Radio Dreyeckland's operations are governed by the media.
The Baden-Württemberg State Agency for Communication has dropped an administrative procedure against Radio Dreyeckland (RDL) over a controversial feature about the SS massacre in the Tuscan mountain village of Sant'Anna di Stazzema, which took place on August 12, 1944. The feature, titled "Mai più Sant'Anne - mai più Sant'Anna!", was suspected of potentially violating journalistic principles.
Specifically, concerns were raised about the feature's accuracy, fairness, and impartiality. Issues such as presenting unverified information, biased portrayal of events, or lacking proper context were under scrutiny. The investigation aimed to ensure that broadcasters adhere to ethical and professional guidelines and maintain media integrity.
The Stuttgart public prosecutor's office had been investigating the Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre from 2002 to 2012, but the investigation was dropped on questionable grounds. Seven of the 14 suspects had already died by this time, and the senior public prosecutor Bernhard Häußler enabled the dropping of the case by classifying the acts as lapsed manslaughter and not establishing individual guilt.
The RDL feature was not accepted for evaluation for a media prize, and the authors of the feature criticised Häußler for dragging out the investigation and dropping the case after ten years due to lack of evidence. The media authority's regulations on verifying the truth and origin of news and the protection of honour might have been violated in the RDL feature, according to the media authority.
However, the controversial sentence in the RDL feature, regarding the senior public prosecutor, is now considered a "permissible, background-illuminating summarizing statement" by the media authority. The procedure against RDL in Freiburg has been acknowledged by the station as unnecessary.
The media authority's original accusation, indirectly implying impropriety in the naming of the senior public prosecutor, remains. The agency threatened with "supervisory measures" due to the potential violation of journalistic principles in the RDL feature.
Despite the dropped investigation, the tragic events of the Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre continue to be a reminder of the unpunished crimes committed during the Nazi era. Over 560 civilians were murdered in the massacre by members of the Waffen-SS, and the crime, like other Nazi massacres, remains a dark chapter in history.
In other news, the weekly newsletter "nd.DieWoche" offers readers a chance to look at the most important topics of the week and read the highlights of the Saturday edition already on Friday. Stay tuned for more updates.
- The RDL feature, now deemed acceptable by the media authority, initially raised concerns about adherence to journalistic principles, specifically regarding veracity, fairness, and impartiality, as it delved into the controversial Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre and its related politics and legislation.
- The ongoing debate surrounding the Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre, a general news story of significant historical importance, continues to highlight the need for transparency and accountability in policy-and-legislation, underscoring the role of politics in shaping the interpretation and treatment of sensitive historical events.
