From Würzburg into the world

Which jobs do graduates from the University of Würzburg work in? To present different perspectives to students, Michaela Thiel, the director of the central alumni network, has interviewed selected alumni. This time, it is Ulrich Reitz's turn.

Alumnus Ulrich Reitz studied for the Business Integration MBA at the University of Würzburg. Today, he is the senior business editor of news channel n-tv.

Mr Reitz, how did you like Würzburg and the university? The city offers culture; the university offers educational excellence. I appreciated this double benefit of the university. Moreover, I was born in Franconia, so Würzburg will always be a piece of home for me.

Can you describe your typical day at work to us? I often ask myself the same question... What's typical about my day at work is certainly getting up to date on and discussing the news situation, deciding about the broadcasting sequence. This is the same whether I am in the Cologne office or travelling to interviews or events. Relevance and speed are decisive in my job working for a news channel.

Is the old adage "If it bleeds, it leads" still true? If so, what is your opinion on this? It is a major issue we media people face every day. And there is some truth to it after all: "Dog bites man" isn't worth reporting, whereas the other way round it is newsworthy. The media are only capable of covering a very small fraction of reality. I believe that our focus at n-tv is not on "bad news" but rather on "news you can use", meaning such information which is useful to know. We always try to incorporate good news in our daily coverage and our events such as the "Hidden Champion" award for medium-sized businesses.

Which traits are important for a business editor? Curiosity, openness and a generally understandable language are certainly fundamental requirements of journalism - also for business journalists. A pinch of expert knowledge won't do any harm either to be able to ask the right questions. This is why my MBA has paid off repeatedly during my everyday work.

What do you like most about your job? That it allows me to satisfy my curiosity. And that I can contribute my modest means for the benefit of informing, educating and entertaining our target group.

What would you recommend to students who want to pursue a similar career? Education and training provide a solid foundation for working life. Then study what you enjoy. Be open, outgoing, communicative and willing to learn. Also, enjoy your skills in new technologies and media, because the job of a journalist will continue to change towards cross-media abilities at the same rate as our lives are becoming increasingly digital.

Thank you for the interview.

If you want to learn more about the alumni network of the University of Würzburg or to register, follow the link below.