{{Short description|German journalist}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Tanit Koch | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_upright = | landscape = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pronunciation = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1977|8|2}} | birth_place = Konstanz, Germany | baptised = | disappeared_date = | disappeared_place = | disappeared_status = | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | burial_place = | burial_coordinates = | monuments = | other_names = | siglum = | citizenship = German | education = | alma_mater = University of Tübingen, University of Cologne, Sciences Po | occupation = Journalist, political communication advisor | years_active = 2005–present | era = | employer = Axel Springer SE (former), n-tv (former), RTL Germany (former), The New European | organization = | agent = | known_for = First female editor-in-chief of Bild | notable_works = Germansplaining (column) | style = | height = | television = | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | otherparty = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | criminal_charges = | criminal_penalty = | criminal_status = | spouse = | partner = Oliver Masucci (since 2019) | children = | parents = | mother = | father = | relatives = | family = | callsign = | awards = | website = | module = | module2 = | module3 = | module4 = | module5 = | module6 = | signature = | signature_type = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | footnotes = }} '''Tanit Koch''' (born 2 August 1977 in Konstanz)<ref name="Tanit Koch - Munzinger Biographie">{{Cite web |title=Tanit Koch - Munzinger Biographie |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/go/document.jsp?id=00000030580 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.munzinger.de}}</ref> is a journalist and regular contributor to the British weekly ''The New European''.<ref name="Tanit Koch Archives">{{Cite web |title=Tanit Koch Archives |url=https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/contributor/tanit-koch/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=The New European |language=en-GB}}</ref> She was the first female editor-in-chief of the German tabloid newspaper ''Bild''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Wagstyl |first=Stefan |date=2016-07-01 |title=The new Bild: Tanit Koch |url=https://www.ft.com/content/75d1b932-3e47-11e6-9f2c-36b487ebd80a |access-date=2024-09-03 |work=Financial Times}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Koch principally grew up in Bonn, Germany, but spent part of her youth in Dublin, where she went to St Columba's College, an Irish boarding school.<ref name=":0" /> After acquiring the Leaving Certificate, she studied at the universities of Tübingen and Cologne as well as at Sciences Po (Institut d'Études Politiques) in Paris and holds degrees in law and political science.<ref name="Tanit Koch - Munzinger Biographie"/>
== Career ==
=== Journalism === Tanit Koch joined Axel Springer SE as a trainee at the ''Bild'' politics and business desk in 2005, while attending the company's journalism school.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tanit Koch wird Textchefin bei BILD |url=https://www.axelspringer.com/de/ax-press-release/tanit-koch-wird-textchefin-bei-bild |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.axelspringer.com |language=de-DE}}</ref> She worked in several editorial roles, among them bureau chief of ''Bild''<nowiki/>'s Hamburg edition and senior editor at ''Welt Group'',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Personnel information BILD Group: Publisher Kai Diekmann to manage editors-in-chief / Tanit Koch to become editor-in-chief of BILD |url=https://www.axelspringer.com/en/ax-press-release/personnel-information-bild-group-publisher-kai-diekmann-to-manage-editors-in-chief-tanit-koch-to-become-editor-in-chief-of-bild |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.axelspringer.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> before being promoted Deputy Editor of ''Bild'' in 2013. In January 2016, she was appointed Editor-in-Chief of ''Bild'',<ref name=":1" /> being the first woman to obtain this position at the controversial yet influential tabloid paper..
