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{{Short description|German weekly news magazine}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

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| issn = 0943-7576}}(File:Robert Schneider 2017.jpg|thumb|Robert Schneider, editor-in-chief of Focus from 2016 to 2023)Focus (stylized in all caps) is a German-language news magazine published by Hubert Burda Media.WEB, 15 Jahre Fakten, Fakten, Fakten, Focus Online,www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/focus_aid_233990.html, 30 October 2016, 18 January 2008, de, WEB, Focus feiert 20-jähriges Bestehen, Der Standard,derstandard.at/1356427624828/Focus-feiert-20-jaehriges-Bestehen, 30 October 2016, 14 January 2013, de, Established in 1993 as an alternative to the Der Spiegel weekly news magazine,{{citation|surname1=Ekkehard Kohrs|periodical=Bonner General-Anzeiger|title=Burdas Kampfansage an Augstein|page=3|date=19 January 1993|language=de}}{{citation|surname1=Rainer Hoffmann|periodical=Neue Zürcher Zeitung|title=Bunter Spiegel|date=21 January 1993|language=de}} since 2015 the editorial staff has been headquartered in Germany’s capital of Berlin.WEB, Nachrichtenmagazin: Focus zieht nach Berlin um, Spiegel Online,www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/nachrichtenmagazin-focus-zieht-nach-berlin-a-1052314.html, 30 October 2016, 10 September 2015, de, Alongside Spiegel and Stern, Focus is one of the three most widely circulated German weeklies.{{citation|periodical=Horizont|title=Ein starkes Führungs-Trio|page=66|date=20 November 2003|language=de}}{{citation|periodical=Nordkurier|title=Focus, Spiegel, Stern: Die Großen im tiefen Wandel|page=25|date=27 August 2014|language=de}} The concept originated from Hubert Burda and Helmut Markwort,{{citation|surname1=Heidrun Plewetitle=Wenige glaubten zunächst an den Erfolgdate=17 December 1993URL=HTTP://WWW.ZEIT.DE/WIRTSCHAFT/2009-10/FOCUS-MARKWORT-CHEFREDAKTEURDATE=29 OCTOBER 2009URL=HTTP://MEEDIA.DE/2017/01/17/ENDE-EINER-AERA-MAGAZIN-GRUENDER-HELMUT-MARKWORT-GIBT-HERAUSGEBERSCHAFT-DES-FOCUS-AB/LAST=MARVIN SCHADELANGUAGE=DE, As of March 2016 the editor-in-chief of Focus was Robert Schneider.NEUER CHEFREDAKTEUR FüR DEN FOCUS>PERIODICAL=DER TAGESSPIEGEL, Sonja Álvarezaccess-date=30 October 2016language=de, NEUER FOCUS-CHEF KOMMT VON DER SUPER ILLU>PERIODICAL=SPIEGEL ONLINEACCESS-DATE=30 OCTOBER 2016LANGUAGE=DE,

