2. Business performance

Overall, dpa can look back on a successful and future-orientated year – despite the aftermath of the pandemic and the economic consequences of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The agency’s development went according to plan and, in summary, can be described as stable. Continued consistent cost management together with steady revenues in the core business and renewed progress in growth markets are keeping dpa on a safe course.

The effects of the Russian attack on Ukraine kept dpa intensively busy during the year under review. Despite the difficult working conditions in Russia and the often dangerous situation on the ground in Ukraine, the German Press Agency succeeded in ensuring continuous and reliable news coverage. The correspondents in the world’s capitals, together with the staff in Germany, coped very well with the intense news situation. Thanks to prudent planning and the commitment of the editorial staff, dpa has always been able to meet the manifold expectations of an international news agency.

Also of overarching importance for the entire dpa group was the easing of the coronavirus pandemic. Even though the protective measures to deal with the pandemic could not yet be completely lifted by the executive board and editorial board, employees returned to work in the offices at the various locations in growing numbers. Decentralised team organisation and widespread working from home will continue to be an integral part of the new working worlds beyond the end of the pandemic.

In addition to the ongoing situation in Ukraine and its impact on politics, the economy, and society, dpa dealt with numerous projects and initiatives in the 2022 fiscal year. The focus was once again on the long-term “Magic Marketplace” transformation process – in other words, the concept of an overarching and networked digital platform on which the agency’s services and those of external partners can be accessed with the help of the dpa ID. Around 30,000 media professionals and communications professionals now have a dpa ID. In addition to the Zazu and 23° Grale companies, the dpa e-paper service has recently been added.

The healthy economic foundation on which dpa’s innovation and investment projects depend was strengthened during the year by more customers switching to the new pricing model. In the meantime, 86% of daily newspaper publishers purchase dpa services on the basis of integrated print and online coverage. In the area of private radio stations, too, the new pricing model now applies to more than three quarters of all customers (76%). Further changes are on the agenda for 2023. The introduction of the new calculation basis can be seen as a sustainable and long-term success.

Another major change project at dpa is the new newsroom in Berlin. Conceptual preparatory work, organisational development, planning and procurement, as well as concrete construction measures have determined the agenda during 2022. The newsroom, just a few steps away from the previous location in Markgrafenstraße, reflects the current requirements for a contemporary journalistic workspace and the ongoing change in the media. dpa has further developed the newsroom idea of the 2010s in numerous aspects and transferred it to a decentralised working environment in which a large number of employees work from home or other locations. The new central newsroom on Rudi-Dutschke-Straße is a modern production space for multimedia content (audio and video studios), a meeting place for employees, a workspace with shared desks that can be used as needed, and a showcase and anchor space for the agency’s customers and partners.