Axel Springer Group has announced that it will be laid off at the media brands “Bild” and “Welt”. Someone wants to produce another 100 million euros in the next three years.
The Axel Springer media group is laying off workers at the brands “Bild” and “Welt”. “There will be a significant reduction in work in the areas of production, layout, correction and management,” CEO Mathias Döpfner said in a letter to employees. Available at dpa. The background is also the group’s digital strategy. The Springer boss explained:
The 60-year-old also wrote: “We try to avoid layoffs.” He did not give specific figures for layoffs.
Springer-Verlag wants to go completely digital
Regarding the group’s Berlin-based German media business, he said, “To remain economically successful in the future, our earnings in the German media business need to grow by around 100 million euros over the next three years. Thanks to increases in sales.” , but also through cost reductions.” “Bild” is Germany’s largest tabloid newspaper.
The group wants to say goodbye to the print newspaper business and become an all-digital company. It was also said that “Welt” should be the first journalism brand to come from the print shop and be completely digital.
Döpfner: Print business remains profitable
Döpfner said the printing press is still profitable today and is indispensable for readers and advertising customers. “So the full transition to digital will take a few more years.” But you must prepare for it and actively fight the transformation.
Springer sees a huge growth market in the media business in the US. Döpfner also highlighted the future importance of artificial intelligence in the media industry.
Media publisher plans to invest in ‘journalistic core’
Regarding the future focus of local brands, Döpfner said, “The top priority for ‘Bild’ is access. Well-paid and permanent digital subscriptions for ‘Welt’.”
In his letter to employees, Döpfner stressed: “Our journalism standards are high and rising. To live up to this claim and deliver on excellence, we will not reduce the journalistic core – namely reporters, writers and experts. editors – instead invest and make qualitative improvements.”
Springer group with a turnover of 3.9 billion Euros
It is also not a job guarantee. “Because in editorial offices, too, we will leave our colleagues if certain profiles no longer fit the required skills.”
The group currently employs approximately 18,000 people worldwide. These include a growing number of 3,400 journalists in the United States. Springer exceeded his economic goals in 2022 despite inflation, the energy crisis, and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
The sales were therefore around 3.9 billion euros, the profit as a result about three quarters of a billion. 85% of sales and more than 95% of profits come from digital businesses.
Source: ZDF
I’m Ashley Robinson, a professional writer and journalist. I specialize in news writing and have been working for the past five years with News Unrolled. My main focus is on technology-related topics, though I also write about politics, healthcare, and business from time to time.
