profil (magazine)

{{Infobox magazine

| title = profil

| logo = Logo profil magazine.svg

| logo_size =

| image_file =

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| image_caption =

| editor = Anna Thalhammer

| editor_title =

| previous_editor =

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| category = News magazine

| frequency = Weekly

| circulation = First half of 2013 was 71,033 copies

| publisher = NEWS

| founder =

| founded =

| firstdate = {{Start date and age|1970|9|7|df=yes}}

| company = NEWS

| country = Austria

| based = Vienna

| language = German

| website = {{URL|http://www.profil.at}}

| issn = 1022-2111

| oclc =

}}

Profil, (stylized in all lowercase) is an Austrian weekly news magazine published in German and based in Vienna. It was founded as a monthly magazine and has been in circulation since 1970. The magazine is sometimes considered the Austrian counterpart to Der Spiegel.[http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/source-information/667-profil profil] Presseurop. Retrieved 3 December 2013{{cite journal|author=Reinhold Wagnleitner|title=The Empire of the Fun, or Talkin' Soviet Union Blues: The Sound of Freedom and U.S. Cultural Hegemony in Europe|journal=Diplomatic History|date=Summer 1999|volume=23 |issue=3|page=500|doi=10.1111/0145-2096.00179|url=https://doi.org/10.1111/0145-2096.00179}} In 2008 the magazine was described as the “most important Austrian news magazine”.Harald Fidler: Österreichs Medienwelt von A bis Z. Falter-Verlag, Wien 2008, ISBN 978-3-85439-415-0, S. 497.

History and profile

profil was founded in 1970{{cite web|title=European News Resources|url=http://guides.nyu.edu/content.php?pid=74313&sid=704214|work=NYU Libraries|access-date=24 January 2015|archive-date=28 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112921/http://guides.nyu.edu/content.php?pid=74313&sid=704214|url-status=dead}} by Oscar Bronner,{{cite news|title=profil|url=http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/medienindex/media_articles/?frommedia=1572|access-date=7 October 2013|work=Euro Topics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015224308/http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/medienindex/media_articles/?frommedia=1572|archive-date=15 October 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|author=Kimberly Bradley|title=Alive and kicking|journal=Monocle|date=October 2014|volume=77|issue=8|url=http://monocle.com/magazine/issues/77/alive-and-kicking/}} who also founded the magazine trend and the daily newspaper Der Standard.{{cite web|title=Despite Everything: The Oscar Bronner Story

|url=http://deutscheshaus.as.nyu.edu/object/dh.event.DespiteEverythingTheOscarBronnerStory051513|work=Deutsches Haus|access-date=15 October 2013}}{{cite web|author=Charlotte Natmeßnig|title=Business Press in Austria

|url=http://www.helsinki.fi/iehc2006/papers2/Natmessn.pdf|work=Helsinki.fi|format=Conference Paper|date=2006|access-date=12 November 2014}} The magazine is headquartered in Vienna.{{cite web|title=The Media in the German Speaking Countries|work=University of Chicago|url=https://german.uchicago.edu/links/media|access-date=9 October 2016}}

The first edition of profil came out as a monthly on 7 September 1970. Starting in October 1972, it was published every two weeks and from January 1974 every week. In 2001 profil became part of the publishing company NEWS. In 1975 business magazine, ecco, merged with profil.

profil includes sections for Austria, abroad, economy, society, science, and culture. Glosses, caricatures, and letters to the editor are also published. In the mid-1980s it had an independent and liberal leaning. In the 2000s the magazine had a left liberal political stance.{{cite web|title=Communicating Europe: Austria Manual

|url=http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/enlargement_debates_manual_austria.pdf|work=European Stability Initiative|access-date=12 October 2013|date=12 December 2007}} It targets Austria's intelligentsia. Both profil and trend initiated investigative journalism in the country. It was profil which revealed the Nazi past of Kurt Waldheim, former Austrian president.{{cite book|author1=Richard Mitten|title=The Politics of the Antisemitic Prejudice. The Waldheim Phenomenon in Austria|year=1992

