Manuela Tomić: From a failure to the success story in journalism!

Manuela Tomić: From a failure to the success story in journalism!

Manuela Tomić, a 22-year-old prospective journalist, describes in her book "Ten-Finger fairy tale. Little prose" of her experiences during a formative "journalist trip". In this story she describes a trip to Sarajevo, where she wanted to work under the guidance of an experienced German journalist. However, this trip turned out to be challenging. Tomić had to prepare for interviews on the plane and urged the experienced colleague not to waste time. After landing, various problems arose, including unsuitable clothing for visiting Islam schools and had difficulty translating. These experiences finally led her to broke out in tears in front of the journalist when a barking shepherd scored her fear. After just a few days she got sick, and the return flight ended with the journalist's sobering assessment that she was unsuitable for the job of the foreign correspondent. In the following four years, Tomić no longer wrote a single report and has not visited Sarajevo since then.

Tomić's own story is characterized by the experience as a refugee: she was born in Sarajevo in 1988 and fled with her family to southern Carinthia during the Yugoslavia war. A feeling of being strange and the emotional wounds of war shaped her childhood when her family found a new home in a small town at Völkermarkt. Her mother found work in a pizzeria and her father became a truck driver. She influenced this biography both in her letter and in her journalistic identity. In her work, Tomić reflects on the challenges of journalists with a migration background. She did not want to deal with topics of tabloid journalism or music reporting because she did not want to be perceived as a "quota foreigner". This led to an aversion to migration and the feeling of being pushed into certain roles.

personal columns and literary journalism

as an editor at the weekly newspaper Furrow and author in Vienna, Tomić published numerous columns in literary journalism under the title "Mozaik". These columns tell of bizarre and personal experiences that are located between Bosnia, Carinthia and Vienna. With self -irony and humor, she illuminates the absurdities of life and captures memories of her childhood. An impressive excerpt from "ten finger fairy tale" describes her Christmas Eve memories and the waiting time for her father at the substation in Obersielach.

The author has now come to the fact that she can no longer withdraw from the discussion about migration. Despite her earlier decision not to write about these topics, she now critically reflects on the responsibility of journalists in reporting on minorities. She found her peace with her origin and no longer sees writing about migration as a sign of failure, but as part of her journalistic identity.

On June 27, 2025 at 6 p.m., Manuela Tomić will share her perspectives and stories with interested listeners at an event in the Eberstein library, moderated by Sebastian Grayer. This event promises to offer insights into the complex migration history and the challenges of journalistic work.