Europe’s most important media manager is reacting to criticism of him. The weekly newspaper “Zeit” published news from Döpfner on Thursday, which he is said to have addressed to his closest management circle in recent years.
You paint a picture of a man who thinks little of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who welcomes climate change, attacks Muslims and despises East Germans. “The ossis are either communists or fascists. In between they don’t. Disgusting,” Döpfner wrote in full according to “Zeit” research.
Döpfner, who is not only CEO of Springer but also holds shares in the group, is said to have instructed Germany’s largest tabloid “Bild” to strengthen the FDP before the 2021 federal election campaign. “Our last hope is the FDP. Only if it becomes very strong – and that can be – will the green-red disaster be avoided,” a message said.
He described Merkel as “the nail in the coffin of democracy” and is said to have commented on her migration policy with the words “whoever opens the doors will reap racism”. He described Covid as “flu” and the protective measures taken were “the beginning of 33”, which could be understood as a reference to Adolf Hitler’s seizure of power in 1933. On the subject of renewable energies, he wrote according to “Zeit”: If he hates one thing, it’s wind turbines.
Döpfner indirectly confirms that the statements come from him
With his apology, Döpfner indirectly confirms that the formulations actually come from him. His statements are “literally nonsense, of course,” said Döpfner. But the anger that in “Thuringia and elsewhere so many vote either left or AfD led me to polemical exaggeration”. Döpfner had previously made similar statements on the Springer intranet.
>> Read more: “Our last hope is the FDP”: Springer boss Döpfner under pressure after published emails
“I don’t know how you are,” explained the 60-year-old in the “Bild” article, “I don’t always succeed in writing private messages in the correct tone. When I’m angry or very happy, my cell phone becomes a lightning rod.” Döpfner had already described his choice of words in private chats as “deliberate exaggeration” in earlier controversial statements that became public.
Publishing boss Mathias Döpfner is under criticism.
(Photo: dpa)
After the “Zeit” publication, there were renewed discussions about whether the media should publish private messages from CEOs. Döpfner referred to this: He sends people he trusts very much, “words that are said or typed ‘in the wrong’. Because I assume that the recipient knows what is meant.”
With such messages, he could not have imagined that “someone would pass these words on to third parties”. But that has now happened. He learned his lessons from it. “One of them remains the idea of ’freedom of thought’.”
Massive criticism of Döpfner – support from Kubicki
The “Zeit” report had caused massive criticism of Döpfner and Springer. The Brandenburg SPD head of state Dietmar Woidke wrote on Friday: “Mr. Döpfner’s derogatory statements cannot be justified.”
Döpfner, on the other hand, received support from FDP party leader Wolfgang Kubicki. He sees “no need for action in the Causa Döpfner”. The reporting may be of interest “for reasons of curiosity,” says Kubicki. “It’s not political.”
Springer must have worried public criticism. So the “Bild” resorted to an unusual means and reported on Saturday in a self-written article about the events and its own CEO. The report is headed with the words “Chat affair about Springer boss Döpfner: What’s going on at Bild?”.
>> Read more: And again Springer and another “Döpfner earthquake” – a comment
It also states that “Bild” employees are angry with their CEO. This confirms statements by some executives who were shocked by Döpfner’s choice of words to the Handelsblatt.
Has ex-“Bild” boss Reichelt leaked the information?
Döpfner’s quotes were made public at a time when there was already massive unrest at Springer. Döpfner had announced job cuts, the extent of which is not yet known. Insiders report to the Handelsblatt that around 20 percent of the jobs are to be cut in the editorial offices alone.
In its own report, the “Bild” also raises the question of whether the “Zeit” received the internal messages from the former “Bild” editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt. Several ex-colleagues have raised massive allegations of abuse of power against Reichelt. Döpfner had released Reichelt in October 2021 after great public uproar.
Did the former “Bild” editor-in-chief pass on the chats?
(Photo: imago images/Jörg Schüler)
Springer believes it is possible that Reichelt took documents and internal information from his time as head of “Bild” and is now using them to his own advantage. It is striking in the “Zeit” report that many of the quotes from Döpfner were addressed directly to Reichelt.
In the Saturday edition, the new “Bild” editor-in-chief Marion Horn had also addressed Döpfner with harsh words. Her comment was headed: “I won’t let anyone tell me what ‘Bild’ has to write.” She is probably trying to counter the impression that the publisher’s boss is influencing the newspaper’s journalistic line.
Döpfner texted sentences that “are absolutely not okay the way they are,” wrote Horn. That’s not what you think of “Bild” or Springer. “Actually, an apology is due, boss!” Horn concluded. Döpfner also refers to this in his contribution from Saturday, which is headed with the word “Right!”.
More: The entire editor-in-chief of “Bild” has to go