WAZ Mediengruppe Media Press Summit 2010

WAZ Mediengruppe April 3rd, 1948: First publication of the Westdeutsche Allgemeine (WAZ) newspaper with a circulation of 312,000 copies. Publishers of this first edition and founders of the WAZ Media Group were: Erich Brost and Jakob Funke Overview

WAZ Mediengruppe Overview Today the WAZ Media Group is one of the largest German publishing companies. With approx. 29 daily and 19 weekly newspapers, 186 special- interest and trade magazines, 99 advertising papers and approx. 400 customer magazines in nine countries and 17,000 employees, the WAZ Media Group is also internationally one of the major media companies. In addition, the group owns 14 printing works in Germany and abroad. The foreign activities in the newspaper and magazine business focus in South-East Europe on Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Russia, Albania and in Central Europe on Austria.

WAZ Mediengruppe WAZ Business Model Four daily newspapers in North-Rhine Westfalia -Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) -Neue Ruhr / Neue Rhein Zeitung (NRZ) -Westfälische Rundschau (WR) -Westfalenpost (WP) –Reach:a total of 2.14 million readers

WAZ Mediengruppe WAZ Business Model -newspapers share the administration function in -logistics -advertising business -purchasing -general administration -IT -Printing -editorial independence and autonomy

WAZ Mediengruppe WAZ Business Model „Only newspapers which are financially independent are editorially independent.“ Bodo Hombach Managing Director, WAZ Media Group

WAZ Mediengruppe WAZ Business Model in South Eastern Europe WAZ has been successful with its business model in South Eastern Europe as well e. g. - Hungary Pannon Lapok Társasága reaching more than 200,000 readers with five regional daily newspapers - Bulgaria two largest daily newspapers in the country, ‘Dneven Trud’ and ‘24 Chasa’ and various magazines

WAZ Mediengruppe WAZ Business Model in South Eastern Europe - Croatia Europe Press Holding EPH publishes the second-largest daily newspaper in the country, ‘Jutarnji List’, and a large number of journals - Macedonia Media Print Macedonia - Albania participation in TV-broadcaster ‘Vizion+’

WAZ Mediengruppe Crisis in global economy -Challenges in South Eastern Europe and Germany drop in the volume of advertisements structural adjustment -New strategy in North-Rhine Westfalia Content Desk editors-in-chief are still independent

WAZ Mediengruppe Producing Journalism The WAZ Media Group regards itself as a producer of quality journalism leave the distribution channel up to the customer printed matter / online / mobile / TV / radio

WAZ Mediengruppe Journalistic Principles The founders of the WAZ Media Group, Erich Brost and Jakob Funke, were always completely and consciously committed to a free and independent journalism. By signing their Code of Conduct in Essen in 2007, the WAZ Media Group created a positive stir across the whole of Germany. This type of self-regulation is still a rarity in the German media industry.

WAZ Mediengruppe Journalistic Principles In July 2003, the WAZ Media Group and the OSCE agreed on the “Principles for Guaranteeing Editorial Independence” WAZ Media Group signed a ‘Framework Agreement on the Defence and Promotion of Press Freedom, Quality Journalism and Sound Industrial Relations’ with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The WAZ Media Group and the IFJ also award the ‘WAZ/IFJ Award for Courageous Journalism’ to reward journalism that demonstrates exemplary courage and professionalism in the investigation of corruption and abuse of power despite intimidation and pressure.

WAZ Mediengruppe Media Market in South Eastern Europe Oligarchs buy media businesses to acquire political influence, to push their economical interests and not to make money This threads the freedom of the press and undermines quality journalism

WAZ Mediengruppe Concluding Statement Only media which is independent can supply quality journalism