Newspaper earns international appeal. . .

By ROBERT SCHWARTZ
School of Communication
University of Miami

FRANKFURT---Reading the international news section of The New York Times or Washington Post on Sunday mornings, just about anyone can see a certain perspective on world events, usually American.

But how often do readers stop to consider that there may be more than one side to the same international story?

If they did, they might find a surprising number of newspapers available throughout the U.S. that offer different perspectives about international news. And these papers offer a plethora of news stories, found domestically and otherwise, that bring the same news from a different perspective.

Those interested in a European perspective on international news, for example, would definitely be interested in Frankfurt's Frankfurter Allgemeine.

This in-depth German daily newspaper offers everything one might want in an international newspaper, and offers award-winning reporting within Germany (it is one of the country's top national newspapers).

Within its homeland, the Allgemeine has a circulation of 400,000 during the week and on a busy weekend, sales can get above 600,000.

Internationally, the newspaper brags of loyal readers in 148 countries. Its in-depth reporting covers areas such as politics, business and finance sports, and culture. The newspaper is widely available in major cities in the U.S.

"The political section has been historically respected within Germany and even in America," noted political editor Bertram Eisenhauer.

While Eisenhauer works in a newsroom of only eight people (the politics section), it is all the more impressive that this newspaper is as respected as it is.

According to Eisenhauer, one of the reasons is its political conservativism.

"You'll notice that our paper is very conservative," he attests. "Even visually."

The newspaper has a very standard visual format, with full color nameplates and photographs.

But that's only on Sunday.

Every other day of the week the front page uses no color and no pictures. It follows a format similar to that of The Wall Street Journal.

"It has been a major debate for years," Eisenhauer says. "Many people think that we should add pictures and color during the weekdays. But for now, the people who make the final decisions like it how it is."

However, the newspaper's weekday edition is not always black and white.

"Certain world events will have a picture during the week. Like when the World Trade Center was hit in New York, there was a large picture of it on the front page the next day," Eisenhauer says.

The content has a conservative style as well, as Eisenhauer attests:

"The major group of readers [of the Allgemeine] has an average age of about 40 and up. We think that when people are young they may not have so much interest in our paper, but as they grow older and more mature, we think that they gain interest."

And as for the international appeal?

It seems to lie in the old adage, "in order to be interesting, one must be interested."

The newspaper has correspondents all over the globe, including an adequate amount inside the U.S.

"At any given time," Eisenhauer says, "there are at least four correspondents in the United States. We have them in LA, New York, and Washington D.C. For special events, we have more. For example this fall we will probably have people in Florida, because that is a contested state during the election."

The newspaper is printed at a massive production plant located about 30 minutes outside of Frankfurt, and the first edition is run at 6 p.m. the previous day. That edition is sent the furthest internationally and they print more and more local editions into the night, with the Frankfurt editions printed at 1:30 a.m., an impressive hall for any international paper.

Having this much interest in the rest of the world, and reporting its events accurately, is what makes the Frankfurter Allgemeine so attractive to foreign readers.

An online periodical section of the newspaper is also available. This is updated daily in German.

Frankfurter Allgemeine can be visited online at http://www.faz.net.

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If You Go:

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