Die tageszeitung
Encyclopedia
die tageszeitung was founded in 1978 in Berlin
. It is a cooperative
-owned German
daily newspaper
which is administrated by a workers' self-management
. Rising out of the midst of a progressive and politically left-leaning movement in the 70's, its main focus has been on current politics and societal issues such as inequality and ecological crises both at the local and global scale and not covered by the more traditional and conservative newspapers at the time. It has often supported the German Green Party
, but the taz has also been critical of the SPD
/Greens coalition government (1998–2005).
From the beginning, the taz was intended to be an alternative to the mainstream press, in its own words: "irreverent, commercially independent, intelligent and entertaining." One expression of its alternative approach to journalism was the payment of unified salaries for all employees until 1991. Nowadays, employees in highly responsible positions receive bonuses. Still, salaries paid by the taz are considerably lower than what is paid in the rest of the industry.
Since 1992, the Tageszeitung has been owned by currently more than 10,000 paying members. It has a circulation of more than 60,000, with almost 50,000 subscriptions. In 1995, it was the first German national newspaper to make all of the content of issue available online.
In 2009, Ines Pohl became editor in chief.
From the beginning, the Tageszeitung appeared in a nation-wide edition as well as in a Berlin local edition. Over the years, local editorial offices for North Rhine-Westphalia
, Hamburg
and Bremen were added. While the latter two were merged to "taz nord" (North) the NRW-offices are closed as of July 2007.
and nonsense
. It was titled Polens neue Kartoffel. Schurken, die die Welt beherrschen wollen. Heute: Lech „Katsche“ Kaczynski (Poland's new potatoes. Rogues who want to rule the world. Today: Lech „Katsche“ Kaczynski). This article satirized the Polish politicians Lech Kaczyński
and Jarosław Kaczyński. Lech Kaczyński then cancelled talks that were scheduled between Germany, Poland and France (the Weimar Triangle
), officially for reasons of sickness.
headlines, such as:
On 5 June 2008, the paper published a picture headlined "Onkel Barack's Hütte" (Uncle Barack's Cabin) with a picture of the White House below the headline as part of an article about then-Senator Barack Obama
. That headline, which made reference to the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin
", was perceived as racist by some of its readership, in particular Americans living in Berlin.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. It is a cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
-owned German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
which is administrated by a workers' self-management
Workers' self-management
Worker self-management is a form of workplace decision-making in which the workers themselves agree on choices instead of an owner or traditional supervisor telling workers what to do, how to do it and where to do it...
. Rising out of the midst of a progressive and politically left-leaning movement in the 70's, its main focus has been on current politics and societal issues such as inequality and ecological crises both at the local and global scale and not covered by the more traditional and conservative newspapers at the time. It has often supported the German Green Party
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
, but the taz has also been critical of the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
/Greens coalition government (1998–2005).
From the beginning, the taz was intended to be an alternative to the mainstream press, in its own words: "irreverent, commercially independent, intelligent and entertaining." One expression of its alternative approach to journalism was the payment of unified salaries for all employees until 1991. Nowadays, employees in highly responsible positions receive bonuses. Still, salaries paid by the taz are considerably lower than what is paid in the rest of the industry.
Since 1992, the Tageszeitung has been owned by currently more than 10,000 paying members. It has a circulation of more than 60,000, with almost 50,000 subscriptions. In 1995, it was the first German national newspaper to make all of the content of issue available online.
In 2009, Ines Pohl became editor in chief.
From the beginning, the Tageszeitung appeared in a nation-wide edition as well as in a Berlin local edition. Over the years, local editorial offices for North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Bremen were added. While the latter two were merged to "taz nord" (North) the NRW-offices are closed as of July 2007.
The "Potato-Affair"
On 26 June 2006 Die Tageszeitung published an article on its last page, headlined Die Wahrheit (the truth) that is reserved for satireSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
and nonsense
Nonsense
Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous...
. It was titled Polens neue Kartoffel. Schurken, die die Welt beherrschen wollen. Heute: Lech „Katsche“ Kaczynski (Poland's new potatoes. Rogues who want to rule the world. Today: Lech „Katsche“ Kaczynski). This article satirized the Polish politicians Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
and Jarosław Kaczyński. Lech Kaczyński then cancelled talks that were scheduled between Germany, Poland and France (the Weimar Triangle
Weimar Triangle
350px|thumb|Political map of the "Weimar Triangle"The term "Weimar Triangle" refers to a loose grouping of Poland, Germany, and France. The group is intended to promote co-operation between the three countries. It exists mostly in the form of summit meetings between the leaders of these three...
), officially for reasons of sickness.
Headlines
The taz is noted for its tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
headlines, such as:
- Oh mein Gott! (Oh my god!) – On the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI
- Es ist ein Mädchen (It's a girl) – On the election of Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
as the first female Chancellor of Germany - Oops – they did it again! – On the re-election of George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
as President of the United States - The freedom of the press in Hungary comes to an end – A melodramatic headline on the passing of a censorshipCensorshipthumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
law in Hungary
On 5 June 2008, the paper published a picture headlined "Onkel Barack's Hütte" (Uncle Barack's Cabin) with a picture of the White House below the headline as part of an article about then-Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. That headline, which made reference to the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
", was perceived as racist by some of its readership, in particular Americans living in Berlin.
Literature
- taz - die tageszeitung. Die Tageszeitung Verlagsgenossenschaft e. G., Berlin 1.1987,1ff.
- Oliver Tolmein/Detlef zum Winkel: tazsachen. Kralle zeigen - Pfötchen geben. Hamburg 1988. ISBN 3922144764
- Jörg Magenau: Die taz. Eine Zeitung als Lebensform. München 2007, ISBN 978-3-446-20942-8
- Nora Münz: Links und liebenswert. Nutzungsmotive von Lesern der tageszeitung (taz). In: Senta Pfaff-Rüdiger / Michael Meyen (Hg.): Alltag, Lebenswelt und Medien. Lit Verlag. Münster 2007. S. 215-235. ISBN 978-3-8258-0897-6
External links
- taz website (in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
)