History

Under the code name “Zugmieze”, work commenced on Focus in the summer of 1991.{{citation|periodical=Kress Report|title=Eine Zugmieze macht Karriere|page=8|date=10 January 2013|language=de}} In October 1992, Hubert Burda Media announced plans for a new weekly news magazine.{{citation|periodical=Horizont|title=Focus: Burda will es wissen|page=46|date=9 October 1992|language=de}} Observers initially gave the project only little chance for success.{{citation|author=Harald Kurz|periodical=Horizont|title=Zugmieze: Zugpferd oder Katzenjammer?|page=56|date=18 September 1992|language=de}} Several attempts of other publishers to establish a competitor to Spiegel and Stern magazines had previously failed. The first edition arrived on the newsstands on 18 January 1993 and was already sold out on the next day.{{citation|surname1=Uli Baur|periodical=Focus Magazin|title=Das war unser Start|date=19 March 2012|language=deaccess-date= 30 October 2016}} The subline of the Focus was “the modern news magazine”, and Helmut Markwort became the magazine’s first editor-in-chief.{{citationauthor2=Johannes Raabeedition=3.publication-place=Konstanz|page=263date=2007periodical=Frankfurter Neue Pressepage=1language=de}} The lead story on the alleged comeback of Hans-Dietrich Genscher as the successor of Richard von Weizsäcker in the office of the Federal President was later proven to be a canard.{{citationtitle=David gegen Goliath: 33 überraschende Unternehmenserfolgepublication-place=Frankfurt am Main34>isbn=3-8323-1057-6language=deperiodical=Horizontpage=2language=de}} Observers saw in Focus above all a challenger of Spiegel, whereas the publisher viewed US magazines such as Newsweek and Time (magazine) as its role model.{{citation>periodical=Saarbrücker Zeitungdate=16 January 1993|language=de}}After five issues, Focus had some 15,000 subscribers, and with circulation of over 300,000 copies sold, it was a commercial success from the beginning.{{citation|author=Heidrun Plewe|periodical=Horizont|title=Focus liegt zur Zeit gut im Plan|page=25|date=19 February 1993periodical=Horizontpage=6language=de}}{{citationtitle=Investitionen kräftig ausgeweitet: Verlag auf der Focus-Welledate=22 July 1994periodical=Der Tagesspiegeldate=12 May 1995Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.{{citation>periodical=Deutscher Druckerpage=4|date=25 August 1994periodical=Deutscher Druckerpage=4language=de}}{{citationperiodical=Horizontpage=70language=de}} later even occasionally eclipsing Spiegel in advertising sales.{{citationtitle=Fakten zu Focusdate=1 December 1995|language=de}} Burda further enhanced its international profile, for example, through a cooperation agreement with the US media group, Ziff Davis.{{citation|periodical=Deutscher Drucker|title=Burdas Focus-Verlag kooperiert mit Ziff-Davis|page=6|date=7 July 1994|language=de}} The year 1996 saw the launch of the Internet portal, Focus Online, and under the name of Focus TV, the group entered into production of TV content.{{citation|author=Thomas Voigt|periodical=Horizont|title=Markwort gebiert weitere Focus-Kinder|page=36|date=19 January 1996|language=de}}{{citation|periodical=Horizont|title=Focus-Online-Währung|page=12|date=12 January 1996|language=de}}{{citation|author=Isabella Hofmann|periodical=Wirtschaftsblatt|title=Focus bald auch im TV: Neues Fernsehmagazin startet im März auf Pro7|page=7|date=6 February 1996|language=de}}{{citation|periodical=Der Tagesspiegel|title=Focus TV liefert Beiträge für Frauensender tm3|date=8 August 1996|language=de}} Focus developed into one of the leading German news magazines.{{citation|author=Barbara Heldtitle=Ende des Amüsementsdate=30 November 1997periodical=Horizontpage=108language=de}}{{citationtitle=Focus ist Hubert Burdas Erfolgsstorylanguage=de}}Over the first five years of its existence, Focus repeatedly created a sensation with its interviews of key celebrities, e.g. in 1996 with real estate mogul Jürgen Schneider after his arrest, or in 1997 with Leo Kirch in the aftermath of his media group’s collapse.{{citation|periodical=Focus|title=5 Jahre Focus|pages=160–161|date=12 January 1998|language=de}} The Focus concept was also successfully adapted outside of Europe,{{citation|periodical=Wirtschaftswoche|title=Focus auf Weltkurs|page=66|date=18 June 1998|language=de}} e.g. in the form of Época magazine by the Brazilian media house Grupo Globo.