GDR comparison: media companies criticize Döpfner

There is increasing public criticism of newspaper publisher and Springer boss Mathias Döpfner from media companies.

The reason for the displeasure is an older private short message from Döpfner, from which the New York Times quoted in a report on Sunday.

In it, the 58-year-old had named the then Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt as the last and only journalist in Germany who was still brave in revolting against the "new GDR government".

Almost everyone else has become “propaganda assistants”.

The chairman of the management of the Madsack media group, Thomas Düffert, announced on Thursday at the request of the German press agency: “The Madsack media group is heavily involved in journalism with its newspaper titles in northern Germany, but especially in many eastern German states. The statements by Mr. Döpfner, which have now become public from a private environment, are for all journalists of the Madsack media group and certainly also beyond an inappropriate and failed disparagement. "

Düffert also said: “In the meantime, the statements by Axel Springer Verlag have been put into perspective and classified accordingly.

In principle, however, there should be no doubts about the integrity and independence of the editorial offices of the newspaper publishers, even in private discussions. Instead, they should be defended against such allegations Media house that had embedded corporate culture and allegations against Reichelt, then Bild's editor-in-chief, classified as irony.

Döpfner: "A private SMS is not a tweet"

The Funke media group, which has several regional newspapers in several federal states in its portfolio, had also commented on the Döpfner SMS.

The media magazine "Übermedien" quoted Funke managing director Christoph Rüth.

He said that Springer had classified Döpfner's statements and found that he did not consider the Federal Republic of Germany to be comparable with the GDR, even in the Corona era.

“We would have clearly contradicted everything else.

We consider the - albeit allegedly exaggerated - phrase “propaganda assistants” for the majority of journalists to be completely inappropriate.

Such a thought and such a tone are not appropriate for the office of BDZV President. "

Döpfner has been the incumbent President of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) since 2016.

Düffert is BDZV Vice President.

On Wednesday, Döpfner responded to the short message in a video message to the Springer employees, among other things. He said: “A private text message is not a tweet, it is not a post, it is not a public speech. And if you cite something out of context in a private conversation, you ignore polemics, irony, exaggeration. ”He emphasizes that this is private and not treated like a quotation. "That is a border crossing," said the Springer boss.

On Thursday, the subject of resignation came up because of the Döpfner SMS from media companies.

The publishing director of the Mindener Tageblatt, Carsten Lohmann, told Deutschlandfunk: "I think that someone who is the top representative of the daily newspapers in Germany is no longer tenable with such a statement." The editor-in-chief of Stern magazine, Florian Gless, wrote in the final sentence of a column: "Mathias Döpfner should resign from all posts and offices."

Dirk Ippen: "Of course we are sticking to the team"

After the New York Times article appeared, Springer announced on Monday evening that Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt had been relieved of his duties.

The company justified the end of the collaboration with the 41-year-old at the top as follows: “As a result of press research, the company had gained new insights into the current behavior of Julian Reichelt in recent days. The company investigated this information. The management board learned that Julian Reichelt did not clearly separate personal and professional matters even after completing the compliance procedure in spring 2021 and told the management board the untruth. "

In the spring, the group initiated the internal procedure. According to Springer, the core of the investigation was the allegations of abuse of power in connection with consensual relationships with female employees and drug use in the workplace. The group examined allegations and came to the conclusion that Reichelt should keep his post. It was a second chance. After a temporary leave of absence, he returned to the job.

Part of the press research also included months of research by an investigative team at the Ippen media group. However, the media house had stopped the first publication of the research at the influence of the publisher Dirk Ippen. In the meantime, parts of the research have appeared in an online report by Spiegel. One of the reasons given by the Ippen Group was: "As a media group that is in direct competition with Bild, we have to be very careful not to give the impression that we want to harm a competitor economically." The Ippen Group publishes the tabloid TZ in Munich.

After Ippen.Media's general editor-in-chief Markus Knall apologized to sources and those affected for not publishing their own research on the previous Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt, publisher Dirk Ippen has now also expressed himself.

The industry service Meedia quoted Ippen as saying: “Of course we are sticking to the team and of course they can work freely.

All of our journalistic staff do that.

A special assurance on my part is not required. "