About The Local Germany
The Local’s goal is to give you all the news and essential information you need about Germany. Whether you are a foreign resident, a frequent visitor, someone with family in Germany or are planning a move to the country, our aim is to provide what you need.
Because The Local is staffed by people who have set up lives abroad, we have a keen understanding of the challenges our readers face and we work closely with our members in Germany to bring you the stories and practical tips that really matter.
The Local was founded in 2004 and we now have a team of dedicated journalists on the ground in nine countries. In 2018 we launched membership and in 2021 we were thrilled to reach a milestone of 50,000 paying members. This support means everything to us and makes us more determined than ever to continue investing in our award-winning independent journalism.
Meet The Local Team

James Savage
CEO & PublisherJames moved to Sweden from the UK at the start of the millennium and was a co-founder of The Local in 2004.

Mike Stuchbery
Commercial Content EditorMike, based in Germany and originally from Australia, is a Content Editor for the DACH region and regularly contributes to The Local Germany.

Ben McPartland
Managing EditorBen comes from the UK and became the first editor of The Local France in 2013. He now heads the editorial team from Paris.

Emma Löfgren
Deputy Managing Editor & Editor, The Local SwedenEmma returned to her native Sweden and joined The Local in 2015 after an eight-year stint in Scotland.

Rachel Stern
Editor, The Local Germany (On Parental Leave)Rachel moved to Germany from California in 2014. An experienced journalist, she joined The Local in 2017.

Rachel Loxton
Acting EditorRachel comes from Scotland and has lived in Berlin since 2017. She joined The Local in 2018 after ten years of writing and editing for UK publications.

Imogen Goodman
Journalist, The Local GermanyImogen was born in south-west England and moved to Berlin in 2016. She joined The Local as a staff reporter in 2021 after working as a freelancer for five years.

Jörg Luyken
ContributorJörg comes from Scotland and lives in Berlin. He has written extensively about Germany for international publications.

Brian Melican
ColumnistOriginally from London, Brian moved to Hamburg in 2008, taking German citizenship in 2015. He works as a freelance journalist, translator, and author.

Aaron Burnett
ContributorAaron is a German-Canadian writer who moved to Berlin in 2011, often writing on German national and local Berlin politics.