Journalism, Press, Source PixabayEric Vad (Brigadier General (ret.), ex-advisor to Chancellor Merkel, calls for diplomacy instead of tanks in his article in EMMA. And he also speaks of a“Equalization of the media” in Germany.

“Erich Vad is an ex-brigadier general. From 2006 to 2013, he was the military policy adviser to
German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He is one of the rare voices who early on publicly opposed
arms deliveries to Ukraine, without a political strategy and diplomatic
efforts. Even now he speaks an uncomfortable truth.” so to read in the EMMA (12.01.2023).

And further to read in EMMA:“You, too, have been attacked for demanding negotiations.
Yes, as well as the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, General Eberhard Zorn, who, like me, warned against this,
to overestimate the regionally limited offensives of the Ukrainians in the summer months. Military
Experts – who know what’s going on among the intelligence agencies, what it looks like on the ground, and what war really is and
means – are largely excluded from the discourse. They do not fit the media
opinion formation. We are largely witnessing an equalization of the media as I
have never experienced in the Federal Republic of Germany before. This is pure opinion mongering. And not on behalf of the state,
as is familiar from totalitarian regimes, but out of pure self-empowerment.”

Come to the lecture of Prof. Dr. Claudia Paganini “The Power of Images – War Reporting from the Perspective of Media Ethics” on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 et 7 p.m. at the University of Philosophy, Munich or follow the lecture online (link will be provided on the homepage )

More interesting articles on this debate:

The article “The role of the media in the construction of war and peace” by Wilhelm Kempf in FriedensForum issue 1/2020 can be found HERE.

The guest article by Tomasz Kurianowicz, editor-in-chief of the Berliner Zeitung on the topic of manipulated public opinion “Activist journalism and the price of truth” can be found HERE.

The commentary on the study by the Otto Brenner Foundation, which is close to IG Metall, by Sebastian Köhler “Ukraine conflict and German leading media: diversity and balance in war reporting” can be found HERE.

The book “Die vierte Gewalt – Wie Mehrheitsmeinung gemacht wird, auch wenn sie keine ist” by Richard David Precht and Harald Welzer. You can find a description HERE.