‘Nothing Works in Local Journalism Without Curiosity’

„‘We’ve always done it this way’ – this phrase no longer works,” says Christian Stahl, head of the Rhein-Sieg local editorial team at Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. What is more important in local journalism is the willingness to constantly engage with new topics and perspectives.

Worksite: What do you actually do as the editorial director of a local newspaper?

Christian Stahl: Each colleague certainly interprets this role very individually. For me, one of my core tasks is to find the topics that people in the region are interested in. This is a never-ending process that I strive for every day together with my colleagues in the editorial team. The conceptual work, i.e. the regular optimization of our work processes, is of course just as much a part of this as listening to our colleagues – as well as our readers. All with one goal: to deliver a strong product to the people in the region every day – on all channels.

What experience or talents should you have for the job?

Above all other things: curiosity and the willingness to constantly engage with new topics and perspectives. In addition, an aptitude for dealing with people and the ability both to ask the right questions and to grasp the essence of the context certainly helps. Many other skills, such as good ‘writing’, should certainly be present – but they also develop over time. But nothing works without curiosity.

With all this speed, it is sometimes difficult to take the time to look at things from different angles.

- Christian Stahl

What appeals to you about your job?

My day can never be planned. That sometimes makes my head spin, but it’s also incredibly exciting. Because I’m constantly meeting new people, dealing with new topics and getting involved in completely new situations within minutes. If, at the end of the day, everything has gone exactly as I had planned the day before, then I’ve done something wrong. Because the region is far too dynamic for that.

What are the biggest challenges in your job?

With all the speed that the job demands of me and my team, it is sometimes difficult to take the time to look at things from different angles. It can sometimes be challenging not to let yourself drift, but to wait and see to get a better story. Nevertheless, the balance between speed and quality must always be just right – that’s what our brands stand for.

What has been your biggest flop on the job so far, and what have you learnt from it?

Flops are part of the job and cannot be avoided – even if we work on our content with the greatest possible care every day. I can’t identify a particularly big flop. Every single mistake annoys me a lot. It is important to develop a healthy error culture and to admit your own mistakes. Every single one helps to improve the process. Sounds like a cliché – but it’s true.

Christian Stahl

… has been head of the local Rhine-Sieg editorial team of the ‚Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger‘:https://www.ksta.de. and the ‚Kölnische Rundschau‘:https://www.rundschau-online.de/ since June 2022. At Neue Rhein Zeitung, he previously focused on the digital development of content and the NRZ brand.

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