Süddeutsche Zeitung: Restructuring of regional editions begins!

Süddeutsche Zeitung: Restructuring of regional editions begins!

Readers of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” have to prepare for noticeable changes. How DWDL reports, the printed edition will be restructured with a focus on efficiency and sustainability. In the future, seven independent regional parts will be eliminated, which will lead to a reduction in district expenditure. The focus is now on four editions that cover the Munich area: the districts of Fürstenfeldbruck and Dachau, Ebersberg, Erding and Freising as well as Starnberg and Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, and of course the district of Munich.

The newspaper will make extensive adjustments to its reporting. News from Munich, the region and Bavaria is published on at least ten newspaper pages - previously there were at least twelve. The aim of the restructuring is to optimize the printing processes while conserving resources. The online editions remain as usual and the districts can still be selected individually.

Changes and their effects

The changes will also herald an end to the existing offices in the districts. In the future there will only be permanent jobs in Starnberg, Dachau and Munich-Steinhausen. Collaboration with freelancers is also changing: they are no longer commissioned to the same extent as before. But the reform does not come without cuts: Nevertheless, the editor-in-chief, led by Ulrich Schäfer, assures that reporting from the districts will remain intensive.

The reform was decided in an exchange with the works council. Managing director Johannes Hauner emphasizes that the reporting is designed independently of the carrier medium. In particular, local topics and digital formats should be developed to appeal more strongly to younger readers. This tendency towards digitalization is also a sign of the adjustments that journalism is going through today bpb explained.

A look into the future

The changes are part of an overarching trend in the media landscape. The Südwestdeutsche Medienholding also plans to sell parts of the publishing house in Baden-Württemberg, such as the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and “Stuttgarter Nachrichten”. Such restructuring can not only be observed in Munich, but also affects journalism nationwide. The vulnerability of traditional media to digital change is also reflected in the need to check the relevance of news and adapt the way it addresses readers, something that South Germans clarified.

Overall, it is clear that journalism cannot rest when it is idle. In order to remain relevant and informative in the future, optimal structures and modern approaches are required that enable the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” to meet the challenges of the digital age for long-term success.