{{short description|Major daily German regional newspaper}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Rheinische Post | type = Daily newspaper | logo = Rheinische Post.svg | image = Rheinische Post front page.jpg | caption = The 17 September 2010 front page | format = Rhenish | founded = 2 March 1946 | owners = Rheinische Post Verlagsgesellschaft mbH | chief_editor = Moritz Döbler<ref name="döbler">{{Cite web |title=Autorenprofil von Moritz Döbler |url=https://rp-online.de/autor/moritz-doebler/ |access-date=4 January 2023 |website=rp-online.de |language=de}}</ref> | circulation = | headquarters = Düsseldorf, Germany | website = {{URL|rp-online.de}} }} '''''Rheinische Post''''' ({{IPA|de|ˈʁaɪnɪʃə ˈpɔst}}) is a major German regional daily newspaper published since 1946 by the ''Rheinische Post Verlagsgesellschaft GmbH'' company, and headquartered in Düsseldorf.<ref name=gh/> The Post is especially dominant in the western part of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Post's online platforms are called '''RP ONLINE''' ({{IPA|de|ˈɛʁˌpeː ˈʔɔnlaɪn|pron}}) and '''Tonight.de'''.
==History and profile== ''Rheinische Post'' is one of the allied new foundations in the post-World War II era. NSDAP-opponents Karl Arnold, Anton Betz, Erich Wenderoth and (soon resigned) Friedrich Vogel received a British newspaper license. The newspaper was established in 1946<ref>{{cite web|title=World Press Trends|url=http://www.wan-ifra.org/system/files/field_article_file/WPT_Sample_report_Germany.pdf|work=WAN IFRA|access-date=4 April 2015|archive-date=28 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628101828/http://www.wan-ifra.org/system/files/field_article_file/WPT_Sample_report_Germany.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> and belongs to the Arnold, Betz, Droste, Alt and Ebel families. It is part of the ''Rheinische Post Mediengruppe'' which also owns newspapers like the ''Saarbrücker Zeitung'', the ''Lausitzer Rundschau'' or the ''Trierischer Volksfreund''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Die Geschichte der Rheinische Post Mediengruppe|url=https://www.rheinischepostmediengruppe.de/Unternehmen/Historie|publisher=Rheinische Post Mediengruppe|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>
The core distribution area stretches from the Bergisches Land to the Dutch border. There are 31 local editions, among them other regional newspapers, like the ''Neuß-Grevenbroicher Zeitung'', the ''Benrather Tageblatt'' and the ''Bocholter-Borkener Volksblatt'', which have their own regional news pages. The ''Rheinische Post'' is available at kiosks as well as through subscriptions. The paper is published in Rhenish format.<ref name=wan3/>
The circulation of ''Rheinische Post'' was 343,000 copies during the third quarter of 1992.<ref name=gh>{{cite web|author=Georg Hellack|title=Press, Radio and Television in the Federal Republic of Germany|url=http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED353617.pdf|work=Inter Nationes|access-date=3 April 2015|format=Report|date=1992}}</ref> In 2001 the paper had a circulation of 418,000 copies.<ref>{{cite news|author=Adam Smith|title=Europe's Top Papers|url=http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/164161/|access-date=5 February 2015|work=campaign|date=15 November 2002}}</ref> The circulation of the paper was 411,000 copies in 2004.<ref name=wan3>{{cite web|title=World Press Trends|url=http://www.wan-press.org/ecrire/upload/wpt2004.pdf|work=World Association of Newspapers|access-date=15 February 2015|location=Paris|date=2004|archive-date=8 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208082604/http://www.wan-press.org/ecrire/upload/wpt2004.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its circulation was 399,215 copies in the first quarter of 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=European Publishing Monitor|url=http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-du/gda/07/med-ind-germany_en.pdf|work=Turku School of Economics (Media Group)|access-date=27 March 2015|format=Report|date=March 2007|archive-date=10 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010103816/http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-du/gda/07/med-ind-germany_en.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2018, the circulation of the print version of Rheinische Post was about 280,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rheinische Post|url=https://www.rheinischepostmediengruppe.de/Geschaeftsfelder/Tageszeitungen/Rheinische-Post|publisher=Rheinische Post Mediengruppe|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>
