Future of local journalism: debate about digital turning points in Offenbach

Future of local journalism: debate about digital turning points in Offenbach

Filmklubb, Offenbach, Deutschland - On May 16, 2025, the media group Ippen.media organized a panel discussion for the “Day of Local Journalism” in the film club in Offenbach. The event focused on the future of local journalism and its indispensable role for regional reporting. The moderation of Philipp Kessler, editor-in-chief of the Offenbach-Post, made the need for changes in local journalism. Both readers and journalists are required to adapt to the changing media landscapes, whereby the editions of the printed newspapers are steadily decreasing and media consumption is increasingly diverse. Mayor Steffen Ball from Heusenstamm (CDU) and other participants reported that they read less print media and rely on digital formats.

Trust in local media is on the brink. Professor Dr. In the discussion, Peter Schumacher warned that the traditional financing model is not sustainable. Among other things, the criticism is aimed at getting used to the reader of free online content, which results in dwindling income for the editorial offices. These financial difficulties in turn lead to a decline in the number of journalists and can thus endanger the quality of local journalism. Despite these challenges, however, Kessler emphasized that the Offenbach post could employ more local editors compared to the time before Corona pandemic, which indicates a certain change within the editorial team.

digitization as an opportunity

The future of the local newspapers also depends on digitization. In a white paper entitled "The Day After", strategies are presented that strive for a repositioning of local newspapers. Topics such as technological innovation, new business models and the integration of the community are the focus. The development of interactive formats and community events should help to act as "moderating carers", while high-quality and carefully researched content about trust in local journalism, especially in times of fake news. It is also important to prepare content for platforms such as TikK, Instagram and YouTube in order to address the young generation that increasingly consumes news.

The dwindling editions of the newspapers are a phenomenon observed for years that also affects regional newspapers. Sales have dropped from 18 million to 11 million every day, which was described as worrying in the discussion. Wiebke Möhring, journalism professor, warned of the negative consequences of a decline in local journalism, which could not only endanger the reporting on local events, but also undermine the understanding of democracy. Studies show that regions without local journalism suffer from inefficient administration and have a lower turnout.

new perspectives and challenges

Nevertheless, there are signs that there is an interest in local journalism and that the willingness to pay for digital content increases. Publishers try to establish digital payment models to compensate for the losses in the print area. A number of innovative approaches-from membership models to interactive formats-aim to actively participate in the work of the local newspapers and to open up new sources of revenue. At the same time, rethinking in journalism is necessary. Editors increasingly have to understand themselves as community managers and social media creators in order to keep the connection to the readers and to take their needs into account.

Overall, the discussion and the emerging trends underline the important role, local journalism plays for democracy and the community. Without reporting on important local issues, such as property tax reform, a democratic deficit could arise. Artificial intelligence can be supportive, but will never replace the need for a committed and well -informed journalism.

Further information about the meaning and current developments in local journalism can be found in the articles of op-online href = "https://www.publizer.de/newsroom/die-zukun-der-lokalzeitung-vom-printmedium-zum-digitalen-lebensbeiter-298749"> Publizer and Deutschlandfunk .