Mathias Döpfner wants to give up his post as publisher president. On Tuesday he announced that he would resign in the fall. Normally, Döpfner’s term of office as President of the Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) would last until 2024. From a moral point of view, his resignation comes late.
Last year, Döpfner, who is considered an accomplished networker, was heavily criticized. Two international searches shed light on his role in the former’s case picture– Editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt, whom he had sponsored for a long time after abuse of power and affairs became known. The people of London Financial Times came to the conclusion, the 59-year-old actively tried to cover up Reichelt’s abuse of power and hired a lawyer to investigate those affected. This is confirmed by documents available to the SZ.
the New York Times had previously published a message from Döpfner to writer Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre: About the man who was later shot pictureEditor-in-Chief, Döpfner wrote in it that he was “the last and only journalist in Germany” who still bravely rebelled “against the new GDR authoritarian state”, “almost everyone else has become propaganda assistants”.
Döpfner’s message does not address the criticism at all
The managing director of the Axel Springer publishing house has held the position as the top lobbyist for German newspaper publishers since 2016, and was re-elected in 2020. His obviously misguided understanding of journalism and his dealings with the women who had to suffer under Reichelt led to rather cautious criticism in the association.
Madsack’s managing director Thomas Düffert did not want to continue at Döpfner’s side and resigned from his honorary post as Vice President. In a letter of explanation he indicated a loss of confidence. Shortly thereafter, the Funke media group of publisher Julia Becker very clearly demanded Döpfner’s resignation. After internal squabbles, she declared in early March their exit from the BDZV at the end of the year. But that’s about it, most publishers kept a low profile, some apologizing at key meetings on the subject.
However, Döpfner himself did not comment on the criticism of his person for months. In the press release that the BDZV has now issued, Döpfner does not respond to the criticism at all – the word resignation is avoided. On the contrary, his justification sounds rather triumphant.
He will hand over his office “in an orderly manner to new hands, preferably also to new structures, starting in the fall,” write Döpfner and the BDZV. There are “two central reasons” for this: On the one hand, as a Springer board member, Döpfner will have to travel to the USA more often after the acquisition of the US medium Politico, he lacks time for the association’s work. On the other hand, in future there will need to be “a person or constellation at the top who does not stand for a large, international and very digital publishing house” so that “the interests of small and medium-sized, regional and local publishers” are also represented more strongly, informs the BDZV. “Other structures with more representation for small and medium-sized publishers are necessary,” explains Döpfner, according to the association’s announcement. It sounds a bit like he’s outgrown the job. He was “very grateful for the support and encouragement he has received from most members over the past few months and weeks”.
Funke is now helping to restructure the association – although the exit has already been sealed
Was Döpfner’s departure a free decision? “Absolutely, absolutely!” emphasizes an association spokeswoman. How his successor will be arranged was deliberately left open. You are in the middle of “an association structural reform”. Members and delegates must first agree on how the association will be restructured before new leadership can be elected. Sounds tedious.
This reform was suggested by the Funke media group in Essen – at the time in the same breath as the criticism of Döpfner. The restructuring, which a BDZV project group is currently working on, is discussing whether ten small state associations are still needed – or whether they can be brought closer to the federal association. The aim is to reduce administrative work and duplicate structures.
Funke will continue to help shape the reform process – although, according to SZ information, the Essen publishing house has already submitted its resignation letter in good time and is therefore de facto no longer a BDZV member as of January 1, 2023. Whether you want to change your mind after the announcement of Döpfner’s resignation? Funke initially did not want to comment on the SZ request. However, according to the BDZV, the publisher could submit an application for re-entry at any time.