"Wiener Zeitung": Celebrities Call for "Independent New Beginning"
"The election year 2024 has shown that in the heated debate - especially on social media - another independent and balanced media voice was missing," said Nobel Prize-winning author Elfriede Jelinek in a statement. "Unfortunately, all warnings expressed on the occasion of the arbitrary dismantling of the 'Wiener Zeitung' in 2023 have been ignored. All democratic political concerns have come true."
"Wiener Zeitung": Signatories of Open Letter Demand Legal Changes
"The election year 2024 has shown that in the heated debate - especially on social media - another independent and balanced media voice was missing," Jelinek is quoted in the statement. "Unfortunately, all warnings expressed on the occasion of the arbitrary dismantling of the 'Wiener Zeitung' in 2023 have been ignored. All democratic political concerns have come true." Contrary to the announcements of the former media minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP), "no high-quality print product followed, but merely two simple brochures," it is said. In the publication intended for young readers, "student fraternities receive a lot of uncritical editorial attention." Online, an external service provider delivers content under the name "Wiener Zeitung" for YouTube and TikTok. All of this is "financed with millions from the federal budget." The signatories demand legal changes from the new government, stating that the Wiener Zeitung GmbH, owned by the Republic, must be "freed from the stranglehold of the Federal Chancellery."
"Wiener Zeitung" Editor-in-Chief Schmidt Sees "Baseless Allegations"
"Wiener Zeitung" editor-in-chief Katharina Schmidt expressed her annoyance to the APA. "These are allegations that are baseless and simply wrong," said Schmidt. In the past year and a half, it has been clearly proven, "that we are not in the stranglehold of the Federal Chancellery." Rather, numerous investigative reports have "clearly shown that we are not dependent on any party in any form and also on no one else." As an editorial team, they are "maximally independent." Wanting to revive the print product "Wiener Zeitung" is "also simply factually a bad idea." They currently have only a third of the budget but reach significantly more people than before. "The important thing is, we reach on our digital channels precisely those whom the quality media market now needs: news refusers and news avoiders are watching news with us again." Especially with regard to the legally mandated democracy education mission, they achieve "a lot." She cites an average of 7 million impressions on Instagram, 4 million on TikTok, 233,000 visits on YouTube, and 5 million visits on the website per month.
Signatories of Open Letter to "Wiener Zeitung" "Not Our Target Audience"
The print magazine for young people, which has been published since July 2024 and is now criticized, sets a focus in each issue. One of them was education at the beginning of the semester, which is why they "quite neutrally" presented different student lifestyles. "Our public service mandate includes reaching people throughout Austria - this also concerns different life realities." Among them was a fraternity student. "But that was not a fraternity member with a saber." Schmidt further emphasizes that she is the first editor-in-chief of the "Wiener Zeitung" who did not have to be appointed in agreement with the Federal Chancellor. Why the signatories of the letter are going public after a year and a half is a mystery to her. She adds: "But they are also not our target audience."
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.