After studying in Economics and Law in 1976, Michael Rutz joined the radio department of the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR) in Munich. Between 1979 and 1981 he reported as a foreign correspondent from the USA and Great Britain.

In 1985, he took over as head of the Economics Department of BR Radio. In 1987 he became deputy editor-in-chief and head of the department of politics and contemporary affairs of BR Television. 1989 he accepted an offer of the private broadcasting station Sat.1 as its chief editor. Five years later he went in the same function to the political weekly newspaper Rheinischer Merkur. He remained with this political weekly until its sale in 2010.

Michael Rutz made a name for himself not only as a radio and print journalist, but also as the author of numerous political television documentaries. For German Television ARD he has portrayed politicians such as Helmut Kohl, Wolfgang Schäuble and Angela Merkel.

As author and editor of numerous books, he dealt with topics of education, economic, social and foreign policy as well as the effects of information technology innovations on our society. His special interest is in the history and present of Europe.

In 2011 he founded Prof. Rutz Communications GmbH and in 2018 additionally Faktor 3 Public Sense GmbH, both headquartered in Berlin, of which he is the managing partner.

As a member of the Executive Board of the German-Russian Forum (DRF), he is involved in the improvement of civil society relations between the two countries. He is actively committed to environmental protection as a member of the board of directors of the Verein Naturschutzpark VNP in the Lüneburg Heath. Since 2018 Rutz has also been president of the Guardini Foundation e.V., Berlin. Since 2020 he is a member of the board of the Stiftung Demoskopie Allensbach.

Michael Rutz is an honorary professor at the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences in the television department.