“Embarrassing episode”: US media comment “image”-Quake at Springer

Sunday appears a “New YorkTimes”Report on Springer and “image”. Monday it will be known that “image”-Chef Julian Reichelt has to vacate his post. On Tuesday, the media group announced that an important deal had been concluded in the USA: The purchase of the Politico media group, and thus the largest takeover in the company’s history, was finally wrapped up. The events in the Berlin media house () were also followed closely by US media, which CEO Mathias Döpfner sees major challenges. An overview.

“Bloomberg”: One “extremely embarrassing episode”

Of the “Axel Springer scandal shows the price of global ambitions”, hits the headlines. The network, which specializes in economic and financial reporting, recognizes that Reichelt’s dismissal is related to the “growing international ambitions” des Springer-Verlag: So far, the house has none “clear guidelines for industrial relations” and excused the fact that this applies to most German companies. With the purchase of the US portal “Politico” could the comparison with “local players” no longer serve as a benchmark. The company will “need to work harder to ensure that their culture and processes can adequately manage potential conflicts of interest.”

Without the newer coverage, Reichelt could still be in his leadership position – one “extremely embarrassing episode”, judges the portal, which raises questions about the verdict of the board of directors to have kept him in office since March despite the allegations. Now the ambitions of Matthias Döpfner, who are contributing to a cultural change “image” wants to initiate and set new standards, also travel with him to the USA.

“Financial Times”: Reichelt’s behavior would not have been tolerated for so long in the USA

For them, the Reichelt case highlights the work culture at Springer. Throw the cause “unpleasant questions about the way one of the largest publishers works” writes the newspaper, in which Springer boss Mathias Döpfner the ex”image”-Chef called the last and only journalist in Germany who was still brave against the “new GDR authoritarian state” rebellion. Almost everyone else is closed “Propaganda assistants” become.

Döpfner said in a video message that it was a private SMS from the “quoted something out of context” became and thus “Polemics, irony, exaggeration” had been suppressed. “Axel Springer is clearly embarrassed about the whole affair”, so the “Financial Times”, “especially since it is spreading in the USA, a country in which Reichelt’s alleged wrongdoing probably would not have been tolerated for so long.”

“Washington Post”: Just the tip of the iceberg

In a guest post for the, the historian and journalist Katja Hoyer comments on why she is the “new mega-scandal over sexual harassment not at all surprised” have. The Reichelt case is “just the tip of the iceberg”. In their eyes there is no doubt: “The German work culture is stuck in the past.” The accusations and the way they were dealt with marked that “Image of a company in which employees at all levels accept sexualized power structures in the workplace”. But the problem does not lie with Springer alone.

As a budding journalist, a career advisor advised Hoyer to think carefully about her career choice – the advisor said that the pay is usually poor, whereas large media companies would pay better if you did “stick to the party line and sleep your way upstairs”. The author underpins her personal experience with statistics that give Germany bad marks when it comes to dealing with sexual behavior in the workplace.

“I hope that the Reichelt case will serve to spark a broader debate about women in employment in Germany”writes Hoyer, “and not to be dismissed as an exception.” Germany has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to gender relations in the workplace.