Letters to the editor on 75 years of SPIEGEL: »Only one editor annoys me«

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SPIEGEL editions from December 22, 2018, title: »Say what is«

Photo: Winfried Rothermel / picture alliance

Dear readers,

Thank you very much for writing to us.

We are almost a little touched by the sometimes almost effusive praise that has reached us.

Luckily there was also criticism, at least we can deal with that.

Everyone gets what they deserve, as the saying goes.

We got you as a reader - and we're proud of that.

Be kind to us.

We promise not to take off despite the numerous benevolent letters.

Rather, we take this as an incentive for the years to come.

And have fun reading!

Sincerely,

Yours, Steffen Klusmann

A little more diversity please

I've been reading SPIEGEL since my youth and have been a loyal subscriber for decades.

When SPIEGEL also appeared online, it took me a while before I had the same reading experience as SPIEGEL in paper form.

I think it's nice that my children, who are now adults, take on a lot of responsibility for society and that their awareness was partly shaped by our joint reading of SPIEGEL and discussions about articles.

For the next »SPIEGEL years« I would like to see a little more diversity - in the form of your employees, for whom a so-called migration background and foreground is a matter of course.

It would also be nice to have more positive reports about intercultural identities, societies and ways of life.

Creative and uncomplicated

SPIEGEL has been with me since the 1960s.

It meets my expectations of balanced, timely and critical journalism.

I like this magazine every week.

Formerly Rudolf Augstein and Franz Josef Strauss - the SPIEGEL affair - today a creative and uncomplicated management full of ideas.

Keep it up!

Great journalists

At times the SPIEGEL is a little shallow for me, but this can be overcome with a few outstanding pieces and the otherwise consistently good information.

However, I would particularly like to praise the progress made in terms of equal rights: Luckily, the times of Augstein and Aust as men are history, but it took forever!

Great journalists like Dialika Neufeld, Özlem Gezer or Margarete Stokowski bring topics and accents to the paper that you used to have to look for with a magnifying glass.

"Don't take yourself so seriously"

The headlines proudly quoted again in the article (SPIEGEL No. 1/2022) are exactly what annoys me about SPIEGEL. "Chief Werdensonix" is beautifully phrased at first glance, but at its core it's thigh-slapping crap, demeaning and devastating. And the concluding assessment of one's own journalistic work is also conveniently included: »Our criticism was harsh, but appropriate.« Oh right. Well then. Contradiction and own opinion unnecessary.

Not every SPIEGEL journalist is employed by Rudolf Augstein or Erich Böhme.

Or Caesar giving his thumb down.

Not every SPIEGEL journalist is Gisela Friedrichsen or Ariane Barth from day one.

Or Cleopatra.

But that's not bad at all, really.

Stay strong but humble.

Remain critical but don't annihilate.

Be important, but don't take yourself too seriously.

Too many individual fates

Congratulations on your 75th. SPIEGEL has been with me for 45 years.

time to say thank you

I've been reading SPIEGEL since I was 15 and was allowed to look at the magazine regularly at my father's.

Later I subscribed to SPIEGEL myself and followed major events such as the SPIEGEL affair, 9/11 and many more.

The magazine has changed over the years.

Many new, supplementary offers were added.

I still rate the overall appearance positively, although I often ask myself how to process the large offer.

I often select and find that from my point of view there are a lot of reports that touch on individual fates but have no general meaning.

"Wait until SPIEGEL has it"

Congratulations and congratulations on 75 years of excellently researched, investigative and serious journalism.

In my circle of friends, if something happens anywhere in the world, they say: wait until SPIEGEL has it, then at least it will be true.

Keep it up!

»Keep doing your research!«

It's SPIEGEL's birthday!

Congratulations to the whole team!

Keep doing your research, check the facts the same way you always have, and write and print to shreds!

»I always look forward to my SPIEGEL«

I've been reading your magazine since 1972. It was a different world back then.

We were provided with news once a week, almost all of which were new to us, or at most we had only briefly heard something on the radio, or via one of the few TV stations.

It's different today.

We are constantly informed whether we want it or not, it cannot be avoided.

