The journalism we need

#166

My Dear Friend of Democracy,

On the 1st of September, two state parliaments will be elected in Germany: in the federal states of Saxony and Thuringia.

The elections could be a turning point in my homeland. Polls predict (for Saxony, for Thuringia) that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the left-wing populist party Bündnis Sarah Wagenknecht (BSW) will together receive up to half of the votes.

There may be many reasons for the populists' rise. One that is under-exposed is the way journalism deals with populism.

At least in Germany, there is a lack of popular populism experts. Especially in the wide-reaching medium of television.

First, the populists were ignored and excluded from debates. Then, anchormen, anchorwomen, and heads of television stations led debates with the populists. These well-known TV personalities had to deal with all the issues in the world and, therefore, cannot discuss topics in depth.

The result: the populists regularly emerged victorious from the debates.

What we need instead is more expertise. We need populism experts who deal only with the issues of the AfD and others. These experts know the methods of the Pied Pipers and can, therefore, expose them and reveal the false conclusions in their simplifications.

✊ (TV) Journalism needs a rethink. It should move away from the all-rounder and towards the expert. Even better: We all need to rethink, become more competent, and face up to the enemies of democracy. Covering up, denying, and ignoring the threat is no longer an option. Otherwise, democracy will be defeated with its own weapons — elections.

See you in Europe,

Johannes