Innovation is an essential element of the publishing culture

Thomas Hass: “AI must not become a gateway to new dependency relationships”

Forum Change discussed the role of innovation, AI and cultural change in the course of digital transformation | Federal Minister Dorothee Bär spoke about the importance of independent reporting at the Free Press Media Night

Berlin, June 26, 2025 - Three decades of digital transformation have fundamentally changed journalism, its business models and the corporate culture of publishers - and shown how consistently the industry is developing its journalistic mission in an entrepreneurial way, including with billions invested in digital innovations. Against this backdrop, the Change Forum at the MVFP's Media Forum of the Free Press focused on the question of how media companies can continue to fulfill their journalistic mission in the AI era - and what politics and society must contribute to this.

Thomas Hass, Chairman of the Management Board of SPIEGEL-Verlag and spokesperson for consumer media in the MVFP, emphasized the role of the state as a regulator in a rapidly changing media reality: “Publishers have demonstrated enormous adaptability in recent decades - that remains our strength. In addition, we need reliable, fair and innovation-friendly framework conditions to ensure journalistic quality, journalistic independence and economic viability in equal measure.“ It must be ensured that AI systems do not have uncontrolled access to editorial content without remuneration, transparency or compliance with ethical standards. Hass added: “AI must not become a gateway to new dependencies. It must serve the free press - not the other way around.“ The MVFP policy paper adopted at yesterday's delegates' meeting “Responsibility. Reliability. Diversity. What distinguishes the professional media of the free press from AI content, social media and digital platforms“ served as a point of reference in terms of content.

Responsibility, reliability, change - what media companies achieve today

Afterwards, Fränzi Kühne, founder of the TLGG agency and CDO of Edding AG, Dr. Dennis Ballwieser, Managing Director of Wort & Bild Verlagsgruppe and Editor-in-Chief of “Apotheken Umschau”, and Malte Schwerdtfeger, Managing Director of Landwirtschaftsverlag GmbH, discussed the consequences of disruptive technologies for business models, corporate culture and journalistic identity under the moderation of Charlotte Haunhorst, Head of Digital and Member of the Editor-in-Chief of Handelsblatt. The focus was on the questions of how editorial responsibility can be combined with entrepreneurial innovation - and what role AI plays as an accelerator of change in editorial and economic processes.

Fränzi Kühne emphasized the importance of an agile mindset when dealing with technological change: “People will also fall by the wayside during the AI transformation, not everyone will be able to be taken along. That's why sustainable innovation in publishing houses needs more than technological solutions - it starts with a culture that promotes courage, openness, responsibility and learning-oriented leadership.“

Dr. Dennis Ballwieser vividly described the negative impact AI-based search technologies are already having on the visibility, relevance and business foundations of journalistic offerings: “When it comes to artificial intelligence, there are currently many pushers and shakers around the corner - but we have to distinguish between what is a gimmick and what is really useful. When digital users use AI to put together supposedly personalized health tips, reliable, journalistically verified information disappears in the shadows of these systems. This not only jeopardizes our business model, but also the health literacy of the population.“

Malte Schwerdtfeger emphasized the special responsibility of specialist publishers in terms of target group proximity and credibility - even in the digital transformation: “Our readers expect digital offerings that are relevant, user-friendly and credible. This is exactly what specialist publishers deliver - because our editorial teams are deeply rooted in the target group. AI can help us to make journalism more efficient and better. The decisive factor is that we use it responsibly - with clear guidelines and the full support of our colleagues.“

Research Minister Dorothee Bär: Without independent journalism, democracy loses its voice

At the subsequent Media Night of the Free Press at the China Club Berlin, Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space, emphasized the importance of independent reporting in her speech to 350 invited guests from politics, media, business and society: “My ministry is responsible for the future and growth. That is why I have resolved to tie science journalism closely to my ministry.“ Without independent journalism that makes complex topics comprehensible for citizens, democracy would lose its voice, explained Bär. It is the task of politics to enable trust through clear framework conditions - just as the free press exemplifies with its daily work.