The “Adil Palta” file in Germany: Journalism or social engineering?

 


The newspaper “Bild” does this all the time. Actually, it is not the only one doing it. Others enter from the same vein, but more discreetly, more implicitly, more indirectly. Bild, however, dives in blindly, without hesitation. Much like “Taraf,” which still comes to mind when one thinks of hit-job journalism in Turkey.

However, Bild does this through the weakest segments of society: the poor, different ethnic groups, religions, immigrants, and especially Turks in recent times. Let us look at the example of journalist Adil Palta, who has returned to the agenda with the consecutive news reports published by Bild, the newspaper with the highest circulation in Europe. Because it is one of the latest examples of the German newspaper's character assassination operations.

There is a legal file opened against journalist “Adil Palta” in Germany. However, the file in question opens up a debate on where journalism is being dragged in the increasingly heavy political atmosphere in Europe.

Germany's largest newspaper, Bild, has featured Turkish-origin journalist Adil Palta on its pages for the second time in a short period. While the discussions that started after the first headline had not yet subsided, this time new developments regarding the probation process at the Stuttgart District Court were reported.

The critical point is that the news did not only contain information about the court process. Photographs of Palta taken as he was leaving the courthouse were also published.

Shortly after, the same news found its place in some media outlets in Turkey with almost the same content using the “copy-paste” method. 

Since no one asked, let us ask then.

For example, how did court documents that had not yet been disclosed to the public fall into the hands of journalists?

How was the date of the court hearing learned?

How were the journalists waiting ready at the courthouse exit?

And while all this was happening, why did the legal initiatives of Palta's lawyer, who had previously requested a retraction and correction from Bild, remain in the shadow of the news reports?

"DİE ZEİT" FOLLOWED A DIFFERENT PATH

One of the media outlets interested in the same file was “Die Zeit,” Germany's largest weekly political newspaper with a weekly sales figure of over 600 thousand.

Simon Langemann, a reporter for the newspaper, which is known for its liberal line and investigative journalism, reached out to Adil Palta's lawyers before publishing his report.

In the email he sent, the reporter stated that they were preparing a report and wanted to get Palta's opinion.

Stating that it was not possible to share the news text in advance due to institutional policy, Langemann also wrote that the direct and indirect quotes to be used could be verified.

In addition, the questions to be directed to Palta were also sent in advance.

The questions included topics such as Jobcenter (social welfare office) payments, the court's assessments, the defense's objections, the accuracy of the news, and the perception created in the public eye.

Die Zeit's approach was remarkable in terms of implementing the principle of “granting the right of reply to the other party,” which is considered fundamental in journalism.

The fact that the same file was published in some media outlets without obtaining or sufficiently reflecting the opinion of the defense side brought the debates on journalistic ethics back to the agenda.

ADİL PALTA SPOKE FOR THE FIRST TIME: “THE HEADLINES PASSED JUDGMENT BEFORE THE COURT”

The Turkish journalist broke his months-long silence to 12punto. He told for the first time about his days in prison, the severe psychological process he went through, the headlines published about him, how he was convicted through the media, his legal struggle, and his resentment toward the Turkish-language media…

After all that has happened, Adil Palta answered 12Punto's questions for the first time.

“BİLD’S HEADLINE SHOOK ME DEEPLY”

— The headline used in Bild's latest report, “Social fraud – TV presenter should be sent to prison,” was found to be quite harsh. You have also worked as a journalist for many years. How did you read that headline through the eyes of a journalist?

To be honest… That headline shook me deeply.

I was already going through a very difficult period after being released from prison due to the detention. I was trying to pull myself together again. Just as I was trying to get back on my feet, being a headline again in Germany's highest-circulation newspaper was very exhausting for me.

This process also affected my health. I received treatment for a long time, I had to use medication. It was not a period that could be easily overcome.

I do not think the language used in the news was intended only to inform the public. For my part, I felt that it created an atmosphere that could also influence the judicial process. Of course, this is my personal assessment. But after what I have been through, it is not very surprising that I think this way.

“I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO STAY ON MY FEET”

— It is claimed in the news about you that you did not fulfill your probation obligations. On the other hand, you are facing a huge financial burden. How are you continuing your life today?

It was not easy. After I got out of prison, I did not receive any social assistance. I tried to hold onto life again with the support of my close circle and my own means. I cannot deny that the news published about me made all of this even more difficult.

Unfortunately, people only see the headlines. But no one knows the life lived behind that headline.

