The day after, the "Spiegel" sounds like Radio Yerevan: Everything is in fine order, it couldn't be better, things are moving forward. In any case, the announcement with which the magazine announced the change at the top of the editorial office on Thursday evening is thickly worded. The previous editor-in-chief Steffen Klusmann has to go, his successor is Dirk Kurbjuweit, who previously headed the capital studio.

"By mutual agreement"

Michael Hanfeld

editor responsible for feuilleton online and "media".

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Klusmann, it is said, is leaving the house "by mutual agreement after the implementation of far-reaching reforms in recent years". We owe him "a great debt of gratitude for his groundbreaking work over the past almost five years, above all for the merger of the print and online editorial teams and the successes in our digital subscription strategy," Managing Director Thomas Hass is quoted as saying.

"With his instinct as a newspaper publisher and many journalistic successes," Klusmann had "secured the trust of his readers in challenging news times." "We couldn't have imagined anyone better in recent years" and "very much regret that in the end we did not succeed in continuing our always very good cooperation for the future."

Steffen Klusmann, on the other hand, was, according to the statement, "a great honor to have worked for the 'Spiegel' editorial team over the past almost five years". They had "achieved a great deal together". In the end, however, "management and I have all too often failed to reach agreement on crucial strategic issues – which has now resulted in my departure," says Klusmann, formulating the first sentence that is halfway to reality.

At the top of the "mirror" there had been a tough dispute, the reasons for which was speculated for two days. Power aspirations of the management were considered, Klusmann was blamed for the lack of moderation of problems in the editorial office. After he had said goodbye forever at the end of an editorial conference, a revolt of the editorial staff seemed to be brewing on Wednesday: a letter of protest, an ad hoc meeting, critical questions to the major shareholder, the employees KG.

Storm in a teacup

But then, less than 24 hours later, the supposed uprising looks like a storm in a teacup and becomes the new strong man who may have pulled the strings in the background, as the Messiah welcomes: "For the succession in the editor-in-chief" it is "important for shareholders and management to push ahead with ongoing reform projects with reliable stability and to prioritize the strategic prioritization of , Spiegel+'," it says, which would also express what Steffen Klusmann apparently did not succeed in doing in the eyes of the shareholders and the management. Dirk Kurbjuweit brings "everything with him as an outstanding publicist", he has been "experienced for many years as a pugnacious, assertive colleague", he will "set the right impulses for 'Spiegel' journalism on the Internet as well as in the magazine," says managing director Thomas Hass.

"I am pleased and honoured by the trust placed in my work and my person," says the new editor-in-chief Kurbjuweit. "In recent years," he said, "a great foundation has been created to secure a lasting digital future for Der Spiegel and also to make the magazine even better," he said, "to deliver the best possible journalistic quality," he said, and he would "take up the ongoing renewal processes of the editors-in-chief and continue to develop them further in intensive discussions with colleagues."

In plain language, this means that the "Spiegel" will continue as before, with peace, joy, pancakes in the external presentation, of the authenticity of which we can then get an idea again at the latest at the next editor-in-chief.