That's why it's nice when SPIEGEL provides us with background stories, biographies of interesting people and interviews at the weekend.

You have done this particularly well in the last three issues.

I always look forward to my SPIEGEL in paper form, which I can read comfortably in bed.

I've been staring at a screen all day.

"It was always worth it"

SPIEGEL has been with me for almost 20 years.

When I left my parents' house and went out into the wide world, other news had to come, and with SPIEGEL in my hand it really felt as if I had arrived in the wide world.

I was so excited, happy and crying - but it was always worth buying DER SPIEGEL.

»Your language used to be more biting«

SPIEGEL accompanied me at every stage of my life: university, "young farmer", secondary school teacher, mother, divorce, owner of a horse farm, single parent, pensioner and grandmother.

He influenced and confirmed my voting behavior: always against Franz-Joseph Strauss.

He served me with his documentation, which I kept filed away for years, in history lessons and as a stylistic example in German.

For me there are four characteristics of the rule of law: legislative, executive, judiciary and free press.

SPIEGEL in particular stands for the latter.

Her language used to be more biting, more concise, the so-called »political correctness« apparently softened her.

Your articles will have less bite.

You lost my son as a reader.

On the other hand, it is positive that you bypass the »gender« that is currently in vogue and thus maintain the flow of language and reading.

"We cut each other's articles"

What do I appreciate so much about SPIEGEL?

Sure, the comprehensive political information in all areas.

What I particularly like is the good reporting in the historical and scientific fields.

My wife reads Die Zeit, I read DER SPIEGEL, and we cut out each other's articles that we think are particularly worth reading.

Only one editor pisses me off.

If I read the first paragraph, I know who wrote it.

And I also don't like it when the topics are too shallow and »Bunte« or »Gala« are the better titles for them.

»We desperately need SPIEGEL«

For me, reporting on the fall of the Wall was a particular highlight.

I collected the SPIEGEL articles and had them bound.

A reference work par excellence.

In addition to the congratulations, the SPIEGEL team now has to keep going.

Let me put it this way, please: We desperately need SPIEGEL and a SPIEGEL.

»SPIEGEL has shaped me«

SPIEGEL already shaped me in the sixties and seventies.

Even if I didn't agree with everything, the economics articles, for example, were always an interesting counterpoint to what I was learning in the economics classes at university.

My interest in foreign policy, which later led me to the diplomatic service, was often fueled by exciting reporting.

Even today there are issues of SPIEGEL in my collection, such as the one for the 200th anniversary of the USA (1976).

"Sympathy for everything from the left or green corner"

When I read DER SPIEGEL as a young left-wing student at the time, it was actually a kind of “Bible” for me.

Today, 50 years later and with more life experience, my political opinion has changed and I now find it more reflected in »NZZ«, »FAZ« or »Welt«.

I still read DER SPIEGEL, but mainly to understand other political arguments.

I can see that the left-green attitude may be part of your magazine's DNA.

That's okay, even if the often very one-sided sympathies of the editors for everything from the left or green corner often annoy me.

But the question is whether ideologies are the right way to go or whether it would be better to report on political events as objectively as possible.

»Overall ok«

All in all, DER SPIEGEL is ok. I've been a reader since my youth and have been a subscriber for a very long time.

Sometimes, however, I wish that there would be a clearer distinction between facts and opinions and that people would not be too quick to judge, as is the case e.g.

This happened, for example, with the new government, which some commentators accused of failure even before taking office.

Positive developments should also be acknowledged.

This is how disenchantment with politics arises.

And who benefits?

Among other things, the AFD.

Something that SPIEGEL certainly doesn't want.

Less Prenzlauer Berg, more Otto Normal

As a long-time subscriber, I would like all articles to add the average consumer's point of view, i.e. less Prenzlauer Berg and more average income.

Monday is SPIEGEL day

They have given me direction throughout my life.

I have no questions left unanswered, only the need to say thank you.

And my assurance that Monday will continue to be my SPIEGEL day.

(Love took me to Austria 20 years ago and the postal delivery means that the old date of publication is retained.)