My rate for Germany is 8 out of 10. On one hand, the media landscape is characterized by a large number of newspapers, radio and television stations with a diverse background. There is no state repression that impedes journalistic work, as is the case in some countries of the European Union. On the other hand, there is increasingly economic pressure – journalists may lack time for thorough research and remuneration for freelance work can be poor. As a result, both journalists and the quality of their work suffer.   I have heard, that after the Maidan Revolution a kind of … Continue reading Media issues

How do you rate the freedom of press in your country on a scale of 1 to 10? (1 = does not exist / 10 = free)? I would rate the freedom of press in Germany with an 8 to 9. As has already been mentioned in another bloggpost, we have a constitution that guarantees freedom of the press. Since my assessment is a momentary view, I come to a more critical assessment based on current events. In Dresden, for example, a camera team that was on the road on behalf of ZDF was detained by the police for about three-quarters of an … Continue reading Media issues: Germany

For Germany, I would rate it 9 out of 10. We have solid constitutional guarantees concerning the freedom of press that ensures a favorable environment for journalists in Germany. However, also recently, far-right groups and demonstrators have threatened and injured journalists. Other problem: in Hamburg, last year during the G20 summit, some journalists had lost their accreditation which created a scandal because it showed the scale of the illegal data on journalists held by the police. And: compared with other countries in which institutions are committed to show their archives/documents, German laws on access to information are relatively weak. In … Continue reading