Enlarge image
Lisa Fitz on the "Spätschicht" program on December 10th
Photo: wdr
The Südwestfrundfunk (SWR) has admitted errors in dealing with an appearance by the cabaret artist Lisa Fitz on the satirical program »Spätschicht«. Fitz had claimed in the December 10th issue that "the consequences of the Covid-19 vaccines" were fatal for 5,000 people in the EU alone - misinformation not covered by the facts. In addition, the broadcaster removes the output of the program from the ARD media library and from its own online offer. (Read here why it was a false statement.)
"The criticism of this issue of the› Spätschicht ‹hits us rightly," said Clemens Bratzler, SWR program director for information, sport, fiction, service and entertainment in a statement published by the station on Sunday.
In a first statement on Saturday, the SWR had described Fitz's statements as problematic, but defended their publication by allowing diversity of opinion.
The SWR has now corrected this assessment: »The freedom of expression, however, does not apply indefinitely, but also ends in a comedy or satirical program in the event of false statements of fact.
Lisa Fitz's statement on the number of vaccine deaths is demonstrably wrong.
That is why we will depublish this issue of the ›Spätschicht‹ in the ARD media library and on all SWR platforms and channels, ”said Bratzler.
The first reaction of the station was wrong, “because this is not about an expression of opinion. The resulting discussion hits us at SWR, but we would like to express our thanks to all critics. The debate sharpens our view of the journalistic standards and the impact of our offers, ”continues Bratzler.
The "late shift" program in question had already been broadcast on SWR on the Friday before last.
Lisa Fitz's appearance on social media was occasionally criticized shortly afterwards.
On Friday, one week after the first broadcast, the “tageszeitung” (“taz”) reported on the statements of the 70-year-olds on the occasion of the upcoming repetition of the broadcast on 3sat on Saturday night, the author of the article drew attention to this on Twitter .
3sat then decided not to include the program in the program or in the media library.
fdi
