April the 20th, Hitler´s Birthday. Nice day for an Austrian Tale.
When it comes to media and press freedom, Austria can be somewhat proud. Wiener Zeitung, first published in 1703, is the oldest newspaper still regularily produced in the world. Besides many regional papers, eight national newspapers vie for the attention of Austria´s readers. The majority of them favour quality over scandal or quantity, what leads to a fierce yet healthy competition and, generally, to good investigative journalism.
Bearing in mind all this competition and such high standards, it is barely believable that sich a pile of rubbish as the Kronen Zeitung, a racist, sensationalist, sleazy tabloid, is by far the most read newspaper in Austria. The sales numbers are astonishing: 3 million daily. Hence, you can easily surmise that the Kronen reachs at least 5 million people. In Austria, where only 8 million people live. The Kronen´s influence upon the nation is believed to be so powerful that no national decision or project can go ahead without its greenlight. They had a lot to do with Jörg Haider´s ascent to power, to put the most easy example.
On Sundays in Vienna one can take the newspapers from plastic bags on the streets. In theory, they are not for free, there is a little box for the coins. But one can take the newspaper without paying. That´s what I do without any qualm; furthermore, I deem spending a single dime on such a load of shite as the Kronen a sin.
It reads easily though. And it is always funny, when not taken seriously. Many tales of gore, most of the times perpetrated by foreigners, with Serbs and Turks being the bad guy in almost 80% of the cases (not that these things don´t happen, rather, they just only inform about these). The highlights are the column wirtten by the Archbishop of Sankt Pölten, the readers´ views (rumour has it that the Krone itself writes many of these), and the naked babe picture of the first pages. Good journalism: the cover for the pope, and the 7th page for the naked girl photo:
Also, the propaganda of the far right party FPÖ usually finds a place in the Krone. They are against immigration, naturally. Immigrants steal the jobs from the hands of the hardworking Austrians, and under their noses at that, blah, blah, blah… Yet the average ordinary everyday Kronen Zeitung´s sales force does not look very Austrian:
Curious, is it!
But the Gold Medal doubtlessly belongs to Herr Wolf Martin and his poem section „In der Wind gereimt“. Today, Hitler´s birthday, he always dedicates a „poem“ to the Führer, so I though I might as well take advantage of such a great day to write a post on the Kronen and compile some of Wolf Martin´s greatest hits here. They throw some light on how the Kronen is.
Kronen Zeitung, 20th of April, 1994. A pearl like this would trigger a scandal in Germany. Nothing of the kind in Austria, where it is read by a 60% of the population.
"Today I celebrate, when I´m allowed to, Adolf´s birthday, who was once the first man in our nice country. A personality through and through. We´d need him today. He integrated the people, perfectly representated the State. Our nowadays leaders undoubtedly pale in comparison. He was a revolutionary, so at the beginning it was hard, the reactionary forces even incarcerated him. Yet destiny often changes, when it comes to politics. In his last days, his party led the state. He was honest and legal, a real model, a patriot to the bone. What a man!"
Herr Wolf does not seem to like jews, either, though there are not many in Austria. In 2000 he wrote:
"By no means should we fear, that jews today flee Austria. For even the Haider-eaters live better in the „Nazi country“ of „blue shame“ than in their beloved holy land“
As for the enlargement of the EU, Mr Wolf thinks the new members are not rich enough to joint the brotherhood. 2005:
"Does the EU really need Poland? It should take Norway instead! And brave Switzerland would be more useful than the Czech Republic. Yet these two, who get the lead, say no with all their hearts."
Meanwhile, Haider keeps on stealing the show by tearing off the town shields written in Slovenian and German in Carinthia…
