German Publisher Creates Kid-Targeted Newspaper

Article written by guest writer Kecia Lynn

What’s the Latest Development?

Kruschel, a new newspaper named after a monster who “sleeps in…and eats newspapers because he likes fresh news” was launched this past spring by the German publisher Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main in an attempt to reach readers ages 7-11. It’s the first of its kind — a children’s newspaper reporting on current events — in Germany, which already enjoys a large newspaper readership: More than 68 percent of the 14-and-over population read a paper daily in 2011. So far Kruschel has about 2100 subscribers paying just under 5 euros (a little over US$6) a month.

What’s the Big Idea?

Approximately 76 percent of German newspaper publishers offer children’s content, but creating a paper just for kids carries financial risk. The British publisher of a financial newspaper for children that folded in 2009 says, “Listen, everybody loves children’s newspapers, but nobody wants to do it…because it’s very hard work and it’s not terribly profitable.” Publishers also have to deal with parents’ concerns about advertising and their unwillingness to spend too much money for a kids’ paper. Despite this, “[t]here’s…obvious interest in Germany in developing a new generation of newspaper readers and, in the case of a regional publisher…teaching them brand loyalty.”

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