Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Media hires regional editorial team – 57 full-time positions affected

The “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” media is changing the production of its regional parts – the Rheinische Editorial Association (RRG), which previously plans and produces the regional parts around Cologne, will cease its activities on September 30th. The move will affect 57 full-time positions, the media company announced.

According to the information, the RRG's tasks will no longer be carried out in the future and will neither be relocated nor continued elsewhere. The background is a reorganization of regional reporting: In the future, content will be created by the digital regional teams of the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” media for online offers, apps, e-papers and the printed newspaper. Production steps should be more automated and, among other things, artificial intelligence should be used.

Discussions with the works council

The management of RRG now wants to start discussions with the works council about solutions for the affected employees. Newly tailored vacancies should initially be advertised internally. The first RRG journalists have already successfully applied for positions in the digital regional teams, it was said. The company did not say how many of the 57 employees could continue to be employed.

According to the company, the daily newspapers will continue to be published to the same extent as before and with their own local sections. At the same time, new local digital portals are to be launched in five districts around Cologne.

Criticism from the Journalists' Union

The company cited, among other things, declining newspaper circulation for years and new technological possibilities as the reasons for the conversion. Recurring production steps could be more automated using AI. “We automate production steps, not journalism,” explained editor-in-chief Gerald Selch.

The German Union of Journalists (dju) in Ver.di criticized the job cuts. She called on the company to disclose its job balance and make binding takeover offers to the affected employees. A fair social plan is needed for employees who are not taken on.