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Staff at leading German newspaper Berliner Zeitung have placed an advertisement in a rival publication seeking a new owner. Berliner Zeitung is owned by Mecom, a leading European newspaper and content company.

The advertisement appears to be a reaction to the announcement last week that a quarter (130) of the editorial staff at Berliner Zeitung will be made redundant.

In a recent interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel the Chief Executive of Mecom, David Montgomery, played down the problems that his company is having in Berlin.

Montgomery said that the issues have been caused by, "isolated rabble rousers who are trying to stop time". He went on to say that times have changed for newspapers.

Under the title, "Publish Wanted", the advertisement stated the journalists were looking for a "serious buyer who doesn't just produce a paper to make money".

The Berliner Zeitung's editor-in-chef Josef Depenbrock has been a controversial figure at the newspaper ever since Montgomery gave him the dual role of managing editor and editor-in-chief.

The paper's editorial department failed in an attempt to bring proceedings against Mecom and Josef Depenbrock on Wednesday. They argued that his dual role at the paper went against the paper's statutes. The case was thrown out of court.

Sources reported to MediaGuardian.co.uk that a strike by Berliner Zeitung is likely later in the month.

Mecom announced last week that it will cut up to 465 jobs at its Dutch regional business Wegener.

Source: Guardian

See also:

Netherlands: editors-in-chief complain to Mecom, concerned over editorial quality

Germany: Montgomery continues to incite anger at Berliner Zeitung

When profit-driven management and content-focused journalists collide, situations like the Berliner Zeitung “catastrophe” — in the words of one of its editors — happen. New owner David Montgomery, much hated by the German daily’s staff, appointed a new, also hated editor: Josef Depenbrock. The staff recently published a protest edition in response, and with the World Cup and subsequent international attention fast approaching, the Independent reports the situation has not improved.

This week's news of a year on year 2.6% average circulation decrease in American newspapers is unsurprising to say the least. But as the paper product dives, many are quick to point out that visits to newspaper websites are high and rising. With many papers claiming more online readers than print readers, the criteria for circulation by Audit Bureaus need to change to reflect the shift to the screen.