In the wake of the scandals within the German public broadcasting services, the media-policy spokespersons of the AfD delegation in the EU Parliament and the AfD parliamentary groups met at short notice in Berlin and worked out the basics regarding the reorganization of the public broadcasters.
Press release by Christine Anderson, media policy spokesperson for the AfD in the EU Parliament:
"It is becoming more than clear from the ever more widespread scandals of the public media institutions that they have lost their way and have gone on a media-political ghost trip.
The public's interest in objective information has not been in the foreground for a long time. Instead, the self-interest of ideologues – who have trimmed the system of public broadcasters to suit themselves – has moved to the forefront. They profit from princely payments, expenses, bonuses, pensions and considerable influence on the formation of the audience’s political opinion.
In Germany, we have by far the most expensive state-controlled broadcasting in the EU. But the EU itself also has “Euronews” and “Euranet” or “Euranet Plus”, its own in-house reporters. We should urgently take a closer look at these broadcasters and even more at their budgets: Who profits from whom and in which pocket does German taxpayers' money disappear, which belongs neither to Brussels nor to Berlin, but is best left where it has been earned: In the wallets of our hard-working citizens.
As the media-policy spokesperson for the AfD delegation in the EU Parliament, I support the basic principles that have been developed, and I will also campaign in Brussels with my colleagues in the Identity & Democracy Group, the members of the Lega, FPÖ, Rassemblement National, Vlaams Belang and the many other freedom-loving MEPs to ensure that this basic document can also be the start of an EU-wide reappraisal and education campaign. We must drain the swamp of corruption, and nepotism. First in Germany, then across the EU.
In accordance with its constitutional mandate, a public broadcasting service financed by compulsory contributions would have to ensure that citizens receive independent and objective information. But the recent rent-a-scribe reports are rapidly developing in the direction of pure indoctrination alongside with so-called attitude journalism.
Such approaches have abandoned the concept of politically mature citizens. Obviously, the conviction prevails that citizens must be educated and shaped like immature children.
This is not only unworthy of a democracy, but gives legitimate reason to ask whether a state that tolerates this can even claim to still be a fully functioning democracy?"
