Axel Springer releases "Bild" editor-in-chief Reichelt from his duties - with solid reasons

Julian Reichelt was released from his duties as editor-in-chief of Bild on Monday.

The Axel-Springer-Verlag announced this.

Transparency notice: The dismissal of Bild editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt takes place against the background of the controversy over the publication of a comprehensive research on himself by IPPEN.MEDIA.

The IPPEN.MEDIA investigative team confronted Reichelt with the allegations last week and asked for a statement.

The results of the research have not yet been published.

Berlin - The media group Axel Springer has released

* editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt from his duties

with immediate effect

. The company announced this on Monday in Berlin. Reichelt's successor is Johannes Boie. The 37-year-old is currently editor-in-chief of

, which also belongs to Springer-Verlag.

As a reason for the end of the cooperation with Reichelt, the

a statement: “As a result of press research, the company had gained new knowledge about the current behavior of Julian Reichelt in the last few days.

The company investigated this information.

The management board learned that Julian Reichelt did not clearly separate personal and professional matters even after completing the compliance procedure in spring 2021 and told the management board the untruth. "

A bang in the picture: Editor-in-chief Reichelt released from his duties

The media reported on allegations of abuse of power and the exploitation of relationships of dependency, whereupon Springer initiated the internal proceedings in the spring. The group then examined allegations in an internal procedure and came to the conclusion that Reichelt should keep his post. After a temporary leave of absence, Reichelt initially returned to Germany's largest tabloid.

According to the publisher, the so-called compliance proceedings against Reichelt had "never been accused of sexual harassment or sexual assault". “But there were accusations of amicable love affairs with 'Bild' employees and indications of abuse of power in this context. A previous relationship with an employee of 'Bild' was proven and acknowledged. It remained controversial whether this employee was granted professional advantages. "

The questionnaires of whistleblowers carried out by the law firm Freshfields had been anonymized in the compliance process, it said. The publisher was therefore also not aware of "relevant interrogation protocols at the request of witnesses". The media were "leaked these documents in parts or in full from a third party illegally," it said in the message.

The

a long report over the weekend about the Axel Springer media group, also with a view to the plans to take over the US media group Politico. The article also

dealt

with

editor-in-chief Reichelt and the allegations against him that became public for the first time in the spring. The newspaper also referred to previously unpublished months of research by an investigative team of the Ippen media group.

Springer boss Mathias Döpfner said on Monday: “Julian Reichelt developed 'Bild' in an excellent journalistic way and

made the brand future-proof

with

.

We would have our chosen with the editors and the publisher way of cultural renewal in

liked to continue, together with Julian Reichelt.

This is no longer possible. ”

List of rubric lists: © IMAGO / Sven Simon