|publisher=Westview Press|location=Boulder|url=http://www.demokratiezentrum.org/fileadmin/media/pdf/mitten.pdf|access-date=24 January 2015

|archive-date=28 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112359/http://www.demokratiezentrum.org/fileadmin/media/pdf/mitten.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine|title=Letter from Europe|url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/06/30/vienna-june-20|access-date=9 July 2016|magazine=The New Yorker|date=30 June 1986}} Investigative journalist Hubertus Czernin served as the political editor of profil.{{cite news|author1=Elisabeth Penz|author2=Jon Thurber|title=Hubertus Czernin, 50; Austrian Journalist Had Role in Return of Art Seized by Nazis|access-date=9 July 2016|work=Los Angeles Times

|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-15-me-czernin15-story.html|date=15 June 2006}}{{cite book|author1=Richard Winter

|author2=Susan Winter Balk|author3=Gregory Weeks|title=Vienna's Conscience: Close-ups and Conversations After Hitler|year=2007|publisher=Reedy Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SxgMeucE4FwC&pg=PA39|isbn=978-1-933370-08-8|page=39}} He uncovered the story about Kurt Waldheim's Nazi connection.

Christian Rainer succeeded Josef Votzi as publisher and editor-in-chief in 1998. The chief editorial staff consisted of Sven Gächter, Stefan Janny, and Herbert Lackner.

= Restructuring 2022/2023 =

In December 2022 it was announced that Richard Grasl would also become profile managing director in addition to his journalistic work for the Kurier.{{Cite web |title="Kurier"-Vize Richard Grasl wird zusätzlich "Profil"-Geschäftsführer, Christian Rainer gibt Chefredaktion ab |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000141717989/richard-grasl-wird-profil-geschaeftsfuehrer-christian-rainer-gibt-chefredaktion-ab |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} On the same day it was announced that Christian Rainer would end his role as editor-in-chief and publisher of Profil.{{Cite web |title=Christian Rainer gibt Chefredaktion des "Profil" ab |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000141685381/christian-rainer-gibt-chefredaktion-des-profil-ab |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} Due to Grasl's appointment, the editorial team felt compelled to publicly emphasize the magazine's "untouchable journalistic independence".{{Cite web |title="Profil"-Redaktion betont nach Grasl-Bestellung "unantastbare journalistische Unabhängigkeit" |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000141740676/profil-redaktion-betont-nach-grasl-bestellung-unantastbare-journalistische-unabhaengigkeit |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} At the same time, management reported three profile editors to the works council for termination.{{Cite web |title=Anna, das Profil hamma |url=https://www.falter.at/zeitung/20221221/anna-das-profil-hamma |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=www.falter.at}}

Editorial GmbH led by Grasl became the new publisher in January 2023. The new editor-in-chief has been Anna Thalhammer{{Cite web |title="Profil"-Herausgeber wird die von Richard Grasl geführte Redaktions-GmbH |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000142323100/profil-herausgeber-wird-die-von-richard-grasl-gefuehrte-redaktions-gmbh |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} since March 1, 2023.{{cite web |title=In eigener Sache |url=https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/in-eigener-sache-anna-thalhammer-als-erste-chefredakteurin-des-profil-bestaetigt/402426794 |website=profil.at |date=April 26, 2023 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |language=de-AT}}{{Cite web |title=Generationswechsel beim profil: Anna Thalhammer wird neue Chefredakteurin |url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20221219_OTS0073/generationswechsel-beim-profil-anna-thalhammer-wird-neue-chefredakteurin |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=OTS.at |language=de}}

