In addition, especially if you don't speak German, I'd strongly recommend to consult the English Wikipedia article about Bild, the Springer publishing house's flagship tabloid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild, some quotes below). For anyone familiar with their history, the idea that all of a sudden it's "journalism" that their CEO sets out to defend must sound outright absurd.
"Bild has been described as 'notorious for its mix of gossip, inflammatory language, and sensationalism' and as having a huge influence on German politicians."
"According to The Guardian, for 28 years from 1984 to 2012, Bild had topless girls featuring on its first page; the paper published more than 5,000 topless pictures."
"It is argued Bild's thirst for sensationalism results in the terrorizing of prominent celebrities and stories are frequently based on the most dubious evidence. The journalistic standards of Bild, or the lack thereof, are the subject of frequent criticism by German intellectuals and media observers."
"In 1977 investigative journalist Günter Wallraff worked for four months as an editor for the Bild tabloid in Hanover, giving himself the pseudonym of 'Hans Esser'. In his books Der Aufmacher ('Lead Story') and Zeugen der Anklage ('Witnesses for the Prosecution') he portrays his experiences on the editorial staff of the paper and the journalism which he encountered there. The staff commonly displayed contempt for humanity, a lack of respect for the privacy of ordinary people and widespread conduct of unethical research and editing techniques."
In addition, especially if you don't speak German, I'd strongly recommend to consult the English Wikipedia article about Bild, the Springer publishing house's flagship tabloid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild, some quotes below). For anyone familiar with their history, the idea that all of a sudden it's "journalism" that their CEO sets out to defend must sound outright absurd.
"Bild has been described as 'notorious for its mix of gossip, inflammatory language, and sensationalism' and as having a huge influence on German politicians."
"According to The Guardian, for 28 years from 1984 to 2012, Bild had topless girls featuring on its first page; the paper published more than 5,000 topless pictures."
"It is argued Bild's thirst for sensationalism results in the terrorizing of prominent celebrities and stories are frequently based on the most dubious evidence. The journalistic standards of Bild, or the lack thereof, are the subject of frequent criticism by German intellectuals and media observers."
"In 1977 investigative journalist Günter Wallraff worked for four months as an editor for the Bild tabloid in Hanover, giving himself the pseudonym of 'Hans Esser'. In his books Der Aufmacher ('Lead Story') and Zeugen der Anklage ('Witnesses for the Prosecution') he portrays his experiences on the editorial staff of the paper and the journalism which he encountered there. The staff commonly displayed contempt for humanity, a lack of respect for the privacy of ordinary people and widespread conduct of unethical research and editing techniques."