Deutsche Welle (DW) has announced the appointment of Barbara Massing as its new Director-General, effective 1 October 2025. She succeeded Peter Limbourg and became the first woman to hold this position since DW was founded in 1953.
Currently serving as DW’s Managing Director for Business Administration, Massing has played a crucial role in expanding the broadcaster’s programming and enhancing organisational efficiency. She has committed to maintaining DW’s status as an independent and reliable global voice, emphasising the significance of fact-based journalism amid the rising challenges of AI-fueled misinformation.
A qualified lawyer, Massing joined DW in 2006 and joined the Management Team in 2014. Before her role at DW, she worked as a producer for the German public broadcaster ARD and the Franco-German broadcaster Arte.
DW’s Broadcasting Council unanimously approved her appointment.
