Medien: Funke führt neue Führungsebene für Regionalzeitungen ein

The Funke Media Group is restructuring the leadership of its regional newspapers, effective January 1, 2027. The company announced the creation of five new "Publisher" positions, each taking on both journalistic and commercial responsibility for their respective newspaper titles' digital development. Publishers will take charge of the newsrooms and serve as second-in-command at each location.

The aim is to streamline decision-making processes and expedite digital growth for Funke's regional papers. In addition to overseeing the newsrooms, Publishers will also develop media brands and drive the expansion of digital subscriptions. Current Publishing executives will concentrate more on print and e-paper operations, regional marketing, and other business areas.

Publisher Christoph Rüth explained that concentrating editorial resources and brand management in one place at each location will reduce interfaces, speed up decisions, and accelerate digital growth. The journalistic independence of each media brand remains a top priority, even within the new structure. The new Publisher roles will be established in North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and Berlin.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Anne Krum will take charge of titles "Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" (WAZ), "Westfalenpost," and "Westfälische Rundschau." Hamburger Abendblatt's Cordula Schmitz will become Publisher and sole Managing Director. Nils Kawig will assume the role in Thuringia, moving from "Ostthüringer Zeitung" as Chief Editor to the "Thüringer Allgemeine."

In Lower Saxony, Kerstin Loehr will become Publisher at "Berliner Morgenpost," while Anne Lena Mösken will take on the role at "Berliner Morgenpost" starting in January. While public-facing Chefredactors will continue to represent their newspaper titles, the overarching management of digital business will remain with Carsten Groß, Business Manager of Digital Publishing.

Groß will collaborate with Krum and Schmitz to develop the editorial strategy and brand management framework.