Today, I am struggling to work, produce, and pay my debts again.

This process did not discourage me. On the contrary, it showed me that I need to work harder to get back on my feet.

“I FELT LONELINESS THE MOST IN PRISON”

—You stayed in prison for a while due to the detention. How do you remember those days today?

They were not days that could be easily described. When a person enters prison, they do not just lose their freedom. They also lose their concept of time. And their hope…

I felt loneliness the most.

Inside, you witness not who people are, but the life they live behind the same walls. I saw the problems experienced by young people of foreign origin very closely.

All of this affected me deeply. After I got out of prison, another struggle began this time.

While I was trying to get back on my feet mentally, the news that came out about me one after another made this process even heavier.

Today, I still carry the traces of those days.

“JOURNALISM IS STILL A LABOR OF LOVE FOR ME”

— You worked as a journalist for years, you prepared television programs. Today, you are going through a difficult process both legally and economically. What kind of path do you plan to follow from now on?

Journalism has never been just a profession for me. This job is also a bit of a labor of love. Once you get into it, you cannot easily break away.

I also made television programs for years, I wrote in newspapers. I tried to make people's voices heard. Now, I am going through one of the most difficult periods of my life.

It is not an easy process financially either. But I believe I will get back on my feet. By working… By producing… By holding onto life again…

It is not just me. Many journalists in Europe and Turkey are struggling with similar economic difficulties. That is why I do not see what I have been through as just a personal story.

“WHAT SADDENED ME THE MOST WAS THAT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NEWS WAS NEVER WONDERED ABOUT”

— Your lawyers initiated legal action against Bild's first report. Despite this, the same news was published in different media outlets. What hurt you the most during this process?

What saddened me the most was that people did not wonder about the other side of the news. Many media outlets used the same news. But very few people turned around and asked, “Is there a side to this story that you tell?”

To me, journalism requires exactly that.

If there is an allegation, the other party's word is also taken.

I do not think enough care was shown to this. Of course, everyone can criticize. No one has to be on my side either. But passing judgment without listening is something else.

That was what really hurt me. For this reason, we will follow the legal process to the end.

 This issue is not only mine, but also the issue of accurate reporting. 

“I TRIED TO BE USEFUL TO PEOPLE FOR YEARS”

— Do you think the journalism you have done for years has also been overshadowed in this process?

Yes, I feel that. I did not just report news for years. I took part in social responsibility projects. I supported aid campaigns. I made free programs on screens for sick children.

I tried to make people's voices heard. I contributed to many civil society activities.

When I look back today, I see that all of this is almost not remembered at all. A few headlines overshadowed years of effort. One cannot help but feel sad.

Because a person does not want to be remembered for the headlines written about them, but for the good they have done.

“IF IT WEREN'T FOR ME, WOULD IT HAVE GROWN THIS MUCH?”

— Why do you think this incident grew so much?

I have thought about this a lot too. Sometimes I ask myself this question: If I were not a well-known journalist who makes television programs, would this file have become a headline in the same way?

I do not know. Maybe it wouldn't have. But I know this: The news about me did not just tell the legal process. It also placed me at the center of the debate based on my being a well-known person in the public eye.

That is why I think what happened has gone beyond being an ordinary court news story.

“LET US NOT PASS JUDGMENT WITHOUT LISTENING TO EACH OTHER”

— Do you think what you have been through also affects other Turkish journalists working in Europe?

I definitely think so. What happened is not just Adil Palta's story. It is also the issue of many media workers like me who have spent years in journalism. Turkish-language journalism in Europe is already trying to survive under difficult conditions.

Newspapers are shrinking. Opportunities are decreasing. Journalists are working in increasingly difficult conditions every day. In such a period, while we should be supporting each other more, we are facing the exact opposite picture.

There are press associations. There are professional organizations. But I did not see the solidarity I expected during this process.

This really saddened me.

Because I think that what was done to me today could happen to another journalist tomorrow.

“MAKING A PHONE CALL SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THIS DIFFICULT”

— What is the message you want to give to the German and Turkish media, especially to journalists working in Europe?

I do not expect anyone to defend me. I am not saying that anyone should take my side either.

The only thing I want is for the most basic rule of journalism not to be forgotten. Before a news story is written, the person written about should also be given the right to speak. Making a phone call… Asking a question… Saying, “What is the side of this story that you tell?”…

I believe this should not be very difficult. Because journalism is not just reporting allegations, it is investigating all sides of the truth.

