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In your view, how has the relationship between politicians and media changed since the last federal elections in Germany?
From honeymoon phase to relationship crisis – that's the first thought that comes to mind with this question. A spirit of optimism surrounded the “traffic light” coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberal Democrats and they quite successfully snuggled up to the media – from Instagram to the FAZ. The opposition initially got lost in discussions about personnel. Now disappointment prevails on all sides. And so far, neither the established parties nor the media have managed to come up with a balanced approach for dealing with players on the far right and the far left alike. Everyone is mostly united in their fear for democracy, their stance on the war in Ukraine, and in keeping up the firewall against the far-right Alternative für Deutschland, but this also creates space for social division and victim narratives. It’s a situation that is complex and difficult to navigate.
What impact do the changes in the media landscape have on your day-to-day work?
Dynamics versus relevance are the key words that spring to mind. Digitalisation and the rise of social media have brought about major changes in the media landscape that have a strong impact on my work as a communicator. In my role as a “sender”, they require me to be able to adapt so that I can optimise the content I produce for the individual channels, to react quickly, and to employ a coherent multi-channel strategy. In my view it is a particular challenge to reconcile creativity and focus on data, in order to communicate effectively and measure the impact of my own messages. As a receiver I need efficient methods to filter useful material from the ever-growing mass of information that's out there. That can be quite stressful at times, but it also stimulates my sense of adventure.
How do political communications need to change to get through in particular to young people against the backdrop of the strong influence of TikTok and other social media? What will the implications be for the electoral campaigns in next year's federal elections?
This may be a platitude, but I need to take other people's individual situations into account if I want to win them over. We will thus most likely see a “memefication” of election campaigns in the battle to grab the attention of younger voters. But young people aren’t stupid. Simply being “goofy” on TikTok and the like won’t suffice. The established parties have prioritised the interests of the older generation over those of young people for the longest time, at least that’s what it feels like. Or have you seen any promises being made to address the particular concerns of Generation Z for their future? Those who are unable to rectify this impression through meaningful and fact-based messages will leave young voters frustrated – with or without TikTok.
A business graduate (Diplom-Kauffrau), Sabine Jeschke has been Head of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at LEG Immobilien SE since March 2018. She previously held various leadership roles in communications at the RWE Group and among other things was responsible for media relations for the IPO of innogy SE. She spent a period of time heading up the Executive Board office of RWE AG and also has experience in investor relations, marketing, BCM and central banking. She began her career in sales at a US branded goods company, before moving to public relations at the Deutsche Bundesbank.
Photo: Sabine Jeschke
