Freies Wort is the largest regional newspaper in southern Thuringia.

[1] It was first published as Das Freie Wort on 15 August 1952 with a circulation of 157,400 and was the smallest SED-controlled newspaper at the time and eight city desks.

After German reunification, the newspaper was privatised in 1991 and sold to Süddeutscher Verlag, Munich (which now holds 70%) and Deutsche Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft (owned by the SPD political party, holding 30%).

Freies Wort has seven local news desks: Freies Wort cooperates with the Meininger Mediengesellschaft mbH which issues the FW Meininger Tageblatt, the two newspapers share articles and sometimes whole pages.

Together with the newspapers Neue Presse (Coburg), Südthüringer Zeitung (Bad Salzungen) and Frankenpost (Hof) Freies Wort forms the "Regionalzeitungsgruppe Hof/Coburg/Suhl" operated by Süddeutscher Verlag.