Die Tageszeitung

Die Tageszeitung (German: [diː ˈtaːɡəsˌtsaɪtʊŋ], lit. 'The Daily Newspaper'), stylized in all lowercase and commonly referred to as taz, is a German daily newspaper. It is organized as a cooperative governed through employee self-management and supported by subscriber-shareholders to maintain editorial independence without relying on a digital paywall. Founded in 1978 in Berlin as part of an independent, progressive and politically left-leaning movement, it has focused on current affairs, social inequality, ecology, and topics often overlooked by more traditional and conservative newspapers. It mostly supports the alternative green political sphere and Alliance 90/The Greens, but Die Tageszeitung has also been critical of the SPD/Greens coalition government (1998–2005). Originally described as "alternative-left" and critical of the established political system (systemkritisch), it adopted a more moderate and liberal editorial tone under new editors-in-chief since 2010. The newspaper's logo, a paw print, derives from the similarity of the name taz to the German word for paw, Tatze. It ranks among Germany's top eight periodical publications. In 2021 taz overtook the conservative Die Welt for the first time as the fifth most-read daily newspaper in Germany. On 17 October 2025, Die Tageszeitung published its final weekday printed issue, becoming the first nationwide daily newspaper in Germany to transition its weekday coverage entirely to a digital format, while continuing to publish its Saturday edition (wochentaz) in print. The editorial board is led by a female triumvirate of editors-in-chief: Barbara Junge, Ulrike Winkelmann, and Katrin Gottschalk, with Peter Unfried serving as chief reporter.