Honestly, I didn’t want to get back on this issue again, but this almost new occurrence made me react to it and share my thoughts. As I might mention before, I had a great expectation of freedom (especially freedom of the press) in western countries because of my job as a journalist. But it came out, slowly but surely, that it is not the fact. Of course, I don’t mean that here in the West, something like dictatorism prevails. But there is a power, which is much stronger than any dictator, and that is money.

There is some journalist for sure, who still are working heartily and honestly for digging out the truth. They still do not belong to the top. At the top, they will have responsibilities to governments! And that is the point that I don’t feel good about it.

There have been a few examples over the years I’ve lived and witnessed here, but now it’s something brand new. Bild magazine (Bild Zeitung) is famous for issues on gossip. I think there are some similarities in the world. And there is no wonder that it also does with the machos and man’s world.

We must thank here the New York Times Magazine, which helped to rescue the German free press! Otherwise, it might never come out. You know, unfortunately, the Germans are somehow tamed, and the millionaires like Axel Springer publisher knows it well. Therefore, The truth remained hidden.

Here is a part of the report by the NYTimes:

The editor, Julian Reichelt, had been accused of abusing his power involving a relationship with a junior employee at Bild, a tabloid owned by the media giant Axel Springer.

Bild, a center-right tabloid that has fed popular anger at Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Covid-19 restrictions, dismissed the editor in chief, Julian Reichelt, after The New York Times reported on details of Mr. Reichelt’s relationship with a trainee, who testified during an independent legal investigation that in 2018 he had summoned her to a hotel near the office for sex and asked her to keep a payment secret. Hours after Mr. Reichelt was ousted, the newsmagazine Der Spiegel published allegations that Mr. Reichelt had abused his position to pursue relationships with several women on his staff.

Mr. Reichelt took a leave of absence in March after Der Spiegel, a German newsmagazine, reported that Axel Springer was investigating allegations of abuse of power and complaints that he had relationships with female employees.

Twelve days later, he returned after the investigation, conducted with help from the Freshfields law firm, concluded that Mr. Reichelt had mixed his personal and professional lives but had not broken any laws. The investigation found no evidence of sexual harassment or coercion, Axel Springer said at the time.

The courageous warrior, who didn’t give up, was of course a woman. Thank Goddess! She had stubbornly fought until the truth came out.

But the reporter who had written that investigation,,Juliane Löffler, had the lead byline on an article published Monday in the magazine Der Spiegel, which first broke the news this spring of the investigation into Mr. Reichelt. The article described Mr. Reichelt as a man “obsessed with power” who had a “pattern” of both promoting and seducing young women at Bild.

The magazine also raised further questions about Axel Springer’s internal investigation, which had promised anonymity to women who testified. Nonetheless, one of the women received a message from a “confidant” of Mr. Reichelt, urging her not to speak to investigators, Der Spiegel reported.

The Frankfurter Rundschau, based in Frankfurt am Main, one of the regional newspapers owned by the Ippen Media company that had planned to publish the investigation, ran an editorial on Monday calling the decision damaging to their relationship of trust with their readers.

The German Journalists’ Association criticized Ippen’s decision not to publish the investigation. But journalists discussing the reporting also raised questions about why the world of German publishing had struggled to have its own MeToo reckoning, and why it took attention from American media to prompt this action.

As the German media world focused on the turmoil at Axel Springer, the staff of Politico, whose acquisition by Springer is expected to close as soon as this week, was largely focused elsewhere. Journalists there are considering forming a union, and organizers have set a deadline of this month to gather support.

His sexual relationships with women on his staff were known in Bild’s office, Der Spiegel reported.

That is a stony path: the way in freedom and democracy. And when there is much powerful influence, it will be hard. But we have to conquer fear because we will be successful.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/18/business/media/julian-reichelt-axel-springer.html