{{citation|periodical=Welt Am Sonntag|title=Erfolgsrezept verkauft: Focus do Brasil|page=54|date=26 April 1998|language=de}}{{citation|periodical=Horizont|title=Burda vergibt Lizenz für Focus nach Brasilien|page=6|date=30 April 1998|language=de}} At the beginning of 1999, Focus for the first time achieved higher readership than Spiegel,{{citation|periodical=Der Tagesspiegel|title=Platztausch: Focus erreicht mittlerweile mehr Leser als der Spiegel|page=39|date=28 January 1999|language=de}}{{citation|periodical=Frankfurter Rundschau|title=Media-Analyse: Focus überholt den Spiegel|page=8|date=28 January 1999|language=de}} and in the years to follow, managed to further expand its lead position.{{citation|periodical=Sächsische Zeitung|title=Media-Analyse: Focus vergrößert Vorsprung|page=17|date=25 January 2001|language=de}}{{citation|author=Klaus Koch|periodical=Südkurier|title=Totgesagt und sehr lebendig|date=13 January 2003|language=de}} The year 2000 saw the launch of Focus Money, an off-shoot of the news magazine, dedicated to business and financial topics.{{citation|periodical=Deutscher Drucker|title=Focus Verlag plant ein zweites Magazin|page=2|date=14 October 1999|language=de}}{{citation|surname1=Ulrike Simon|title=Geld, Geld, Geld: Focus legt sich heute mit Focus Money einen Ableger zu|page=43|date=30 March 2000|language=de}}{{citation|periodical=Horizont|title=Das Magazin für den Positiv-Denker|page=50|date=10 May 2001|language=de}} In 2001, a division for Internet topics was created at Focus,{{citation|periodical=Die Welt|title=Euphorie bei Focus: Mehr Leser, neues Ressort|page=33|date=1 February 2001|language=de}} in addition to pooling Internet activities of Focus Digital in the joint venture, Tomorrow Focus.{{citation|periodical=Handelsblatt|title=Tomorrow und Focus Digital fusionieren|page=11|date=9 August 2001|language=de}} Thus, the Focus magazine publishing company was once again primarily responsible for printed publications, yet participated in Tomorrow Focus.{{citation|periodical=Financial Times Deutschland|title=Die Firma|page=36|date=10 January 2001|language=de}}In 2004 the first personnel changes occurred at Focus:{{citation|author=Martin-Werner Buchenau|periodical=Handelsblatt|title=Burda regelt Markwort-Nachfolge|page=18|date=10 November 2004|language=de}}{{citation|surname1=Cathrin Hegner, Volker Schütz|periodical=Horizontpage=38language=de}} In addition to his duties as Editor-in-chief, Helmut Markwort also assumed the position of publisher, and Uli Baur was promoted from Deputy Editor-in-chief to Editor-in-chief.{{citationperiodical=Horizontpage=14language=de}}{{citationtitle=Focus mit erweiterter Führungdate=15 November 2004periodical=Der Tagesspiegelpage=31language=de}} Under the new leadership, in 2005 Focus teamed up with Hörverlag, an audio publisher, to create the download portal Claudio for audio books.{{citation|author=Miriam Hebbentitle=Printmarken hören auf Claudio.dedate=8 December 2005periodical=Thüringer Allgemeinedate=13 May 2006author=Eric Gujertitle=Deutsche Journalisten als willige Helfer: Kritik im Geheimbericht zur BND-Affäre an den Mediendate=24 May 2006Federal Intelligence Service (Germany)>German Intelligence Services in turn put Focus journalists under observation as informants.{{citationperiodical=Der Tagesspiegelpage=2language=de}}{{citationperiodical=Badische Zeitungdate=19 May 2006author=Marie Waldburgtitle=15 Jahre Focus|page=104language=de}} At the end of 2009, it was announced that Helmut Markwort was stepping down as Editor-in-chief.{{citationperiodical=Handelsblattpage=15|date=30 October 2009periodical=Focuspages=156language=de}}{{citationperiodical=Horizontpage=10language=de}} Observers saw in Markwort’s departure a fundamental “change in direction”.{{citationperiodical=Der Tagesspiegelpage=31language=de}} Even prior to Weimer’s taking up his duties, the publisher staged a relaunch of Focus.{{citationperiodical=Financial Times Deutschlandpage=2language=de}}{{citationtitle=Schneller Umbau beim Focusdate=2 November 2009|language=de}}After only one year, Weimer left Focus and his position was left unfilled, which lead to Baur becoming the sole Editor-in-chief.