Founded on November 1, 1949, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is one of Germany’s most influential daily newspapers. The newspaper states on its website that its values are independence, thoroughly researched facts, precise analyses, and insightful commentary. The publication reaches an estimated 818,000 readers daily. The FAZ, as the outlet can be called, has also established a strong digital presence through FAZ.NET, numerous apps, and podcasts. The outlet generally rates strongly for its professionalism, receiving a “High” rating for factual reporting from the independent site Media Bias/Fact Check. But nor has it been free of controversy. In 2014, former FAZ journalist Udo Ulfkotte, who worked at the paper from 1986 to 2003, published a book questioning the paper’s independence and claiming he and other journalists published material provided by US intelligence agencies; however, another German daily, Der Spiegel reported that critics viewed Ulfkotte’s book as “a vendetta against the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which he left on bad terms,” and noted it was published by a publisher known for conspiracy theory content.