The media cartel

km. Based on his research about the behavior towards the former German federal president Christian Wulff the teacher of constitutional law Martin Kriele claims a serious press as well as public broadcasters, who feel committed to their democratic mandate. This demand is brilliantly illustrated in the latest book by journalist Eva Herman: “Das Medienkartell. Wie wir täglich getäuscht werden” (The media cartel. How we are daily deceived – ISBN 978-3-86445-030-3). Her fundamental statements on the misuse by a conglomeration of media, business and politics, which she designates as “media cartel”, are illustrated by many concrete examples.
At the very beginning of her book Eva Herman writes that “public reporting [...] by its often biased and one-sided orientation has become a threat to our liberal values”. “Political correctness, muzzles and thought control prevail in Germany and are imposed on us anew every day.” (p. 8)
The media’s great power results from their interaction with other powers: “Having considered the most blatant media cases it quickly becomes clear that it is not ‘the media alone that are to blame’. Rather we are dealing with an alliance of the ‘quality press‘, the so-called mainstream media and political decision-makers in Berlin, Brussels and Washington as well as global corporations, banks and lobbyists who give their instructions from the very top down. Let us call them all the media cartel. “(p. 8)
The methods of the media are the following: “Rhetorically sophisticated PR slogans, carefully orchestrated propaganda reports and polemics strategies and even unscrupulous warmongering [...] influence daily reporting without any control and get the people into line: Those who oppose that bustle, who protest or try to intervene, are sidelined without much ado.” (p. 11)
Later in the book, the author becomes even clearer: “Considering the state of increasing neglect of our ‘quality press‘ reporting, unfortunately as well including suppressed truths, convenience, hoaxes and respective hunts on unpleasant contemporaries, one can sometimes feel sick. If we simultaneously consider the behavior of individual members of the press, who at times pretend they have basically any right to randomly judge people as they please, we might feel reminiscent of medieval times when unwanted contemporaries were burnt at the stake for telling the truth.” (p. 161)
One of the victims was the former president Wulff. Eva Herman does not only describe the events in detail, she goes one step further: “There still remains the important question for the reasons of the smear campaign. What did Wulff do to make them all suddenly rush at him and break off all friendly and politically correct connections? [...] Was the reason perhaps Wulff’s recent plain talk about the ESM, euro-bonds and the machinations of the global financial elite?”(p. 156f.)
“Facing the euro crisis, Christian Wulff had massively attacked the activities of the ECB and top politicians. The former president had complained in a public speech that he considered individual states’ massive purchases of bonds issued by the ECB ‘legally dubious‘, because the article 123 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union prohibits the ECB’s direct purchase of debt securities in order to secure the central bank’s independence. ‘This ban is only sensible if those responsible do not deviate it by making extensive purchases on the secondary market‘, Wulff had explained.”(p. 159)
The president, of whom the German Chancellor initially had believed, he was easy to handle as it suited her, turned out to be too independent. “With this mix of a sudden exuberant self-confidence, the concern for the future and the simultaneous recognition of our broken system Wulff was no longer a puppet that Chancellor Merkel could make dance just as it pleased her. Those who know what Germany, Europe and the whole world will be facing in the near future realize the development that may have started with Wulff’s plain language.” (p. 160)
Herman elaborately explains, “Imagine that soon the events that observers have long feared will actually take place, those events which the European crisis forces such as the EU’s private army Eurogendfor or the Frontex border troops have been preparing for for quite some time: Unrest in Europe, border closures due to the euro-crash, currency conversions, money and food shortages and emergency measures of any kind. Moreover, in case of a possible Middle East war, the last thing that Federal Chancellor Merkel needs in this not unlikely scenario is a stubborn president who refuses to sign the soon to be adopted emergency legislation, because he wants some time to check them thoroughly. Whether the new President Joachim Gauck will be a compliant head of state in office remains to be seen.” (p. 160)
Eva Herman’s conclusion on the behavior of the German media towards Christian Wulff is clear, “The Wulff affair has changed the German media scene. Much has become known, that was certainly not planned, and these are not just Wulff’s infringements. Our media representatives, whether on the radio, on television or in print, have shown their true face. They have quite often been an annoyance, presented themselves as small-minded, with an almost autistic side in view of what they expected of the citizens to endure every day. They did all this in frightening unison and apparently without many scruples.” (p. 167)
The author finds her basic statements confirmed: “The once most important cornerstones of our society, like traditional values, freedom and democracy, have in fact long been replaced by a sort of monitoring and control system, which is tantamount to an inglorious reflection of former East German propaganda. You do not have to look East reproachfully in order to become upset about the lack of freedom. We now have enough to do at home to get back to normal one day.” (p. 11f.)
Eva Herman also investigates constitutional issues affiliated with the development of the media scene. “By the growing influence of the media, the separation of powers, i.e. the distribution of state power to several government bodies in our country, has apparently gained a new, quietly accepted division hierarchy. Officially, the original powers established for the purpose of limiting power and ensuring freedom and democracy are: legislative, executive and judicial. But there are already powerful publishers and their representatives having formed a close alliance with policy makers who now openly sit in judgment and direct people’s destinies in our country: The media cartel has grown up to become the fourth power.” (p. 41)
This means, however, that “What was once distributed on several institutions in an important legislative measure against any form of concentration of power and arbitrariness, is expressed here without any legal basis: self-created, invisible conformity laws [...] are also installed in this country, approved in Berlin, publicly disseminated and implemented. ‘Justice’ is arbitrarily administered on anyone who opposes, without any legal basis.” (p. 41)
Her view of the recent reactions of German citizens makes her write that “Our values, the foundation of our freedom, the roots of the Christian West are abolished and banned from the public, by the often regimented and sometimes cruel media methods just as what is called democracy today. We are bereft of the most important pillars of society, and what do we do? We watch! We do not fight! We do not stop it! Germany is sleeping! Yet!” (p. 45)