Anna Sacco

What impact does science have on our daily lives? That question excites me most. Inspired by the "Scully Effect" — the phenomenon where Dana Scully from The X-Files moved a generation of women to pursue STEM — I didn’t become a scientist, but I sure became obsessed with explaining science in ways everyone can understand. Naturally, I also love it when my kids challenge me with big questions, sparking new ideas.

Before joining DW, I spent a decade freelancing for various German media outlets, including ZDF, SWR, and RTL, and lived for six years in South Africa, producing documentaries on sociocultural topics — and, as a video journalist, shooting stories about construction and concrete (yes, really!). From major construction projects and explainers on self-healing concrete to reports on mining site visits and international trade fairs, I covered it all.

I hold an MA in Media Theory and Practice (University of Cape Town) and an M.A. in Philosophy, Ancient History, and Economic Politics (University of Freiburg). I also spent a year as an exchange student in Mexico and backpacked across Central and South America to learn Spanish.

My personality? Think Italian-Swabian in Berlin, with a dash of grit and curiosity: a Gastarbeiter kid, first in the family to attend university, and never too proud to fund my studies with quirky jobs — even if it meant donning a Bollenhut as "Bärbel" the Black Forest tour guide.