"People" becomes "Forest Visitors": SWR youth broadcaster subtitles Förster with false gender quotes
Created: 09/16/2022, 17:52
By: Nadja Pohr
The Instagram account "Wir sind Mainz" published several video clips in which a 21-year-old forester was interviewed.
The youth broadcaster "Dasding", which belongs to the SWR, subtitled him and simply changed his words.
© Screenshot Instagram/We are Mainz
In videos on the Instagram channel "Wir sind Mainz", which is operated by a broadcaster of the SWR broadcaster, a forester was subtitled in an interview with false gender quotes.
There was criticism on social media for this.
Mainz - The topic of "gender" has often made headlines in Germany.
In the discussion about whether gender-equitable spelling should be introduced uniformly, there are numerous advocates on the one hand and just as many critics on the other.
The proposal to introduce gender in schools in Baden-Württemberg, for example, caused heated debates.
Gender-appropriate spelling is currently still voluntary.
However, many companies or media have embraced gendering and thus appeal to their consumers.
The SWR also does not want to exclude anyone in the speech.
But for several video clips on the social media platform Instagram, in which quotes were incorrectly gendered, the public broadcaster is now reaping a shitstorm, as
BW24
reports.
SWR subtitles Förster with false gender quotes - broadcaster speaks of an accident
Video clips were published on the Instagram channel "Wir sind Mainz", which is operated by the youth broadcaster "Dasding" (part of the ARD broadcasting company SWR), in which a 21-year-old forester is interviewed.
"As a city forest ranger, I'm out in the forest as a contact person for people," he explains.
"There are often conflicts with cyclists, walkers, joggers and horse riders." The ARD broadcaster added a subtitle on its own - and put the gender language in the forester's mouth.
“People” became “Forest Visitors” in the subtitles.
"Cyclists, walkers, joggers and riders" were also changed to gender-neutral spelling.
The
image
then reported on the public service channel, which forced the forester to use gender language.
The SWR has since apologized for this approach.
"This is a mistake," they said, and announced that the editorial rules would be tightened.
The topic continues to cause indignation online.
"Gender is voluntary": Users in social networks criticize the SWR's approach
The incident makes it clear how sensitive the issue of gender-appropriate language is.
Criticism of SWR's approach is hailing on social media.
“There are no rules that need to be 'improved', existing rules just have to be observed.
Changing quotes or quotes is prohibited anyway,” writes a Facebook user.
"Gender is voluntary," comments a user on Twitter.
"An unbelievable cheek" and "That's just ashamed of others," says two other comments.
Other users on the net, however, find the debate exaggerated and are not afraid that the spelling will prevail anyway.
A YouTuber from Stuttgart once explained why gender language will fail anyway.