The Politician

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I am pretty polite too. And I consider myself as a highly political person. But I am not a politician. I am a fairly bad journalist, who takes the shit for all the media´s wrongdoings.

The President of Germany – the representative head of state – is kind of flexible when it comes to honesty. He wasn´t quite able to draw the line between friends, business-associates and political stakeholders. One can call this a minor case of corruption or just: naivité and simple-mindedness.

At one point he called the editor-in-chief of Germany´s (self-claimed) most influential newspaper (BILD). He spoke on his answer phone, trying to prohibit the publication of an article concerning his case. You must know, the very same newspaper hyped him for years – and the President of Germany considered this paper a mouthpiece, the editors even as his friends.

Now the German media is after him. One must not interfere with the fourth estate! It is a close shave for him: although he has no power – all he does is shaking hands - he could be forced out of office.

A couple of days ago, I sat with a politician whom I know very well. We´re close, almost family-like bonds. He is in his third seven-year-term as a mayor in a city of 20.000. Last time got elected with an almost communist outcome. Yep, he is politics to the bone. The issue of the affair came up.

In his opinion, the coverage is the real scandal. The media is wrong and just playing silly power-games, making a fuss about almost nothing. Point, some of the president´s misconduct isn´t that important that it made the headlines under other circumstances. But he went on. He claimed the media does work on driving the head of state out of office. Taking all the momentum to overthrow the presidency and thus taking the part of the legislative. As if the media had a hidden agenda.

Well, you see, since he is mayor for almost twenty years now, he is not that kind of person who really is receptive for arguments. So I shut up, drank my wine, made some taunting remarks and had my peace. But, in my humble opinion I consider him wrong.

It´s not about journalists on a power-trip. It is about people doing their jobs. Perceive, select, present. The most powerful thing the press can do is to create awareness. So, if our president is a failure (in the means of he is unfit for this office) the media has to point it out. Sure, maybe we are a little bit hard on him, pointing out all his lapses. But, on the flipside, doesn´t that mean that we have been too reluctant on these issues in the past, in general? All coverage done is still within the box. It´s justified by the high standards (most) journalist set to themselves.

Sure, it must feel nice to be under the impression one has the power to force someone out of office. But it is just an impression. Whoever claims the media takes over the role of the legislative has no idea of the ways in which the fourth estate works. Today, we came out on top, pushed the limits – tomorrow we will be degraded to scribblers, dribblers and nuisances once again.