The SPD’s party magazine “Vorwärts” will no longer be released as a regular printed edition, according to the “Tagesspiegel” citing sources within SPD leadership circles. The publisher, the editorial team of Vorwärts, and the SPD itself are working on “a completely new product”. SPD Secretary‑General Tim Klüssendorf is, like his predecessors, the editor in charge of Vorwärts.
In a Wednesday email to subscribers, editor‑in‑chief Karin Nink wrote: “If we want Vorwärts to remain a decisive voice of German social democracy, we must evolve it so that it can succeed in the digital age and strengthen the SPD”. The subject line read, “The (for now) last Vorwärts issue”. Nink explained that the magazine, on the occasion of its 150th birthday, set out with the editor and the treasurer to fundamentally transform the party newspaper. “By the autumn publication we will continue this path toward a new, digital Vorwärts. You can look forward to that”.
Meanwhile, Vorwärts will keep informing its subscribers through its website (vorwärts.de), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, the SPDings podcast, and its weekly newsletter. Most of the magazine’s subscribers are SPD members. Nink noted that the magazine’s readiness to transform has contributed to its longevity – a feat unmatched by any other national newspaper in the country – and directs readers to the e‑paper for details.
Historically, Vorwärts came out in print four times a year and as an e‑paper six times a year. The new concept will be showcased at the Vorwärts summer festival in September. Digital change, economic stagnation, rising printing costs, poor election results, and falling membership numbers have been long‑standing challenges for the SPD’s party press. Discussions about redesigning Vorwärts have existed for years, although top SPD leaders were initially hesitant to take such a step. Leadership circles emphasize that both the publisher and the editorial team will be retained.