The Press in motion: Touring Munich’s Newsroom

Stepping into the heart of Munich’s media landscape felt like opening a time capsule, while simultaneously looking into the future. Our field trips to the Bayern Pressehaus—home to tz and Münchener Merkur—and the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) printing center were eye-opening journeys into the mechanisms, missions, and challenges of modern journalism.

First Stop: Bayern Pressehaus

Walking up to the conference room in Bayern Pressehaus, you’re greeted by a sculpture of the Münchner Kindl, Munich’s symbolic child monk. The monarchic figure reminds you: this is a Catholic city with deep historical roots. But just behind these traditional symbols lies a buzzing, modern media operation.

The Bayern Pressehaus is home to 23 newspapers, many under the umbrella of Münchener Merkur, one of Munich’s two leading dailies. Alongside it operates tz, a more tabloid-style paper known for its concise, sensational headlines and accessibility. These two papers differ significantly: Merkur positions itself as the more serious, politically centrist to conservative outlet, while tz leans boulevard, aiming for broader appeal.

Inside, we were introduced to how a physical front page is still made, how editors are listed in the impressum, and how stories are filtered through ethical guidelines like the Press Code. While digital has changed everything, the mission remains the same: to help the public organize and understand information.

A curious detail stayed with me: small symbols like stars in logos indicate how many times printing had to be halted—a reminder that behind every printed page is a race against the clock.

The Bayern Pressehaus left me with a feeling of structured urgency facing the harsh reality. As they say, they want to sell enough newspapers daily in order to “survive”, yet they have a clear dedication to factual reporting and local storytelling. In a time of digital overload, these institutions still believe in the value of curated information.

Second Stop: Süddeutsche Zeitung

The Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany’s most respected daily, is a nationally and internationally significant publication. Touring their state-of-the-art printing facility, just outside Munich, felt like walking through the gears of a democracy.

We began with a documentary film that emphasized SZ’s societal role. One statement stood out: “A free press is not just a business model. It’s a pillar of democracy.”

Unlike the buzzy city-center vibe of Bayern Pressehaus, SZ’s atmosphere was more reflective and forward-thinking. Their challenges go beyond selling print. The key question here is: how do you preserve journalistic integrity in the age of algorithms and information bubbles?

We learned that SZ prints three editions daily: national, Bavarian, and Munich-local—each more timely and geographically specific than the last. This tiered approach allows readers closer to Munich to receive more “up-to-the-minute” news, especially on key events like elections or football games.

Several innovations at Süddeutsche Zeitung truly surprised me. For instance, they once printed advertisements on translucent paper and even incorporated leather textures, collaborating with high-end brands like BMW to create a unique tactile experience that enhanced storytelling. Another notable innovation was their early adoption of color in newspaper printing, starting with sports photography during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

During our visit to the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), we had the opportunity to gain fascinating insights into the world of journalism and media production. One of the highlights was a guided tour through their building, where we observed the entire newspaper production process firsthand. We followed the journey from massive rolls of raw paper to the final, printed edition of the newspaper. It was impressive to see how many precise steps are involved — including layout, printing, folding, cutting, and bundling — and how smoothly everything is coordinated. A particularly interesting detail we learned is that the newspapers are folded asymmetrically on purpose, allowing space in the fold to insert additional materials such as advertisements or special news inserts later on. This clever design ensures flexibility and efficiency in the distribution process. Overall, the tour not only gave us a deeper understanding of how a daily newspaper is physically produced, but also an appreciation for the thoughtful planning and technical sophistication that goes into every edition.

Comparing the Two: Tz vs. SZ

Comparing our visits to the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and the Münchner Merkur, we noticed several key differences in both scale and focus. The Süddeutsche Zeitung operates on a much larger scale, with a highly automated production process and a broader national and international reach, focusing more on their target audience – readers with a higher education. Their building was modern and expansive, reflecting their role as one of Germany’s leading newspapers. In contrast, the Münchner Merkur had a more regional orientation, with a somewhat smaller but still very professional setup. While both editorial teams demonstrated strong journalistic values, SZ seemed to emphasize in-depth investigative reporting and global topics, whereas the Merkur focused more on local news and community engagement. Despite these differences, both visits offered valuable insights into the media landscape and showed us how important both local and national journalism are in keeping the public informed.

My Reflection: What These Field Trips Taught Me About Media in Germany

These experiences left me with a profound appreciation for journalism as a civic institution. Both organisations are grappling with the digital age in different ways—tz and Merkur fight for daily reach, while SZ invests in long-term trust and quality.

Both institutions acknowledge the inevitable: print is shrinking, and digital is rising. The trick is to evolve without sacrificing truth.

As a young person stepping into these spaces, I felt a strange mix of nostalgia and optimism. Print might not be the future, but good journalism will always matter. The Süddeutsche Zeitung’s belief in critical thinking, and the Bayern Pressehaus’s community focus, show two sides of the same coin: the power of the press in shaping how we understand the world.

In a time of misinformation, bias, and digital overwhelm, visiting these institutions reminded me of journalism’s original purpose: to inform, to reflect, and to challenge. Whether printed on paper or swiped through on a screen, the soul of the newspaper lives on.