Things are turbulent at the Axel Springer publishing house right now. Now the biography "Ich war Bild" of the long-time boss Kai Diekmann was published.
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Recently, a media echo rushed through the landscape, fueled by the partly fictional book "Still awake?" by Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre. The response to the book was mixed, with some considering it purely a children's book. Now, however, the memoirs of the former editor-in-chief of the Bild newspaper, Kai Diekmann, are available as a rather heavy hardcover. Do the pages promise what the title has to offer?
Kai Diekmann's memoirs "Ich war Bild" © offer scandalous insights Future Image/Imago/DVA (montage)
"Ich war Bild" by Kai Diekmann is a retrospective through his own glasses
The former editor-in-chief of the "Bild", Kai Diekmann, reveals in his book "Ich war Bild" what it was like at Germany's largest tabloid newspaper at the time. He was at the helm from 2001 to early 2017.
For those who expect the 58-year-old to comment on the current turbulence at Axel Springer and "Bild", there is a disappointment. He cleverly avoids the topic. The affair surrounding the dismissed editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt due to allegations of abuse of power, the constant changes at the top of the "Bild" and the outrage over controversial news leaked by CEO Mathias Döpfner – Diekmann leaves all this unmentioned.
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"Of course, I have an opinion on everything that is happening at the moment. Fortunately, I haven't been with 'Bild' for over six years and therefore I'm not part of this drama. That's why I allow myself the luxury of keeping my opinion to myself."
Kai Diekmann in an interview with dpa
Influence as editor-in-chief of the "Bild": Former Federal President resigned
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What makes the approximately 550 pages of his memoirs particularly captivating is the way Diekmann tells contemporary history from his personal perspective – subjectively. As a political journalist, he conducted interviews with influential figures such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin and was often a close observer when historical events were written.
Clear evidence of Diekmann's own position of power as editor-in-chief of Bild is most evident in the case of former German President Christian Wulff. He left Diekmann a memorable voice message on his voicemail, in which he tried to influence the reporting. This ultimately led to a scandal that led to Wulff (CDU) resigning.
Kai Diekmann "I was a picture": Conclusion
It is a compilation of different times and experiences. If you want it more fictional, you should reach for Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre. Otherwise, it is an unsparing book for readers and authors alike.
Kai Diekmann "I was a picture"
2023 DVA, ISBN-13 978-3-328-10900-6
Price: Hardcover €34, e-book €24.99, 416 pages (different from format)
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Kai Diekmann
Kai Diekmann, who was born in 1964, interviewed Helmut Kohl in 1982 as a high school student in Bielefeld for the conservative school newspaper he had founded. During his time in the German Armed Forces, he began his career in journalism with an internship at the Axel Springer publishing house. From 1998 to 2000 he was editor-in-chief of WELT am SONNTAG and from January 2001 to January 2017 he headed the BILD newspaper. He is one of the founders of the social media agency Storymachine and lives with his family in Potsdam.