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Bucher Porträts
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Kristiane Spitz
Chief editor of the Bucher Bote
If the readers remain faithful
In Buch, if a foundation stone is laid, or citizens meet to have a discussion at an event or famous Buch citizens talk about their lives – then without a doubt she will be there. Since 1996 Kristiane Spitz (41) has combined the posts of chief editor, author and sales manager of the Bucher Bote, the only Berlin district newspaper that is for sale and not given away free.
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In a print run of 4,000 copies, the Bucher Bote reports once a month from Buch and the surrounding communities. Costing one Euro, it is now hard to imagine the region without it. It all began as a selfhelp project. After reunification, Buch citizens who had become unemployed and those who had taken early retirement wanted to produce a newspaper for Buch under the aegis of the Albatros Association. The first edition of the Buch Bote appeared in September 1993.
Kristiane Spitz, who grew up in Buch until she was eighteen, studied journalism in Leipzig and then worked for a short period for the East Berlin Bauernecho (Farmers’ Echo). However, she did not get much satisfaction from this form of GDR journalism. She gave up her job before 1989 and after reunification she trained as a social worker. And it was as a social worker that she arrived at the Albatros selfhelp center in 1994. „Combining social work with producing a newspaper was great fun at that time“, says Kristiane Spitz today.
The paper has changed markedly since the first edition, the number of pages has increased from 8 to 16, and lots of new sections have been added. In addition, the catchment area has increased, and today the Bucher Bote also reports from Karow and the communities that belong to the surrounding Panketal region. Kristiane Spitz was very involved in the further development of the Bucher Bote. „It was great fun to publish a newspaper and put one’s own ideas into practice“, she says. She is also very grateful to be her own boss.
 Nevertheless, Kristiane Spitz does not struggle along without any help, a team of volunteers and honorary staff give her support. Once a month an honorary editorial committee meets and honorary authors contribute while receiving only a small allowance to cover expenses. The unemployed, pensioners and the handicapped help sell the newspaper. According to Kristiane Spitz „We have remained a selfhelp project.“.
However, the journalistic concept behind the Bucher Bote is a very professional one. Kristiane Spitz says that the Bucher Bote is not a newssheet that just carries adverts, even if, like any newspaper, it derives a lot of its income from adverts. She places a lot of value on basic research and offering serious and independent reporting. The readers respect this, and their number has remained steady in spite of a reduction in the region’s population over the years.
In spite of this, it is not an easy business. With the copies sold and the advertising, which is declining, the newspaper is just about able to make ends meet, a subsidy from Albatros is not a realistic option. Sometimes it almost gets too much for Kristiane Spitz. Working weekends and in the evenings is the rule rather than the exception. As far as her motivation is concerned, she says: „The reward is if the readers remain faithful and tell us that we are producing a good newspaper.“
The newspaper also makes an important contribution to networking in the health region of Berlin-Buch. The regional management here is really grateful for this!
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At this site you will find portraits of Buch's citizens and institutions that we think you will be interested in. New ones will be dispalyed each month.
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