How do I submit a complaint?
You can send a complaint directly to our dedicated complaints team at complaints@wochenanalyse.de. That address is checked during normal business hours (CET), and we aim to acknowledge receipt within two working days. Please include the article URL or headline, a clear explanation of what you believe is wrong, and any supporting evidence you have – for example a screenshot, a document or a link to an alternative source. If you prefer to complain by phone, you can call the editorial line on +49 30 577 013 49 and ask to speak to the fact-checking team, but we strongly recommend writing so that we have a clear record of your concern.
Your email does not need to be formal or legal in tone. A simple, factual description of the issue is enough. We will treat every complaint seriously, regardless of who sends it or how it is phrased. You will receive a personal reply, not an automated message, and we will explain the next steps.
What happens after I submit a complaint?
Once we receive your complaint, it is logged and assigned to a relevant member of our newsroom. For issues about accuracy or facts, the complaint goes directly to Lea Schreiber, our head of fact-checking (emma.sandberg@wochenanalyse.de). For matters concerning editorial judgement, tone or balance, the complaint is reviewed by Miriam Schwarz, the editor-in-chief for daily operations. In both cases, we will investigate the original reporting, check the sources used, and interview the writer and editor involved.
We aim to give you a substantive response within five working days. If the investigation takes longer – for example because we need to consult an external expert or retrieve archived material – we will let you know and give you an updated timeline. Our response will state clearly whether we uphold your complaint, partially uphold it, or reject it, and what action we have taken or will take. That action may include a correction, an update to the article, a note added to the piece, or, in serious cases, a retraction. Any correction is handled under our corrections policy and will be clearly marked at the top of the article.
What if I am not satisfied with the response?
If you believe your complaint was not handled properly or the response does not address your concern, you can escalate it directly to Peter Weber, our editor-in-chief and chairman of the editorial board. You can reach him at anders.lindqvist@wochenanalyse.de or by calling +46 8 525 030 61. Peter will personally review the case, including the original complaint, our investigation notes, and the final response. He will then issue a final decision on behalf of Wochenanalyse.de.
We ask that you escalate only after you have received a first response and you have good reason to believe the decision was flawed or incomplete. Peter will normally reply within seven working days. His decision is the final internal step. If you remain dissatisfied after that, you may raise the matter with an independent press ombudsman or regulatory body, though as a publisher registered in Gibraltar and Sweden we are not subject to any single national press council. We will nevertheless consider any external recommendation and publish a note if an independent body finds we were at fault.
For any complaint that touches on personal data or privacy, we also have a separate process under the privacy policy. You can contact our privacy officer at privacy@wochenanalyse.de.
How this works in practice
A concrete example: a reader named Anna noticed that an article about Swedish housing prices stated that “inflation-adjusted prices rose by 2.3% in May”, but she had seen official Statistics Sweden data showing a 1.8% rise. She emailed complaints@wochenanalyse.de with the headline and a link to the Statistics Sweden table. The fact-checking team, led by Lea Schreiber, reviewed the article, found that the writer had misread a seasonal adjustment figure, and confirmed the error. Within four working days, Anna received an apology, the article was corrected and a correction notice added, and the metadata was updated. Anna was offered the chance to comment on whether the resolution was satisfactory. She replied that it was, and the case was closed.
This example shows that we treat complaints as a way to improve our accuracy, not as a defensive exercise. We appreciate readers who take the time to help us get things right.
Who is ultimately responsible for complaints?
Wochenanalyse Media Ltd., the Gibraltar-registered company (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry) that owns and operates Wochenanalyse.de, is legally accountable for all editorial content. However, day-to-day responsibility for handling complaints lies with the editorial team in Sweden. The editor-in-chief, Peter Weber, has final authority over any correction, retraction or public statement. Our commercial partners and advertisers have no influence on complaint handling – editorial independence is absolute, as stated in our editorial policy.
If you wish to contact us about a complaint but prefer not to use email, you can write to our registered office: Office 9, Business Centre, Valletta, 0000, Malta, or call the main phone line: +356 2138 9009. Please mark postal correspondence “FAO Complaints” to ensure it reaches the right team. You can also use the contact form on our website, selecting “Complaint” as the subject.
In short
We take every complaint seriously, investigate it thoroughly, and respond within five working days with a clear decision. If you are not satisfied, you can escalate to our editor-in-chief Peter Weber, who will personally review your case. Our commitment is to correct mistakes openly, learn from them, and maintain the trust of our readers.