October 3rd is German Unity Day, but people don’t really seem to be in the mood to celebrate. One reason for this is the AfD’s current poll successes. Although the party is gaining votes nationwide, as is often the case, the eastern federal states are at the center of political debates. A year before the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg, the prospect of massive increases in votes for the AfD and the consequences for Germany’s diverse society is frightening.
Not only does the media play an important role in addressing these fears; reporting on East Germany is itself part of the debate. Even 33 years after reunification, German journalism is far from always able to adequately portray the realities of life in East Germany. National newspapers from West Germany are hardly read in the eastern federal states.
Why is there this imbalance in the German media landscape? What does it mean for the success of the AfD and the diverse society? And what positive developments can be seen in the media reflection of the East German federal states?
Communication scientist Nadia Zaboura and SZ author Nils Minkmar discuss this with media scientist Mandy Tröger, who has been working on these questions for many years.
“quoted. der medienpodcast” is a cooperation between the CIVIS Media Foundation for Integration and Cultural Diversity in Europe and Süddeutscher Zeitung, supported by the Mercator Foundation.
The next issue will be published in 14 days, on Thursday, October 12, 2023.
For further reading:
https://www.rbb24.de/panorama/teil/2023/09/reportage-jessy-wellmer-hoert-uns-zu-ostdeutsche-westen.html
https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/die-these-vom-rechtsruck-ist-unsinn-forschung-ueber-ostdeutschland-extremismus-und-afd-li.366563 (Paywall)
https://uebermedien.de/85504/im-osten-nichts-neues-wie-bbericht-vorrichtene-auf-beiden-seiten-verstaerkt/
https://www.otto-brenner-stiftung.de/fileadmin/user_data/stiftung/02_Wissenschaftsportal/03_Publikationen/AP45_Mediale_Spaltung_2Auflage.pdf