Martin Kotynek

Martin Kotynek is a journalist and the Founding Director of the Media Forward Fund which funds media diversity in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The goal is to contribute to more quality journalism with viable business models that publish strong, trustworthy content and are sustainably financed in the long term.



Martin previously served as editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Der Standard in Vienna, deputy editor-in-chief of Zeit Online in Berlin, investigative editor at Die Zeit, and political editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich. As a Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, Martin focused on innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship in journalism. He studied neurobiology and was born in Vienna.