10 Years of Upscore – Dynamic Dialogue on Financing Digital Journalism – Anniversary Event

On 20 May 2026, an exceptional industry event took place at the villa in the Heine Park on Elbchaussee in Hamburg. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of Upscore, the publishing intelligence platform already being used by 350 media outlets in nine European countries. Under the theme“How do we finance quality journalism in the digital age?”, both the company's milestones were celebrated and key future questions of digital journalism were discussed.

Hamburg. Andreas Demuth, founder and managing director of Upscore, opened the event with a look back at the company’s history: “When we launched the publishing intelligence platform ten years ago, our vision was clear – to create powerful digital tools for editorial teams that help media companies succeed and master the transformation to digital.” Demuth emphasised that demands on Upscore as a data platform continue to rise – particularly in times of AI, with a special focus on data sovereignty and monetisation. “We are constantly developing the product further. The mission is clear: we do everything to strengthen digital quality journalism!”

Dr. Claas Schüddekopf, Head of the Media Department, extended congratulations from the city of Hamburg, also on behalf of Senator Dr. Carsten Brosda. In his keynote, he highlighted not only the economic but also the structural challenges facing journalism. It remains a fundamental political question, he said, to determine what the public must do to support strong and independent journalism. “The Upscore platform stands for innovation, dialogue, and for bringing together technology and editorial standards,” said Schüddekopf, reflecting on the company's role. The future of quality journalism itself remains uncertain, he said. It will emerge through a mix of innovation, regulation, social cohesion, and dialogue, as seen today at this industry gathering.

Inspiration and perspectives: How can quality journalism be sustainably financed?

The event featured inspiring talks and innovative approaches to journalism funding. The discussion was moderated by Marvin Schade, editor-in-chief at Medieninsider.de.

With her keynote on “The long journey into Digital”, managing director Dr. Christiane Düts gave an exceptional insight into the media development of 'der Freitag' and the complexity of its technical infrastructure. Ultimately, with Upscore, they succeeded in making data understandable – “translating numbers for page and topic planning”. She emphasised that management’s role is also to explain, using data, what customers want to read. Thanks to data-driven decision-making, 'der Freitag' is now well positioned to continue with reader-funded journalism into the future, while remaining highly adaptable.

Particularly interesting for the invited guests was how “taz” succeeded in bringing about a “page turn” – their move away from daily print. The cooperative paved the way for digital transformation last autumn and, as Ann-Kathrin Liedtke (responsible for Membership Growth and Paid Strategy at taz) reported, the transition has been very successful: conversion rates to alternative digital subscription products even exceeded targets at 88 percent. The publisher still makes all content available free of charge via the voluntary “taz – I’ll pay” model. The audience had a laugh at the remark that, thanks to “hand-holding” former print customers, many staff members are now experts in setting up iPads and WiFi.

Johannes Vogel, Chief Product & Revenue Officer at Stern (GEO, Capital), spoke about the role of artificial intelligence in the media sector. For example, he noted, if an AI “hallucinates” and falsely claims someone embezzled funds because it cannot distinguish the satire section of Stern from the comments, the tech giants simply say the system is not yet perfect. “That’s why we call for a regulatory framework that puts LLMs in a liability category of their own. Wherever there is editorial impact, there must also be editorial responsibility,” argued the manager of the RTL News group. The LLM business model is a paradox, he continued. “They are biting the hand that feeds them, without currently having a functioning business model of their own. If we allow the funding of quality journalism to be ruined by AI models, then in a few years we will have no reliable facts left.” He was especially critical of the fact that these systems feed on opinion media and news influencers, who often do not follow journalistic standards. He ended with a regulatory question: “Can a society function in the long term if those with the greatest editorial reach are not held to similar editorial responsibility? If responsibility is no longer profitable, it simply disappears.”

Arist von Harpe, managing director and owner of Hamburger Morgenpost (MOPO), described how the newspaper had been “passed around quite a bit”, outlining the turbulent recent history of this Hamburg institution. However, he noted that economic pressure also generates a lot of energy and has provided much motivation to find solutions. For MOPO, the advertising business remains essential to financing journalistic work. Harpe is on the lookout for “the clever idea that will get people to really pay for it,” he concluded. “We keep fighting undeterred!”

Cordula Schmitz, digital editor-in-chief at Hamburger Abendblatt, is no cultural pessimist: “We’re solving the problems,” was her message. As a local newspaper, she said, there’s the advantage of having a geographically limited market. Schmitz presented several theses that guide her editorial team, including the evolution from news journalism towards relationship journalism. Once you’ve built a close connection to your readers, even AI cannot shake it.

“Do young people still care about quality journalism?” asked Marvin Schade, introducing Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christopher Buschow’s contribution from Hamburg Media School on reaching the “next generation” as customers. One thesis: very few young people today actively seek out journalism, which is partly due to product and distribution formats. Referencing findings from a youth study he highlighted the noteworthy use of AI systems among young audiences, with researchers now assuming this can no longer be “undone”. In the latest study, 12- to 19-year-olds reported already using such a tool, a rise of 27 percentage points year on year. “How do we deal with this window of opportunity?” asked Buschow, proposing: “Journalism needs to become much more involved.”

Panel discussion: Looking to the future

The highlight of the day was the lively and pluralistic panel that followed these inputs (transcript to follow). After the professional exchange among the many media experts, the evening at the Villa im Heine Park concluded in a convivial atmosphere, with guests enjoying personal conversations. Upscore founder Andreas Demuth rounded off the evening with a look ahead: “Our goal remains to actively shape digital transformation – with technology, creativity and trust. Let’s take on the next ten years together.”

The anniversary event from Upscore set a strong example for the future of quality journalism in the digital age. With inspiring perspectives, intelligent approaches and a focus on joint solutions, the event will be remembered as a milestone for the industry.