In 2018, Koch left Axel Springer after a power struggle<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=manager |date=2018-02-02 |title=Bild-Chefredakteurin Tanit Koch geht, Julian Reichelt gewinnt Machtkampf |url=https://www.manager-magazin.de/digitales/it/bild-chefredakteurin-tanit-koch-geht-julian-reichelt-gewinnt-machtkampf-a-1191084.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=www.manager-magazin.de |language=de}}</ref> with ''Bild'' editor digital, Julian Reichelt, who was sacked in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reuter |first=Kate Duffy, Dominick |title=A top editor at German tabloid BILD has been fired after he reportedly promoted a junior employee to a high-profile role while having an affair with her |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/julian-reichelt-affair-junior-employee-promotion-bild-axel-springer-2021-10 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> In a farewell email to her colleagues Koch wrote that "when two people don't work in professional harmony" this could be balanced out by compromises for a while. "2017 was marked by this, until my willingness to compromise reached its limits."<ref name=":2" />
In March 2019, Koch was appointed managing director of the German independent news channel n-tv. In addition, she led the digital transformation at RTL Germany as the Editor of its newly created integrated newsroom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NACHRICHTEN |first=n-tv |title=Tanit Koch wird Geschäftsführerin von n-tv |url=https://www.n-tv.de/wirtschaft/Tanit-Koch-wird-Geschaeftsfuehrerin-von-n-tv-article20865987.html |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=n-tv.de |language=de}}</ref> Under her management, ntv was the only German news channel to receive a special TV award for outstanding achievements during the coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fernsehpreis |first=Der Deutsche |title=Sonderpreis |url=https://www.deutscher-fernsehpreis.de/sonderpreis/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Deutscher Fernsehpreis 2024 |language=de-DE}}</ref> Koch left her roles in late 2020<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grimberg |first=Steffen |date=2020-11-27 |title=Führungsstreit bei Mediengruppe RTL: Tanit Koch ist schon wieder weg |url=https://taz.de/Fuehrungsstreit-bei-Mediengruppe-RTL/!5731646/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |work=Die Tageszeitung: taz |language=de |issn=0931-9085}}</ref> but continued to co-host the podcast ''Die Stunde Null''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tanit Koch |url=https://www.turi2.de/index-2/koepfe/koch-tanit/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=turi2 |language=de-DE}}</ref>
During the management buyout of ''The New European'' in 2021, the anti-Brexit weekly founded in the aftermath of the EU referendum, Koch formed part of the investor consortium including CNN CEO Mark Thompson and former FT editor Lionel Barber.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-13 |title=The New European appoints Matthew d'Ancona |url=https://www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/the-new-european-appoints-matthew-dancona-21843 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=InPublishing |language=en}}</ref> Together with Alastair Campbell, Bonnie Greer and Will Self, Koch is a regular contributor to the award-winning paper. She writes the weekly column ''Germansplaining''<ref name="Tanit Koch Archives"/> and is a regular commentator on German and European affairs for political talkshows.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/12/12/exp-gps-1212-koch-on-post-merkel-germany.cnn |title=On GPS: Can Merkel's shoes be filled? |date=2021-12-12 |language=en |access-date=2024-09-04 |via=edition.cnn.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG7mGh_aWY8 |title=Unpacking the German election campaign: Tanit Koch and Stefan Kornelius – BBC Newsnight |date=2017-09-23 |last=BBC Newsnight |access-date=2024-09-04 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZBAKXZxZ-c |title=internationaler frühschoppen: Flucht aus der Ukraine und übers Mittelmeer - Wie soll Europa helfen? |date=2022-12-04 |last=phoenix |access-date=2024-09-04 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
=== Political communication === In the 2021 federal election campaign in Germany, Koch served as communications advisor to CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-06-09 |title=Tanit Koch: Ex-»Bild«-Chefredakteurin wird Wahlkampfberaterin von Armin Laschet |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/tanit-koch-ex-bild-chefredakteurin-wird-wahlkampfberaterin-von-armin-laschet-a-357d3c8c-4e5c-4ac3-ae7d-f1fb63df9ed0 |access-date=2024-09-03 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Minkmar |first=Nils |date=2021-06-10 |title=Ex-"Bild"-Chefredakteurin: Laschets Coup |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/tanit-koch-cdu-armin-laschet-wahlkampf-bild-zeitung-1.5318209?reduced=true |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Süddeutsche.de |language=de}}</ref> who eventually lost against his SPD competitor Olaf Scholz, the current German chancellor.
== Personal life == Koch has been in a relationship with the German actor Oliver Masucci since 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-02 |title=German actor Oliver Masucci and his girlfriend Tanit Koch attend the... |url=https://www.gettyimages.de/detail/nachrichtenfoto/german-actor-oliver-masucci-and-his-girlfriend-tanit-nachrichtenfoto/1235638093 |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Getty Images |language=de}}</ref>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://x.com/tanit?lang=de Tanit Koch] on X * [https://muckrack.com/tanit-koch Tanit Koch] on the muckrack journalist listing site * [https://www.turi2.de/index-2/koepfe/koch-tanit/ Tanit Koch] on the turi journalist listing site (German)
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Tanit}} Category:Living people Category:1977 births Category:Bild people Category:German newspaper journalists Category:German women journalists Category:People educated at St Columba's College, Dublin Category:Sciences Po alumni Category:University of Cologne alumni Category:University of Tübingen alumni Category:21st-century German journalists Category:21st-century German women journalists