At last! Today I started work at Bild-Zeitung, far and away the highest-circulation newspaper in Germany. It sells on the order of 4 million copies a day. USA Today, the top U.S. paper, has a little over 2 million circulation. And there are only a quarter as many people in Germany. So, we’re talking about a very influential newspaper. Oh yes – and it’s a tabloid.

If you go look at Bild‘s website, you don’t need to speak German to notice something about it: lots of sex and violence. The print edition has a naked lady on the front page every day. There may also be more naked ladies on the inside of the newspaper – you never know what naked lady news may have broken in the last 24 hours – but you’re definitely guaranteed one on the front page. I think more U.S. publications should consider adding this feature, because it clearly sells papers.

I only went in for a few hours this afternoon, so I can only report that the people are really nice and there’s bottled water for all in the printer room:

It’s sparkly water, of course.