{{citation|periodical=Welt Kompakt|title=Abgang nach nur einem Jahr|page=31|date=27 July 2011|language=de}}{{citation|author=Jürgen Scharrer|periodical=Horizont|title=Rückschlag für Focus|page=2|date=28 July 2011|language=de}}{{citation|surname1=Hans-Peter Kastenhuber|periodical=Nürnberger Nachrichten|title=Debatten-Focus ist gescheitert|page=24|date=30 July 2011|language=de}}WEB, Wolfram Weimer verlässt Chefredaktion, Spiegel Online,www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/wochenmagazin-focus-wolfram-weimer-verlaesst-chefredaktion-a-776656.html, 30 October 2016, 26 July 2011, de, According to media reports, publisher Markwort and Baur had “rejected” the new direction of the Focus and “ultimately obstructed it more and more heavily”. Weimer was said to have wanted to position the magazine as “more up-market and more political”.WEB, Focus: Chefredakteur Weimer gibt auf, Süddeutsche Zeitung,www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/machtkampf-um-nachrichtenmagazin-focus-chefredakteur-weimer-gibt-auf-1.1124695, 30 October 2016, 26 July 2011, de, {{citation|periodical=Berliner Zeitung|title=Erfolg des Alten|page=30|date=27 July 2011|language=de}} The paid circulation of single copies “more and more heavily” declined under Weimer’s and Baur’s leadership, dropping below the 100,000 mark.{{citation|surname1=Joachim Frank|periodical=Frankfurter Rundschau|title=Baur gegen Weimer|page=36|date=21 July 2011|language=de}} In 2013, Jörg Quoos took over as Editor-in-chief of the magazine,WEB, Jörg Quoos: Eine Reform für den Focus, Hamburger Abendblatt,www.abendblatt.de/kultur-live/article112435868/Joerg-Quoos-Eine-Reform-fuer-den-Focus.html, 30 October 2016, 7 July 2013, de, and Baur became publisher.NEWS, Uli Baur: Es geht um klaren Journalismus, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/im-gespraech-uli-baur-es-geht-um-klaren-journalismus-11746909.html, 30 October 2016, Michael Hanfeld, 10 May 2012, de, Quoos gave Focus a more political orientation and, in particular, reduced the share of practical tips.{{citation|author=Birte Bühnentitle=Focus: Jörg Quoos setzt politische Akzentedate=25 January 2013Cornelius Gurlitt (art collector)>Cornelius Gurlitt.FUßBALL: STEUERERMITTLUNGEN GEGEN HOENEß NACH SELBSTANZEIGE>PERIODICAL=FOCUS ONLINEACCESS-DATE=30 OCTOBER 2016LANGUAGE=DE, {{citationperiodical=Aachener Nachrichtendate=3 November 2014|language=de}} In 2014, Ulrich Reitz followed as new Editor-in-chief, as the publisher and Quoos had a difference in opinion on the future direction of the magazine.WEB, Chefredakteurs-Karussell: Jörg Quoos muss beim Focus gehen, Ulrich Reitz kommt, Meedia,meedia.de/2014/08/26/breaking-joerg-quoos-verlaesst-den-focus-neuer-chefredakteur-wird-ulrich-reitz/, 30 October 2016, 26 August 2014, de, WEB, Focus wechselt Chefredakteur aus, Zeit Online,www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2014-08/focus-chefredakteur-quoos-reitz, 30 October 2016, 26 August 2014, de, Among other steps, Reitz completed the process initiated under Quoos, relocating Focus from Munich to Berlin in the year 2015.NEWS, Warum der Focus nach Berlin umzieht, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/das-magazin-focus-zieht-von-muenchen-nach-berlin-13795693.html, 30 October 2016, Michael Hanfeld, 10 September 2015, de, Only a small editorial staff remained in the Bavarian state capital.WEB, Der Focus zieht zu großen Teilen nach Berlin, DWDLaccess-date=30 October 2016date=10 September 2015periodical=Welt Kompaktpage=10language=de}} Robert Schneider, formerly Editor-in-chief of Superillu,{{citationtitle=Super Illu-Chefredakteur leitet bald den Focusdate=22 January 2016surname1=Imre Grimmtitle=Aus für Reitz: Chefwechsel beim Focusdate=22 January 2016author=Ulrike Simontitle=Der Nächste, bitte!date=28 January 2016|language=de}}In 2017, Focus announced the closure of its offices in Munich and Düsseldorf,WEB, Focus verlässt München und baut Stellen ab, Horizont,www.horizont.net/medien/nachrichten/Hubert-Burda-Media-Focus-verlaesst-Muenchen-und-baut-Stellen-ab-156961, 22 May 2017, David Hein, 30 March 2017, de, along with reorganizations in the editorial staff.WEB, Nachrichtenmagazin: Focus schließt Büros in München und Düsseldorf, Handelsblattaccess-date=22 May 2017language=de, Since then, the magazine is now created completely in Berlin.FOCUS SCHLIEßT BüROS IN MüNCHEN UND DüSSELDORF>PERIODICAL=DWDLACCESS-DATE=22 MAY 2017DATE=30 MARCH 2017access-date=22 May 2017date=11 May 2017, de,

