NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN
NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN is one of Germany's ten largest newspaper publishing groups and is active across daily and weekly newspapers, digital media, audio formats and magazines.
With more than 3,000 employees at approximately 60 locations—including Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein—the group maintains a comprehensive regional presence. Economically, the group operates 32 daily newspaper titles with a circulation of approximately 270,000 copies and 120,000 digital subscribers, complemented by 28 weekly publications. NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN itself functions as an operating company, created through the 2016 merger of NOZ Mediengruppe with medien holding:nord (mh:n). Within this structure, several regional subsidiaries such as Schleswig-Holsteinischer Zeitungsverlag (sh:z) and A. Beig printing house operate fully under the group's umbrella. Key publishing brands include Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, the sh:z group, daily and weekly newspapers, regional radio stations, and digital news portals—collectively providing the group substantial influence over regional public opinion formation.
The group is controlled by two shareholder families—Elstermann and Fromm—who continue to exercise significant influence over strategic decisions and editorial direction through management (Paul Wehberg, Jens Wegmann). Leading editor-in-chief Burkhard Ewert, as head of the shared editorial office for "Politics & Society," bears significant editorial responsibility.
Historically, the conglomerate has deep regional roots: NOZ was created in 1967 through a merger, modernized through the 2016 consolidation, and has recently expanded both geographically and in the digital segment. Through partnerships with publishers such as Hamburg Morgenpost (MOPO) and Kölnische Rundschau, NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN extends its editorial reach well beyond its own regions.
The group has faced recent criticism regarding its content and political orientation. Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ) and content distributed through its central editorial office to other group publications have been criticized during the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine crisis for proximity to conspiracy theories and Russia-friendly narratives. In the context of the Russian war of aggression, uncommented or even supportive articles in NOZ provided platforms for Russian justifications of the war. Additionally, right-conservative content within the newspaper and its subsidiary publications, particularly regarding the AfD and political orientation, increasingly faces questioning from editorial staff and encounters internal resistance.
Key Facts
| Business Form | Commercial / For-profit |
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| Legal Form | Limited Liability Company |
| Business Sectors | Logistics and delivery services |
Ownership
| Individual Owner |
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Media Outlets
Other Media Outlets
| Other TV Outlets | Radio 21 TV |
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| Other Radio Outlets | 80s80s Radio National |
| Other Online Outlets | 80s80s.de |
| Other Print Outlets | Barmstedter Zeitung |
Facts
| Other Media Businesses | Newspaper publishing
basecom (Softwareentwicklung) Marketing and Advertising Platforms
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| Other Domestic Businesses | Tourism & Travel Operators |
| Founding Year | 2016 The NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN Group was created in 2016 through the merger of NOZ Medien Gruppe and medien holding:nord Group. This consolidation elevated NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN Group into the ranks of Germany's ten largest newspaper publishers. Both organizations existed independently before the merger. NOZ Mediengruppe is the parent organization that emerged from NOZ (Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung). Medien holding:nord GmbH is a consolidation of 22 daily newspapers. |
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| Employees | 3,200 |
| Contact | Breiter Gang 10-16 / Große Straße 17-19 49074 Osnabrück Germany info@noz-mhn.de +4905413100 https://noz-mhn.de |
| Tax / ID Number | Limited Liability Company Osnabrück Local Court HRB 210327 |
| Revenue | € 207.9 Millionen / USD 242.1 USD Millionen (2023) |
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| Operating Profit | Missing Data |
| Advertising (in % of total funding) | Missing Data |
| Executive Board |
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| Non-Executive Board |
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