“Apotheken Umschau” and press council: Unclear complaints – media


In Germany’s pharmacies there are 7.63 million copies of the pharmacy magazine off, free of charge. You can read about the “blockbuster topics of health”, says editor-in-chief Dr. Dennis Ballwieser. The current issue is about sleep disorders, neurodermatitis, waiting times for psychotherapy, tinnitus, white teeth and belly fat.

The pharmacy magazine is Germany’s magazine with the highest circulation this year. However, it is questionable whether it has ever been controlled by the press council, the voluntary self-regulation of the industry, in the past two decades. She should?

As reported by Deutschlandfunk, a listener at the press council had a complaint against a contribution from pharmacy magazine submitted. He received the answer that the press council was not responsible. And yet he is – and has been for almost twenty years. The press council is responsible for the journalistic and editorial content of print media and recently also for online media if they have committed themselves to it.

One thing is certain: Wort & Bild Verlag, who pharmacy magazine publishes, signed a voluntary commitment in 2002. Those who adhere to the 16 digits of the Press Code, for example, declare that they will respect human dignity, the presumption of innocence, protection of victims or the separation of advertising and editorial staff. In the event of complaints, articles are checked for compliance with the principles to which the media are committed. Complaints by the council must be published. Anyone can complain to the press council about newspapers, magazines and journalistic-editorial contributions from the Internet.

It remains to be seen how long the press council did not feel responsible for the “pharmacy review”

In the case of the pharmacy magazine however, confusion arose. The press council initially denied jurisdiction. The prevailing opinion was that the press council confirmed this on request, that the magazine did not have to be checked for principles of press ethics, as it was given to customers free of charge. So not real journalism? Editor-in-chief Ballwieser disagrees. If you hold the magazine in your hand, you will recognize that it is about independent journalism, he informs the SZ.

Meanwhile the press council rowed back. In the review pay pharmacists for the publication, but without being able to influence the content, say editor-in-chief Ballwieser and the press council. “This fact has apparently not been taken into account in the information,” explains Presserat managing director Roman Portack. Complaints against the magazine would now be checked after all. It remains to be seen how long the responsibility for the pharmacy magazine had been forgotten by the press council, i.e. how many complaints had not been examined at all since 2002.

Since complaints have only been recorded digitally since 2018, no statements can be made about the previous years, Portack writes when asked. Since 2018, there has only been one complaint that has now led to the case. In turn, Editor-in-Chief Ballwieser only says: “I haven’t heard from anyone in our company that the press council has ever responded to the pharmacy magazine “It doesn’t sound like the question will be resolved on either side.

“The press council is about as aggressive as a goldfish and as agile as a giant tortoise,” wrote media journalist Stefan Niggemeier, who runs the website Over media operates, 2006 for the fiftieth anniversary of the testing authority. Yet he was just signing the declaration of commitment and joined the voluntary self-regulation. As an online publication is subject to Over media recently under the supervision of the state media authorities, unless a medium goes under the supervision of self-regulatory bodies.

Apparently it was not noticed that the largest producer of medical reports had fallen into a black hole

The council is a registered association with two publishers and two journalists’ organizations. The task is to stand up for responsibility in journalism and at the same time to preserve the freedom of the press. By no means all publications that could be included. The Bauer Media Group, known for its gossip, TV, and car magazines, decided against it. Over media in favor, because, according to one of the arguments: The process of the press council is “halfway transparent”, explained Over media in their own right, the sanctions by the state media authorities, on the other hand, are found to be “somewhat opaque so far”.

One could also say: The press council is an authority that also stands for ethos, independence and the self-image of the German press. Dealing with the pharmacy magazine That is precisely why it raises massive questions.

The pharmacy magazine moves in a field of tension between readers, advertisers and pharmacy owners. It is financed by pharmacies, the owners should pay around 50 cents per issue. An advertising magazine that is bought by pharmacies and still wants to offer its readers independent journalism? For editorial decisions, says Ballwieser, only the readers are relevant. There is currently nothing to read on the website of the record sales of pharmacies through mask sales, instead it is reported how the Federal Association of Pharmacists’ Associations explains the mask prices.

The Press Code stipulates special guidelines for medical topics in section 14: “In reports on medical topics, an inappropriately sensational presentation that could arouse unfounded fears or hopes in the reader is to be avoided.” Still, it did not seem to be noticed that the largest producer of reports on medical topics that Pharmacy magazine, had fallen into a black hole at the council.

In September, the committees of the press council will also deal with the question of whether the distinction between “free of charge and subject to a charge” is still suitable as a criterion for responsibility. Even before the current case, it was apparently apparent that the definition “with a view to practice on the Internet” may no longer work.

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