In Germany, a new draft for the reform of the media state treaty, expected to be discussed by the state premiers in Leipzig by Friday, has raised significant concerns among public broadcasters including ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio. According to the proposal, these broadcasters would be permitted to publish online texts about a subject only after having reported it in an audiovisual format. This prospective restriction has stirred fears of a drastic reduction in the scope of news offerings.

Concerns Over Media Diversity and Immediate News Accessibility

Tom Buhrow, the head of WDR, expressed worry on the WDR5 Morning Echo program about the potential limitations, citing an example related to the sports portal sportschau.de. He underscored the issue with breaking news, such as a hypothetical transfer of Jürgen Klopp to Red Bull, which might have no prior broadcast reference to rely upon instantly. As it stands, public broadcasters fear being pushed into a 'digital lower league', losing their ability to fulfill their democratic mission, as per Stefan Brandenburg from WDR's newsroom in a guest piece for the FAZ. A suggested alternative to text restrictions could involve fostering stronger collaborations with local newspapers.

Financial Aspects Amid the Reform Debate

The draft also proposes an increase in the broadcasting fee by 58 cents, bringing it to €18.94 monthly. This fee hike, suggested by the commission overseeing public broadcasting finances, is part of the wider reform discussions. The Premier of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, has suggested sidelining this topic for the time being, while others, like Hamburg’s media senator Carsten Brosda, believe that a resolution must be reached across all issues to avoid stalling the reform entirely.

Implications for Public Services and Press Diversity

Critics argue that restricting online text content in public media could undermine immediate news dissemination and affect regional journalism adversely. While some support the notion of a unified media front, like Zeit's Rainer Esser, who believes that shrinking digital offerings wouldn't incidentally boost newspaper subscriptions, others remain skeptical. The German Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) rejects proposed self-regulation efforts by public broadcasters as ineffective, pointing to unresolved past disputes.

The reform's broader implications on press diversity, immediate access to information, and potential collaboration between different media forms will be under the microscope as discussions proceed.

The original report on the proposed reform and its implications was initially covered by Heise Online.