Founded in 2000 by Leonhard Ottinger and news anchor Peter Kloeppel, the RTL School of Journalism celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026. 

Since welcoming its first class on 2 January 2001, the school has grown into a future-focused training centre with an emphasis on digital media, television and multimedia journalism. To mark this milestone, Managing Director Leonhard Ottinger reflects on the school’s development, its relationship with RTL Deutschland, and the future of journalism.

The RTL School of Journalism welcomed its first class on 2 January 2001. How has the school evolved over the past 25 years?

“A school that consistently focused on television journalism was a novelty at the time and an exciting challenge for us. Our greatest role model was the Henri Nannen School, which Peter Kloeppel himself had attended. Following this model, we developed our combination of theory and many internships, which still exists today for the two-year training programme. The same applies to our small core team, which, alongside me, consists of my assistant Jutta Lindemann, cameraman Winfried von Wilsmdorff, and, since October 2024, Head of Training Simon Hof as well as Kristine Schmidt, Head of Internal Training.

Our aim was and is to cover all facets of video journalism while always keeping our finger on the pulse. Over the years, the school has become a recognised talent factory for television, online, and video journalism. A total of 353 graduates have learned their craft with us. Today, they work at RTL, public broadcasters, in TV production companies, or in print, online, or radio journalism. Others have founded their own companies. We are very proud that our graduates are now shaping the journalism landscape in such significant ways. In addition, the school has also made a name for itself as a provider of external workshops by significantly expanding this branch.”

The school places a strong focus on digital media. How has the curriculum changed in recent years to reflect developments in digital and multimedia journalism?

“That’s right. Journalism has changed significantly due to new storytelling formats, platform logic, and developments such as artificial intelligence. The RTL School of Journalism has always played an active role in shaping this change and has continuously developed its training concept. When the school first started, YouTube didn't yet exist in Germany, and social media journalism was not even on the horizon. In 2010, we made a major adjustment to our curriculum in response to digital developments, adding topics such as mobile reporting (smartphone journalism), data journalism and web video production.

Another important step followed in 2023, when we incorporated topics related to AI and journalism into the curriculum. We always take a very close look at current developments and what adjustments may be necessary as a result.”

How do you ensure that the school remains future-proof in a rapidly changing media landscape?

“We work very closely with practitioners and are in constant dialogue with our trainers, experts at RTL and our cooperation partners, such as other journalism schools and academies. Analysis of media and journalism reporting as well as the evaluation of current studies such as the Reuters Institute Digital News Report complement this approach.”

What synergies exist between the RTL School of Journalism and RTL Deutschland? How do the two support and benefit from each other?

“RTL Deutschland is the main shareholder of the RTL School of Journalism; the other shareholder is the Landesanstalt für Medien NRW (Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia). Accordingly, RTL Deutschland provides the budget for staff and the training programme. Many of our trainers are experienced journalists and experts from RTL Deutschland. Furthermore, our students gain their practical experience primarily at RTL Deutschland’s channels and companies. During this time, they contribute their own ideas, write articles, produce videos and reports – in short, they create content.

Two-thirds of students from the most recent cohorts have remained within the company after completing their training. In addition to our school, RTL Deutschland also runs the Henri Nannen School. We are also in close contact with this school, exchanging speakers and helping each other with practical placements. In this way, we mutually benefit from each other’s experience and expertise.”

What can guests expect at the 25th anniversary celebration on 3 March in Cologne?

“We are delighted that we were able to secure Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Tobias Schmid, Director of the Landesanstalt für Medien NRW, as speakers. We will also be showing a film about the RTL School of Journalism that brings to life the history and faces of the past 25 years. A musical surprise will round off the programme, but I don't want to give too much away just yet!”

Looking back on 25 years as Founder and Managing Director, what is your personal favourite memory?

“My consistent highlight is meeting all the young people who come to our school. Each cohort arrives with new life experiences, new perspectives on life, and new personalities. I find that incredibly enriching. And our excursions are always a special experience, too.

I particularly remember our trips to the United States, where we met CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper for background discussions. I also recall our meeting with the CBS reporters whose dust-covered faces were broadcast around the world on 9/11, and who shared their experiences in New York with us just six months later.”

What advice would you give to young people who are just beginning their education in journalism today? 

“Even though the media industry faces difficult challenges, journalism is a profession with a future. There are plenty of journalistic tasks that can only be performed by humans, not by AI or machines. Be curious, enjoy approaching people, research the facts and enjoy telling stories. Then you have the most important qualities for good journalism.”

Are there particular alumni success stories that make you especially proud?

“I am generally proud of the many graduates who are shaping journalism in Germany today – regardless of the career path they ultimately chose. The fact that five graduates from the very first cohort found jobs at public broadcasters, even though no one could have known at the time what our alumni were actually capable of, made me very proud. Apparently, word had quickly spread that we offered high-quality training. Speaking of the first graduating class: the fact that Martin Gradl, a graduate of our very first class, is now Managing Director of RTL News is, of course, a very special story.”