These days, one-sidedness and intransigence are once again shaping the public image of public broadcasting. Day after day, we are confronted with a supposed objectivity that in reality largely pursues a left-wing agenda. We need broadcasting that reports impartially, provides a platform for genuine debate, and reflects the diversity of opinions in our society.
Key takeaways
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Germany's public broadcasting is accused of having a systemic left-wing bias that actively silences and mocks conservative viewpoints.
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This is proven by incidents like hosts shutting down debates, satirists making career-ending accusations, and youth channels equating conservatives with the far-right.
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A lack of accountability for these failures is fueling public anger and leading to calls for drastic reforms, including defunding specific programs.
Commentary By:
Jan Stausberg
Jan Stausberg is a trained media specialist. He is currently studying journalism and politics. He lives in Mainz, where he is also active in local politics.
Writing about public broadcasting is frustrating and feels like regularly running into a wall. It's not much fun, and at some point you start to doubt your own sanity. Nevertheless, it's important to talk about the problems in this area. The reasons for this are manifold, as a look at the last few weeks shows.
One of the most recent incidents occurred on the program “Hart aber Fair” (Tough but Fair). Lisa Schäfer, a local politician from the CDU, spoke on the program about her experiences in problematic neighborhoods and also addressed the issue of the lack of integration of some migrants in our country. As a woman, one would feel uncomfortable here.
But instead of delving deeper into the topic—after all, the program was about sexism—the host just made snide remarks. What's more, the young politician was downright humiliated by host Louis Klamroth.
Klamroth, who is in a relationship with environmental activist Luisa Neubauer, actually asked whether Schäfer spoke English. Klamroth was well aware of which group the politician was targeting. Left-wing derailing at prime time.
It is regrettable that, once again, a debate on the ability of young migrants to integrate was stifled, suppressed, and ridiculed in a program broadcast by a public broadcaster. This deliberate framing has nothing to do with serious and reputable journalism, but amounted to nothing less than a gag order.
This episode is symptomatic of the behavior of an institution that, although financed by the general public, prefers to produce opinion journalism for its own green-tinged bubble. Even when the presenter was replaced by Neubauer's lover, voices were raised questioning Klamroth's impartiality and neutrality. These critics now feel vindicated.
The devastating ratings show just how little the program currently appeals to the general public. WDR is reportedly considering whether to continue with the program, which Klamroth took over from Frank Plasberg at the beginning of the year. The ratings are in free fall.
Klamroth also faced accusations of hypocrisy. The presenter, who attaches great importance to climate justice, flew straight back to Berlin the day after the scandalous broadcast. He took a domestic flight instead of the train. This caused amusement and head-shaking on Twitter.
And indeed, we must ask ourselves: How do the constant appeals for restraint on the part of public broadcasters fit in with the obviously completely opposite reality of life on the part of their employees? But that is only a side note here.
The universally popular satirical show “Heute Show” with Oliver Welke also came under fire a few days ago. Actress and cabaret artist Christine Prayon, who had previously appeared on the show as Birte Schneider, announced her departure from the program and launched a broadside attack. She, too, complains of ideological bias: “I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the way the major social issues since Corona have been dealt with.”
Prayon also spoke with those responsible and emphasized that she did not want to participate in “ridiculing those who think differently.” In the opinion of the cabaret artists, satire should not focus on narrowing the discourse. “And now exactly the same thing is happening again with the war in Ukraine. The narratives and positions of groups that are high up in the social hierarchy are being repeated incessantly, while at the same time sentiment is being stirred up against those who think differently. In my opinion, this has nothing to do with satire anymore.”
Jan Böhmermann is also criticized by Prayon. He claims that Böhmermann reinforced common narratives: “I can still remember one show very well. It was about unvaccinated people, and then he leaned back and gave them the middle finger. I thought, how can you do that?” Prayon does not completely rule out future involvement in public broadcasting, but wants to take a break for now.
The Arne Schönbohm case also clearly shows how unrestrained parts of the public sector have become and how little resistance there is to such actions. Especially ZDF satirist Jan Böhmermann.
In November last year, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) dismissed Schönbohm as BSI president after Böhmermann claimed on his show that Schönbohm had close ties to a cyber association with alleged contacts to Russian intelligence services.
Faeser then transferred Schönbohm to the Federal Academy of Public Administration, citing a “broken relationship of trust” as the reason.
However, there were no discussions between Interior Minister Faeser and Schönbohm about the allegations. Doubts about the allegations themselves also arose at an early stage. The interior minister was then accused of acting hastily and thereby unnecessarily damaging Schönbohm's reputation. A civil service career was thus destroyed on the basis of unfounded allegations and malicious ZDF campaigns.
However, the one-sided propaganda of public broadcasting is particularly pronounced in its youth division “Funk.” Recently, an Instagram story caused outrage there. The advertised video was about right-wing parties, with the Union parties being placed on a par with the AfD and NPD.
The preview image even showed the logos of these parties side by side. The teaser “Björn Höcke, Alice Weidel, Friedrich Merz, and Markus Söder have something in common: they are right-wing” also led to fierce criticism.
Although the Instagram post has since been deleted and apologies have been issued by the Funk creators, with even director Kai Gniffke having to ask for forgiveness, these apologies only refer to the Instagram story itself and not to the actual video.
To make matters worse, Gniffke and his colleague Norbert Himmler, director of ZDF, announced plans to increase staffing levels at the broadcasting center in Mainz, allegedly to strengthen journalistic expertise. Instead of rectifying the incompetent and politically left-leaning situation in the broadcasting editorial department, the team is being expanded even further. Money is clearly no object at the broadcasting stations.
As a fee payer, one cannot help but think that CSU politician Stefan Müller's demand to shut down Funk altogether is not so far-fetched. It seems as if this is the only solution to put an end to this scandal. The “constantly recurring gaffes” must “finally have consequences,” according to the CSU's parliamentary secretary in the Bundestag.
People are slowly beginning to realize that the current situation is no longer acceptable. Day after day, we are confronted with a supposed objectivity that in reality largely pursues a left-wing agenda. We need broadcasting that reports impartially, provides a platform for genuine debate, and reflects the diversity of opinions in our society. Public broadcasting, which is financed by our license fees, has a responsibility to the entire population.