== Editorial staff == Moritz Döbler has been the editor in chief since 2020.<ref name="döbler" /> Horst Thoren has been vice-editor since 1998, as well as Stefan Weigel who has been vice-editor, since 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Author profile of Stefan Weigel|url=http://www.rp-online.de/autor/stefan-weigel-sw/|website=RP ONLINE|publisher=Rheinische Post|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref> Eva Quadbeck is part of the editorial staff of Rheinische Post and is in charge of the newspaper's Berlin office.<ref>{{cite web|title=Author profile of Eva Quadbeck|url=http://www.rp-online.de/autor/eva-quadbeck-qua/|website=RP ONLINE|publisher=Rheinische Post|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref> Regional editorial staff give their opinions in news articles.<ref>[http://www.rp-online.de/public/article/regional/niederrheinnord/geldern/nachrichten/straelen/552406 – Subjektiver Beispielartkel aus der RP<!-- Automatisch generierter titel -->]</ref>
==Former editors== Joachim Sobotta, was editor from 1969 to 1997, he had a large impact on the style of the newspaper. Sven Gösmann's predecessor, Ulrich Reitz, is now editor of the ''Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung''; Reitz accomplished a range of editorial reforms and cancelled the dpa-ticker.<ref>Götz Hamann: [http://images.zeit.de/text/2003/25/zeitung-rp Die gelbe Gazette: Wie sieht die Zeitung des 21. Jahrhunderts aus? Vielleicht wie die 'Rheinische Post'. Sie hat in der Krise 170000 Leser hinzugewonnen] In: ''Die Zeit'' Nr. 25 12 June 2003, p. 22.</ref> Sven Gösmann held the office of editor in chief from 2005 until the end of 2013.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} Michael Bröcker was the editor in chief from 2014 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Michael Bröcker wird neuer RP-Chefredakteur |date=29 August 2013 |publisher=Rheinische Post Mediengruppe |url=https://www.rheinischepostmediengruppe.de/en/company/press/detail/show/michael-broecker-wird-neuer-rp-chefredakteur-54 |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=4 October 2020 |title='Das klassische Zeitungsmodell hat keine Zukunft' |url=https://www.journalist.de/startseite/detail/article/das-klassische-zeitungsmodell-hat-keine-zukunft |magazine=journalist |language=de |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
==Caricatures== Romulus Candea created political caricatures in the Seventies and Eighties. Nik Ebert assisted him from 1985, with emphasis on the local politics of Mönchengladbach. Nik Ebert also started the comic Düssel-Möwe (which portrays the adventures of an arrogant selfish seagull from Düsseldorf and his bird friends) in the Düsseldorf regional editions.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}
==Internet presence== The web edition of ''Rheinische Post'' is called RP ONLINE and publishes recent news from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the world. In December 2017, RP ONLINE generated about 19,764,115 visits from within Germany to their site.<ref>{{cite news|title=IVW-News-Top-50: Bild, upday, Welt und stern wachsen trotz Feiertagen gegen den Trend|url=http://meedia.de/2018/01/09/ivw-news-top-50-bild-upday-welt-und-stern-wachsen-trotz-feiertagen-gegen-den-trend/|access-date=23 January 2018|publisher=Meedia|date=9 January 2018}}</ref>
===Opinion reader portal=== This portal was launched in early 2005.<ref>{{cite news|title='Opinio': Von Lesern für Leser|url=http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/rhein-kreis/expo-real/opinio-von-lesern-fuer-leser-aid-1.151850|access-date=23 January 2018|publisher=Rheinische Post|date=1 February 2005}}</ref> Its readers could publish their own articles and thoughts. The first printed edition of ''Opinio'', which consisted of the best articles by readers, was first published on 16 February 2005. It was distributed as a monthly supplement in the newspaper. This supplement has been discontinued. A page of ''Opinio'' articles appeared once a week on an own page in the newspaper. ''Opinio'' was awarded a prize for its connection between the internet and printed media. Nowadays, Opinio no longer exists. However, readers can write comments on the newspaper's articles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Regeln für Leserkommentare auf RP ONLINE|url=http://www.rp-online.de/allgemeines/regeln-fuer-leserkommentare-auf-rp-online-aid-1.3041222|website=RP ONLINE|date=23 October 2012|publisher=Rheinische Post|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>
===Tonight.de=== RP ONLINE also runs a scene portal called Tonight.de. It reports on the night-life in Düsseldorf in print and photographs. Readers are informed of upcoming events. The portal was relaunched in November 2007.
== Editor-in-chiefs == * 1945 – 1958: Christoph von Imhoff * 1969 – 1997: Joachim Sobotta * 1997 – 2005: Ulrich Reitz * 2005 – 2013: Sven Gösmann * 2014 – 2019: Michael Bröcker * since 2020: Moritz Döbler
==See also== * List of newspapers in Germany
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.rp-online.de/ rp-online.de] - ''Rheinische Post'' online {{Commons}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1946 establishments in Germany Category:German-language newspapers Category:German news websites Category:Mass media in Düsseldorf Category:Daily newspapers published in Germany Category:Newspapers established in 1946 Category:Rheinische Post