DIE ZEIT vs IPPEN.MEDIA

Zeit Editor-in-Chief Disputes Court Over Seized Recordings

Giovanni di Lorenzo, editor-in-chief of the German weekly newspaper "Die Zeit", contradicted the Hamburg Regional Court's claim that a journalist voluntarily handed over audio recordings related to the Block trial. In a written interview with DPA, di Lorenzo stated that the publication was heavily pressured, and the only way to avoid a search of the editorial offices was to hand over the recordings. He described the court's statement as 'grotesque' and said he cannot recall a comparable intrusion during his tenure since 2004. The recordings, totaling 80 hours, could now become public. The court had issued an order for the journalist's Berlin apartment after the publisher's staff indicated she had the tapes. The incident highlights tensions between press freedom and judicial requests in Germany.

• Giovanni di Lorenzo, editor-in-chief of Die Zeit, contradicted the Hamburg Regional Court's claim that a journalist voluntarily handed over audio recordings.
• The Die Zeit publishing house was threatened with a search of its editorial offices unless the recordings were handed over.
• The audio recordings total 80 hours and could now become public.

Theodor Wolff Prize and Guardian Award Presented

The 2026 Theodor Wolff Prize and the Guardian Prize (Wächterpreis) were awarded in Germany, honoring journalists for outstanding stories on proximity, origin, and language. Karolina Benedyk, Marvin Ku, and Jakob Schrenk each received the €6,000 Theodor Wolff Prize from the BDZV for their articles in Weser-Kurier and Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin. Bastian Berbner won the €6,000 Guardian Prize for his investigative piece in Die Zeit, while Erik Westermann and the Braunschweiger Zeitung editorial team received a €10,000 stipend for investigative work. Media scholar Bernhard Pörksen warned of threefold pressure on journalism: political attacks, AI-driven content competition, and economic pressure from tech companies pulling ad revenues.

• Theodor Wolff Prize awarded to Karolina Benedyk, Marvin Ku, and Jakob Schrenk.
• Each Theodor Wolff Prize carries €6,000 prize money.
• Wächterpreis awarded to Bastian Berbner with €6,000 prize money.

Die Zeit launches CEO podcast with ex-CEO Rainer Esser

Die Zeit, the German weekly newspaper, is expanding its podcast portfolio with a new interview format hosted by Rainer Esser, the former CEO of Zeit Verlagsgruppe. The podcast, titled "Haben Sie kurz Zeit? Was CEOs bewegt" (Do you have a moment? What moves CEOs), features conversations with business leaders about personal experiences, doubts, and lessons learned. The first guest is Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank; other planned guests include Timotheus Höttges (Deutsche Telekom), Joe Kaeser, René Obermann, Bettina Orlopp, Oliver Bäte, Ana Paula Assis, Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller, Christian Klein, Armin Papperger, and Dominik von Achten. Episodes will be released bi-weekly on Wednesdays, produced by Pool Artists. The show targets executives and decision-makers, focusing on personal stories rather than classic management topics.

• Die Zeit launches new CEO podcast hosted by ex-CEO Rainer Esser.
• First episode features Christian Sewing, CEO of Deutsche Bank.
• Podcast releases new episodes every two weeks on Wednesdays.

Wegweisend, vorbildlich, näher dran: IPPEN.MEDIA verleiht erstmals eigenen Preis für Lokaljournalismus

IPPEN.MEDIA verleiht am 21. Oktober 2026 erstmals den IPPEN.MEDIA Preis für Lokaljournalismus. Bayerns Ministerpräsident Dr. Markus Söder hält die Festrede.

Wahlkarten-Angebot bei der Kommunalwahl Niedersachsen mit einzigartigen Daten

IPPEN.MEDIA hat eine Wahlkarte geschaffen, die zahlreiche Details zeigt: Leserinnen und Leser können sich durch die Daten bis hinunter zu ihrem Wahlbezirk bei ihrer Bürgermeister- und Gemeinderatswahl klicken und sich die Ergebnisse bis zurück ins Jahr 1981 anschauen.

IPPEN.MEDIA bietet einzigartiges Wahlkarten-Angebot zur Kommunalwahl in Niedersachsen

IPPEN.MEDIA wird erneut mit einer detaillierten Karte, KI-gestützten Ergebnistexten für alle Gemeinden und einem E-Mail-Ergebnis-Update an den Start gehen, um den Leserinnen und Lesern den bestmöglichen Service zur Wahl zu bieten.