Not everyone would necessarily accuse Germany’s largest tabloid of being “too woke”. The words “Gender-Gaga” and “Gender-Wahn”, for example, can be read regularly and in prominent places in the newspaper picture-Zeitung, among others, the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation, the red-green Senate of Hamburg and also the General German Bicycle Club (ADFC) made the accusation that they wanted to re-educate the Germans to use gender-sensitive language and thinking.
And yet this accusation leads to excitement at the editorial office in Axel-Springer-Strasse. Because a prominent employee, the head of the picture– Parliamentary editorial office, has resigned for this reason, like the industry magazine first media insiders reported: In a letter written in early July to Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner and picture-Editor-in-Chief Johannes Boie addressed letter, the Cicero was leakedSchuler writes about the fact that he will leave the company because of strategic decisions that he “can’t and doesn’t want to support”.
Schuler’s letter begins in a friendly manner: “Dear Mr. Döpfner, dear Johannes”. Then Schuler lists what he now finds worrying about Springer: the rainbow flag waving in front of the house, for example: “Not just a sign of tolerance and empathy, as we would like it to be, but also the banner of a movement with which one is critical can and must deal with.” Stickers produced by the company “oh deer, I am queer”: made Springer the standard-bearer of this very “movement, which strives for a fixed social draft with language and spelling regulations and believes it is entitled to give the majority society a political canon up to and including changing the gender entry or to be able to dictate quotations.” And before the letter ends without a word of greeting, Schuler addresses Boies’ deputy, who wrote in an internal email that they were “firmly on the side of the LBGTQ community.” Schuler doesn’t want to be there – and indirectly cites his experiences as a young man in the GDR era, which made him cautious about “ideological concepts of society”.
What will Schuler do in the future? “Something with the media,” he writes
That he is openly gay picture-Vize in his letter in this way, must have also irritated those in the Springer house who might otherwise agree with Schuler on certain points. Because of all things, in the international Pride month of June, an internal dispute about the topics of diversity and tolerance came to light at Springer. The decisive factor was a long essay in the World has been printed. Five guest authors accused the public broadcasters of “indoctrinating” and “obtrusively sexualizing” children when it comes to the “trendy topic ‘trans'”. The queer community, including those in their own house, was appalled. Springer was disinvited from the LGBTIQ+ job and career fair “Sticks & Stones”. Publishing boss Döpfner then tried to smooth things over and wrote a letter to the employees, which was also in the World has been published. He speaks out against “cancelling” other opinions, but distanced himself in the strongest possible terms from the guest contribution – which was “superficial, condescending and resentful”. Now, in turn, other parts of the Springer workforce were disturbed – those who have taken up the cause of the fight for freedom of expression. And those who don’t necessarily want rain beans everywhere, like Ralf Schuler.
The Axel Springer high-rise in which the editorial office of the tabloid “Bild” is located.
(Photo: Christoph Soeder/picture alliance/dpa)
The fact that his letter has now found its way into the public could also be related to the fact that Boie and Döpfner reacted rather coolly. As Schuler confirms when asked by the SZ, the publisher insists that he works for the paper until the end of the notice period at the end of March 2023 – which he considers “an extremely thankless act”. Whether Döpfner and Boie wanted to prevent the head of their parliamentary office and his address book going directly to the start-up of ex-pictureboss Julian Reichelt, who has already poached Judith Sevinç Basad, one of the pictureA Springer company spokesman declined to comment on female journalists dedicated to fighting “woke” ideas. And Schuler is also keeping a low profile about his future, he has several offers, “Spoiler: “what with the media” is not unlikely”. So the question remains whether picture becomes “woke”. In addition, writes the Springer spokesman, “we would like to recommend taking a look at our products”.