LONDON: Axel Springer’s chief reportedly told staff that the company’s pro-Israel values are “non-negotiable” amid internal backlash that has raised questions about the newsroom’s independence.
The German media giant recently acquired The Telegraph, adding the coveted British conservative outlet to a portfolio that already includes the American political news site Politico.
Mathias Dopfner, Axel Springer’s chief executive, told Politico staff and executives during an internal meeting that employees who disagree with the company’s core values — known internally as “the essentials” — may be better suited to another workplace.
According to Jewish Insider, which first reported the remarks, Dopfner told staff: “Nobody should work for Axel Springer despite the essentials or in disagreement with one of the essentials.
“If the essentials are not attractive, if the essentials are not a magnet, if the essentials are not a reason why to work for this company, I can only recommend working for other companies.”
He was referring to a set of corporate values written by company founder Axel Springer in 1967, the second of which states: “We support the right of existence of the State of Israel and oppose all forms of antisemitism.”
The meeting came after Politico staff sent a letter on Friday to their new editor-in-chief, Jonathan Greenberger, who is a former Politico executive, expressing concern over Dopfner’s “repeated use of Politico to promote his political agenda.”
The letter, as reported by Semafor, referred to two recent opinion pieces by Dopfner for Politico Magazine.
In one, he said the US and Israel’s war on Iran was essential to prevent the destruction of the Western “way of life.”
In another, he accused Europe of “failing Israel” and helping pave the way for “a global wave of cold-heartedness and increasingly aggressive antisemitism.”
At the meeting, Dopfner doubled down on his views and vowed to “write more in the future, not less.
“The thing that honestly irritated me most,” he said, responding to criticism of his language on Iran, “is that you said in the latest piece, ‘he refers to Iran as the aggressor that was systematically pursuing nuclear weapons,’ and you think that is misleading and irresponsible to publish that without clarification.
“I think you have to qualify or prove arguments or points if they are new or if they are debatable — but for me at least, these two facts — that the Iranians are working on the nuclear bomb and that they are aggressors for decades — are so obvious, so proven for many times, they are almost — it’s like saying America is the biggest democracy in the world.
“I don’t have to prove that,” he added.
India is widely described as the world’s largest democracy by population — 1.4 billion — while Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between editorial staff and the German parent company, which also owns Business Insider, Morning Brew and European news aggregator Upday.
Axel Springer properties have previously drawn criticism for adhering to the company’s staunchly pro-Israel stance.
Shortly after Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, Upday reportedly instructed workers to suppress news about Palestinian death tolls or casualties.
At the time, Axel Springer denied the allegations, but pointed journalists to the company’s “essentials.”
More recently, a leaked email published by Die Zeit appeared to show Dopfner ending a summary of his political beliefs with the phrase: “Zionism uber alles. Israel my country.”
The phrase “uber alles,” meaning “over all,” is controversial in Germany, where it is tied to notions of national superiority.
Greenberger, who takes over the role this week, said in the meeting that he will defend Politico’s editorial independence while respecting the company’s values.
“He’s not going to tell me what to do,” Greenberger said of Dopfner. “He’s a resource, and I appreciate that.”
