Allegations against NDR
Helge Lindh: Court reporting is not allowed in public broadcasting
Helge Lindh from the SPD
© Kay Nietfeld / DPA
For days, the NDR in Kiel has been shaken by reports of political influence on reporting. There are also sharp reactions from politicians.
For days, research by the star more and more accusations against those responsible for editing the NDR in Kiel came to light. The core question is whether these could have deliberately influenced the reporting by colleagues. There was also talk of a political filter.
On Thursday, the NDR scandal also reached the federal political level. The media policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Helge Lindh, called for star “complete enlightenment”. The Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther (CDU), also had to comment on the events. “If the allegations against the NDR are confirmed, it would be a massive violation of journalistic standards,” said Lindh. The outrage and bewilderment of the moderators and employees of the NDR is “very justified”, said the SPD politician. “The misconduct of individuals in managerial positions also soils their good work.”
A political filter or even court reporting should not exist in an editorial office of a public broadcaster. Journalistic freedom is “a great asset, not only in public broadcasting, but above all there,” which must not be violated due to personal ties.
NDR in Kiel: bosses let offices rest
The case involves allegations in connection with the political reporting of the public broadcaster ARD. The online medium “Business Insider” and then the star had reported allegations that there could be a kind of filter by the superiors in the editorial department. For example, it was about an interview that an NDR journalist wanted to conduct, but his superiors refused.
Editor-in-chief Norbert Lorentzen and the NDR had rejected the allegation of political influence. Since Wednesday, Lorentzen and the head of the cross-media department for politics and investigation, Julia Stein, have been inactive until the allegations have been cleared up.