Editorial topics Report 2026: Media agenda shifts to business and technology

The media landscape in German-speaking countries is undergoing a significant change in terms of content: The «Editorial Topics Report 2026» shows that the editorial agenda is increasingly shifting from consumer-oriented content to business and technology-driven focal points.

The analysis is based on the planned editorial topics of 5,161 newspapers, consumer and specialist media from the D/A/CH region. It is based on data from the Topic Pro database.

Real estate dominates - technology gains significantly

With 8,962 planned topics, real estate is the most important media topic, followed by energy and technology. The technology sector is developing particularly dynamically with an increase of 321 topics compared to the previous year, while travel topics in particular are declining significantly, losing 425 topics.

This development underscores a structural change: economic conditions and social transformations are increasingly shaping editorial planning.

Clear seasonal patterns determine reporting

The analysis shows clear temporal priorities: Travel and environmental topics are concentrated in the spring, while financial topics dominate the second half of the year. Technology is relevant all year round, with peaks in spring and fall.

For communications managers, this means that the right timing is crucial to the success of PR measures.

Clear differences between media genres

The analysis by media genre also shows clear differences: consumer media continue to focus heavily on food and lifestyle content, while innovation-driven topics dominate in specialist media.

Relevance for PR and corporate communications

A key finding of the report: editorial teams often plan content several months in advance. «Successful PR is geared towards the topics, deadlines and target groups of the media. If you know when which content is in demand, you can manage communication much more effectively,» says Fabian Gerstenberg, Managing Director of Mount Barley Publishing, summarizing the study.

Mount Barley Publishing is a specialized information and PR service provider based in Neustadt in Holstein and was founded in 2012. The company supports PR agencies and the press departments of companies and associations in managing their media communication in a targeted and successful manner. Its core product is the Topic Pro topic and media database, which provides a comprehensive overview of planned editorial topics for media in German-speaking countries.