A report from image-Zeitung has caused an uproar for numerous readers – including many German scientists. On Tuesday morning there were already 84 complaints with the German Press Council against the article “The Lockdown Makers” from December 4th. This was announced by a spokeswoman on SZ request. “We are currently examining whether we can initiate proceedings against Bild.de.” It is about the question of whether the editorial staff has complied with the duty of care and the truthfulness requirement, which are set out in the press code.
“The complainants criticize that it gives the wrong impression that scientists are adopting corona measures, for which politicians are responsible,” explains press council spokeswoman Sonja Volkmann-Schluck. “This stirs up conspiracy theories and is also a call for incitement against scientists.”
The Berlin Humboldt University (HU) is one of the best-known complainants. Your complaint has already been received by the press council, as the latter confirms. The university is unanimously behind its physicist Dirk Brockmann, who is in the image-Article is called. If researchers are referred to as “lockdown makers”, the readers would be suggested that scientists are responsible for policy decisions, explained the university in a statement.
“This type of journalistic representation is dangerous and irresponsible in the debates about the cohesion of society in times of pandemics,” writes the Humboldt University. Researchers are “marked” in this way, it goes on to say. “Supporters of conspiracy theories receive media support for their view that science is a driver of political decisions.” But this is not the case.
In addition, the executive committee of the HU declared its solidarity “with all those who defend themselves against such deliberate false statements”: “This type of reporting is far from any journalistic honesty.”
Alliance of Science Organizations calls for objectivity
A broad alliance of scientific organizations also has on the image-Report and called for more objectivity in reporting on the corona pandemic. “Especially in crisis situations and in an already emotionalized subject area, objectivity in discussion and reporting is particularly important and far more productive,” it says in the roll call. The organizations include the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Rectors’ Conference.
The science organizations fear reports like that imageContribution, could contribute to a climate of opinion “which has already led to scientists being exposed to physical or psychological violence or being threatened elsewhere.”
A spokesman for the Axel Springer Group image said on dpa request in a statement: “We can understand the criticism and take it seriously. Scientists deserve our respect.” Criticism of scientists and their proposals must be possible, “but always appropriately exercised”.
The spokesman also referred to a statement by the image– Editor-in-Chief Johannes Boie, which was published in the Monday edition and previously online. It says: Anyone who governs this country, changes it and determines people’s lives must endure criticism. Especially by journalists. “Conversely, criticism must be appropriately exercised. This also applies expressly to image. “
With material from the dpa