Liberal critics are raising concerns in response to one profile of the new owner of Politico, Mathias Döpfner.
Liberals feeling threatened over new direction of Politico
The Washington Post published a lengthy article on Döpfner, the CEO of the German media company Axel Springer SE.
It focused on his approach to the media business. He described buying Politico for about $1 billion in 2021 as his “largest and most counterintuitive investment.”
While the Post called Döpfner’s personal politics a “mystery,” he voiced support for then-President Trump in communication he sent to close friends shortly before the 2020 election.
Hilarious reading all of these media members down here freaking out over Politico’s new owner… all without possessing a hint of self-reflection on who they openly root for in terms of political parties in their so-called coverage on a daily basis. #Politico
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) September 6, 2022
Döpfner originally disputed this.
Despite a “flippant” email he acknowledged writing, the German businessman and journalist claims he has never supported Trump and instead identified as a “‘non-Jewish Zionist’ with “small-L liberal” tendencies.”
Liberal media figures and other detractors criticized Döpfner on social media and expressed concern for Politico’s survival.
Sign of the Times?
Liberals panic as new Politico owner aims to turn outlet 'nonpartisan': Looks like CNN has company https://t.co/LVOD5Dpg9Q
— 👻Ghosted Hippie👻I told you so!👻 Fuc⬛️ J⬛️ Biden (@GhostedHippie) September 7, 2022
He once referred to Tesla CEO Elon Musk as “one of the most inspiring persons I’ve ever met,” according to The Post.
Detractors criticized Döpfner on social media
Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill commented, “Every subsequent paragraph of this extremely well-written and detailed account struck me with increasing dread.”
“The new far-right owner of Politico, Mathias Döpfner, encouraged his staff to pray for Trump’s reelection before lying about it when questioned by a reporter,” Matthew Sheffield, a Young Turks correspondent, said.
“So a dishonest Trump supporter in Germany owns Politico? How can/should readers take that into account when reading Politico,” Lawrence O’Donnell, the host of MSNBC, posed a similar query.
Rep. Ted Lieu addressed Döpfner with the following letter, “Dear Politico CEO: If you are going to endorse Trump, at least have the bravery to admit it.”
“The CEO of a media firm should never lie. You didn’t simply say you couldn’t remember or remained mute. You embellished your fib and went above and above. Pathetic.”
In recent times, the media environment has undergone enormous changes. Axel Springer SE’s acquisition of Politico is joined by Cox Enterprises’ acquisition of Axios.
High-profile media players including Andrew Sullivan, Glenn Greenwald, Bari Weiss, and Ben Smith have all quit their jobs to start their own companies.
With the removal of its leader Jeff Zucker, scandal-plagued anchor Chris Cuomo, and the recent firings of Brian Stelter, Jeffrey Toobin, and John Harwood by the network’s new management, CNN has seen significant personnel upheavals.
Alex Wagner is already having trouble matching her colleague’s ratings. MSNBC star Rachel Maddow has now taken the unusual decision of reducing her primetime show to just one day a week.
The Washington Post, on the other hand, is allegedly on track to experience financial loss by the end of the year, a sign of the media’s struggles in the post-Trump world.
