60 birthday candles for Germany’s premier newsmagazine

Sixty years ago on Thursday, Germany’s top newsmagazine Der Spiegel went on sale at newsstands around the country. For decades, the weekly Der Spiegel has been the leader in investigative journalism in Germany. As one of Germany’s most influential news sources - it held almost a monopoly on forming German public opinion in the postwar decades - the magazine has revealed numerous scandals and shaped politics like no other German media outlet. Keeping up with changing times, it was in 1994 the first magazine in the world to go online. But the magazine also came under criticism, especially for breaking one of the publications long-standing cardinal rules: never fraternize with the powerful. Besides the critique about pandering to politicians, there are also accusations about more sensationalism and increasing amounts of fluff. Still, the magazine manages to both mesmerize and polarize German society. Smart marketing seduces readers into wanting ‘the whole truth’ each Monday when they can find the new issue on newsstands, even if it’s been years since Der Spiegel actually uncovered a big scandal.

www.spiegel.de

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