Ostsee-Zeitung

Ostsee-Zeitung (OZ) is the highest-circulation regional daily newspaper in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. According to IVW figures, approximately 73,000 copies were sold per publication day in 2024, representing exceptional market penetration for the sparsely populated region. The newspaper is published Monday through Saturday in ten local editions, combining news from cities and districts with state politics, business, sports, and maritime topics. National content is supplied by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) from parent publisher Madsack.
The newspaper is published by Ostsee-Zeitung GmbH & Co. KG based in Rostock. Since 2009, the company has been fully controlled by Madsack Mediengruppe, in which the SPD-affiliated holding DDVG holds 23 percent. The current OZ was established in 1952 as an organ of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) and became independent following the 1990 peaceful revolution through grassroots democratic processes. It was acquired by Lübecker Nachrichten in 1991. Following several ownership changes, rationalization measures were implemented, including the relocation of printing from Rostock to Neubrandenburg in March 2023, which resulted in 45 job losses. Reader engagement programs such as "Newspaper in Schools" (ZiSch) and regional events further strengthen the brand.
The OZ faced criticism from the German Press Council in 2006 for inadequate separation of advertising and editorial content, and in 2021 for insufficient transparency regarding state coronavirus relief funds. Since June 2024, Kathrin Schultka and Rainer Strunk have led the publisher as the new management team, with a particular focus on accelerating digital transformation. Editorially, the newspaper positions itself as politically independent and locally rooted, though SPD involvement in Madsack is regularly subject to media criticism. Despite declining print circulation, Ostsee-Zeitung remains a leading journalistic brand in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.