The Supervisory Board of the Styria Media Group unanimously decided today to reorganize the “Kleine Zeitung” editorial team. The new editor -in -chief is intended to align content, offers and external effects even more on the three core markets of Styria, Carinthia and Vienna. The long -time editor -in -chief Hubert Patterer (62) will in future act as the new publisher of the “Kleine Zeitung” and to advise the successfully taken transformation process in cooperation with the group board and management.
Subject to the approval of the editorial office in the editorial statute of the “Kleine Zeitung”, Hubert Patterer will hand over the management of the editor -in -chief in Graz to Oliver Pokorny on July 1, 2025. Nominated as a cross -location chairman and spokesman for the new editor -in -chief, Oliver Pokorny is to be responsible for the areas of strategy, digital transformation, personnel, organization and budget in addition to the final responsibility. The 57-year-old has headed the digital agents of the “Kleine Zeitung” in the editor-in-chief since the beginning of 2024, previously he was editor-in-chief of the “Steirerkrone”, head of the group communication of Andritz AG as well as program director and managing director of the “Antenne Styria” and “Antenne Carinthia”.
As editor -in -chief at the Vienna location, the Carinthian native and domestic policy journalist Christina Traar is nominated. The 36-year-old gained first journalistic experiences after completing his master’s degree in journalism and communication sciences, among others at ORF and at the APA as well as internationally with “Die Zeit” in Hamburg and in the capital office of “USA Today” in Washington DC. Christina Traar has been working for the “Kleine Zeitung” since 2016. Michael Jungwirth (64) remains deputy editor -in -chief and will retire at the end of August.
Wolfgang Fercher is nominated as editor -in -chief of the “Kleine Zeitung” in Carinthia and East Tyrol, who has been in this function since 2021 and confirmed in its function in his function
became. The 45-year-old worked as a teacher of the FH Krems at universities in China, Vietnam, Azerbaijan and Serbia, his first journalistic station was the “Antenne Carinthia”, for the “Kleine Zeitung” he has been active for 15 years.
The “Kleine Zeitung”, the second largest merchant newspaper in the country, will continue a restructuring initiated by editor-in-chief Hubert Patterer last year with the introduction of cross-location print and digital control. “My special thanks go to Hubert Patterer,” says Markus Mair, CEO of the Styria Media Group, “who, as a public guiding figure and overall responsible editor -in -chief, not only developed the” Kleine Zeitung “not only into an unmistakable regional voice and one of the leading media brands in Austria, but also leveled the way into the future.” The departmental board member Herwig Langanger emphasizes that the recovery of personnel is associated with journalistic and procedural measures. “With increasing competition for the attention of the readership, regional and relevant reporting makes a significant difference.
For the management of the “Kleine Zeitung”, Xenia Daum and Thomas Spens emphasize the “generation change in the management structure that reflects our transformation process”. The focus of the strategic objective was to obtain young, digital socialized generations by strengthening regional and digital quality journalism, “Oliver Pokorny is therefore also responsible for the development of new innovative narrative formats.”
The decision to change Hubert Patterers to the publisher is to be made in the next meeting of the owner bodies in June. Patterer, carrier of the Kurt Vorhofer Prize 2024, should continue to work as an author and commentator for the “Kleine Zeitung” and represent them outside alongside the new management team.
The “Kleine Zeitung” with locations in Graz, Klagenfurt and Vienna as well as in 16 regional editorial offices in Styria and in Carinthia is the largest federal state newspaper
and the second largest purchase daily newspaper in Austria. With the printed edition including e-paper, the “Kleine Zeitung” reaches around 600,000 readers: inside: Inside. In her core markets of Styria (33.5% range, around 364,000 readers: inside) and Carinthia (35.6% reach, around 175.00 readers: inside) it is the clear number one. In the digital area, “Kleine Zeitung” is the market leader in Austria with 59,000 digital subscriptions (ÖAK, 2nd half of 2024). The “Kleine Zeitung” was founded in 1904 and is now part of the Styria Media Group.