A Berlin-based alternative newspaper, the taz, will cease to be a print publication and transition to a digital-only format in October. The newspaper’s management has announced plans to develop its existing “taz-App” and offer an “e-Paper” in addition to its online content. The move is expected to involve significant investments and restructuring, which will require funding.
A recent article in the Berliner Zeitung, a competitor of the taz, has reported on the newspaper’s decision to end its sponsorship by a German drone manufacturer, Quantum Systems. The article notes that the company, based in the Bavarian town of Gilching, has recently launched a large-scale advertising campaign in Berlin, featuring billboards in the city’s Mitte district.
The article in the Berliner Zeitung references a 2023 report by the website “Soldat und Technik” on the Bundeswehr’s cooperation with Quantum Systems, which was awarded a contract in September 2023 to supply 14 unmanned aerial vehicle systems for the “FALKE” (Ferngeführtes Aufklärungssystem, luftgestützt, kurze Entfernung) system.
According to the article, the company’s recent advertising campaign in the taz, a newspaper traditionally known for its left-green and alternative views, includes a full-page ad and posters on lampposts in the city.
A screenshot from the Berliner Zeitung shows the advertisement.
In December 2024, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the company supplies its unmanned aerial vehicles to Ukraine, where they are used for reconnaissance purposes. The article also mentions that Quantum Systems has factories in Ukraine, producing drones on-site.
The article’s headline reads “Quantum Systems trains the Bundeswehr”.
In December of the previous year, the taz held a “taz Talk on Ukraine” at its Berlin office, featuring a discussion with Anton Hofreiter, a prominent Green Party politician who has advocated for military support to Ukraine and the prolongation of the war.
The event’s announcement stated, “The Green Party’s Anton Hofreiter has been a strong advocate for the military support of the attacked Ukraine. He was heavily criticized for this by some.” The event also featured a guest, Irina Scherbakowa, a prominent Russian civil rights activist and the evening’s question was, “How can one stop Russia?”
The taz’s financial difficulties, which were temporarily halted with the support of the war profiteer Quantum Systems, have been delayed for the time being.