UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title East German Journalists and the Wende: A history of the collapse and transformation of socialist journalism in Germany Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2q13c9p4 Author Guzman, Morgan Morille Schupbach Publication Date 2015 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles East German Journalists and the Wende: A history of the collapse and transformation of socialist journalism in Germany A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Morgan Morille Schupbach Guzman 2015 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION East German Journalists and the Wende: A history of the collapse and transformation of socialist journalism in German y by Morgan Morille Schupbach Guzman Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Los Angeles, 2015 Professor David Sabean, Chair This dissertation utilizes archival sources and interviews to examine the transformation of the journalism profession in East Germany from the collapse of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) through the unification of the two German states. During this period of dramatic political and social upheaval, East German journalists navigated the divide between socialist journalism of the GDR and democratic journalism of the Federal Republic. By embedding the history of this professional transformation within a broader narrative of the history of the collapse of communism in Germany and Eastern Europe, this dissertation identifies how the actions of journalists were largely determined by outside forces. Socialist journalism in East Germany was envisioned as a means to use the media to control the public, but in practice the ii model primarily succeeding in controlling the journalists. As a result, the profession was at the mercy of larger social and geo-political tensions and was hampered by persistent and lingering structures of control that delayed the ability of journalists to undertake any substantive efforts of reform. However, once those structures eroded, there was a brief window where journalists were freed to reform the profession, and many envisioned a future for a democratic socialist journalism that embraced journalistic freedoms but held true to socialist principles of equality and social justice. These ideas were cut short by the rapid implementation of the Unification. West German publishing giants were able to quickly secure control of the East German press landscape, and Christian Democratic Union leadership in both East and West Germany ensured that West German broadcasting structures were expanded to the newly added Eastern German states. As a result, the journalists of the former GDR were left to again adhere to norms and structures imposed from outside. However, there was a significant population of East German journalists who were able to navigate the divide between the two regimes and adapt to the new conditions of the unification, utilizing elements of their East German background and training in their new careers in unified Germany. iii The dissertation of Morgan Morille Schupbach Guzman is approved Peter Baldwin Ivan T. Berend Gail Kligman David Sabean, Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2015 iv DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to myh usband Daniel, my parents Richard and Viviane, my son Henry, and to the little one on the way. Thank you for your sacrifice, patience,a nd support. I could not have done any of this if it was not for you. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dreams. I love you ! v Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................1 STRUCTURE, SOURCES, AND METHODOLOGY OF THE DISSERTATION ......................................................................3 IMPORTANT THEMES .........................................................................................................................................................9 CHAPTER ONE: THE SPUTNIK-CRISIS (1988-1989)................................................................................ 14 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Literature Review..................................................................................................................................................... 18 HISTORICAL CONTEXT .................................................................................................................................................... 21 Glasnost ........................................................................................................................................................................ 21 State Controlled Media in the GDR ................................................................................................................... 28 West German Media in East Germany............................................................................................................. 35 Increasing State Censorship in the late 1980s............................................................................................. 37 THE SPUTNIK BAN........................................................................................................................................................... 40 The Cancellation of Soviet Films........................................................................................................................ 45 “Against the Misrepresentation of History” .................................................................................................. 46 RESPONSES TO THE SPUTNIK BAN ................................................................................................................................ 50 Censorship and the Role of Media in East Germany.................................................................................. 53 East versus West ....................................................................................................................................................... 62 East versus East......................................................................................................................................................... 67 The State versus the Public .................................................................................................................................. 74 Entmündigung........................................................................................................................................................... 76 REPERCUSSIONS............................................................................................................................................................... 79 CONCLUSION: SPUTNIK AND THE WENDE................................................................................................................... 85 CHAPTER TWO: EGON KRENZ AND THE MEDIA WENDE (SEPTEMBER 1989 – DECEMBER 6, 1989) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 93 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 93 Literature Review..................................................................................................................................................... 