Women's representation in German media leadership dips despite progress in some outlets

Women's Representation in Top Media Roles Drops Again in Germany

The average share of women in senior journalistic positions at major German print and online outlets has once more declined, now standing at 37.5 percent—a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to July 2025.

The taz remains the leader with a 61.3 percent share of women in leadership roles, though it also saw a drop of 3.8 percentage points since July 2025. A notable positive trend comes from the Süddeutsche Zeitung, which now ranks second with over 50 percent women in top positions—an increase of 4.8 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Another shift in the rankings: Die Zeit now holds third place at 42.6 percent, while Der Spiegel lost 3.9 percentage points, falling to fourth. Bild, Stern, the FAZ, and Focus have seen little change since the last count.

The situation at Die Welt is particularly concerning, with women's representation falling further to 16.7 percent—a decline of 1.3 percentage points year-on-year. The incoming editor-in-chief, Helge Fuhst, set to succeed Jan Philipp Burgard in early 2026, was not yet listed in the masthead at the time of the survey and thus not factored in. If he had been included, the share of women would have dropped to just 14.9 percent—a 3.1 percentage point decrease—further dragging down the overall average.

"This renewed decline to 37.5 percent is a clear warning sign for media organizations," says Edith Heitkämper, a board member of ProQuote. "Gender parity in editorial leadership doesn't happen on its own—it's a leadership responsibility. Those who take on journalistic leadership must also ensure diverse perspectives in newsrooms. Without this, coverage of politics, business, and society becomes narrower, undermining journalistic quality and democratic discourse."

Overview of January 2026 Figures:(Rank / Outlet / Weighted Share of Women / Change from July 2024 in percentage points)

1. taz – 61.3% (–3.8)
2. Süddeutsche Zeitung – 52.7% (+4.8)
3. Die Zeit – 42.6% (+0.3)
4. Der Spiegel – 41.4% (–3.9)
5. Bild – 37.9% (0.0)
6. Stern – 35.8% (+0.6)
7. FAZ – 25.0% (+0.2)
8. Focus – 23.9% (0.0)
9. Die Welt – 16.7% (–1.3)

Since 2012, the nonprofit organization ProQuote Medien has tracked and compared the share of women in senior journalistic roles. The surveyed leading media include Bild, Der Spiegel, Focus, Stern, Die Zeit, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Welt, and—since 2021—the taz. The data is based on masthead analysis, weighted by hierarchical levels: the higher the position, the greater the influence. ProQuote Medien advocates for women to hold half of all top editorial positions.