Der Postillon
Der Postillon started in 2008 on its own website but from the beginning consistently prioritized the distribution of content on social media. Consistent distribution across networks such as Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, and later Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok gave the satirical brand reach that at peak times exceeded that of classical news portals.
Thematically, political, social, and media absurdities dominate, presented in the style of newspaper editorial offices, with the stated goal being pointed exposure of grievances and satirical commentary on current events. Der Postillon's satire not only addresses political events themselves but also their media presentation. Thus, in summer 2025, increasingly AI-generated image posts are also found on the channels, which caricature the trend of misinformation and AI use for information gathering. Part of Der Postillon's strategy is to deliberately engage in exchange with the community – for example, when users, celebrities, or politicians mistake satire for reality, to which Postillon sometimes responds pointedly and with public effect.
Founder Stefan Sichermann studied old history and before establishing Der Postillon independently was active in the advertising industry. He's managing director, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Der Postillon, and employs a small team of 7 members and freelance writers, with revenues coming from advertising, book sales, and merchandise. In October 2025, Der Postillon launched a print edition with a monthly circulation of 25,000 copies.
Der Postillon has no explicit political orientation, but finds strong resonance in an educated and politically interested environment with its mix of political satire and media criticism. Stefan Sichermann himself has described himself in interviews as "pretty left-wing." His interest in other media organizations remains distant, and he also declines advertising from large corporations such as Deutsche Bank or the CSU, which he explicitly justifies with independence.
Key Facts
| Social Media Accounts | ||||||
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| Platform | User Name | User Handle | Followers | Following | Likes | Views |
 | Der Postillon | @Der_Postillon | 296,000 | 66,295,770 | ||
 | Der Postillon | @DerPostillon | 2,800,000 | 8 | 2,670,434 | |
| Faktillon - das Faktenportal des Postillon | @Faktillon | 489,698 | 2 | 604,099 | |
 | Der Postillon | @realpostillon | 1,500,000 | 19 | ||
 | Der Postillon | @der_postillon | 178,800 | 18 | 3,100,000 | |
 | Der Postillon | @Der_Postillon | 1,400,000 | 149 | ||
 | Der Postillon | @Der Postillon | 338,000 | |||
 | Der Postillon | @postillon_satire | 4,371 | |||
| Data Publicly Available | ownership data is easily available from other sources, e. g. public registries etc. |
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| Language | German |
| Founding Year | 2008 Der Postillon's online portal was founded in 2008 by Stefan Sichermann. Its first presence on social media was in 2010 on Twitter/X and Facebook, followed by YouTube in 2012 and TikTok in 2024. |
Ownership
| Individual Owner | |
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| Group / Individual Owner |
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Facts
| Topics Covered / Focus Areas | Der Postillon is a satirical medium that comments humorously and critically on current social and political issues. It uses the format of traditional newspapers to comment on current events in society and politics. The goal is to come as close as possible to the appearance of a trustworthy medium in order to generate subversive momentum through absurd or subversive headlines. Another site operated by Sichermann is Der Faktillon, which ridicules well-known "facts" and useless-knowledge channels on social media by publishing informative-seeming images and infographics containing nonsense information. |
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| Views / Values / Political Stances | Der Postillon has no official political positions. Founder Stefan Sichermann emphasizes that all texts are "brazenly made up" and thus consciously satirical. All relevant political parties and figures in public discourse are equally covered with contributions. Der Postillon sees its task as fueling social debates with its reach, not necessarily through direct political influence. |
| Mode of Delivery | Der Postillon uses the characteristics of traditional media for its satire. In its image formats on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook, a headline typically appears as the lead, accompanied by the Postillon logo or a reference to the website. Some videos employ professional filming techniques that exhibit characteristics of news reports, while others are produced in "news anchor" formats. On TikTok, there is also a specially produced format in which an alleged reporter addresses users directly. Increasingly, AI-generated images and videos are also found on Postillon's channels, intended to support the medium's absurd headlines. Der Postillon also maintains an active community by posting "the best comments" once a week. These comments are jokes in reference to Postillon's posts, but also users who find the content outrageous or do not recognize the satire as such. It has become a running gag in the community to give these comments many likes in order to lend the posts more authenticity. |
| Reputation | Der Postillon is by far the largest satirical portal in the German media landscape and has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Grimme Online Award 2013. The medium itself rarely experiences criticism, as its content is clearly recognizable as satire, yet posts are occasionally called tasteless, for example posts about people with disabilities or the attack on Charlie Kirk. Criticism mainly arises from the blurring of boundaries between satire and real news, when Postillon articles are uncritically adopted by other media or perceived as authentic by politicians. |
| Target Audience | Der Postillon's target audience consists primarily of a digitally engaged readership aged approximately 20 to 45 years with an interest in political and social issues and an appreciation for satirical forms of presentation. According to founder Stefan Sichermann, readers are predominantly left-liberal in orientation, as the left-wing political spectrum is generally more receptive to satire, whereas right-wing readers frequently either do not recognize the satirical intent or reject it. |
| Part of Network or Campaign | Der Postillon is not part of a larger network. However, its strong presence on social media as well as five million monthly visits to the website make it one of the most successful German web offerings, which in its reach exceeds many traditional media outlets. |
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| Cross-Posting & Friends | Der Postillon does not engage in active cross-posting. Persons seen at Der Postillon are typically employed there—such as Thieß Neubert in his role as Postillon24 news anchor. In part, Der Postillon engages actors for its contributions. In the past, Der Postillon has supplied content for public radio stations—such as NDR's youth station N-Joy or Bayern 3. This drew criticism that such content was not sufficiently labeled. |
| Endorsements & Recognitions | Apart from awards that Stefan Sichermann and Der Postillon received early in his work, Der Postillon has no connection to state institutions. It occasionally happens that public figures, such as former AfD chairwoman Beatrix von Storch in 2016, share posts from Der Postillon because they did not recognize them as satire. |
| Business Model | Der Postillon is financed primarily through advertising revenue, merchandise, and subscriptions, which are operated via the publication's website. All content from Der Postillon shared on social media includes a link to this website. With over five million web visits, Der Postillon is larger than most regional daily newspapers, such as the Stuttgarter Nachrichten, the Freie Presse, or the Frankfurter Neue Rundschau. Der Postillon also operates its own app. Since October 2025, Der Postillon has also appeared in print version with approximately 4,000 subscribers nationwide. |
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| Revenue | Missing Data |