State Media Authority of Saxony-Anhalt: A charming penchant for right-wing populism

Four days before the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the State Media Authority of Saxony-Anhalt (MSA) invited people to the “Halle Media Talk”. Under the title “Opinion, Power and Media” the topic was “How plural is the public discourse?” discussed. However, according to participants' reports, the debate was not that far along. In any case, it ended an hour earlier than planned.

This could also have been due to the panel that gathered here at the invitation of the MSA. Gunnar Schupelius, who had just defected from Springer's Berlin tabloid B.Z. to Julian Reichelt's riot machine Nius, ARD and ZDF policy critic Aleksander Teske, as well as the Ostdeutsche-Allgemeine and Berliner-Zeitung publisher Holger Friedrich were invited to the traditionally non-public event of the media meeting.

Because that wasn't plural enough, the MSA also asked "Klar" moderator Julia Ruhs, but she was no more able than Schupelius, who was represented by Nius political director Ralf Schuler.

Now, a charming penchant for right-wing populism is not entirely new for the public Saxony-Anhalt state media authority, which is financed by broadcasting fees, and its director Martin Heine. However, despite the proximity to election day, it is forbidden to speak of being close to the AfD, after all, the MSA is completely distant from the state and Heine is in the CDU.

What's more, Heine is even the local mayor of Seehausen, a city councilor for the municipality of Wanzleben-Börde and, because of his permanent employment contract, is de facto condemned to be MSA director for life. He obviously enjoys it a lot because he can always take action against the wokeness that he doesn't really appreciate.

“Wokeness” returned to the MSA’s Citizen Media Prize that same week. The conversation beautifully contradicted the intention of the media dialogue with its right-wing populist side. In the “Best Contribution to Adult Radio” category, first prize went to Konstantin Weber for a contribution to Radio Corax. The youth editorial team of the inclusive radio project “IrreLeicht” was honored in the “Best Contribution to Young Radio” category. It's on - on Radio Corax.

And as is well known, the AfD wants to take control of this non-commercial Radio Corax as well as other civil society institutions and everything queer.

Which is why the special prize “Europe Moves – Your Perspective, Your Contribution” reassuringly went to the BRaVE editorial team of the Wernigerode open channel for the program “Experience Europe through the Media – QueerRights Now”. Incidentally, the prize is awarded by an independent jury, which was made up of a somewhat more pluralistic jury than the Halle media discourse.

Civil society in Saxony-Anhalt is therefore extremely lively. And not even the MSA can ignore that. “But what use are the prices if after the AfD victory there is a risk that the MSA’s funding will be canceled,” asks the roommate.