Readers Know More

Yesterday, I went on the USAC Excursion to Der Spiegel in Hamburg.  Der Spiegel ("The Mirror") is a weekly magazine similar to TIME or Newsweek in the United States.

We were given a presentation over Der Spiegel's business structure, which has allowed it to remain successful as a small journalism company.  It is nearly impossible for Der Spiegel to be bought out by a larger publishing house, because each employee is a proud shareholder.  Approximately a fourth of Der Spiegel's ownership lies with a large, rival publishing company, and both companies benefit from the arrangement under a profit-sharing agreement.

Der Spiegel has a very unique audience.  Most readers are male (about two thirds of the total readership).  Almost all readers are well-educated, and many are in management positions in their businesses.  To reach these individuals, Der Spiegel's staff aims to write and publish thought-provoking articles.  They want to deeply investigate an issue, then report on it in such a way that does not tell a reader how or what to think, but might even leave them more undecided than before.

Der Spiegel is more than just a weekly magazine, though.  The first periodical to be published online (Der Spiegel entered the Internet one day before TIME), Der Spiegel is very proud of its online edition and extensive Internet archives (in German and other languages).  Also published are supplements directed towards younger children and students, as well as specials on culture and economics.  Der Spiegel also operates a small, independent television program, made possible by relatively recent changes to German broadcasting law.

Near the end of our time there, our USAC group was joined by Cordula Meyer.  Though she has worked at Der Spiegel for over a decade, she is currently most-well-known for her coverage of the nuclear disaster in Japan.  She told us about her writing process, what kind of expectations and pressures journalists experience, and how the journalism profession was adapting to the increasing public call for online, on-demand news (social networking, mobile phones, iPads, etc.).  We were able to ask her questions, to which she gave very thoughtful answers.

Just another exceptional educational opportunity here in Germany!