Siemens press office turns 120

Founded in Berlin on February 8, 1902
One of first corporate press offices in Germany

On this day, 120 years ago, Siemens’ Central Press Office was founded in Berlin – making Siemens one of the first German companies to professionalize its press work. This development was preceded by a conference on the company’s “literary affairs,” at which participants complained of an “increasing dispersion of Siemens’ newspaper, advertising and news activities.” The solution was to establish a Central Press Office, and a Circular was issued on February 8, 1902, to officially announce this step.

“Today is an opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to all the journalists who have covered our company over the years, and to acknowledge their work and that of their predecessors,” said Lynette Jackson, Head of Global Communications at Siemens. “Professional journalism is more important than ever, especially when it can be difficult to distinguish between news and fake news. We aim to provide high quality, timely content and access so that journalists can inform and educate their readers about our business.”
The tasks carried out by the Siemens press office have constantly developed over the last 120 years and have been tailored to keep pace with technological progress. For example, the company’s interactive media website with thousands of visits a month and the Siemens_Press Twitter account, which has over 40,000 followers, are key communications channels for the company today.

“In-person exchanges between the company and media representatives are still crucial for press work. Our team of spokespersons are therefore still available to speak with journalists at any time by phone or – during the pandemic – also via video call,” said Florian Martens, Head of Media Relations and Executive Communications at Siemens.

Data analytics also play an increasingly important role in media work. The purpose of professional press work, however, has largely remained the same: to provide relevant and interesting information, to analyze the facts and to be available to the media as a trustworthy contact.