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ANALYSIS: The Kurz corruption scandal exposes Austria’s press freedom problems

The corruption scandal that recently forced Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to leave his post has exposed the 'open secret' of unhealthy ties between politicians, polling companies and the media, with critics renewing calls for reform.

Published: 22 October 2021 10:31 CEST
Austrian newspapers about Sebastian Kurz
A photo taken on October 18, 2021 shows a copy of Austrian news magazine 'Falter' featuring an illustration of former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz on its front page amid various other Austrian newspapers in Vienna. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The scandal erupted this month when prosecutors raided locations including the chancellory and the finance ministry.

They are currently probing allegations that Kurz’s inner circle used public money to pay for polls skewed to boost his image. Prosecutors also suspect that in return for running the surveys, and other fawning coverage of Kurz, a major tabloid received lucrative public adverts.

Kurz and all those under investigation deny any wrong-doing. But the fact that government adverts are used as a means of influencing the press has long been an “open secret”, says Yilmaz Gulum, a political journalist with public broadcaster ORF.

More on this story from The Local:

In the small EU member state of 8.9 million people, large swathes of the press have become reliant on public money as “their economic model of print media has been destabilized by the internet”, says Fritz Hausjell, deputy head of  the media and communications department at the University of Vienna.

By far and away the largest source of public funds has been ad spending by regional and national government, which has grown to €220 million ($256 million) a year.

However, many official ads seem to have little informational content and are used instead to show beaming ministers or mayors wishing citizens a “Merry Christmas” or “sunny summer”.

According to media expert Andy Kaltenbrunner from the University of Salzburg, the Österreich and Heute freesheet tabloids are the most dependent on government funds, accounting for 20-40 percent of their revenues. Gulum says the way the ads are placed across the sector amounts to “market distortion” with tabloids receiving much higher sums than the broadsheets, some of which are more critical of the government.

Former Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said in May this year that when she took office in 2017 and made huge cuts to the ministry’s ad budget “many were horrified”. The aim of ad spending was generally seen as “buying goodwill in press coverage,” she explained to a parliamentary committee investigating corruption.

Huasjell points out that the system can be used to exercise influence in both directions. Tabloids like Oesterreich can exert pressure on government by saying: “If you don’t buy lots of ads, then we’ll take you down or disregard you.”

Henrike Brandstötter, an MP for the opposition liberal Neos party, says the upshot of the system is that “with some media (the audience) can’t have confidence that what’s written is always correct”.

“That’s endangering democracy,” she says.

Sebastian Kurz is surrounded by media as he arrives to attend the parliamentary session at the Austrian Parliament in Vienna, Austria, on October 14th. Photo: Joe Klamar/AFP

The advertising issue is one reason Austria has slid 10 places down the press freedom rankings compiled by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) pressure group since 2015. In its latest report on Austria, RSF said that despite the entry of the Greens into government — “a party that claims to respect the highest press freedom standards” — there has been little progress on “press financing reform”.

The press is therefore likely to remain “dependent on state funding for some time”, it added.

Brandstötter sees the solution lies in capping the amount the government spends on ads and instead upping the amount of direct public subsidy. Advocates of this route say subsidies would be less liable to manipulation by the government of the day as they would be shared more equitably across the sector and on a more stable basis.

The other aspect of the media landscape cast in a dubious light by the latest scandal is polling. Kurz’s aides are suspected of commissioning polls which were massaged in order to smooth his path to the chancellery. Brandstötter calls them a “manipulation of public opinion”.

The polling company that carried them out was not a member of the polling industry association VdMI because it didn’t meet the group’s quality control standards. These include a minimum of 800 respondents per survey and avoiding using online-only polls.

Christoph Hofinger of the SORA polling institute — one of the country’s most respected — called for improvements in his field.

“When polls appear that aren’t up to standard, they shouldn’t be used in public debate,” he said.

By Blaise Bauquelin

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POLITICS

Why does Austria rank so badly for press freedom?

Between political scandals and a decreasing media market, Austria has consistently ranked low in analyses of worldwide press freedom, but it has reached its lowest point this year.

