and Yoga teacher trainings as well as courses and seminars relevant to my work in TV journalism, public speaking, and advertising. Social work with children on a US Sioux Indian reservation in South Dakota and with Mapuche women in Santiago de Chile. Breeding dogs and occasionally horses.