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»Südkurier« logo: AfD election advertising enclosed
Photo: Ernst Weingartner / CHROMORANGE / imago images
The daily newspaper »Südkurier«, which appears in Konstanz, has got into national discussions because it appeared on Wednesday with a supplement financed by the AfD.
The TV presenter Jan Böhmermann drew attention to this on Twitter.
He was referring to a tweet from a local journalist.
The AfD itself describes the supplement as an »election newspaper«.
Under the title »Seesicht«, the AfD state parliament candidate Thorsten Otterbach has a say in a detailed interview.
Contributions have titles like: "Thorsten Otterbach criticizes haphazard corona policy and demands: finally create normalization perspectives!" And: "New black wind power coalition: Danger for the Lake Constance tourist region?"
In one article he defends himself against the accusation of a green local politician that he is spreading “fake news” about official deaths.
Otterbach also contributes to the design of the printed product with several caricatures.
On page one of the regular newspaper, the »Südkurier« editors point out that the AfD was responsible for the content of the campaign.
There it says: »Parties are fundamentally responsible for the advertising content they place.
Part of this issue is provided with election advertising by the AfD.
The AfD candidate Thorsten Otterbach is responsible for the content of the reprint.
The offprint is not part of the Südkurier's reporting. "
When asked by SPIEGEL, Christian Wulf, head of the marketing department, said the "Wahlzeitung" was only included in the local editions of Konstanz and Radolfzell.
Your sender is clearly recognizable and has its own imprint.
Wulf: “That is one of our principles for the publication of election advertisements.
A democracy has many voices and opinions.
Some of them are hard to take.
Our state organs watch over what is and what is not legitimate in our political landscape. "
Feud between the local editorial team and the AfD candidate
The supplement is definitely legitimized within the framework of the legislation: The press is not obliged to be politically neutral, political advertisements by parties are generally permitted.
Other daily newspapers have also distributed AfD campaigns.
But often to the annoyance of their readers.
Last December, for example, the publishing house and editor-in-chief of the Badische Zeitung felt compelled to apologize.
The publisher had enclosed a supplement from two AfD city councilors from Freiburg to a free weekly newspaper.
Among other things, it was agitated against allegedly excessive expenses for the accommodation of refugees.
Readers complained in many letters to the editor, and the publishing house management finally admitted an error.
The “Berchtesgadener Anzeiger” also felt compelled to make an explanation to its readers because of a supplement from the AfD district association in Traunstein: “It would not have been possible for the local newspaper to“ recommend ”the supplement to the attention of readers in a small, otherwise common note may happen, "it said contrite.
In the case of the »Südkurier« there is one more piquant detail about the AfD supplement: Thorsten Otterbach and the Konstanz local editorial team of the paper have been in a clinch over opinion sovereignty for months.
On his website, Otterbach accuses the editors of »manipulating voters«.
Because of what he thought was condescending treatment by the "Südkurier", he could allegedly only appear at the weekly markets in Constance under police protection.
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