After plagiarism scandal

Journalist Föderl-Schmid keeps her doctorate

Alexandra Föderl-Schmid

(Bild: Prohaska Rene / VGN Medien Holding / picturedesk.com)

The result of the University of Salzburg's review of the 1996 dissertation of Alexandra Föderl-Schmid, deputy editor-in-chief of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" and former editor-in-chief of the "Standard", is now available: According to this, "no relevant scientific misconduct" was found, as the university announced on Thursday morning.

The work entitled "From monopoly to market, ten years of the dual broadcasting system in Germany" was reviewed by the University of Salzburg's "Commission for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice" at Förderl-Schmid's request. On the basis of the report, the university "as the competent authority, discontinued the proceedings regarding the annulment of the assessment of the dissertation in accordance with §73 of the Universities Act", according to the statement.

"Plagiarism hunter" pilloried Föderl-Schmid
Förderl-Schmid had been confronted with accusations of plagiarism from February onwards. These concerned her handling of the citation of source material in journalistic texts on the one hand and her dissertation on the other. The "plagiarism hunter" Stefan Weber had - on behalf of the right-wing populist portal "Nius", as it turned out - reviewed the thesis submitted to the University of Salzburg and, according to his own account, located "plagiarism fragments".

Journalist herself asked for her work to be checked
Following the allegations, Förderl-Schmid suspended her position as deputy editor-in-chief of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" on February 5 and asked the University of Salzburg to examine her doctoral thesis for the relevant allegations. Shortly afterwards, it became known that the former "Standard" editor-in-chief was missing. One day later, the 53-year-old Upper Austrian was found alive under a bridge over the Inn in Braunau and admitted to hospital with severe hypothermia.