Circulation

Focus is one of the most widely circulated news magazines and has a proportionally large share in the advertising market.{{citation|author=Bettina Kaltenhäuser|title=Abstimmung am Kiosk|publisher=Springer|pages=93–96|isbn=3-8244-4617-0|year=2005URL=HTTP://WWW.IVW.EU/PRINT/QUARTALSAUFLAGEN/QUARTALSAUFLAGENLANGUAGE=DEARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20161028091641/HTTP://WWW.IVW.EU/PRINT/QUARTALSAUFLAGEN/QUARTALSAUFLAGEN, dead,

Profile

While Focus positioned itself as a news magazine alongside Spiegel, the latter in turn decidedly distanced itself from Focus, dismissively referring to it as the “Munich Illustrated”, among other things. Both publications differ in their editorial approaches:{{citation|author=Rudolf Walter Leonhardt|periodical=Die Zeit|title=Focus und Spiegel im Vergleich|date=9 May 1997|language=deaccess-date= 30 October 2016}} Spiegel puts an emphasis on complex political, economic and social analysis, whereas Focus, in addition to Political journalism, also caters to topics of everyday relevance from the realms of family, health, finances and career.{{citation>periodical=Horizontpage=38language=de}} However, Spiegel published more articles featuring practical tips, modeled after Focus.SPIEGEL>PERIODICAL=TURI2ACCESS-DATE=3 AUGUST 2017ARCHIVE-DATE=30 NOVEMBER 2020URL-STATUS=DEAD, With comparatively shorter texts, more graphics, more impactful visuals and ranking lists, readers are offered information that is easier to absorb. From the beginning, journalism offering practical tips has been an essential element of Focus.{{citationperiodical=Horizontpage=10language=de}} According to the news magazine’s own statements, its target group includes people who “are involved in society, in politics and in their professions, thanks to their active processing of information and especially due to their strong appetite for information”.{{citationtitle=Neues Nachrichtenmagazin heißt Focusdate=6 October 1992author=Mathias Bröckerstitle=Neues vom Infoismusdate=19 January 1993Civic political culture>civil political spectrum.{{citationperiodical=Der Tagesspiegelpage=26language=de}}

