"NZZ Akzent" expands offering with Saturday series and new design
The «NZZ Akzent» podcast is adding an extra weekend episode. Starting February 7, the Saturday episodes will offer insights into the day-to-day work of NZZ correspondents around the world. This expansion will be accompanied by a fresh visual design.
The NZZ podcast with the widest reach has been accompanying listeners into the day with global stories and in-depth analyses for a good five and a half years. Now an in-depth Saturday episode complements the existing format: In around 25-minute episodes, host Simon Schaffer talks to NZZ correspondents about their work and everyday life abroad. Based on a key question about the current situation on the ground, insights are provided that range from analytical observations to personal experiences.
The expansion is based on feedback from a listener survey, which showed a clear interest in additional weekend episodes and more personal perspectives. "With the individual stories, we want to give our audience new perspectives on the geopolitical and social world situation - for an in-depth assessment with a personal touch," says Eric Gujer, Editor-in-Chief of NZZ.
Largest German-speaking network of correspondents
"The NZZ's network of correspondents is the largest among the German-language media. It enables us to report first-hand from the scenes of the world through editors who research, classify and explain on location," adds Gujer. Sarah Ziegler, Head of Podcast, emphasizes: "Our listeners have different needs at the weekend than during the week. We are taking this into account with the new, extended Saturday format."
The very first episodes take us into different worlds: Luzi Bernet, correspondent in Italy, reports on his encounter with Don Maurizio, a priest in the resistance against the Camorra. Markus Ackeret describes his experiences in Russia during the war years and Marie-Astrid Langer reports from Silicon Valley.
Fresh design for global character
Parallel to the program expansion, the visual appearance of the podcast is also being updated. "The fresh design underlines the global character of 'NZZ Akzent' and visualizes what it stands for: a piece of the world every day," says Sarah Ziegler. The first Saturday episode of "NZZ Akzent" will be available from February 7, 2026 on nzz.chfree of charge in the NZZ app and all popular podcast apps.
