Keizai Koho Center held a meeting with Mr. Martin Koelling, East Asia Correspondent of the leading German business daily, Handelsblatt.

Mr. Martin Koelling introduced Handelsblatt and shared his views on the changing media landscape in Germany. He explained that the number of foreign correspondents in Japan has been decreasing and some media are even sharing correspondents. He also stated that the circulation of printed German newspapers has been declining and about 70% of the readers of Handelsblatt are now digital readers.

Mr. Koelling explained that he focuses on topics that are being discussed in Germany and stories that cover a global trend or problem. He emphasized the importance of how to tell the story and the need to relate the story to the reader, because newspapers must ultimately convince the readers, who are becoming highly selective, to buy their stories.