Hauptreport (hauptreport.de) is committed to maintaining the highest editorial standards. We take all complaints about our content seriously and have established a clear procedure to address them promptly and transparently. Whether you believe an article contains an error, breaches our editorial policy, or falls short of our journalistic commitments, we want to hear from you.
How do I submit a complaint?
Send your complaint by email to complaints@hauptreport.de. Please include the article title or URL, a clear explanation of your concern, and how you believe our editorial standards have not been met. You can also use the general contact form at our Contact page if you prefer.
To help us process your complaint efficiently, provide your name and an email address for follow-up. We will acknowledge receipt within two working days. Anonymous complaints are accepted but may limit our ability to investigate fully.
What happens after I submit a complaint?
Your complaint will be logged and assigned to our fact-checking and corrections team, led by Melanie Winter, Ansvarig för faktagranskning (emma.sandberg@hauptreport.de). She will review the issue against our Editorial Policy and source standards.
We aim to provide a substantive response within ten working days. If the complaint concerns a factual error, we will investigate the source material and, if needed, issue a correction in line with our Corrections Policy. For complaints about editorial judgement or tone, the responsible editor will assess the article and reply with a reasoned decision.
Who is responsible for handling complaints?
Overall responsibility for complaints rests with Michael Schulte, Hauptreport’s Chefredaktör (anders.lindqvist@hauptreport.de). He makes final decisions on contested complaints and ensures our procedures are followed consistently.
Day‑to‑day handling is delegated to Melanie Winter and the editorial team. If your complaint is about a specific reporter or section, it may be reviewed by the relevant desk editor – for example, Tim Wolf for political coverage or Sarah Huber for economic content. All complaints are documented and reviewed by the Chefredaktör to identify any systemic issues.
What you can expect from us
You will receive a fair, impartial investigation carried out by editorial staff who were not involved in the original piece. We will treat your complaint confidentially and respect your privacy.
We will explain our findings clearly, whether we uphold the complaint or not. If a correction or clarification is warranted, it will be published on the article itself and noted in our corrections log. We never dismiss complaints without proper consideration.
Can I escalate my complaint?
If you are not satisfied with the initial response, you may escalate the matter to Michael Schulte directly by replying to the decision email or writing to anders.lindqvist@hauptreport.de. He will review the case afresh and issue a final ruling.
Escalation should occur within 14 days of the initial response. Michael Schulte will aim to respond within ten working days. His decision is the final stage of our internal procedure. For information on how we handle your personal data during this process, please see our Privacy Policy.
How do we handle corrections?
For detailed guidance on when and how we correct errors, please consult our Corrections Policy. This includes examples of significant and minor corrections, the use of correction notes, and our commitment to transparency.
If your complaint results in a correction, we will notify you and update the article promptly. We do not remove content solely because a complaint is made; changes are made only when our review confirms an error or breach of policy.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about this procedure or need help before submitting a complaint, please contact our editorial desk at editorial@hauptreport.de. For unrelated inquiries, visit our Contact page for the appropriate department. You can also read our full Editorial Policy to understand the standards we hold ourselves to.