Swen Thissen becomes deputy editor-in-chief of t-online / Ronja Brier becomes editor-in-chief of watson.de

t-online has appointed Swen Thissen as its new deputy editor-in-chief. He is moving to t-online from its sister portal watson.de, where he was previously editor-in-chief, and will take up his new position on 1 September 2025. He is succeeding Florian Wichert, who is leaving t-online at his own request. The editor-in-chief of t-online leads the twelve-member editorial management team at t-online.

Ronja Brier will be the new editor-in-chief at watson.de, taking up her post on 1 September 2025. She was previously deputy editor-in-chief there.

t-online editor-in-chief Florian Harms says: “I am delighted to have Swen, a professional journalist and highly respected colleague, as my deputy. With his digital expertise and clear, empathetic leadership style, he will shape the further development of t-online as a leading digital media brand.”

Swen Thissen: “I have great respect for the successful work and journalistic mission of t-online. An impressive team has formed here over the years. I feel honoured to be able contribute to the magazine’s success and help shape the work of the editorial department in the future. At the same time, I am convinced that Ronja will continue to do an excellent job of pursuing the path that we embarked on together at watson.de.”

Marc Schmitz, CEO of Ströer Content Group: “Ronja is an outstanding new editor-in-chief for the editorial department at watson.de. Thanks to her experience in online publishing, her creativity and her keen sense of the needs of young users, the portal is in the best of hands.”

Ronja Brier: “I am extremely excited about my new role in this team, which is made up of such passionate and curious colleagues. Together at watson.de, we will produce news for young people in a lively, constructive format, covering the full range of topics. I am grateful for the great working relationship that I have enjoyed with Swen and for his confidence in my work.”

Swen Thissen (41) has been a journalist for around 20 years and editor-in-chief of watson.de since 2022. Previously, he led the digital editorial department at “Stern” magazine.

Ronja Brier (37) has been deputy editor-in-chief of watson.de since September 2022. Previously, she was deputy head of the digital desk at the “Saarbrücker Zeitung” newspaper and worked in Berlin and San Francisco for “Bild” and “Bild am Sonntag”.

t-online reaches 47 million people every month on the internet and by public video. watson.de is the leading news portal for young people in Germany.