98 PRESSURE AND REFORM: HONECKER’S DEPARTURE AND KRENZ’S MEDIA WENDE........................................103 IMPACT OF THE WENDE ON MEDIA INSTITUTIONS.................................................................................................114 The Transformation of the Journalist’s Union (VDJ)...............................................................................114 Impact of the Wende on East German Broadcast Institutions ...........................................................119 Internal Reactions to the Wende within ADN, the East German News Service...........................131 East German Print Media responds to the Wende ...................................................................................135 PERSISTENT PROBLEMS ...............................................................................................................................................145 The Ministry for State Security and the Police ..........................................................................................145 Censorship and Limited Access to the Media .............................................................................................148 Failing Resources, Infrastructure, and Technology ................................................................................149 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................157 CHAPTER THREE: THE “THIRD WAY” THAT NEVER WAS (DECEMBER 7, 1989 – MARCH 18, 1990) ...................................................................................................................................................................160 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................................................160 Literature Review...................................................................................................................................................164 NEW LEGAL, POLITICAL, AND MEDIA LANDSCAPE .................................................................................................167 The Left and the Third Way ...............................................................................................................................169 Democratic Pluralistic Media ...........................................................................................................................172 Volkskammer Resolution Guaranteeing Freedom of Opinion, Information, and Media.........174 vi Opening the Border and the Battle for Distribution ...............................................................................179 MEDIA INSTITUTIONS RESPOND TO THE CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE ..........................................................185 The East German News Service, ADN ............................................................................................................185 A New and Independent Media ........................................................................................................................190 New Role for the Journalist’s Union (VDJ) ...................................................................................................197 PERSISTENT PROBLEMS ...............................................................................................................................................201 THE END OF THE THIRD WAY.....................................................................................................................................206 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................208 THE MEDIA CONTROL COUNCIL, EAST GERMANY’S MEDIA WATCHDOG AGENCY (FEBRUARY- OCTOBER 1990)................................................................................................................................................211 INTRODUCTION: THE WOLF WITH NO TEETH.........................................................................................................211 Relevant Works and Problem Statement.....................................................................................................213 MEDIA CONTROL COUNCIL ..........................................................................................................................................219 The evolving mission and authority of the Council .................................................................................223 TRANSFORMATION OF THE PRINT MEDIA ................................................................................................................228 Distribution Battles ...............................................................................................................................................229 Mergers and Acquisitions ...................................................................................................................................236 ELECTRONIC MEDIA......................................................................................................................................................243 Conflicting Visions for the Future of East German Broadcasting .....................................................244 The Transformation of the Broadcasting Structures .............................................................................258 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................267 CHAPTER FIVE: CONTINUITY AND RENEWAL, JOURNALISTS RECOUNT THEIR EXPERIENCES OF THE TRANSITION OUT OF THE GDR INTO THE MODERN FEDERAL REPUBLIC ...................273 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................................................273 Literature Review and Sources ........................................................................................................................276 The Challenges of Memory and Oral History..............................................................................................284 THE INTERVIEWS...........................................................................................................................................................288 Journalistic Origins: Who Becomes a State-Socialist Journalist? ......................................................290 The Red Monastery: The Creation of Socialist Journalists....................................................................302 Agitators, Organizers and Propagandists: The Role of Journalists in the GDR...........................306 Working within the System: The Daily Practice of Journalism in East Germany.......................312 The Turning Point: Glasnost and the Wende..............................................................................................324 Anarchic Freedom: Journalism Reinvented ................................................................................................333 The Enduring Value of Socialist Journalism ...............................................................................................348 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................354 CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................................356 THE TENSION BETWEEN EXTERNAL CONTROLS AND JOURNALISTIC SELF-DETERMINATION ..........................358 THE CENTRALITY OF THE MEDIA TO GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY, IDENTITY, AND LEGITIMACY ...................363 LINGERING STRUCTURES AND PRACTICES................................................................................................................367 THE ROLE OF FOREIGN MEDIA ...................................................................................................................................371 FINAL THOUGHTS ..........................................................................................................................................................375 APPENDIX ..........................................................................................................................................................377 APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW OUTLINE ...........................................................................................................................377 APPENDIX 2: ABINI ZÖLLNER .....................................................................................................................................382 APPENDIX 3: ALFRED EICHHORN...............................................................................................................................417 APPENDIX 4: FRANK HEROLD.....................................................................................................................................453 APPENDIX 5: TORSTEN H. ...........................................................................................................................................491 APPENDIX 6: SUSANNE H.............................................................................................................................................554 vii BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................................................606 viii