Overview
- BR announced Tuesday that Sophie von der Tann will end her five-year term as ARD’s Tel Aviv correspondent and return to Germany at the end of July, with Pia Steckelbach set to assume the role on 1 September 2026.
- Bayerischer Rundfunk describes the change as a routine turnusmäßiger Wechsel and says von der Tann will remain at BR to develop new foreign-reporting formats and keep engaging younger audiences through social media.
- Pia Steckelbach brings more than six years living in Israel, fluent Hebrew and Arabic, ARD studio experience since autumn 2023, and prior reporting work at i24NEWS that included coverage of the early‑2023 Turkey earthquake.
- Von der Tann rose to national prominence for her live coverage after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and won major journalism awards, yet she has faced sharp criticism from figures such as Arye Shalicar and Israel’s ambassador Ron Prosor and received a public defence from 72 Middle East correspondents.
- The handover aims to preserve ARD’s on‑the‑ground reporting in a volatile region, with the broadcaster planning to watch how Steckelbach’s local language skills and von der Tann’s new multimedia roles affect reporting continuity and audience reach.