Rums

In the face of Münster's lack of news diversity, the co-founders of RUMS came together to provide an alternative to the two dominant newspapers, financed and filled with content by the same media company.

RUMS aims to contribute to a democratic society by providing diverse perspectives and inspiration for political engagement. As such, the organisation sees journalism "as an opportunity to observe and explain the world in a differentiated way, beyond blinkers, polarising world views, and economic constraints".

RUMS focuses on decisions, plans, and projects in politics, economics, environment, and culture. In doing so, the newsroom explicitly references other areas and countries and highlights the mode of interaction and community life. Common topics include living costs, social aspects, diversity, the impact of the climate crisis, and transport issues.

Its promise to audiences is well-researched, contextualised, and easily understandable information that provides different perspectives on the events happening in the city. The newsroom engages closely with the community as idea-givers and critical friends.

RUMS is a social enterprise financed through memberships and a starting capital provided by 16 value-aligned shareholders. Its members-only newsletter is sent out on Tuesday and Friday evenings and includes long-form analyses, short news, cultural recommendations, and "unpaid adverts" (for example, inspiration for coffee shops, restaurants, and bars or services to visit and use in Münster).

On Sundays, it publishes an opinion piece written by six to eight rotating authors, closely intertwined with the city's history and its present. RUMS won the Netzwende Award for sustainable media innovation in 2020.