ÖVP leader identifies scandal

Political reporting distorted: ORF “condemned”

The ORF camera team is said to have cut only three minutes of the one-hour interview and discussions without any critical voices.(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

Vienna's ÖVP leader Karl Mahrer identified a scandal and "actively pursued politics" by ORF after a TV program about the Favoriten security hotspot. Critical voices had disappeared into the archives. More than a year later, the complaints committee proved him right.

The clinch between the Turkish city councillor and ORF was triggered by a "Report" episode in May of the previous year. "This is a broadcasting scandal and not 'public service' reporting, but actively pursued politics!" Karl Mahrer expressed his outrage at the time.

The top politician denounced the fact that a camera team accompanied him for an hour in an interview or conversation during his (in)security tour through the Vienna hotspot district of Favoriten. In the broadcast, however, only three edited minutes were left without a critical voice; the ex-police general was shown walking rather lost through the district with the recording "ÖVP in search of direction".

Vienna's ÖVP leader Karl Mahrer on his security tour through the hotspot district of Favoriten in the "Report" segment.(Bild: TVthek/ Screenshot)

What followed was a complaint by letter from ÖVP regional managing director Peter Sverak for "active political shaping by the ORF editorial team". Now, more than a year later, the Public Council has responded.

"Let critical voices disappear into the archive"
 The content of the report was classified as "objective and completely in order". However, it also stated: "On the other hand - as far as the contextualization (editor's note: linguistic contexts) is concerned - (....) was able to understand their complaint and the majority of them followed up on it." The person responsible for the programme was informed of this and that "better sensitization" should be achieved in future.

Ex-police general Karl Mahrer sees himself confirmed in the "Krone" interview: "The ORF has not only violated the principle of objectivity, but has deliberately allowed critical voices to disappear into the archive!" A year ago, left-wing opinion makers would have tried to ridicule points of criticism. "Today, many of these problems have long since become reality: youth gangs, segregated communities and hotspots in public spaces."