Prof. Dr. Volker Wolff (1951-2026)

For more than twenty years—from 1995 to 2016—Volker Wolff taught and conducted research as a professor of “print journalism,” as it was formerly known. He was a tireless organizer, writer, and analyst—an old-school journalist in the very best sense of the word.

Originally a business journalist—first at “Handelsblatt” and “Capital”, then as editor-in-chief of “Wirtschaftswoche”—he brought invaluable practical experience from his professional career to the department. At the same time, as a professor, he took a keen interest in reflecting on the role and achievements of journalism. During Wolff’s time as professor in Mainz, the complex—and ultimately successful—transition of the curriculum from a special postgraduate program to a regular master’s program took place. For a time, he served as Dean of the Department of Social Sciences at JGU. Wolff’s dedication played a decisive role in firmly anchoring journalism education in Mainz within the university.

For Volker Wolff, viewing journalism as an institution essential to democracy—one that helps keep those in power in check—always meant that journalism itself must also be held accountable and subject to criticism, including through relevant research and vigilant media journalism. For him, the independence of journalism was paramount; he fought for a clear separation between journalistic content and the economic interests of media companies. He showed no mercy when it came to denouncing ethical violations.

Volker Wolff stood for quality journalism and high professional standards, to which the School of Journalism in Mainz remains committed to this day.

He had a particular affinity for forms of service journalism that promise practical value: carefully researched articles on financial topics, for example, such as those he wrote for the FAZ even during his far-too-short retirement. A commemorative volume published by Herbert von Halem Verlag on his 65th birthday was therefore titled “Journalism Between Autonomy and Practical Value” (edited by Karl Renner, Tanjev Schultz, and Jürgen Wilke). Through the diversity of the contributions and their authors, the volume demonstrates just how profoundly Wolff shaped the industry and how strongly he embodied the bridge between theory and practice. Volker Wolff’s textbook on “Newspaper and Magazine Journalism,” which he published five years ago together with Sabine Kieslich and Tanjev Schultz in a new, fully updated edition (also through Herbert von Halem Verlag), remains indispensable to this day for teaching the fundamentals at the School of Journalism. Prior to that, the book had already served as a central reference in the curriculum in two previous editions—and not just in Mainz.

Volker Wolff has trained and shaped several generations of journalists. Even in retirement, he remained engaged with developments at our School of Journalism, offering his colleagues advice and support on both the small and big questions of education (and life)—while otherwise emphasizing that he had no intention of interfering. Time and again, he expressed his delight that the journalism program in Mainz continues to be in high demand and produces graduates who work in the spirit of quality journalism and for many important media outlets. Our continuing education academies for consumer and financial journalism that he developed are still successfully offered today and continue to influence the daily professional lives of countless colleagues.

Volker Wolff still had so many plans, especially with his family, who meant the world to him. It is very sad that he can no longer make those plans a reality—and now we at the School of Journalism also sorely misses someone who did so much good and left such a lasting legacy.