Call for fair deal for journalists as German publishers cut jobs

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has today expressed its support to its German affiliates, the Deutsche Journalisten-Verband (DJV) and Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union in ver.di in their demand for a socially responsible behaviour from the publishers in dealing with the insolvency of the Frankfurter Rundschau and the closure of the Financial Times Germany.

“All in all over 800 journalists and media employees have lost their jobs and freelances lost important clients in Germany. Together with our German colleagues we ask the concerned media groups to offer adequate jobs to the journalists affected, including freelances, at the groups’ other titles,” said EFJ President Arne König. “Fortunately, Germany has still a very healthy plural market, but it is paramount that throughout Europe all stakeholders in journalism get together to discuss sustainable models, be it for staff journalist or freelances, to be able to keep quality journalism in all media.” Michael Konken,  DJV President,  asked the publishers to discuss their future strategies  with the journalists’ unions in Germany. “When it comes to questions related to the future, we are sitting in one boat. Solutions can only be found in consensus between publishers and journalists,” he said in a press release today. The Frankfurter Rundschau, one of Germany's most venerable dailies, filed for bankruptcy on 14 November, resulting in about 500 job losses.

Both DJV and ver.di have asked the management of the media group M. DuMont Schauberg, to prevent dismissals of journalists where possible, and to offer journalists adequate work in other media of M. DuMont Schauberg. This includes the freelances and photojournalists who should be able to work for the other titles of DuMont.

The Financial Times Deutschland, which was launched at the height of the Internet boom in 2000 and has a circulation of about 100,000 copies, will stop publication on 7 December. Over 300 employees will lose their jobs and freelances will lose work. The publisher of the English-language Financial Times, Pearson PLC, sold its stake in the German paper to Gruner+Jahr in 2008, but it continued to appear on the same distinctive salmon-coloured paper.

The unions criticised the management, which has been asked to react now at least in a socially responsible manner and move employees to other Gruner+Jahr titles.Contact for International relations at DJV:

Michael Klehm
E-Mail:  kle@djv.de