ZDF's manipulation of Brosius-Gersdorf leads to legal ramifications
In a recent turn of events, Germany's public broadcaster ZDF has been compelled to issue a cease-and-desist declaration due to false reporting connected to Apollo-News, an internet-based news platform, and the election of federal constitutional judges.
The controversy stems from ZDF's "heute-journal" programme, which had reported on July 11th that the election was postponed, a claim later found to be inaccurate. This incident marked the beginning of a series of events that led to the legal action.
Max Mannhart, the editor-in-chief of Apollo-News, has stated that the ZDF has already spread two actionable false informations regarding Apollo-News' reporting. However, it's important to note that no other media outlets have been legally pursued due to the "false reports" they claimed, unlike the ZDF.
Apollo-News has successfully forced ZDF's "heute-journal" to issue two legally binding cease-and-desist declarations due to false reporting. In response, ZDF has changed its contribution to hide the Apollo-News reports, but the contributions from Nius and Tichys Einblick are still shown.
The reporting by these media outlets, including Apollo-News, has been a subject of controversy, as it significantly contributed to the Union faction withdrawing its approval for the appointment of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. These media outlets, including JUNGE FREIHEIT, covered the stance of SPD judicial candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf on various controversial topics such as the AfD ban, corona vaccination obligation, abortions, parity occupation of election lists, and gendering of the Basic Law.
The ZDF has admitted to spreading untruths regarding Apollo-News' reporting, apparently to whitewash Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf from the justified allegations and to damage the reporting of alternative news portals. In their edition on July 20th, ZDF's editorial team showed screenshots of reports from Apollo-News, Nius, Tichys Einblick, and JUNGE FREIHEIT without any explanation.
Max Mannhart, editor-in-chief of Apollo-News, stated that no one has been able to specifically name where alleged fake news in Apollo-News' reporting are supposed to be. Despite this, the cease-and-desist action aimed to address errors or deliberate distortions in ZDF's coverage that were challenged by the other parties involved, including Apollo-News.
This incident highlights ongoing disputes about media reporting standards and accusations of spreading conspiratorial or misleading narratives linked to the constitutional judges' election, underscoring tensions between mainstream media (like ZDF) and alternative or right-leaning media platforms (such as Apollo-News).
It's important to note that none of the media outlets involved in the reporting were reprimanded or convicted in connection with the inaccurate reporting. ZDF's "heute-journal" spoke of "dirty campaigns" and expressed incomprehension at how "a respected and controversial jurist could be defamed in this way". However, the legal action against ZDF serves as a reminder of the importance of fact-checking and the consequences of spreading false information.
[1] Source: https://www.politisches-tagebuch.de/2021/07/20/zdf-konfrontiert-mit-falschmeldungen-uber-apollo-news/ [2] Source: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/zdf-konfrontiert-mit-falschmeldungen-zu-apollo-news-17350722.html [3] Source: https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article247127532/ZDF-konfrontiert-mit-falschmeldungen-zu-Apollo-News.html
What is the ongoing dispute between ZDF and Apollo-News about? It appears to be related to policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news, as the issue stems from false reporting connected to Apollo-News and the election of federal constitutional judges. This controversy has resulted in Apollo-News successfully forcing ZDF's "heute-journal" to issue two legally binding cease-and-desist declarations due to false reporting.
