Next scandal at ARD |
NDR employees complain about “political filters”
The list of grievances at the ARD is getting longer.
The latest revelation: At NDR, several employees complain that free reporting is sometimes not possible. That reports „Business Insider“ (like BILD belongs to Axel Springer) with reference to confidential investigation reports.
Accordingly, in the past two years, a total of nine NDR employees from the broadcasting center in Kiel have turned to the broadcaster’s editorial committee. The body serves as an internal contact point for complaints and is staffed by more than 20 journalists.
“Reporting partially prevented”
The allegations raised by the employees weigh heavily. “Reporting is partially prevented and critical information is downplayed,” it says, for example. Or: “Authors would be withdrawn and contributions would be massively changed in the approvals.” A “climate of fear” prevails.
There is also talk of a “political filter” in the complaints. Executives would sometimes act like “press spokespersons of the ministries” by denying the relevance of critical topics at an early stage.
“Sometimes it is not spoken of Prime Minister Daniel Günther or his deputy Heiner Garg, but of ‘Daniel’ or ‘Heiner’,” quotes the “Business Insider” from one of the reports.
The NDR responded to the revelations with a statement. It says: “NDR rejects the accusation that there is a ‘political filter’ in the Schleswig-Holstein state broadcasting station. Reporting is unbiased and independent.”
Nevertheless, shortly after the press inquiry from “Business Insider”, the employees of the NDR in Kiel were invited to an “informal exchange” next Friday.
Raffke scandal at RBB
“Surely many of you are just as stunned as I am by the news about the management of the RBB,” said the message from the director of the Kieler Rundfunkhaus, Volker Thormählen. “But the public focus is not just on the RBB. At NDR, we notice this from a veritable flood of press inquiries.”
There had been severe turbulence at RBB in recent weeks, among other things because of nepotism and wasting broadcasting fees, director Patricia Schlesinger (61) had resigned.
She was previously also ARD chairwoman, she had given up this post a few days earlier.
Former RBB director Patricia Schlesinger
In view of the allegations against the top broadcasters, the work of the supervisory bodies also came under criticism – because they had not intervened. After Schlesinger’s resignation, Wolf-Dieter Wolf (78) resigned as Chairman of the RBB Board of Directors, and a week and a half ago Friederike von Kirchbach (67) retired as Chairwoman of the Broadcasting Council.
In the meantime, the public prosecutor’s office is investigating ex-director Schlesinger. She was followed as managing director Hagen Brandstätter (63), the station’s administrative director.