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German Media Group Fires Editor Of BILD Newspaper
- By The Financial District
- Oct 21, 2021
- 2 min read
The German media group Axel Springer said on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, that it has fired the editor-in-chief of the BILD newspaper, Julian Reichelt, for failing "to maintain a clear boundary between private and professional matters" and being "untruthful to the Executive Board."
Photo Insert: Now former BILD Editor-in-Chief, Julian Reichelt
"Axel Springer SE has relieved BILD Editor-in-Chief Julian Reichelt of his duties with immediate effect," Alex Springer said in a statement. "As a result of press investigations, the company gained new knowledge in the last few days about Julian Reichelt's recent conduct," Mick Krever and Charles Riley of CNN Business quoted the firm as saying.
The company commissioned a law firm to conduct an investigation into Reichelt's conduct earlier this year but reinstated him after determining that he had not committed fireable offenses.
The New York Times on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, published a story on Reichelt's alleged abuse of power with female employees. Among the allegations are that Reichelt was in a relationship with a junior employee, whom he promoted beyond what she thought was appropriate, and "continued to summon her to hotel rooms," the Times reported, citing a transcript of testimony the woman gave to the law firm conducting the investigation.
Now, however, Axel Springer says that "new evidence of current misconduct by Julian Reichelt has come to the company's attention in the last few days." Eric F. Phillips, senior vice president at Edelman, and a spokesperson for Axel Springer declined to elaborate on this misconduct in response to a CNN inquiry.
"As the Executive Board has learned," the Axel Springer statement read, "Julian Reichelt still fails to maintain a clear boundary between private and professional matters and has also been untruthful to the Executive Board in this regard. The Executive Board, therefore, considers the termination of his office to be unavoidable."