My biggest resentment is here. Some media outlets republished the news without questioning it. Yet, the same care could have been shown to listen to the other side of the incident.

Maybe then we would be talking about very different things today.

“I AM FACING MY MISTAKES”

— Today, when you look back, what is the last word you want to say to both yourself and the public?

Everyone can make mistakes in life.

I have never said that I have been perfect throughout my life either. The judicial process exists for this. And the courts too.

I am facing my own responsibilities. But I would also like people not to know me only from the headlines. I have worked as a journalist my whole life.

I prepared television programs. I took part in social solidarity campaigns. I worked for sick children, for aid organizations, without expecting anything in return.

Today, it truly saddens me that all of this remains in the shadow of a few headlines.

Still, I have not lost my hope.

I will continue to work.

I will hold onto life again.

POLARIZING WITHOUT BLINKING…

Adil Palta speaks like this. Then let us ask: Is the Bild newspaper doing journalism, is it acting as a hitman, or is it shaping public opinion?

This question is not new. It is a topic that German politicians, lawyers, journalists, and academics have been debating for nearly sixty years.

Bild, Germany's most influential mass-circulation newspaper, is also considered one of the most powerful tools for shaping public opinion in the country.

One of the most comprehensive examples of these debates was the book titled “Ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste – Wie BILD mit Angst und Hass die Gesellschaft spaltet” (At All Costs – How BILD polarizes society with fear and hatred), published in 2021.

Journalists Mats Schönauer and Moritz Tschermak examined Bild's understanding of journalism through hundreds of examples in the book they prepared based on their Bildblog work, which they carried out for nearly ten years.

The effects of the publications on society were also evaluated in the book. Targeting those receiving social assistance (Hartz-IV), strengthening prejudices against immigrants, and dragging society into anxiety through refugees.

And of course, the publication language that contributes to the rise of the right-wing populist AfD, according to some political scientists.

The authors argue that these are not coincidental examples.

Moritz Tschermak states that millions of people still read Bild, and that even some respected media outlets sometimes cite the newspaper's unverified news as a source.

Other striking examples are included in the book: making the private lives of grieving families headlines, publishing personal photos taken from social media accounts without permission, and the severe psychological destruction experienced by the people placed at the center of the news.

The examples clearly strengthen the criticisms that Bild can sometimes directly affect the lives of the people it makes the subject of the news.

HEINRICH BÖLL’S WARNING

The history of these criticisms is much older.

German author and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Heinrich Böll evaluated the Springer group's publishing approach as a serious risk for German democracy in the 1960s and 1970s.

Böll pointed out that biased and sensational journalism not only harms individuals but also deepens polarization in society.

Böll was one of the names who demanded an investigation into the Springer group's editorial policy following the assassination attempt on Rudi Dutschke. Because of this stance, he himself was also targeted.

He was accused of being a terror sympathizer by some politicians and media outlets.

He was subjected to a smear campaign that lasted for months.

The process he went through later inspired the work “The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum,” which is considered one of the most important political novels in world literature. 

AXEL SPRINGER PUBLISHING HOUSE EMPLOYEES REMINDED OF LOYALTY TO ISRAEL

The Axel Springer Group, to which Bild belongs, has also come to the agenda with different debates in recent years.

In particular, the internal corporate principles sent by the publishing house to its employees, which define loyalty to Israel among company values, caused a wide repercussion in the public eye.

While supporters evaluated this as the company's editorial stance, critics reopened the debate on the effect of media organizations' political positions on news language.

For this reason, the Adil Palta file today should also be evaluated as one of the latest links in Bild's long-criticized understanding of publishing. 

The period in which the discussions are taking place is also remarkable.

Germany is going through one of the most severe political and social transformations of recent years.

Tough immigration debates, trimmed social benefits, economic stagnation, downsizing in industry, the high cost of living, and right-wing populist politics rising in the shadow of all these…

Recent public opinion polls show that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which also includes the far-right wing, has significantly increased its weight in the country's politics. The party stands out as the strongest political actor in many polls, and the possibility of it coming to power is being seriously discussed. Of course, journalism investigates events that concern the public, and allegations of crime can be reported.

However, in states governed by the rule of law, newspapers do not pass judgment, and they should not. No one is above the law. Neither are journalists.

No one deserves to be judged a second time in front of the public before a court decision is finalized.

Perhaps it is time to talk about how news is produced, how it is circulated, and how public opinion is directed in Germany, which is in the shadow of war.

IŞIN ERTÜRK – STUTTGART