Published: 3 May 2024 12:41 CEST
Why does Austria rank so badly for press freedom?

When we think about countries where there are issues with press freedom, it’s usually the places that are war zones or dictatorships that come to mind. So the fact that Austria ranks only 32nd in the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index may seem surprising to many people.

This is the country’s worst result to date, as it slipped from the 29th position it held last year. In 2024, Austria ranks in the middle of the countries classified as “satisfactory,” behind Moldova and ahead of Mauritania. Only eight countries are rated as having a “good” situation. The 22nd edition of the Press Freedom Index covers 180 countries worldwide.

According to Fritz Hausjell, President of RSF Austria, there are many reasons why Austria has fallen behind. The judiciary is investigating “highly problematic close relationships and suspected corrupt practices between the governing party ÖVP and several major media outlets”, he said, according to an ORF report. In addition, the judiciary is investigating the far-right FPÖ’s role in possible advertising corruption.

“In Austria, press freedom has been undermined by various political pressures or restrictions on access to information. Violence at public events prevented journalists from reporting freely”, RSF said.

READ ALSO: How Austria has tightened laws to prevent political corruption

Small market and political influences

“With just a dozen major outlets, the media market is small and very concentrated”, according to the RSF report. Additionally, tabloids have the largest readership, and there have been many attempts to influence both state and privately-owned media, with RSF calling the practice “constant”.

“Some politicians are suspected of having used public funds to buy favourable coverage in the tabloid media, while others have tried to intervene by directly going to editorial offices, such as former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. He was forced to resign in 2021 due to suspicions of buying positive coverage in a privately owned newspaper. Journalists are sometimes the targets of political attacks coming from the extremes”, the report stated.

There have been significant scandals after corruption allegations between politicians and the media.

Most recently, prosecutors said an investigation into several former government members for alleged bribery, corruption, and breach of trust was opened in mid-April. Herbert Kickl, the hardline leader of Austria’s right-wing Freedom Party (FPOe)—currently leading polls ahead of elections expected in September—is suspected of commissioning adverts and paying for them with public money.

READ ALSO: The Kurz corruption scandal exposes Austria’s press freedom problems

In late 2021, a major media graft scandal erupted in the Alpine country. Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his inner circle were accused of using public funds to pay for polls skewed to boost his image on Austrian tabloid media. It eventually led to Kurz’s resignation and exit from politics.

Of course, one of the country’s most infamous political scandals, the so-called Ibizagate that blew up in 2019, also shows Austrian leaders’ and major media’s murky underground connections. At the time, a leaked video showed then FPÖ leader and vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache in a 2017 meeting on the Spanish resort island of Ibiza with a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch.

Among the many controversial statements, Strache was filmed discussing the possibility of the woman buying Austria’s most-read tabloid, Kronen Zeitung, and making its editorial line more pro-FPOe.

READ MORE: ‘Ibizagate’ – What you need to know about the Austrian political corruption scandal

But it’s not just the tabloid media that has shrouded connections to those in power. In 2022, two prominent Austrian journalists, editors of reputed media such as Die Presse and ORF, had to resign over leaked chats between them and politicians. The chats showed discussions over appointments with the public broadcaster ORF and friendly notes with “inappropriate closeness” between them and political leaders.

Outdated legal framework and harassment

Although various bills are being discussed, Austria is the last EU member state without a freedom of information law. Journalists are, moreover, concerned about certain political parties’ attempts to restrict their access to judicial information. 

Journalists are also harassed by various interest groups and societal movements. They are liable to censor themselves as a result of online attacks based on their gender, social class, ethnicity or religion. 

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine has become an issue that is polarising Austrian society and encouraging people to question journalism, the report highlighted.

READ ALSO: ‘Reforms needed urgently’ – Is Austria becoming more corrupt?

Additionally, reporters’ coverage of protests is facing significant obstruction by police, who use frequent identity checks to harass them and threaten legal action. Women journalists are particularly at risk. Newsrooms often receive threatening letters and messages, according to the report.

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