Dusseldorf The media group Axel Springer is replacing the entire editor-in-chief of “Bild”. The previous editors-in-chief Johannes Boie, Alexandra Würzbach and Claus Strunz are retiring from their previous roles at Europe’s largest tabloid, Springer announced on Thursday without giving any reasons.
In future, the management of the chief editorship will consist of two instead of four people. Marion Horn will chair the editors-in-chief of the “Bild” group with immediate effect. The 57-year-old worked for Springer for a total of more than 25 years and was editor-in-chief of “Bild am Sonntag” from 2013 to 2019. She left the company after the announcement that the editorial processes of “Bild am Sonntag” and “Bild” were to be merged, and was most recently a partner in the consultancy firm Kekst CNC.
Horn should position the paper with a “strong tabloid profile and actively promote digital change,” according to the company statement. The previous “Focus” editor-in-chief Robert Schneider will become editor-in-chief of “Bild” as planned in mid-April. In December 2022, it was announced that Boie Schneider would be joined. Horn will take over the editor-in-chief of “Bild” and “Bild am Sonntag” in a double function until April.
Unrest in the Axel Springer publishing house
The triple dismissal causes further unrest in the Berlin publishing house. Boie, former editor-in-chief of “Welt am Sonntag”, started in autumn 2021 with the task of ensuring orderly processes in the tabloid editorial department after the Julian Reichelt era.
The former “Bild” editor-in-chief Reichelt had to leave the media house. He was accused of abuse of power, bullying and misconduct in connection with relationships with employees of the house. Reichelt initially remained in office after initial allegations in spring 2021. Because he did not clearly separate his private and professional life afterwards, Springer threw him out.
Springer vowed to establish a better corporate culture with the new personal details. According to company circles, the digital-savvy Boie actually managed to break with the old culture in the early days. He changed a lot, communicated more openly, installed new minds and, above all, advanced the digital. But in the end it failed because of the old networks, according to the company.
The former editor-in-chief of Bild am Sonntag will become editor-in-chief of Bild on an interim basis. She will continue to be the chief editor in the future.
(Photo: imago images/Christian Spicker)
What is piquant about the new editor-in-chief is that the two top heads have no digital expertise and, from the point of view of some insiders, stand for an old image culture. Internally, however, the replacement was justified with the digital strategy. Springer no longer wants to sell printed newspapers in the medium term and wants to become a purely digital company.
The head of the “Bild” brand group, Claudius Senst, wrote in an email to employees: The “Bild” structures would have to be radically changed and further developed so that the brand could continue to grow. “This includes clarity and reliability in management and responsibility,” says Senst.
It is unclear how things will continue with Boie and his previous editor-in-chief colleagues Würzbach and Strunz. Springer said they would like to be informed later about their “possible future tasks in the house”. CEO and major shareholder Mathias Döpfner said goodbye to the dismissed editors-in-chief: “I thank you very much for your commitment and your services.” Würzbach was most recently responsible for “Bild am Sonntag”, Strunz for the “Bild” moving image offer.
The new editors-in-chief Horn and Schneider will manage “Bild” with the deputy editors-in-chief René Bosch, Timo Lokoschat, Tanja May, Paul Ronzheimer, Mandy Sachse and Yvonne Weiß “and precisely allocate the individual areas of responsibility after Robert Schneider takes office”.
Job cuts at Springer
The new people in charge have to tackle several problems at the same time. Significant job cuts are announced at Springer. The specific extent is not yet known. Jobs are to be eliminated in production, layout and administration in particular. Industry experts expect a three-digit reduction overall.
The media company aims to increase profits from its most important newspapers, “Bild” and “Welt”, by investing in digital offerings and cutting staff costs. The consolidated result in the German media business must improve by around 100 million euros over the next three years, Döpfner wrote to the workforce in February. The publisher explained that jobs would be created and cut at the same time. Operational layoffs should be avoided.
>> Read more: Axel Springer announces job cuts at “Bild” and “Welt”.
Like all media, Springer is struggling with declining print circulation. At the end of 2022, the sold circulation was 1.1 million copies (including the Berlin tabloid “BZ”). In the fourth quarter of 2013, more than twice as many copies were sold every day.
In the past year, Springer recorded double-digit organic sales growth for the second time in a row – this has not been the case for four decades. Sales were around 3.9 billion euros, the bottom line is a profit of around 750,000 euros.
Springer withdrew from the stock market in 2020, having previously entered into a cooperation with the US financial investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) to accelerate growth. KKR holds a large stake in the publishing company.
Springer also sees great growth potential in the USA. There he took over the news portal “Politico” in autumn 2021. The group employs around 18,000 people worldwide. These include 3,400 journalists, an increasing number of them in the USA. In addition to the media brands, Axel Springer also owns the job platform Stepstone.
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First publication: 03/16/23, 14:39 (last updated: 03/16/23, 18:23).