The economics department head and deputy editor-in-chief Michael Nikbakhsh also left the magazine in this context. He was offered the opportunity to run Kurier and Profil's planned investigative academy as a self-employed person.{{Cite web |title=Michael Nikbakhsh verlässt "Profil"-Redaktion, leitet neue Investigativakademie von "Profil" und "Kurier" |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000141998443/michael-nikbakhsh-verlaesst-profil-redaktion-leitet-neue-investigativ-akademie-von |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=DER STANDARD |language=de-AT}} Even before the academy started, Nikbakhsh “irrevocably” resigned from the leadership in February 2023. He developed a program for the academy and presented it to Richard Grasl, Martina Salomon and Anna Thalhammer at a meeting. According to Nikbakhsh, they had begun “in all seriousness” to classify intended speakers “according to suspected or supposed party-political affiliation”. Salomon explained that it was important to her that “not only leftists” appeared. Those mentioned contradict Nikbakhsh's account.{{cite web |access-date=2023-03-01 |language=de-AT |title=Aufdecker Michael Nikbakhsh verlässt Investigativakademie von "Kurier" und "Profil" vor Start |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000143619982/aufdecker-michael-nikbakhsh-verlaesst-investigativakademie-von-kurier-und-profil-vor}}

Circulation

The circulation of profil was 72,000 copies in 1985.{{cite web|author=Ulf Jonas Bjork|title=Excitement, Tinged with Jingoism: British Public Opinion and the Falklands in Four News Magazines|url=http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED260394.pdf|work=ERIC|access-date=12 December 2014|format=Conference paper|date=August 1985}} In 1993, the magazine had a circulation of more than 100,000 copies.{{cite book|editor=Eric Solsten|title=Austria: A Country Study|date=1994|publisher=GPO for the Library of Congress|location=Washington|url=http://countrystudies.us/austria/127.htm|access-date=23 March 2015}}

The weekly had a circulation of 76,000 copies in 2003 and 78,000 copies in the first quarter of 2004.{{cite web|title=Media Markets: Austria Country Overview|url=http://oldtelecoms.kondrashov.ru/world/austria.html|publisher=Russian Telecom|access-date=1 January 2015|date=August 2004}} In 2006, the magazine had a readership of 6%, being second to NEWS magazine.{{cite book|author1=Günter Bischof|author2=Fritz Plasser|title=The Changing Austrian Voter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EK81N6akyEUC&pg=PT133|date=January 2008|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-1-4128-1932-9|page=133}} The circulation of the magazine was 251,000 copies in 2007.{{cite web|author=Anne Austin|display-authors=etal|title=Western Europe Market & Media Fact|url=http://conan.lib.muohio.edu/ebooks/Western_Europe_Market_MediaFact_2008/Western%20Europe%20Market%20&%20MediaFact%202008.pdf|work=ZenithOptimedia|access-date=8 April 2015|date=2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205131709/http://conan.lib.muohio.edu/ebooks/Western_Europe_Market_MediaFact_2008/Western%20Europe%20Market%20%26%20MediaFact%202008.pdf|archive-date=5 February 2015|url-status=dead}} Its circulation for the first half of 2008 was 59,124 copies.{{cite web|title=Austria: New circulation figures for the 1st half 2008|url=http://www.publicitas.com/en/home/media-news-events/news-detail/?newsid=24173&title=austria-new-circulation-figures-for-the-1st-half-2008#.UlQTYmRJVgs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172112/http://www.publicitas.com/en/home/media-news-events/news-detail/?newsid=24173&title=austria-new-circulation-figures-for-the-1st-half-2008#.UlQTYmRJVgs|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 October 2013|work=Publicitas|access-date=8 October 2013|date=20 August 2008}} The 2010 circulation of profil was 93,000 copies.{{cite web|title=Western Europe Media Facts. 2011 Edition|url=http://conan.lib.muohio.edu/ebooks/Western_Europe_Market_MediaFact/2011/Western%20Europe%20Market%20&%20MediaFact%202011.pdf|work=ZenithOptimedia|access-date=6 March 2016}} The circulation of the magazine during the first half of 2013 was down to 71,033 copies.{{cite web|title=List of represented titles. Magazines|url=http://www.publicitas.com/fileadmin/uploads/common/Promotions/2013-11_Rep_List_MAGAZINES.pdf|work=Publicitas International AG|access-date=29 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030071650/http://www.publicitas.com/fileadmin/uploads/common/Promotions/2013-11_Rep_List_MAGAZINES.pdf|archive-date=30 October 2014|df=dmy-all}}