Entity Type: Domestic Media Company

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. 

Handelsblatt is a German daily business and financial newspaper founded in 1946 and published by the Düsseldorf-based Handelsblatt Media Group. The publication covers business, economics, and financial markets, with particular focus on German industry and international trade. Handelsblatt maintains correspondents in major financial centers, including Shanghai and Beijing. The newspaper has featured contributions from political leaders, including former Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, before his 2024 visit to Germany, and in February 2025 from the Chinese ambassador to Germany. 

The Handelsblatt Media Group is a German media company based in Düsseldorf, founded in 1946 as part of DvH Medien. Specializing in business and financial journalism, the group publishes the business daily newspaper Handelsblatt and the weekly magazine Wirtschaftswoche. Beyond its publications, the company offers marketing, corporate content, and strategic communications services.

Founded in 2009, DvH Medien GmbH is a media holding group owned by media entrepreneur Dieter von Holtzbrinck, one of several heirs to the Holtzbrinck publishing empire who was also director of Dow Jones & Co. Inc. until its takeover in July 2007 by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The company oversees three media groups: Handelsblatt Media Group, Tagesspiegel Publishing Group, and Die Zeit Publishing Group. The group’s publications include the business newspaper Handelsblatt, the daily Der Tagesspiegel, and the weekly DIE ZEIT.