Rainer Nowak: controversial return to the press lead!

Rainer Nowak: controversial return to the press lead!

Österreich - Rainer Nowak will return to the management of the renowned Austrian daily “Press” on July 1, 2023. This is done after a turbulent year in which he had resigned due to a chat affair. Nowak will take over the management together with Andreas Rast, while Florian Asamer holds the position of the editor -in -chief and the editorial responsibility is responsible. Nowak's career at the "Press" started in 1996, since then he has been climbing various ranks, including that of the editor -in -chief in 2012 and the managing director in 2017.

The return of Nowak has caused some controversy in the media industry, especially with regard to the credibility and integrity of the medium. The background to his departure was a chat affair in 2022, in which he communicated with the then Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance, Thomas Schmid, about a potential position in the ORF leadership. In these chats he also gave Schmid formulation aids. However, Nowak emphasized that there was never a deal with Schmid and did not influence the reporting of the "press".

discussions about journalistic ethics

The affair triggered far -reaching discussions about journalistic ethics and editorial independence in Austria. Even if there was no concrete evidence of direct influence on the reporting of the "press", trust in the reporting of the medium remains. Experts point out that the transparency and integrity of the media should be particularly critically questioned in times of conflicts of interest.

To ensure ethical reporting, the standard guidelines have established, which are also important for the "press". These guidelines emphasize the need to avoid conflicts of interest between their own security and journalistic activity. Employees who report on listed Austrian companies must disclose any relevant financial interests. Violations of these guidelines can result in disciplinary measures, which underlines the relevance of transparent and trustworthy reporting.

Nowak's return continues to be hotly debated, and it remains to be seen how the editorial team will develop under his leadership after it has already had a disturbance that has affected the credibility of journalism in Austria.

For more information about the challenges and requirements for journalistic ethics, the guidelines of the standard on your website can be viewed: https://about.derstandard/Redaction/leitline/ .