Criticism

Major controversy erupted over a Focus story on a mission involving Germany’s elite counter-terror unit, GSG 9, in the village of Bad Kleinen, leading to staff offices being searched in January 1994.{{citation|periodical=Nürnberger Nachrichten|title=Justiz ermittelt gegen den Focus|date=13 January 1994|language=de}} Law enforcement authorities investigated the magazine because confidential sources had been quoted, e.g. an assessment report from the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Bundeskriminalamt, and the pocket agenda of the killed RAF terrorist, Wolfgang Grams. According to information by Stern, documents found in Focus offices provided the decisive clue to identifying the informant.{{citation|author=Gerd Rosenkranz|periodical=Die Tageszeitung|title=Verraten und verkauft|pages=16–17|date=9 October 1996|language=de}}In 1995, Focus reported on business difficulties involving the Hamburg private bank, Mody.{{citation|author=Patricia Werner|periodical=Sterndate=28 March 1996bank run by many depositors, and one day after the magazine article appeared, the bank had to close its doors until further notice.{{citation>periodical=Der Spiegeldate=23 October 1995url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-9223510.htmlperiodical=Der Tagesspiegeldate=22 February 1996periodical=Börsen-Zeitungpage=11language=de}} In appeal proceedings, this decision was reversed by Hamburg’s Higher Regional Court,{{citationtitle=Kein Schadenersatz für Mody-Bankdate=31 March 1999periodical=Handelsblattpage=4language=de}} and Germany’s Federal Court of Justice denied the plaintiff’s appeal on points of law.FOCUS GEWINNT PROZESS GEGEN MODY PRIVATBANK>PERIODICAL=NEW BUSINESSACCESS-DATE=30 OCTOBER 2016LANGUAGE=DE, FOCUS GEWINNT PROZESS GEGEN MODY PRIVATBANK>PERIODICAL=HORIZONTACCESS-DATE=30 OCTOBER 2016LANGUAGE=DE, Focus welcomed the end of the legal disputes as a “victory for freedom of the press”.{{citationtitle=Prozess: Sieg für die Pressefreiheitlanguage=deaccess-date= 30 October 2016}}A study at the TU Dresden university from the year 2014 involved research on the synchronization of news and advertising. Researchers found that, both in Spiegel and Focus, reporting on companies was more frequent, friendlier and more frequently mentioned products, the more the companies purchased advertising.{{citation|author=Lutz M. Hagen|display-authors=et. al.|periodical=Publizistik: Vierteljahreshefte für Kommunikationsforschung|title=Synchronisation von Nachricht und Werbung: Wie das Anzeigenaufkommen von Unternehmen mit ihrer Darstellung in Spiegel und Focus korrelliert|volume=59|issue=4|publisher=Springer|publication-place=Wiesbaden|issn=0033-4006|date=2014|language=de}}Focus reporting on the 2015–16 New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Germany created controversy.WEB, Schwarze Hände auf nackter, blonder Frau: Focus wegen Köln-Cover im Sexismus-Shitstorm, Meedia,meedia.de/2016/01/08/schwarze-haende-auf-nackter-blonder-frau-focus-wegen-populistischem-cover-im-shitstorm/, 30 October 2016, 8 January 2016, de, The cover page showed hand prints in black paint on a white, naked woman; it was criticized as a “naked insult” and considered “racist”.{{citation|author=Sonja Álvarez|periodical=Der Tagesspiegel|title=Nackte Beleidigung|page=21|date=11 January 2016|language=de}}NEWS, Titel der Schande, Die Tageszeitung,www.taz.de/!5267901/, 30 October 2016, Lalon Sander, Anna Böcker, 9 January 2016, de, Unlike the German daily newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, which had also caused an uproar with a polarizing depiction, Focus refused to apologize and justified the cover as a symbolic depiction of “what happened in Cologne”.WEB, Rassistische Titelbilder: Süddeutsche entschuldigt sich, Focus nicht, Spiegel Online,www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/focus-und-sueddeutsche-zeitung-eine-entschuldigung-eine-rechtfertigung-fuer-titel-a-1071334.html, 30 October 2016, 10 January 2016, de, WEB, Medien-Diskussion geht weiter: Wir bilden ab, was leider passiert ist, Der Tagesspiegel,www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/focus-chef-verteidigt-umstrittenes-cover-medien-diskussion-geht-weiter-wir-bilden-ab-was-leider-passiert-ist/12810242.html, 30 October 2016, 11 January 2016, de, The German Press Council received several complaints about Focus,WEB, Beschwerden gegen Focus-Titelbild beim Deutschen Presserat, Deutschlandfunk,www.deutschlandfunk.de/sexismus-vorwuerfe-beschwerden-gegen-focus-titelbild-beim.1818.de.html?dram:article_id=342138, 30 October 2016, Renate Bölingen, 11 January 2016, de, but rejected all of them.WEB, Keine Rüge für den Focus: Presserat weist alle Beschwerden zur Berichterstattung in Köln ab, Meediaaccess-date=30 October 2016language=de,

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• {{official websitewww.focus.de}}
• {{Commons-inline}}
• {{DNB-Portal|016680685|TEXT=Literatur über den|NAME=Focus}}
• Website des Magazins

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