Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dopfner has drawn criticism after suggesting journalists should support Israel or consider resigning, raising concerns about editorial independence at one of Europe’s largest media groups.
Speaking in an internal meeting with staff, Dopfner, whose media group includes the Telegraph and Politico, said employees who disagree with the company's core principles – known internally as "the essentials" – may be better suited to work elsewhere.
"Nobody should work for Axel Springer despite the essentials or in disagreement with one of the essentials," he said, according to audio obtained by the Jewish Insider.
"If the essentials are not attractive, if the essentials are not a magnet, if the essentials are not a reason why to work for this company, I can only recommend working for other companies," he added.
The remarks came during a 40-minute meeting with Politico employees following complaints from journalists over opinion articles Dopfner had written. Staff is said to have argued that his views risked undermining the outlet's editorial neutrality.
The controversy centers on Axel Springer's corporate principles, which include support for Israel's right to exist as a core value. The Berlin-based publisher - which also owns Bild, the Telegraph and Business Insider - has long described these principles as central to its identity.
During the discussion, Dopfner rejected claims that his personal views could influence Politico's newsroom, stressing a clear distinction between opinion writing and editorial decision-making.
He said he would continue writing opinion pieces and defended his remarks on Iran, arguing that describing its leadership as an aggressor was justified.
"The wording is more of a euphemism," he said. "We should rather say they're terrorists, or they are mass murderers."
Dopfner argued that support for Israel is part of a broader set of core principles he described as including freedom, free markets, individual liberty and freedom of expression, placing this stance immediately after those values.
“If this is something someone wants to question, then we are really touching the most fundamental principles of our values, and that can simply lead to a decision. We are very transparent about this, and it then becomes an individual decision whether someone with such fundamentally different beliefs is truly a good fit for Axel Springer,” he said.
In a separate development, a leaked email published last year by Die Zeit reported that Döpfner, outlining his political views, wrote, “Zionism above all else. Israel is my country.”
